As the weekend turned into a new week, life began to find a strange new pattern.

Yang, for the first time in many, many months, found herself to be free on the weekend evenings. She spent the time with her family, catching up with her uncle. He told them some crazy, yet vague enough to not get him in trouble, stories from his time undercover for the last two years.

As far as the sisters could gather, he had been on a deep undercover mission to locate, well, someone. He couldn't say who, and he wouldn't even let a gender slip out. Just someone important, as he repeatedly said. He'd had some crazy adventures, deep undercover in an unnamed organization… And well, that's all the details they'd managed to get.

Qrow was not the only one with stories to tell. Yang had many tales of nightmare customers, the atrocities and borderline illegal practices of Cardin Winchester and University Pizza, and the story of Mezzaluna, and in turn, Blake. Ruby had many stories from two years of university, complete with tales of professors, students, and her academics alike. Despite being incredibly mundane compared to Qrow's stories of heroism and criminals, he seemed to be far more interested in listening to his nieces talk about their lives than he was in talking about his own.

When Monday finally rolled around, Qrow headed straight to the office and handed in his resignation. It wasn't until later that night when both Yang and Ruby got home did he describe his attempts to secure a desk job with his agency, only to be told there were no openings in Vale. On the bright side, as Qrow had put it, one of his old coworkers had a possible opening in a teaching position for him at a private school.

Yang and Ruby had been confused by that news, to say the least. It didn't exactly make sense to them- their uncle, who had been a secret agent for their entire lives, teaching?

Qrow hadn't been able to give them much explanation, because he wasn't exactly sure why he was being considered for a teaching job either. He had been told that the requirements for teaching at a private school were different than public schools, and he was more than qualified, but he still didn't really understand either. Now, it was just a waiting game to hear back from the old co-worker, while still scouring job listings for backup options.

The days became routine. If Yang had an early shift at Scholar's, she was the first one out. If her first shift of the day was later than 9am, Yang would awake to the smell of Qrow cooking breakfast for the three of them. When she returned home from work at the end of the day, instead of just finding Ruby on the futon, she'd find Qrow there as well, his makeshift bedding pushed to one side of the futon, which he had been sleeping on since he had arrived. The trio would eat dinner together, since Qrow had actually stocked the place with real food, and not just ramen, rice, and beans. He wasn't a half-bad cook either. Not nearly as good as their father, or even remotely close to their mother, but it was far better than the broke-college-student diet they'd been living on for two years.

If there was anything Yang did more than spend time with her family, it was talking to Blake. The two texted throughout the day, whenever Yang got the chance. Blake found herself frequenting Scholar's during the mornings that Yang worked there and Blake had classes, allowing them to share Yang's lunch break together. In the evenings, Yang usually spent some time on the phone with Blake before bed, listening to Blake talk about her day.

They hadn't had formal time for their second date yet, given the sudden changes in Yang's life, but their time spent together during Yang's breaks at Scholar's felt more and more like small dates each time. They did, however, have time to make formal plans, insisted upon them by Kali.

Yang was going over Blake's apartment for dinner on Friday night, to formally meet Kali and Ghira as Blake's girlfriend.

Yang had to admit, she was rather scared.

It had been one thing when she had met them at the cat rescue on Ruby's birthday. They had been little more to her than the people who were giving her sister a cat, and the parents to her new friend. Now, not only were they the parents of her girlfriend, she'd also had an impromptu breakdown in their apartment only a week before.

She was still pretty embarrassed about that one, despite Blake's constant insistence that it wasn't a problem that she had crashed at her apartment. Yang was no stranger to breakdowns, given that she'd been diagnosed with a number of mental illnesses following the accident, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, but she was a stranger to having a breakdown in someone else's. It was just a complicated mess- as everything in Yang's life seemed to be these days.

Still, she was trying to remain positive about the whole thing. She didn't want the lasting impression she made on Blake's parents to be her ongoing instability, even if it was one of the first ones.

Friday night felt as if it took forever to come. Yang was checking the clock constantly while on her shift at the diner, even if she very well knew it wouldn't do anything to help pass the time. When her shift finally ended, she hopped on her bike, driving the speed limit back to her apartment, where she showered and changed before pacing nervously about the apartment.

"You're going to drill a line in the floor with all that pacing," Qrow called from the futon, not even looking up from his scroll.

