I was awake on my bed, every single one of my muscles sore, wearing a standard hospital gown with an IV drip in my arm, just staring at my normal clothes along with a fresh pair of socks while my armor and weapons that all rested on the empty chair in my room while my duffle bag was on the ground next to it. The doctor who had revived me walked in carrying a clipboard wearing a white coat with a nametag that read Dr. Charles overtop of his orange t-shirt and blue jeans. He examined the piece of paper attached to the cardboard as he leaned up against the empty wall adjacent to my nightstand on the right side of the hospital bed. "Well Mr. Taren, it looks like the bite we stitched up is no longer a problem, although I'm still concerned about the marks on your stomach and back, as well as the fact that your aura hasn't fully regenerated yet." I had woken up earlier that morning with almost no energy, not being able to sleep after my close encounter with death and almost literally killing myself worrying about Velvet. Did she know by now? Did Ozpin tell her or my team anything yet?

"You sure you can't get me out of here any earlier, Charley?" I pleaded with the thirty-year-old man. He didn't even let me have my scroll so I doubted that anyone outside of Hishan knew that the Omega was dead. From what I had been told though, the headmaster already knew that I was in the hospital, but that was about it.

Charley shook his head. "Sorry Mr. Taren, but you've only been awake for a few hours and you were unconscious for two full days so it'll be a while longer until you're out of here, but I can give you back your scroll." He said as he handed the small device to me.

"What about visitors?" I asked, taking my phone from his hand.

He shook his head again, the long brown hair getting in his eyes. "Not until tomorrow."

I let out an exasperated sigh, my stomach aching from the unnecessary exertion. "That it?" I asked, wanting for him to get out of my hair.

He nodded. "Unless you're hungry."

"Not just yet." I lied.

"Okay then, I'll leave you to rest." He said as he closed the door to my room.

I turned on my scroll and looked at the wallpaper of Velvet and myself smiling as we hugged each other. I smiled to myself and let out a light laugh as I dialled Ozpin's office number. The line rang only once before the Professor picked up.

"Yes?"

"Professor, it's Joseph Taren."

"Mr. Taren, it's excellent to hear from you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine professor, thank you for asking. The Omega is dead and the village of Hishan is safe."

"Excellent job! I don't think I need to tell you that eliminating an Omega is no small feat." He said with an unfamiliar tone of enthusiasm. "Thanks to you, those villagers will now be able to rest easy."

"Yes, after I killed the Omega, the other beowolves ran, just as you said." I stated. "I'm still confused as to why, though."

"It's the same principle as soldiers seeing their leader fall in battle. Their morale plummets and they are unsure of what to do next so the most logical option to them at that time must've been to retreat." He paused. "Have you informed your teammates of your condition?"

"No." I said simply. "I thought it better to inform you of the mission success prior to doing so."

"Mr. Taren." Ozpin's voice took on a serious tone. "When was the last time you communicated with them?"

"Hmm, maybe three or four days ago." I stated.

"And they have no idea where you are?"

"Not-not that I'm aware of, sir." I answered, starting to get nervous at how serious Ozpin was sounding.

"Mr. Taren, while I believe that a huntsman's mission is important, friends are just as significant. The mission details could've waited until you are discharged from the hospital but your friends are most likely wondering why a member of their social group hasn't spoken to them in four days. They are probably imagining that the worst has happened and will never see you again." He waited for a moment. "Is that what you want?" He almost yelled into the phone.

"N-no sir." I replied quietly, ashamed of my stupidity.

"Call them. Now." He ordered, his normally friendly tone of voice replaced by anger.

"What about the mission? What do I tell them?" I asked quickly.

"Declassified." The headmaster stated before hanging up.

I ran a hand through my dishevelled blue hair and exhaled deeply. What the fuck was I thinking, putting my friends through worrying about me when I could've just given them a quick call to at least let them know I was alive? I thought as my fingers dialled Jaune's number. The line rang once, twice, three times and finally, my team leader picked up.

