"You excited about tomorrow?" Yang asked Neela as she took a spoonful of her mashed potatoes and examined them before placing them in her mouth, savoring the flavor before swallowing and going in for more. Neela was bright red but wore a large smile as she nodded and checked her scroll.

"I'm just glad to finally have a little bit of downtime more than anything else. I mean sure, it's great that tomorrow is my birthday, but I'll take the week of peace and quiet over it," Neela said. "It's been a really stressful year with everything that's gone on."

"I'm just glad to be back here at the cabin finally," Blake noted as she grabbed Shadow's wrist to make her stop slamming her silverware on the table. "Shadow, honey, just eat the food, you don't need to play the drums at the table."

"Where else am I going to play them?" Shadow asked. Blake glanced at Yang who covered her smirk with her hand.

"Yang…" Blake scolded.

"She's got a point you know," Yang noted. "Better audience out here."

"Yang!" Blake repeated.

"Not at the table during dinner," Yang added. "You can use the table as a drum after we're done eating." Shadow looked to Blake for approval and her mother nodded, filling her with glee.

"Awesome!" Shadow announced as she shoved a fish stick in her mouth and happily chewed. "Sissy, where's Elli?"

"She said that she had a few last finishing touches on my gift before she came over tonight," Neela explained to Shadow.

"Must be quite the gift," Blake pointed out. "I thought she'd be over by the time we finished dinner." Neela looked at her nearly empty plate and sighed.

"She's been acting a little strange this week, but I'm guessing that it's just nerves or something," Neela offered. "They still haven't caught either of those men that her dad put away."

"They've lived here for quite some time," Yang reminded Neela. "Violet has gotten herself into a situation or two, but she's never had any trouble getting out. Of course, Grimm are a little different from criminals, but if Eliana wants we can keep an eye on her after we get back from our vacation this summer."

"I'm sure that she'd appreciate it," Neela noted. "Where are you guys going again?"

"The coast of Vacuo for a week with Shadow," Blake told her. "Then we're coming back to Vale to drop her off with Tai and Raven before we take our bikes out for a ride across the continent."

"Right, mom sold Bumblebee..." Neela groaned. Yang laughed sheepishly, and Neela sighed as she stabbed at her food. "I still can't believe that you got rid of it."

"That thing had been through hell and back," Yang explained. "I know you loved it, but everything reaches the end of its life eventually. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's an important one."

"I know," Neela complained.

"Still planning on going to Atlas for the summer?" Blake asked.

"Yep. I'm guessing it'll consist of visiting Aunt Ruby and Weiss, and we might go visit Grandpa and Grandma in Menagerie for a bit at the end of the summer," Neela pointed out. "I don't know Titus and Ilia's exact plans, but I think she was going to join him for some training."

"I think that girl enjoys visiting this family more than you do," Blake said. Yang laughed.

"To me, they're just family," Neela chuckled.

"You're gonna visit Grandma Kali?" Shadow asked. Her eyes lit up. "Can I go with you?! I wanna see Grandpa Ghira!"

"I think we'll head out there before the end of the summer, we should just let sissy and Elli go out there alone," Yang explained. Shadow folded her arms and frowned.

"I could see them twice…" She pouted.

"It's okay, Shadow," Neela said. "Maybe next summer I'll take you with me."

"Really?" She asked, nearly leaping across the table. Neela nodded and grinned.

"Yep!" Neela assured her sister. Shadow threw a fist in the air.

"Awesome!" Shadow shouted.

"Inside voice, hun," Blake pleaded.

"Awesome!" Shadow whispered loudly. Yang and Neela laughed.

"So Friday is the day, huh?" Yang asked.

"Don't talk about it," Blake informed her as she stood and collected their plates.

"It's fine," Neela waved her off. Blake gave her a look.

"I just don't want her to make you nervous," Blake explained. "Well, more nervous than you probably already are."

"It's okay, really," Neela replied.

"All we ask is that if you two do end up dating that you don't use our bed while we're gone," Yang noted.

"Yang!" Blake yelled from the other room.

"It's not like they're both going to fit in Neela's full-size bed! I'm just saying they'll need to find an alternative option," Yang shouted back.

"You think it'll be that soon?" Blake questioned.

"I remember you and I were ready pretty quickly," Yang recalled.

"Our situation was different," Blake reminded her.

"She's right, we weren't home at the time," Yang muttered.

"Can we… talk about something else…" Neela begged.

"What would you rather talk about?" Blake called from the other room.

"She's old enough to hear all of that," Yang defended.