"Yeah, well, sitting still just isn't going to happen."

"Why are you so nervous anyways? Haven't you met her parents already?"

"Not as her girlfriend."

"Ah, I see." Qrow let out a huff, snapping his scroll shut. "Listen, kiddo, you don't have anything to worry about. You're a great kid, with a lot of drive, and a good heart. Just be yourself, and they'll love you."

"I'm not exactly a kid anymore," Yang commented, turning to keep pacing.

"You'll always be kiddo to me, kiddo," Qrow replied, earning an eye roll and a grunt from Yang. "I'm serious, though. Just be yourself, firecracker."

"I'll try my best." Yang's scroll went off, an alarm buzzing on her phone. "Okay, I can leave now and not be too early."

Qrow shook his head and smirked. "Wow, you're really worried about making a good impression, huh?"

"Yes, yes I am," Yang said with a huff as she picked up her jacket, helmet, and keys from the small entryway. "I'll be back before ten," she called behind her as she opened the door.

"Have fun, and remember what I told you!" Qrow called back as Yang shut the door behind her.

Yang stood for a moment outside of the apartment door, taking a deep breath. It was still pretty strange to have Qrow around, even if she really did appreciate his genuine attempts at parental advice.

Things are different now, but life can be okay again.

Blake was hovering near the kitchen, peeking out the window every few minutes, but trying to stay out of her parents' way as they cooked.

"Blake," Ghira chided after she almost bumped into him while he was pulling dishes from one of the cabinets, "go sit out in the living room. There's barely enough room in here for two of us."

"But I-"

"We'll keep an eye out for a yellow motorcycle, I promise," Ghira told her, nodding towards the living room. "Go on."

Blake sighed and nodded, turning around and heading out towards the living room.

"Why are you so nervous?" Kali asked as she poked at the food in the frying pan with her spatula. "It's not like we haven't met her before."

"I know," Blake replied, sitting on a couch, "but you didn't meet her as my girlfriend."

Kali rose an eyebrow, even if Blake couldn't see it from her position. "And why should that make any difference?"

"I don't know, it just feels more… formal, I guess? Listen, my anxiety doesn't really need a ton of reasoning to spike like that. It just does what it wants, when it wants."

Kali let out a small chuckle. "Oh, don't I know that feeling all too well…"

"Yellow motorcycle just pulled into the lot," Ghira commented, glancing out the window.

Blake leapt up from her seat, dashing for the door. "I'll go down to get her!"

Kali and Ghira exchanged a look and a small chuckle.

"She really is your daughter," Kali snickered, pushing the food out of the pan and into a serving dish.

"As if there were ever any doubts," Ghira replied with a smile. He glanced over into the living room, his smile fading as his eyes landed on the small table next to the front door. "Well, she certainly is your daughter too."

Blake practically ran down the stairs to the lobby, pausing before she exited through the front door. She took a moment to catch her breath, and make sure she looked presentable in the glass of the door before stepping outside.

Yang was getting off of her bike. Blake had never fully taken time to appreciate how good Yang looked next to her motorcycle. There was no mistaking Yang's aesthetic, between her hair, clothes, arm, and motorcycle. Yellow and orange, like the tips of flames on a bright fire. Yang's riding jacket hugged her arms well, showing off the muscles she'd gained carrying around trays of food every day. The moment she pulled off her helmet, and shook her head to let her hair flow free, Blake felt like she had died on the spot.

Oum damn, was truly the only thing Blake could think.

Lilac eyes looked up as Yang tucked her helmet underneath her arm. A huge smile broke across her face as she saw Blake standing there, just outside of the doors that led to the apartments.

"Hey Blake," she said as she approached, Blake's heart pounding at a million miles a minute.

"Hi Yang," Blake replied, not moving as Yang practically stood on top of her.

Yang used her free arm to pull Blake close to her, giving her a long kiss. Blake melted straight into it, wrapping her arms around Yang's waist, trying to avoid the helmet still tucked under her arm.

"Well," Yang said with a chuckle as they finally pulled away, "I'm glad you're as excited to see me as I am to see you."

Blake blushed. "Yeah, well, there aren't many opportunities for kissing during our little lunch dates."

"Unfortunately," Yang replied with a small nod. "Qrow is supposed to hear back from his old co-worker by next week, so hopefully those are coming to an end soon."

