A/N: Today, I got the job I've been aiming for for months, so here's another chapter to celebrate!

Let me know what you think :D

What We Call Home

The next few days seemed to pass in a murky haze. Ren recovered his Aura fairly quickly, thanks to Jaune helping him with his own Semblance. The two boys were back on their feet by the next morning, ready to defend the train should they need to.

Nora, however, hadn't quite recovered from the emotional blow Carob and Oliver's visit had landed upon her. How could she have calmed down? While it was wonderful to know that they were on the right track and would soon enough by reunited with their former guardians, there was no joy to be gleaned from the prospect.

She couldn't be happy knowing that with every moment she spent on that train, she was growing closer to Sotz.

Jaune didn't ask many questions about the situation. He was wrapped up in his own thoughts, his fingers constantly tapping onto Team RWBY's contacts on his Scroll to try and reach the girls. No matter how many times he tried, however, he received no relief. More often than not, Nora caught him playing with Pyrrha's ring, the red metal from Miló shining in the light from the windows as he stared forlornly at the screen.

Jaune was still learning to handle grief. He lacked all of their years of loss, so Nora wanted to give him time.

It didn't mean she was an expert in it, though. Ren understood her pain. The second night aboard the Argus Limited, she woke up in the middle of the night, blankets sweat-streaked, bangs clinging to her forehead. Ren was seated at her bedside, stroking her hair and watching out of the window into the darkness. When she stirred, croaking his name as the images plaguing her nightmares fled her mind in the light of reality, Ren's gaze fell upon her and he smiled. "We'll be okay, Nora," he whispered reassuringly. "We're stronger now. Even if he's in Argus, we'll be able to fight him this time."

He knew exactly what was haunting her. She sat up, looking at the boy in awe. "…You've changed, Ren," she whispered back.

He frowned, perplexed. "Is… that bad?"

Nora chuckled, grabbing onto his hand and lacing their fingers together, leaning back against the wall of her bunk. Even without his Semblance, his touch was comforting like nothing else could ever be. "No. I'm proud of you."

And he beamed, ears growing pink and eyes creasing into tiny crescent moons in a rare, unguarded smile, his other hand reaching out to brush her hair out of her eyes. "And I, you," he replied.

A few months ago, Nora wouldn't have wanted Ren to see her scared like this. He had spent years seeing her fearful, long after they had burned down Sotz's camp and run away, long after her abuse at the hands of so many others had come to an end. The last few years, however, she had grown stronger- happier.

She just never wanted to be a burden while Ren had his own nightmares- the Nuckelavee, Kuroyuri, all of it- to deal with.

But Ren was contented, freer now. If only she could say the same.

At least Carob never brought up Sotz again. There would be time for discussions later, once they reunited with everyone. While Jaune preferred to stay in their sleeper car for most of the trip, Nora and Ren often met up with Carob and Oliver for dinner, learning more about the boy's training and Carob's writing. "I'm making memoirs of the team," he explained when Nora finally inquired further. "Snow and Star never got to tell their stories to anyone else." The man sighed, elbows on knees and head in hands, another glass of whisky dripping onto the coaster in front of him. "I still don't know how I survived, and Cara didn't."

The conversations with Oliver and Carob were often tinged with sadness. Every fiber of Carob's being seemed to scream regret and heartache, and yet, the man continued to refuse to pick up his old gun. He hadn't even let Oliver join the fray when the Manticores attacked, too worried for the young boy until he had verified that Nora and Ren were present. No one wanted to suffer any more grief, which was a sentiment Nora could wholeheartedly understand.

"I'm sorry about your father," Nora said quietly one day as Ren and Carob went to the dinner car to grab seconds for the group. "I didn't know him well, but he was Howl's friend, which means he was pretty great."

Oliver's lip wobbled, a sight which grounded yet again how young he truly was. "I miss him," Oliver whispered. "Howl told me that Dad wanted me to stay a kid as long as I can, but how can I do that when the guys who hurt him are still out there?!"