"Shadow is not!" Blake reminded her. Yang glanced at Shadow who pushed her chair out and headed down the hall for her room.

"Where are you going, kitty cat?" Yang asked Shadow.

"To get my crayons!" Shadow replied happily. "We always watch the news after dinner when we're at home and it's sooooo boring." Neela laughed.

"What if they show some Grimm?" Neela asked. Shadow thought about it for a moment.

"Then I'll stop coloring," she offered with a shrug.

"Neela, why are your bow and arrows propped against the counter next to the doorway?" Blake asked. Neela chuckled nervously as she stood and moved them to the table.

"They had us clean out our lockers today so that they could do maintenance on them to make sure they're ready for next year," Neela explained. Blake rounded the corner and cocked her hip, looking at her daughter.

"The table is not a better place to put them," Blake scolded.

"I'll put them away in a bit," Neela informed her. "I was going to clean it and check on how many tips I had left."

"Think up any new ones?" Yang asked, moving closer to Neela.

"Not recently," Neela explained. "The last one's I came up with were those smokescreen tips that I told you about."

"It still impresses me," Yang cried out. "How did we end up blessed with such a smart kid?!"

"It's basic Dust mechanics, I don't know if I'd call it that impressive," Neela admitted.

"Any discovery of a new application of Dust is an advancement in knowledge," Yang spouted off. "Or at least that's what Weiss always said."

"That was one of the promos for the SDC, I've never once heard Weiss say that," Blake corrected from the kitchen. Yang lowered her voice.

"Pretty sure she said that," Yang whispered.

"Has Weiss sent you any more Dust to try since that incident in Mistral?" Blake asked. Neela chuckled.

"I think she'd rather make sure the prototypes are a little more stable next time," Neela explained. "She also told me to maybe not use them in the field before testing them out." Yang laughed.

"Sound advice," Yang noted.

"You going to stick around for a bit tonight?" Blake asked, drying her hands. "We're just going to watch the news and settle in for the night. Shadow will probably go to bed soon."

"I'll stick around and see if Eliana shows up," Neela told them. "She said she just had something to take care of quickly, so I'm not sure what's keeping her so long."

Eliana took a deep breath, her body shaking as it betrayed her and she desperately tried to load Dust into her revolvers, hands trembling as she prepared to pull off the riskiest move of her entire life. She would have to actually kidnap Shadow, there was no way to avoid the actual act, she had the "doll" in her basement and if they were watching her like she feared that they were, they'd notice her bringing it to the Xiao Long's. Once she had Shadow and made it back to her house, it was easy mode until she made it to town. She'd make the switch quickly, tell Yang and Blake where Shadow was with a text, and be on her way to Vale in less than a minute. Then the true test would begin.

She'd have to think critically and fast. If Athena was there, she was probably as good as dead unless she ran for it and her force fields could hold the woman off. If Athena wasn't there, she'd gauge her chances fighting. Athena's presence was most likely nothing more than an intimidation tactic, and if she was pitted against Chameleon, she could certainly win against that monster. The ticking of the grandfather clock behind her thundered in her ears and she turned back to look at it, nearly ten o'clock. She had to move fast and be as quiet as possible once she reached Neela's. Sneaking into anywhere was difficult on its own, but having three Faunus in the house would turn it into a near impossibility.

Time was still wasting as she attempted to pull herself together. She could only imagine her mother screaming for help, shrieking for Eliana to help her, the ear-splitting noise covering up the previous warnings and requests Violet had given her.

Don't go after them.

That wasn't an option. She'd never forgiven herself if she didn't try and if she died in the process, at least she'd given it her all, right? A message vibrated her scroll to life, shaking it off of the table and she jumped as it hit the floor, nearly coming out of her skin as she clutched her chest and glared at it hard for a long minute. It was just her scroll. It wasn't the Fang. It wasn't Irving. It was just her scroll. She moved across the room and picked it up, reading the message that had been sent to her from an unknown number, instructing her where to bring Shadow to and to come alone. She exhaled. Her nerves were shot, and sleeping all day Monday was a blessing in disguise as she hadn't slept since then.

She'd passed twenty-four hours awake, but the adrenaline that flooded her system was more than enough to get her by. Another message came across her scroll, giving her pause as she read the words.