"Then we get to replace them with real dates."

"Of course." Yang looked up at the lobby doors. "Shall we?"

Blake nodded, opening the first set of doors into the lobby. She reached into her pocket as she approached the second set, stopping dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked instantly.

Blake groaned, fishing around in her other pockets. "I forgot my keys."

Buzz!

"Right on cue," Ghira said with a smirk.

Kali rolled her eyes, heading over to the small box near the door. "Forget your keys one time, and suddenly it's all you're known for…" she muttered, just loud enough for Ghira to hear it and let out a hearty laugh. She pressed the button on the box. "Hello?"

"Hi Mom. I forgot my keys…"

"I can see that," Kali said with a little laugh, pressing another button. "I unlocked the front door, so don't bother to knock."

Kali stepped away from the box, heading back into the kitchen to help her husband with the finishing touches on dinner.

"Like I said," Ghira said between laughs, "she's definitely your daughter."

Blake opened the front door to her apartment, leading Yang inside. "You can put your stuff near this table, and I'll take your jacket for you, if you'd like," she offered.

Yang nodded, placing her helmet on the small table next to a dish of keys, adding her own to the mix. She slipped her backpack onto the ground, sliding it underneath the table, before pulling off her jacket and handing it to Blake.

As soon as Blake turned to hang up the coat near the door, Yang noticed the other two Belladonna's approaching.

"Hello!" Yang said with a smile, rolling on the heels of her feet.

"It's great to see you again!" Kali exclaimed, reaching forward for a hug, which Yang happily returned. "Everything going well at home?" she asked as they pulled away.

Yang nooded, trying to suppress the blush rising to her cheeks. "Better than I could have ever hoped for."

"That's what I like to hear," Ghira chimed in, reaching out a hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Yang."

Yang reached out, giving the giant man a firm handshake. "Same to you, Mr. Belladonna."

"Please, call me Ghira," he insisted with a wave of his hand. "Mr. Belladonna makes me feel old."

"Which you are," Blake said with a laugh as she turned away from the hook that she had been balancing both her and Yang's jackets on.

"Don't you two start," Kali warned, waving her finger in the air. "Let's go sit, before dinner gets cold."

"Fine," Blake said, in mock annoyance, smiling the entire time. Ghira turned to follow his wife back towards the kitchen table, allowing Blake time to flash a small private smile at Yang, who returned it instantly.

Yang felt a rush of calm pass over her when Blake smiled at her.

Just like Uncle Qrow said. Just be yourself, and they'll love you.

Dinner carried on in a relatively tame manner. They talked about anything and everything. Blake's parents had a number of questions for Yang, about her life, her goals, and her current jobs. They were very careful, much to both Yang and Blake's relief, to not mention the past at all. Yang was good with coming up with questions too, mostly about the rescue and the cats that they currently had downstairs.

Dinner, according to Yang, was the best meal she'd had in at least a decade, if not ever. She'd always enjoyed authentic Faunus dishes, but she admittedly hadn't had the chance to have many over the years. Tonight's dish was absolutely incredible- seared salmon served with vegetables that were only native to the island of Menagerie, considered to be the homeland for many Faunus. The balance of spices was so perfect, Yang wished that the food would never end.

Unfortunately, it eventually did. Well, at least the space in Yang's stomach for more food had come to an abrupt end. As much as she wanted more, the idea of taking so much as another bite made her a bit queasy.

"Do you think your sister and your uncle would like some of the leftovers?" Kali asked, looking at the food still left on the serving trays. "We have quite a bit of extra food."

Yang nodded at once. "I'm sure they'd love that."

"I'll go get the tupperware," Kali said, standing up.

"So, about your uncle," Ghira began, causing Blake to stiffen at once, "has he figured out a plan yet?"

Yang hesitated before nodding. "Sort of. He's waiting to hear back from a former coworker about a spot teaching at a private school just outside of Vale. Once we find out if he's got the job or not, we're going to start apartment hunting."

Ghira nodded in response. "Well, when the time comes, the three of us would be more than happy to help you move."

Yang smiled. "Thank you, I'm sure we'll take you up on that."

"Anytime," Ghira replied, returning the smile. "And once things have settled a bit more, I'd love for our families to have dinner all together sometime."