Nora nodded, smiling wanly. "We were at the Fall," she said quietly. "I know how hard it is to just sit there and watch."

His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat as his face clouded with fear. "No- you and Ren and that Jaune guy- you were all-"

"It was hard. Really, really hard. But we're here now, and we've found something to keep fighting for." She snorted ruefully, waving off the air of tension and heartache shrouding them both. "But how the heck can we keep fighting when Ren and Carob aren't back yet?! I heard they were serving cake for dessert today, and I want some!"

The way the younger boy's face split into a relieved smile eased the hurt Nora was trying to hide.

Still, their journey couldn't last forever. Their time on the train lasted four days in total, only stopping once at a trading post to restock on supplies for a scant few hours. They were lucky to have avoided all future Grimm encounters, the lack of skirmishes giving the trio time to properly rest and rebuild their Auras.

By nightfall of the fourth and final day, the conductor of the train announced upon the speaker system, "We are now arriving in Argus."

"Guys," Nora asked, glancing between Ren and Jaune worriedly, "what's our plan?"

Ren hummed, brow furrowed in thought. "I suppose we were just originally planning on following whatever Qrow and Ozpin deemed best. They have been able to provide us accommodations and guidance thus far."

Jaune smiled sheepishly, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and tightening the straps. "I think I might be able to help with accommodations."

Before they could press further, the voice on the speaker said, "Please remove all your belongings and head to the nearest exit. Workers will be along to aid you in the unloading of larger cargo." The voice continued to politely recite the instructions, guiding Nora and her teammates out of the door with backpacks and weapons in hand.

What hit her face first was the distinct chill of northern Anima, the icy air mingling with the scent of the sea breeze. Situated on the coastline, Argus' climate was nowhere near as frigid as the treacherous mountain passes through which the Argus Limited travelled, making it far more pleasant than her time exposed to the elements on top of the train cars in the ice and snow. She breathed in deep, relishing in the cool scent of salty waters and snow-capped roofs, all mixed distinctly with a delicious, yeasty scent curling onto the platform from around the corner. More cinnamon-sugar twists! I love train stations.

As they walked onto the platform, what awaited them outside of the train was not what they had expected, however. Rather than the friendly faces of station staff helping with the Argus Limited, a line of armed, armoured Atlesian soldiers blocked the way forward. A small checkpoint had been set up near the exit of the platform, a screening booth that shouldn't have been there to the left, with a small detainment area on the right. Nora frowned, eyes roving over the setup in confusion. "Is this what is supposed to be here, or…?"

Ren shook his head, eyes steeling. "No. I doubt they would normally do this to a passenger line."

Their questions were quickly answered when a voice rang across the giant platform through a loudspeaker. Gruff and orderly, the voice barked, "All Huntsmen aboard the train, please report to the screening station. All Huntsmen aboard the train, please report to the screening station."

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "Guys, it's because of the train," he said, exasperated. "We should've guessed."

"But we only did what we did to protect-" Nora began, but a figure stepping in front of her cut her off.

Carob raised a hand, silencing the trio. "I still have my Huntsman license," he said smoothly, pushing his tinted glasses up his nose. A smirk curled onto his lips, every pore oozing confidence. "You told me why you cut the train. It was the right decision. I'll take responsibility."

Ren started, "But you-"

"I am perfectly capable of explaining the situation to them," Carob insisted. "Besides, you kids aren't Huntsmen officially, are you?"

Guiltily, they all looked away. "Not like it was our choice," Nora pouted.

"Then it's up to me. God knows the hired help can't do a damn thing useful during this trip." They all glanced over to the screening booth, where Dudley had already appeared, apparently receiving a harsh, painfully-public dressing down on the platform.

With that, Carob stepped forward, Oliver trailing behind and beckoning the three of them to follow. "We still all have weapons," he explained. "Might as well go before the screening booth finds them and gets mad."

His point was valid, so the trio obediently followed Carob and Oliver to the soldiers standing expectantly at the booth. Nora's heartbeat began to quicken as they approached the soldiers. Although they were still on Anima, the soldiers all bore Atlesian uniforms. How long had it been since she had looked at those soldiers? How long had it been since their weapons, mechanized suits, automated troops and airships had become the stuff of nightmares?