"Hello?" He asked. Right away, I knew that Jaune wasn't his normal self. His voice held a tone that made it sound like his mouth made the vocalization, but his mind was elsewhere.

"Jaune. It's Joe." A moment of silence passed. "Jaune? You still there?" I asked.

"Where were you?" He asked concerned. "Every single one of us was terrified when we didn't' hear from you yesterday! The day before, we just figured you were busy on that assignment from Ozpin, but Velvet said that she phoned you last night and you didn't pick up even though you always do!"

I stopped, confused. "Every single one of us?" I repeated.

"Yeah! Team RWBY, myself, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren and Velvet."

Wow. I knew Velvet might be concerned, but I didn't think that I mattered that much to my team or RWBY. I thought. I always thought of myself as an unwelcome burden to their lives. "Wow... I-I'm sorry I didn't call you guys earlier then."

"Don't worry about it." He replied. "That was then, this is now. And speaking of now, where exactly on Remnant are you at the moment?"

I sighed before answering. "Vale city hospital."

"WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Jaune yelled, half concerned, half angry with me.

"Jaune, it's a long story and I think that I'd much rather tell you about it when I get back to Beacon."

I heard him let out a deep breath. "Fine. I'm coming down to visit you."

"They're not letting me have any visitors until tomorrow." I stated. "And they're not going to let me out until a few days after."

"I'll talk to Professor Ozpin about it then."

Again, I was astonished that Jaune was willing to go out of his way to help me out. "You really don't have to." I said.

"Oh… uh, did you want to stay in there for a while?" He asked without a hint of judgment or sarcasm.

"No! Not at all, it's just that I don't want you to go through extra lengths for me when you don't have to." I replied quickly.

"Joe, I've said it once, I've said it a million times: you're my teammate and teammates help each other. So please accept my help when I offer it." He said sternly.

I shrugged. "All right then, if you think that Ozpin can reduce the time I spend in here, then go for it." I said with admiration for my team leader.

"On it. Hey, by the way, have you talked to Velvet yet?" Jaune asked.

"Uh…no she's next on my list though."

"Okay, but if I were you, I'd hang up and call her like, right now." He said with concern.

"Why's that?"

"Over the past seventy-two hours, she's been fluctuating between angry and depressed and right now, she's deep into the depression stage."

"Fuck." I mumbled under my breath as I hung up the scroll and immediately dialled my girlfriend's number. The line rang repeatedly. "Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up." I begged. No answer. I took the needle out of my arm, removed the bandage, put down my scroll on the nightstand, dropped my bare feet to the cold floor and staggered towards the chair, my side screaming out in protest. Thankfully, the hospital staff had washed my clothes once I got admitted to the hospital and the Hishan militia had recovered my gauntlets from the forest, so I was ready go once I had changed from the green hospital gown into my black hoodie, t-shirt and jeans with gauntlets on my arms, Dusk at my side and the mask in my hoodie pocket with my scroll in hand. I began to walk out the door when my doctor rushed in.

"Mr. Taren! What are you doing?! Get back into bed!" He ordered.

I shook my head. "Not happening. I have to-to get out of here." I said as my side ached in pain again and I held a hand against it to minimize the discomfort.

"Don't care, get back into bed now." He repeated.

I held up a finger. "Just one second." After dialling Professor Ozpin's number and the headmaster picked up, I put it on speakerphone. "Hello Professor, it's Joseph Taren again. My doctor says that I should be in bed, resting when I'm perfectly capable of walking under my own power."

"I was just suggesting that it might be a good idea given his condition." Charley argued.

"Really? 'Cuz it sounded more like an order to me." I stated.

"Doctor, if Mr. Taren says that he is capable of walking and ready to be released from the hospital, then I suggest you oblige him." Ozpin said over the phone.

"But his injuries…"

"Can be taken care of here at the Beacon academy infirmary." He interrupted, making me smirk.

Charley sighed. "Very well, Professor, I will allow Mr. Taren to leave, but he must rest or risk furthering his injuries."

"And I will be sure that he gets it. Thank you for your cooperation, doctor."