"That'd be great!" Yang exclaimed, her smile widening. "Uncle Qrow could use meeting some people who are both his age and also not international super spies."

Ghira laughed at the comment, before realizing Yang was completely serious, judging by the look his daughter gave him. His eyes went wide before he quickly tried to get a hold of himself. "Uh, sorry."

Yang burst into a fit of giggles herself. "It's fine! I wish it weren't true, but…" She gave a shrug, a smile still on her face.

Kali returned with two large tupperware containers, placing them on the table. "I don't know what exactly from this they'd like…"

"Ruby will pretty much eat anything you put in front of her, especially any of this. It was all absolutely fantastic."

"Why thank you," Kali said with a smile, beginning to scoop a bit of everything into one of the containers. "And your uncle?"

"Honestly? No clue what he'd like. I've only really been eating around him for like, a week. I think giving him a little bit of everything would be good too. He can give anything he doesn't want to Ruby."

Kali nodded, doing the same with the second tupperware container until nearly all of the leftovers had been split between the two. She sealed the containers shut before placing them in front of Yang. "Will they fit in your backpack?"

Yang nodded. "It can carry my helmet, if I had nothing else in it. It's more than big enough for these." She paused for a moment, taking a second to look up at the clock on the wall. "Unfortunately, it's getting kind of late, and I have work in the morning," she said as she stood up from her chair.

"Of course!" Ghira smiled, standing up from his seat as he extended his hand towards Yang again. "You're welcome here any time, Yang."

"Thank you," she replied, shaking his hand. "And thank you for dinner. It was absolutely incredible."

"I'm glad you liked it," Kali said, giving Yang a hug once she released Ghira's hand.

"Liked it? I loved it! That was the best meal I've had in years."

Kali beamed at the compliment. "You should bring her over more, Blake. I haven't heard compliments about my cooking since your father and I first started dating."

"Mom," Blake groaned, shaking her head before turning to Yang. "Do you want me to walk you to your bike?"

Yang nodded. "Yes please."

Blake flashed a smile at her parents. "I'll be back!"

"Don't forget your keys this time," Ghira said with a laugh, causing Blake to blush as she paused to pick up her keys by the door while Yang gathered her things.

There were another brief round of goodbyes before Kali and Ghira watched Blake shut the door behind her and Yang.

Ghira looked at his wife. "I really like her."

Kali flashed a wide smile at him. "Me too."

Blake stood next to Yang's bike as she watched Yang get most of her gear on. Her riding jacket was zipped up firmly, her backpack strapped to her back. The only thing that hadn't yet been put on was Yang's helmet, which was currently sitting on the seat of the bike.

"I had a really great time tonight," Yang said, looking up from her jacket.

"Me too."

"Do you think they liked me?"

Blake let out a little laugh. "I doubt they're going to talk about anything else for days. They loved you."

Yang gave a wide smile. "Good! Mission accomplished then."

"You dork," Blake replied, smiling as she rolled her eyes.

"So…"

"So."

"Are you doing anything tomorrow evening?"

Blake blinked at the question. "No, not really."

"Would you like to go out after I get out of work? I don't know what we'd do, maybe get ice cream or something?"

"Yang, it's mid-November."

"Oh. Right."

Both Blake and Yang began to laugh, Blake taking a step closer to her girlfriend as they did.

"Sure, Yang. We'll figure something out."

"Sounds great!" Yang flashed another wide smile as she wrapped her arms around Blake's back, pulling her in a bit closer.

Blake was suddenly barely an inch from Yang's face. She smiled back, before closing her eyes and leaning in to meet Yang's lips.

Kali peered out the kitchen window as she washed the dishes, smiling down at the sight in the parking lot. "Oh, to be young and in love…"

Ghira raised an eyebrow at the statement, not pausing as he dried the plate in his hands. "Really? Already?"

"Did you see the way they kept sneaking looks at each other when they thought we weren't looking?"

"Uh, no?"

Kali shook her head with a grin. "Of course you didn't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ghira asked, unable to stop the smirk forming on his face.

"You're just as oblivious as always," she replied with a laugh, looking out the window again. "Mark my words, they're going to say they love each other by the end of the month."

"That seems pretty quick."

Kali's eyes finally diverted back to the task at hand. "Call it… Mother's intuition."