She hadn't properly seen Atlesian soldiers since the Vytal Festival- since the Fall of Beacon. And the last time she had seen them, most of them had been hijacked by Cinder's forces, turning them into her enemies.

Still, they had no choice but to obey. She had known that they'd see Atlesian forces here. It just hadn't hit her until they had entered her sight. No point in causing a fuss now, I guess.

The moment they arrived, Carob immediately slid out his Huntsman license and began to explain the situation, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"So you're saying," the soldier grunted in half-disbelief, "that there was absolutely no way to avoid cutting off half of the train?"

Carob tucked his hands into his pockets, smiling icily. "Yup. The Grimm invaded the rear cars, so we evacuated passengers to the front half of the train and cut off the rear carriages." At least the man had the sense to wear even a mask of remorse upon his face as he added, "It's too bad, really. I'm sure lots of cargo was lost. Still, we prioritize life as Huntsmen- and as soldiers as well, correct?"

The soldier's frown deepened. "We'll have to send people to retrieve the loosed carriages. We cannot possibly leave it on the tracks- the train cannot make a return trip along the same path and we need the way to be cleared for freight."

"Well, I leave it in your capable hands," Carob replied, nodding cordially.

Glancing at the four younger fighters behind Carob, the soldier growled, "And they are…?"

"Students," he replied calmly. "Students, and my godson." He gestured for them to show their own licenses, so Nora, Ren and Jaune pulled out their Scrolls, flashing their Student Huntsmen permits to the man.

The man waved them over to the screening booth, getting them each to scan their identification and licenses so that they popped up on the nearby terminal. After a long scrutinizing look over their credentials, the soldier at the checkpoint finally sighed and waved them off. "Thank you for protecting the passengers," he muttered with rote politeness. "Leave the retrieval of the train to us."

"Will do," Carob said, waving the group over to the exit of the platform.

Once they had crossed the threshold of the station, Jaune let out a long breath. He looked vaguely dizzy, disoriented after being under such intense watch by armed guards for so long. Nora silently reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing in reassurance. "You okay, Jaune?"

He smiled wearily at her, but the appreciation in his nod was clear.

Carob turned around, stretching his arms high above his head. His joints popped with an audible crack, and Nora and Oliver chuckled at his groan of relief. "Well," Carob said, turning around to face Nora and Ren, "what is your plan now? Where are you kids headed?"

Nora paused. Throughout their conversations, little information had been shared between both parties as to why Nora, Ren and Jaune were even heading to Argus. She looked over at Ren. Should we tell him? she asked silently.

Luckily, the growling of her stomach interrupted any conversation they may have had as the scent of freshly-baked pastry wafted into Nora's nose yet again. She chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Can we talk over food?"

Carob rolled his eyes. "Alright- I'll treat you all."

The rest of the group cheered and followed their noses to a nearby stall in the grand station, so similar to Mistral's in all except colour scheme. Where Mistral Central Station had been painted warm, earthy tones, with brick walls and golden undertones to the olive paint of the walls, Argus Station was much more refined and cool in its colour palette, using icy greys and blues to balance out tan brickwork.

Nora took this all in as she sank her teeth into her food with gusto. Ren watched her with warm amusement, then turned to Carob, allowing his own food to cool first. "We're trying to get to Atlas," Ren explained to the duo. "We have a mission. We were separated from our allies when we cut the train, so our goal is to secure a route before we regroup with them here."

Carob hummed, stroking his goatee in thought. "I mean, it won't be easy getting off Anima. Even harder to get into Atlas right now," he muttered.

"The embargos," Jaune said sadly, ripping apart his own pastry half-heartedly. "But we've got to try and find a way to get to Atlas before Ruby gets here. We won't have a lot of time once they do."

Oliver frowned, piping up for the first time since seeing the officer. "You're all doing something important, huh?"