Hey, Elli. Guess you must have had more to do than you thought. It's cool. I'll catch you tomorrow at school. Good night. - Little Hawk

Would Neela even talk to her tomorrow once they found out what she'd done? It would be easy enough to explain, though she was sure Neela would be bitter for not telling her, but it was understandable, right? If they had Shadow already, or Yang, or Blake, Neela would do the exact same thing… she'd just be less nervous about it. Eliana put her scroll away and holstered her guns. Neela would stare this monster right in the face and spit at it! Coco had said that morning that they were on the same level! Eliana found a sudden comfort and confidence in that and she pulled on the mask and pulled the hood of the black sweater she wore over her head, staring at the picture of her mom and dad before nodding at it and turning the lights off behind her. She left the house, locking it behind her. This was it.

There was time to turn back, this could all be called off and she could just tell them what was going on and get their help, but what if the Fang were watching? She could feel eyes on her, cold, staring, making sure that she wasn't trying anything out of line and she had no time to stop and check if they were those of the Faunus that had made her life hell or the Grimm that were almost nothing more than an inconvenience. Eliana's feet carried her on without her consent, sprinting quickly, close to the tree line to avoid being spotted before she reached her destination. She hoped that Yang and Blake were asleep at this point. She prayed that Neela had gone to bed. She could only imagine their instantaneous horror if they spotted her wearing a White Fang mask.

Eliana shook off the thoughts. No room for doubt. Determination had taken over. Her plan was solid up until reaching Vale, she needed to act like it. She knew that her fears and anxiety would return once she stepped foot on the airship, but up until that point, this was a piece of cake. She knew the house that she planned on breaking into inside and out. She knew what creaked when it was stepped on, she knew which hinges would squeal when moved and at what point. The doors weren't typically locked, but if they were, she knew that the spare was kept in the treehouse for safekeeping. She knew that the windows in Neela and her mothers' room were left unlocked and that Neela's would most likely be open to allow the comforting cool summer breeze to drift in as she slept. She knew that Yang light snoring was enough to allow the occasional misstep, more than once had Eliana dropped something from the fridge during late-night raids with Neela.

She moved faster than she thought was possible, the wind seemed to assist her, either pushing her forward or stalling completely, cooperating in a strange matter as she was normally used to the wind blowing in from the opposite direction as it typically did this time of year on the island. She slowed herself as she reached the edge of the property. Zwei wasn't there to worry about barking like he often did when she'd first met Neela. She crept across the yard, staying close to the woods and deciding on using Neela's window to enter the house. If she woke up Eliana was sure that she could explain it away.

Elli, what are you doing here?

You said that you had something to tell me, right? I've been thinking about it a lot, so… what is it?

Why are you wearing that mask?

Eliana shook her head, obviously, she'd take the mask off right away if she was discovered. She did have to admit though, the times that she wasn't worried about her mother, she did wonder what Neela had to tell her. Had Neela found someone? Eliana froze for a moment at the corner of the house, spotting the window, her mind blurring for a second as she contemplated the thought that had just filled her head. That's what you wanted, Eliana. You wanted Neela to find someone. That would be great news! Her heart crashed harder against her chest.

What the hell was wrong with her? This sudden feeling? This sudden pain? She ignored it and slid across the wall to the window, noting that it was open and carefully removing the old battered screen that was haphazardly placed to keep out bugs. She laid it in the grass, not wanting to risk it making noise against the cabin and climbed it clumsily, not recalling that the window sat so high up. She caught herself before hitting the floor with a forcefield, setting herself down gently. She crouched, moving silently to Neela's nightstand after noting that her best friend wasn't in bed.

It posed the problem that Neela was up, but as long as she wasn't in the bathroom it shouldn't be too much of a problem. The table wasn't in a direct line of sight from the hall to the dining room, and the tv blared loudly, giving her some wiggle room assuming that Neela was the only one still up. Blake was always hyper-vigilant, and since the White Fang had reappeared she'd dialed it up a notch, something as regular as the ice maker going off was enough to make her ears perk up. Eliana placed the beads on Neela's nightstand and smiled at the picture Eliana had given her for the Winter Festival.

Maybe Neela found someone.

Eliana swallowed hard and moved to the doorway, glancing out both ways and slipping out as Yang laughed heartily at the television.

"Quiet, Shadow's sleeping," Blake scolded loud enough for Eliana to hear. She froze at the voice. She stilled her breathing, sure that Blake was listening to make sure her youngest daughter still sounded like she was sleeping.

"Come on, babe! Shadow could sleep through the end of the world, my laughing isn't going to wake her," Yang replied playfully. "Just like something else never has."