I hung up, stuffed the device in my jeans pocket and grabbed my duffle bag, slinging it over my shoulder as Charley left the room with his arms raised in frustration. I made my way slowly and shakily down the hallway towards the elevator, one hand on my side and the other bracing up against whatever solid surface would support my weight. After what seemed like half an hour, I got to the elevator and hit the button for the first floor, leaning myself against the back wall.

The car dinged as it got to its destination and I was greeted by the sight of several new patients awaiting admittance to the hospital, their ailments ranging from a small cough to what looked to be a second-degree burn.

"How the hell are you standing?" A voice asked. I looked around to see Grace sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby with a smirk on her face.

I shrugged. "Two days' recovery helps." I moved forward and nearly tripped on the transition from the elevator to the floor, Grace rushing to my side to help support my weight.

"You huntsmen are so damn stubborn, you know that?" She said, still smirking.

"Determined." I corrected her.

She laughed and shook her head as she led me towards the exit of the lobby. "Sure, 'determination'. That's what got you bleeding out in a forest and would've gotten you killed had Henry and the rest of us not shown up."

Right. 'Would've.' I thought. "Hey, where are you taking me?"

"Anywhere you want to go." She said as we walked outside to a waiting car.

"This yours?" I asked, gesturing to the red sedan.

"Sister's. She lets me borrow it whenever I come to visit Vale." I nodded and got in the passenger seat as Grace let go of my arm and entered the driver's seat. "So? Where to?"

"Airship docks. Gotta get back to Beacon before Velvet starts checking the obituaries." I said without humor.

Grace nodded back and started up the car. "You know, I'm so happy that I didn't have to pass along your message. Did it once, not a fan." She said grimly as the vehicle pulled into traffic.

I looked at the older woman. "You had to pass along someone else's last words?"

She just nodded. "Yeah. That's why I left the military. It just took so much of an emotional toll."

"Ah." The rest of the car ride was spent in silence as we neared the docks.

"So, you gonna be okay from here, Wardog?" She asked as the car stopped in an empty parking space.

I smiled at the mention of my radio name. "Yeah, I'll be fine." I extended my hand while keeping the other over my side. "Thanks for the ride, Grace."

She smiled back as she shook my hand. "You killed an Omega for us. That's a pretty damn big debt. Figure I might as well start repaying it now."

"Well don't expect me to accept any other payment than a few favors." I said sternly. Grace nodded at me and I got out of the car and entered the next airship that was en-route to Beacon.

What am I going to say when I get there? Who should I visit first? I questioned myself as the ship moved at what felt like a snail's pace to our destination. Finally though, the aircraft docked and I descended the ramp as slowly as I could while still standing. As I took in the sights, sounds and smells of the familiar grounds, I smiled. I was at my home away from home, where I belonged.

I walked off the ramp and towards team CFVY's dorm, hoping to find the one I loved there. Much to my surprise and happiness though, as I passed the statue in the middle of the courtyard, I noticed the face of Velvet approaching from the dorms wearing her brown hoodie, light brown t-shirt and blue jeans.

I broke into a massive grin and felt tears of joy in my eyes. I'd almost forgotten how beautiful she looked this time of day. Nothing about her wardrobe had changed, she hadn't done anything different with her hair or makeup, the only thing that made her look different was the way the sun shone off her skin.

"Velvet. I… it's so good to-" That was as far as I got before she punched me with incredible force right in the face, knocking me to the ground and making me drop my bag. On any other day, that would've been an impressive feat, but not only was I not expecting it, but I was in a weakened state, making it even easier.

"WHAT THE HELL, JOE?!" I looked up at her unusually outraged face. "THREE FUCKING DAYS AND I HEAR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM YOU!"

"I was…"

"UNACCEPTABLE!" She shouted at me before storming off towards the dorms. I should've been mad at her for hitting and screaming at me, but I couldn't say that I was. I think that in her situation, I would've felt the same way. I spit out a globule of blood onto the stone walkway and struggled to my feet before two pairs of hands slid under my arms.