Nora nodded with gusto, wiping some sugar off her lips. "We're on a mission, too," she explained. "Finding out that everyone was also going to Argus was a coincidence."

"And that mission is…?"

"We can't really say." Jaune's smile was apologetic, the boy still clearly awkward with the two new faces in their group.

"Well," Oliver said kindly, "you can always come with us! If you don't have anywhere to stay, that is. It'll be great to have everyone together-"

"Actually," Jaune interrupted, holding up his Scroll, "I think I can get us somewhere to stay for free. It's one of my sisters," he clarified to Nora and Ren. "Saphron lives in town and has been begging me to visit her for years now. I don't think she'd mind if we crashed at her place."

Carob seemed lost in thought, his eyes glazed over, drifting far away. Finally, he grunted as he straightened up again and pulled out his Scroll. "I'm sending you some places you can check out for transport." His fingers flew across the thin screen of the device, and soon, Ren's Scroll was dinging like crazy. "Even if this is a mission that would gain sympathy from Atlas forces, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have with the military, but you can give it a shot- their airship base in off the pier, north side of town. Until you find a way there, however," he finished, tucking away his Scroll, "let me know if you have free time. You've got some grumpy old Huntsmen to see."

Nora nearly jumped in excitement. A part of her wanted to scream and demand that they go to see their guardians right then and there. What else had they been waiting for all this time?

Turning back to look at Jaune, however, changed her mind. He had been so lost, drifting aimlessly ever since they had lost contact with Team RWBY and the others. Maybe some stability, some familiarity, was what he truly needed. Planting her hands on her hips, she announced, "You better! We'll let you know what we find!"

With that, Carob and Oliver waved goodbye, strutting off into the crowd.

Jaune's expression melted into one of embarrassed, but heartfelt, gratitude. "Thanks, guys," he murmured. "I… I think I really need to see Saph right now."

She smiled, leaning against Ren's arm as she took another bite of her pastry. "Go on, give her a call!"

"Just remember," Ren warned, "you can't say anything about the Maidens."

"Right." With a determined look, he held his Scroll up to his ear. After a few moments, his eyes lit up. "It's ringing!" A moment later, he said, "Saph? Hey!"

Immediately, the blond held the device away from his ear, wincing when a tinny, piercing shriek echoed through it. "Yeah, I'm in Argus- it's a long, long story. I was wondering if we could-" The boy turned and walked ahead, eyes following directional signs through the station to guide them out and to his older sister's home. Halfway up the staircase out of the station, he turned and flashed a thumbs-up, mouthing, "I got us a place to stay!"

Nora grinned, looping her arm through Ren's and following along. "He needed this too, huh?"

"He hasn't been away from his family, ever. It'll probably do him good to be grounded again," Ren replied, an adoring smile on his face as he looked at their leader, skipping up the steps of the station with excitement.

The sights and sounds of the city were overwhelming for Nora after four days trapped on the dimly-lit Argus Limited. There were so many people, so much noise- she decided it was easier to just focus on Jaune's back ahead of them and Ren's arm in hers as they wandered through the streets of Argus. There would be plenty of time to explore later, if the list Carob had given to Ren was anything to go by.

After wandering through the maze-like streets, eventually a soft, surprised voice caught their attention. "Jaune- Jaune, is that you?"

Nora lifted her chin, looking at the source. The speaker was a short woman standing on the opposite street corner, wearing a sleeveless vest that could not have been warm in the wintry air. She tucked dirty blonde hair behind her ear, blue eyes that were far too much like Jaune's brightening as she recognized the tall boy across the street. A wide, easygoing smile grew positively radiant as she threw up an arm, waving excitedly at the trio. "Jaune! Oh my goodness, get over here!"

"Saph!" Jaune cried, suddenly dropping all of his barriers to run unabashedly towards the petite woman, crossing the street at a dead sprint without sparing a glance to traffic.

"Jaune!" Nora laughed, tugging Ren's arm to follow along. She had never seen Jaune react like that before, the boy tearing towards the older woman without a second glance. It took barely ten seconds for the boy to end up with the woman, wrapping her in the tightest embrace.