"Gross!" Neela shouted at them. Eliana moved again, sighing in relief as she found Shadow's door open and snuck in, watching the girl sleeping peacefully with her Ursa plush, her breathing light as she was laying on her side, her face towards the wall. Eliana had brought something to knock her out but wasn't sure that it would be completely necessary. The girl was small and would be easy enough to restrain and keep from screaming. If she woke up, Eliana could convince her that they were playing a game. She didn't need to know. Eliana moved closer to her prey, preparing to grab her before stopping instantly.

"Did you hear something?" Blake asked, shifting on the couch.

"Stay here," Yang demanded. "There's nothing going on. You're too high strung."

"I'll check on her if you want," Neela said.

"If you would," Blake replied. Eliana felt her body constrict, everything on edge instantaneously as she moved for the closet and quietly slid the door close. Neela stepped into the doorway, Eliana could hear her moving about the room but was unwilling to peek out, on the verge of tears from the fear of being caught. If Neela found her it was all over. Her mother would die. She'd never forgive herself for failing… Neela smiled at Shadow who was sleeping and pulled the blanket up over her. Neela looked around the room before leaving and returning to the table.

"She was fine," Neela told them.

"See, you worry too much," Yang reassured her with a smirk.

"Thank you, Neela," Blake replied. Eliana shook in anguish. There was no winning. Even if she saved her mother, this moment would haunt her forever. She slid the door back open, weakly approaching the bed. A tear slipped from her face and she reached under her mask to wipe it away, preparing herself for the next step. Yang and Blake's room at the end of the hall. She'd kick the screen out and then she'd be gone. Into the dark of the night. Shadow over her shoulder. Back to her house. Phase two. She was too close to fail. Everything depended on this moment. She lifted Shadow slowly.

Shadow tried to shift to get comfortable, almost forcing Eliana to drop her but she clung tight to the small Faunus, holding her close to her chest as she stepped out into the hallway. Something shattered behind Eliana and she looked back, Neela's face disguised with horror as she spotted the two of them, her glass of milk had been dropped, destroyed on impact with the floor as her mouth tried to form words but let out a blood-curdling scream instead. The rest happened in slow motion as Eliana turned to move quickly. Yang had leapt over the back of the couch faster than Eliana could actually process what had happened, turning to look where Neela had as her eyes filled with rage, every corner of her pupils spilled over with a crimson red as her hair burst into flames.

Never for a moment did it cross Yang's mind to assess the situation. Someone had her daughter. Images of Adam and Raven raced through her mind as her body was consumed with the blistering heat of anger and inhuman amounts of adrenaline. Eliana wasn't sure if she was about to have her life ended by Yang, or some supernatural beast that resided within her.

Eliana thought that her body was moving right away, but the initial shock had frozen her hard. Her feet finally remembered their purpose, carrying her clumsily for a step before something struck her in the back and she hit the floor, dropping Shadow who rolled away from her and drowsily woke up to the confusion. Her body… wouldn't… cooperate… what happened? What was happening? She forced herself to look back, Yang moving too quickly for Eliana to see as she grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall, cracking the drywall behind her as Eliana found herself planted.

"Any last words?" Yang asked, but in Eliana's daze, it might as well had been a different language. Everything at that moment seemed surreal. She'd failed. She was going to die, she knew it. The idea of Yang's fist crashing through her skull was the only thing that she was able to process, her body limp from what she now figured was one of Neela's lightning arrows. Eliana groaned as Yang pulled back. Neela's mind worked quickly, admitting to herself that despite the hoodie, she knew the curve of the body in her mother's clutches, as well as the hair that was spilling out from the hoodie. She dashed down the hallway.

"Wait!" Neela screamed as Yang swung around, her fist crashing into Neela's ribs, sending her sprawling down the hall from her momentum as her aura broke. Something cracked and Neela doubled over in pain as Blake moved to check on her girls.

"Neela!" Yang yelled, softening. She stripped the mask off of Eliana and gasped, letting her go and taking a step back, shaking her head. "Elli!"

"Elli?" Blake asked scooping up Shadow and moving to Yang.

"No…" Eliana stuttered, her lips numb like the rest of her. "No…"

"What's going on?" Yang asked, confused.

"Mommy?" Shadow asked.

"Everything is fine, we just had an accident is all," Blake comforted her.

"What happened?" Shadow pried.

"I'll tell you later, Sweetie," Blake assured her, putting her back in bed.

"I… Neela…" Yang breathed trying not to cry as she moved to her daughter.

"I'm fine," Neela coughed, flinching and gasping in pain as Yang tried to move her. "Elli."

"No…" Eliana repeated. Her body was shutting down. Giving up. That was it. It was over.

Next week

Chapter 131

The Confession