"Hey, you okay, Joe?" Jaune asked as he stood in front of me.

I let out a grunt as I looked to my left and right and noticed Pyrrha and Ren hoisting me to my feet, supporting my weight. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What was that?" He said, gesturing to where Velvet had walked off to. "What happened?"

"Same thing I did to you guys. I didn't phone and worse yet, I wasn't there for her when she had a nightmare."

"What mission was so important that you couldn't tell us?" Nora asked, popping into the conversation next to Jaune.

My eyebrows shot up and I looked at Jaune, who had his arms crossed. "We know you weren't on a delivery assignment for Ozpin. He told me you were on a mission and that you'd tell us what it was."

I sighed. "Later. I think I just need some food now. Hey Nora, can you do me a favor and grab my bag and put it in the room?" Her and the rest of my teammates nodded in understanding while our resident Champion and Lotus Ninja walked me to the cafeteria and sat me down at a table.

"How hungry are you on a scale of one to Nora?" Jaune asked with a smirk.

My stomach grumbled and I smiled at my team leader. "Probably an eight. No scrambled eggs please." I said, remembering the military-grade food I ate at Hishan.

"Well Joe, now that you're back at Beacon, what do you think you'll do after breakfast?" Ren asked.

"Honestly, I'm conflicted between telling you guys about the mission and talking to Velvet."

"Speak to Velvet." Pyrrha immediately answered. "She missed you Joe, we all did. But the details can wait, so it's best that you talk to her first, she's been a wreck since the day before last."

"You sure you guys don't mind waiting?" I asked.

"We waited three days, Blay-boy, a few more hours won't hurt." Yang said, taking a seat across from me, the rest of her team following suit.

"Yang's right Joe, go talk to Velvet. She's your girlfriend. She needs you now more than ever. And if there's anything you need, just ask." Ruby interjected while Weiss and Blake merely nodded in agreement with their leader.

I chuckled. Is that little Reaper really fifteen, or is she an old sage woman trapped in a fifteen-year-old girl's body? "Well, if you really want to help," I took off my armor, mask, gauntlets and Dusk and placed them all on the table "Then you can put these in my locker." Ruby nodded at me, I quickly finished my breakfast and got up to head to the dorms, but my legs gave out on me. I fell and Jaune moved to help me up but I stopped him with an open hand.

"I'll-I'll be okay. My muscles are just a little sore is all." I said with a pained groan and a fake smile as I pushed myself up and pain once again resonated from the bite marks in my stomach. After taking a deep breath, I exited the cafeteria and carefully made my way up the dorm stairs to team CFVY's room and I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Fox called.

"Joseph." I replied, hoping that he'd at least remember my name.

"One second." He called back. I waited and he opened the door, quickly closed it behind him and stepped out into the hallway. I managed to get a quick glance inside the dorm, but what I saw shattered my heart. Velvet was sitting on her bed, clutching her knees close to her chest with tears flowing down her cheeks.

I immediately moved to open the door again, but Fox put a hand on my chest. "Where the hell were you?" He asked in a threatening tone.

"On mission. Get out of my way, Fox." I replied, reaching for the doorknob again.

He pushed me away with his hand and I stumbled backward into the wall. "Choose your next words carefully, Taren. Otherwise you'll have a whole second year team hunting you down." He said, his face an inch away from mine before he walked off down the hall.

I scoffed at him before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door again. "Velvet? It's Joe." No response. "I don't blame you for being mad at me. Just give me a chance to explain, please." After a moment, I heard quiet footsteps on the other side of the door. Velvet opened it, wiped away the tears in her eyes and sat back on her bed, assuming the same position I saw her in earlier. I limped into the room and took a seat on the bed next to hers, waiting for her to say something.

"Why'd you leave?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"A mission for Professor Ozpin. Had to deal with a threat near a village just north of Vale."

"And you didn't even bother to tell me?" She asked, keeping her gaze away from me.

"I couldn't, it was a classified mission and Ozpin didn't want anyone finding out about it. Said the fear of an Omega would bring other grimm towards Beacon."