As Nora and Ren finally crossed over to the other side of the street, Nora was taken aback by the tears rolling down Jaune's cheeks, the shuddering of his shoulders. "Saph, you're okay," he cried softly, clutching onto the woman brokenly.

Saphron seemed to be in a similar state, tears of relief and joy streaming down her cheeks, the smile on her face too bright to bear. "Jaune, you're here," she laughed, the sound strangled through a clogged throat. "I can't believe it." Pulling away from him, she held his shoulders and looked up at his face, pride and happiness oozing from every pore. "Oh, you're so much taller! And stronger, too- look at you." She reached up, wiping her cheeks clumsily and ruffling his hair, despite the automatic pout it drew from him. "My baby brother is all grown up."

Nora leaned her head on Ren's shoulder, taking in the sweet moment before them. Yeah, we definitely made the right choice to go here rather than to meet up with everyone right away. She hadn't seen that kind of spark in Jaune's smile in ages.

Stepping forward, she waved brightly at Saphron. "Hello! I'm-"

"Nora, right?" Saphron sniffled, looping her arm through Jaune's as Nora had with Ren. "And you're Ren. Jaune's told me, and the whole family, all about you, see- all about your adventures at Beacon." Her smile wobbled for a moment, threatening to crumble before she reigned her emotions back in. "I'm Saphron Cotta-Arc, this loser's older sister." When Jaune pouted, she poked his cheek playfully. "I haven't really been able to contact anyone for months, especially with the CCTS down internationally, so I didn't hear what happened to you all. It's so good to see you all safe."

"It's wonderful to meet you, too," Ren said politely. Even he couldn't help but smile seeing Jaune and Saphron's adorable reunion.

Saphron beckoned down the road. "C'mon- you're all coming to my place. You're on a mission, right?"

Jaune nodded sheepishly. "I wish I could tell you more, sis. But are you really alright with our friends joining us at your place once they get here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you planning on throwing a rager?"

"Um… no."

"Kidnapping Adrian?"

"No."

"Stealing my wife?"

"Wasn't the plan, no."

Saphron shrugged. "Alright, you're all welcome!"

Nora piped up, "Who's Adrian?"

Over her shoulder, Saphron grinned cheekily back at them. "The man of the house," she said with a wink.

Ren frowned, quietly asking Nora, "Didn't she say she had a wife?"

Nora shrugged. "Maybe… Jaune's family is… into… unusual relationships?"

Ren sighed, but they followed the two siblings who immediately launched into chatter regardless.

The Cotta-Arc home was a decently-sized, two-story affair. There were three extra bedrooms, giving them more than enough room for when the rest of the group rejoined them. Nora oohed and aahed appropriately as they climbed up brick steps and entered the cozy dwelling, warm yellow light washing over pale walls and giving the entire place a homey look.

"You can make yourselves comfortable wherever you like," Saphron said, heading straight to the kitchen to wash her hands. "I had just finished making dinner when you called, Jaune. Perfect timing!"

"You cook?" was Jaune's only response.

"Crockpot meals count."

"No way they don't-"

Immediately, Saphron and Jaune entered a light squabbling match, leaving Nora and Ren to explore and giggle. There was so much to see- she knew that this house belonged to just Saphron, so it wouldn't have all of Jaune's childhood belongings, but man would it be fun to snoop!

It didn't take long to find something- however, what she did see was unexpected. "Ren," she called, holding out a hand blindly behind her, unable to tear her eyes away from the mantelpiece. "Ren, please."

With just those words, Ren's touch appeared in hers, the boy leaving the bookshelf to meet her. "Nora, what is-" And his words fell away, dying on his lips just as hers had.

There were nearly a dozen photos on the mantelpiece. Most of them clearly belonged to the Arc family- that was the only reason so many nearly-identical blond children would be in the same photo- although a few of them focused on a russet-skinned woman and her supposed family. Other photographs depicted Saphron with the woman, presumably her wife, holding a baby; in another photograph, the baby was highlighted, smiling innocently at the camera in polka-dotted pyjamas.

And then, at the end of it all, was a photograph of Team JNPR.

Nora recognized the picture. She had gotten Yang and Weiss to take it at the end of the Beacon Dance. Nora had been wearing her one fancy dress that Kalian had bought with her, much to his embarrassment, and Ren was awkwardly posed at her side, unsure of where to look. Jaune was on the other end of the photograph, wearing a white dress. Nora snorted on instinct. Even now, the absurdity of the dance still baffled her. Jaune had worn that white dress after losing a bet with Pyrrha, and thus had stolen the show, ill-fitting bodice and all.

But none of that mattered- not when Pyrrha was in frame.

Nora would never understand why Jaune hadn't fallen for Pyrrha on sight. Hell, if Nora hadn't had Ren in her life, maybe she would've fallen for the redhead. How could one not? Her long red hair, normally so perfectly coiffed, clung to her forehead slightly after a long night of dancing. Bright green eyes stood out from her pale skin, normally so porcelain; but after the excitement of that evening, her cheeks had been flushed and filled with so much life. A long, fitted red dress with a tall slit in the thigh revealed creamy white skin, her curves on display with all the grace in the world. Beside Pyrrha, Nora looked like a little girl playing dress-up.

More captivating than anything else, however, was Pyrrha's smile. For the first time in weeks, at the Beacon Dance, Pyrrha's smile had looked real.

And here she was, on display in the Cotta-Arc living room.

"Jaune sent me that photo to prove he had worn the dress," Saphron said, stepping out of the kitchen with a tray of cocoa in hand. "I had packed it as a joke in his bags. Who would've thought he'd actually wear it?"

"He looked surprisingly good in it," Ren commented.

"Oh please," Nora scoffed, "lilac is so not his colour!"

From the kitchen, Jaune yelped, "Hey! Lilac looks great on me."

"Nope," Nora replied, picking up the frame and stroking her thumb over their faces lovingly. "Pyrrha was right. Periwinkle blue's better."

"Oh come on," was the only reply.

Ren chuckled at the silly exchange. "You can't argue with Pyrrha for that."

"You should just be happy to have been able to wear it at all," Saphron insisted as she set down each cup onto their coffee table in the living room. "Everyone on your team is so good-looking, so of course you needed my dress to help you out!"

"Oh, c'mon Saph," Jaune groaned, following his sister with another tray laden in plates of spaghetti. "I sent the pic as a joke, but that didn't mean you should frame it!"

Saphron blew a raspberry at him. "Oh, c'mon. Why wouldn't I frame a picture of my cute widdle baby bwother-" she cooed, giggling at his immediate glower, "-doing so well at Beacon Academy?"

Nora smiled, joining the duo and taking a seat, helping Saphron pass out the plates. "Thanks for letting us stay here," she said earnestly. "It's really kind of you."

Saphron rolled her eyes. "As if Huntsmen aren't taking care of us civilians each and every day? Please, we're always happy to help." She ruffled Jaune's hair just as he took a bite of his spaghetti. "Especially if you're Jaune's friends. You're always welcome in my home."

"Thank you," Ren said, bowing his head in appreciation.

Saphron waved off his words and gestured towards the food. "Don't let Jaune outpace you- go on, dig it!"

With that, it was time for dinner. Nora found her eyes drifting back to that framed photograph on the mantelpiece, her eyes landing upon Pyrrha time and time again. And, halfway through dinner, Nora caught Saphron's eyes flitting between them all, her expression clear as day as she silently counted. One, two, three Huntsmen students. Not four. There was no doubt the woman already knew who Pyrrha was and what had happened.

It didn't change the fact that Saphron's eyes filled with so much anguish as she finally settled on looking at her little brother. Nora recognized that look, mirrored in the way Nora used to look at Ren, in the way she looked at Jaune and Ruby- in how she used to look at Pyrrha. Saphron just wanted Jaune's pain to go away. She also knew that there was no way to ever help him.