At that statement, she slowly turned her gaze towards me. "That still doesn't explain why you didn't call me back."

"Velvet, please believe me when I say that I tried to earlier this morning, you just didn't pick up."

She nodded. "I misplaced my scroll. But what about Tuesday night, when I called you? Why didn't you pick up then?"

"Tuesday?" I asked. During my time in the hospital, I'd completely lost track of time and had no idea what day it was.

"Two days ago." She rephrased.

"Yeah about that, I was unconscious during that time, so as much as I wanted to, I couldn't talk to you."

"You-you were unconscious?" She asked. "How badly were you hurt?"

I exhaled deeply and lifted my shirt to show her the multiple bruises I had received during my bout with the massive beowolf as well as the four stitched up bite marks.

"After being admitted to the hospital, the docs told me that I had bled out and died."

"It-it killed you?"

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah. And you brought me back to life without even knowing it." I stated, hiding my injuries.

Her face bore a confused expression. "What?"

"Velvet, you're the reason I'm alive today. Hell, you're the reason I get up every morning." I said as I sat at the foot of her bed. "I can't imagine my life without you and I'd do anything to make you happy."

Velvet let go of her knees and grabbed my hand. "Joe, I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea…" Her voice became increasingly unstable as she spoke.

"Exactly." I interrupted. "You had no idea what was going on, you didn't know that I was unconscious or the extent of my injuries. This is all on me for being an idiot and letting that Omega get in as many hits as it did." I bit my lower lip to hold back a choked sob and sighed shakily, tears starting to form in my eyes. "I can't apologize enough for making you worry about me and I won't blame you if you don't forgive me." I stood and made for the door before Velvet stopped me.

"But I do." She said.

I turned around, surprised and leaned up against the door. "Y-you forgive me?" She nodded. "But I…" Velvet held up a finger, walked forward and kissed me. After spending four days without any physical affection, this was incredibly welcome. She gently pressed her lips against mine, the silent gesture speaking a thousand words. After breaking away, she hugged me.

"It's all right Joe, just don't do it again." Her voice was much more stable now.

I put my arms around her waist and smiled. "I'll try not to." She giggled back and my smile grew wider. "So the doctor told me I needed to rest and since I guess I owe you for not cuddling, why not kill two birds with one stone?" I offered.

"Your dorm?" She asked, her arms still wrapped around my neck. I replied with a kiss of my own, cupping her cheek, locking her lips with mine and holding her closer. My lungs alerted me to the lack of air and I slowly released from the connection to find Velvet smiling back.

"That answer your question?" I asked with a smirk.

She nodded. "Go let Ozpin know about your mission and we'll meet in the cafeteria for dinner at five-thirty."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too, baby." She replied, easing my mental tension. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the dorm, a grin on my face and hands in my pockets as I walked towards the large tower that served as Ozpin's office. My physical pain was still present but after my visit with Velvet, I could finally think clearly, as if a lighthouse had been built in my brain, pushing away the fog.

I hit the button for the top floor and waited as the car rose. I entered the Headmaster's office to find him sitting behind his desk, fingers tented. I didn't even wait for him to invite me to sit down before I took a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

Ozpin nodded at me. "Have you spoken to your friends?" I nodded back. "What about Ms. Scarlatina?"

"I conversed with her, yes." I stated. "Why are you asking about her?"

"Mr. Taren, I am fully aware of the relationship between her and yourself, as I am about Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos."

"Okay, let me say this first: I really don't care if you approve of our relationship or not. I am not breaking up with her, even if you tell me to. Hell will freeze over before that happens." I said with a glare.

Ozpin smirked and chuckled. "I have no qualms with students finding love amongst each other. I think what you both have is magnificent and you both should cherish every moment of it." That kind of took me off guard. I thought for sure that he'd disapprove and say some bullshit about how 'it's not permitted'. "How is she?"

"She's good. A little hurt at first, but we eventually worked everything out."

"Ah. Anyway, I'll get right to it; how did the mission go?"

"The village was attacked the day after I got there, I found where the Omega made its den and killed it along with a rivalling Alpha that tried to take over after the Omega died."

"Well, that's certainly an extraordinary achievement, and you managed to cheat death in the aftermath. I will make sure that extra credit is added to your academic record."

"Thank you Professor. Was that all?"

He nodded. "You are dismissed, Mr. Taren, go and get some rest, you've definitely earned it."

I shakily stood up and limped over to the elevator, hitting the button for the ground floor as I leaned against the back of the car. I spent the rest of the day catching up with my team and RWBY, explaining what happened both on-mission and when I was in the hospital.

"So Ozpin sent you on what was essentially a suicide mission without even telling us?" Weiss asked in disbelief as we sat in the cafeteria.

"But for good reason." I said to the heiress. "If you'd known, the secret eventually would've gotten out that an Omega was close to Vale and you guys know what negative emotions bring." I heard murmurs of agreement from everyone at the table. "Oh! By the way Ruby, you still want to help?"

The little Reaper nodded ecstatically. "What'd you need?"

"Well, my gauntlets aren't exactly in perfect condition right now. Castor is dented from when that Alpha chewed on it and the blade on Pollux is completely broken so I was wondering if you'd maybe assist me in making some repairs?"

It came as no surprise that Ruby was happy to help me out with my weapons. It was like she shared a language with the tools of death, knowing all their secrets and how they functioned at a single glance.

"What are you going to use in the meantime?" Blake asked.

I shrugged at the cat-girl. "Dusk, I guess. That's really my only option."

"Your friend from Signal's sword?" Jaune asked.

"That's the one. I've just gotta get the fighting style down."

"You may have skill in fighting style, but clothing's a whole different ball park." I heard Velvet tease as she approached from behind with a smirk on her face.

"What's wrong with a hoodie, t-shirt and jeans?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, it's an overdone look, not to mention about the only thing you ever wear. At least Vomit-boy bothered to personalize his clothes with armor." Yang interjected.

I shot her a glare as Velvet sat next to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Not helping."

My girlfriend let out a muffled giggle. "I never said I was complaining though." She added.

Before I could reply, a low rumble erupted, echoing out all throughout the building. We all looked to Nora, who merely shrugged. "What? I'm hungry."

After a good laugh, we nodded in agreement and grabbed meals of our own. Ren then informed me that one of the other Professors at Beacon could teach me how to properly use Dusk and if not, then he said he would tutor me himself. As it turned out, he once contemplated using a sword, but decided against it when he discovered the versatility of his current weapons.

"Hey, how'd you guys do in the tournament by the way?" I asked everyone.

"Well, Pyrrha brought victory to Beacon, as expected." Jaune said with a smile while the Champion blushed. "She won in the finals against this guy from Haven who almost looked like a shadow, he dressed in all black and his semblance was disappearing into a cloud of smoke, then reappearing somewhere else. Think his name was Onyx or something.

"Yeah, that's right. He put up a pretty good fight." Pyrrha stated.

"Yang lost when she fought against a pyromancer who used her semblance against her." Weiss supplied.

"How was I supposed to know he could control fire?" Yang asked.

"Probably by paying attention to the other matches." Her partner offered. Yang grunted as she dug further into her meal.

"So, you guys have any plans for Dustmas break?" I asked, curious about what my friends would be doing during the respite that was just a week away.

"Me and Ruby invited Weiss and Blake to spend it with us at our home in Patch." Yang spoke up.

I looked at the ice queen astonished. "Actually, about that, Yang, I won't be going. Neptune offered to take me to visit Mistral."

Yang raised an eyebrow at this. "Why?"

"It's the one kingdom on Remnant I haven't visited yet!" She cried defensively.

"Sure, just keep telling yourself that's the reason why you're going, ice queen." Yang said with a smirk while Weiss bowed her head to try and hide the blush forming on her face.

"As long as I can get some peace and quiet, I'm more than happy to go." The cat-faunus added. Probably going to spend the whole time reading. I thought with a chuckle. I looked at my team. "What about you guys?"

I saw Pyrrha blush again while Jaune spoke. "Since me and Pyrrha have been together for a while now, we figured that it's about time we met each other's families. And with the break coming up, there's no time like the present, right?" He said with a nervous laugh.

I nodded. "Okay, Ren?"

"Me and Nora are going just going to stay here and celebrate the holidays at Beacon and in Vale."

"But not together-together." Our bubbly hammer-wielder added quickly.

Velvet lifted her head off my shoulder. "What about you? Any plans for the holidays?" She asked me.

"No, not really. Just resting up and exercising." I stated.

Her face brightened up slightly. "Oh. Okay." I furrowed my brow in confusion but decided to worry about it later. After I finished my meal, exhaustion caught up with me and I soon found my eyelids drooping.

Velvet seemed to notice as she shook my shoulder to wake me up. "Hey, let's get you to bed."

"Wow not even trying to avoid the innuendo huh, Velv?" Yang asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, real funny little miss firestarter." I retorted as my girlfriend supported my weight and more or less dragged me to my dorm. I unlocked the door with my scroll and pushed it open, limping over to my bed. I sat down on the soft mattress and let out a breath of relief. So good to be back.

"Okay, you change into your pj's and I'll do the same."

I smirked. "I don't think mine'll fit you."

She smiled back, shook her head and left, closing the door behind her. I changed into my sleepwear and got into bed. I looked around the room and noticed a few things that were different since I'd been here last. Above Jaune and Pyrrha's bed was a framed gold medal with the Vytal tournament symbol on it and above the window, a wide framed picture of my teammates taken in the middle of the coliseum, Jaune and Pyrrha with arms around each other's shoulders and grins on their faces with Nora bear-hugging Ren who, despite being crushed, was smiling. Fatigue quickly threatened to push me into the realm of dreams but Velvet crept in next to me wearing a brown t-shirt and a pair of light brown lounge pants, putting her head on my chest as I wrapped an arm around her waist, sharing my body heat with her own.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." I whispered.

She giggled back and we lay in a comfortable silence before she spoke. "Hey Joe?"

"Hmm?" I grunted out.

"I-I think that we should follow in Jaune and Pyrrha's footsteps." She said nervously.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"I think we should meet each other's parents." Velvet stated.

My eyes shot open as realization dawned on me. "I-uh-that…what?" I stuttered out.

Velvet's cheeks turned beet red and buried her face further into my chest. "S-sorry, I…I didn't mean to be blunt."

"It's all right, it was just a little… sudden." Was the best word I could think of. "Uh, when?" I asked nervously.

"Well, maybe during the Dustmas break?" She offered. "You said you'd just be sitting around here so I just figured… you know, why not give you something to do?" She said, sounding just as nervous as I was.

Wow, either lay around Beacon exercising and sleeping, or spending the week with my girlfriend? Another extremely easy choice.

"No, it's-it's fine." I put a finger under her chin to meet her gaze. "I don't have a problem with meeting your parents." She smiled. "Would you feel up to meeting mine? I haven't spoken to them since I got to Beacon so I think it'd be a good chance to introduce you to them as well as catch up."

Velvet nodded. "Absolutely. It's only fair. How about we spend three days with my parents and three with yours, leaving two days for travelling and the rest of the break just for us?"

I nodded. "Sounds good. Do you mind if we spend Dustmas eve and day with your family though? It's just that I've spent enough holidays with my family that I'd just like to switch it up for once."

"Okay. That's no problem." She replied happily.

I grinned and gave her a loving kiss. "That's the best idea anyone's ever come up with."

Velvet grinned back and put her head back on my chest. I closed my eyes and almost was asleep when she whispered something. "Hey Joe?"

"Yeah?" I asked, my eyes remaining shut.

"I'm sorry I hit you. I was just angry and I shouldn't have taken my aggression out on you."

"It's okay. If anything, it makes me feel better."

"Better?"

"Yeah. If you can hit me like that when you're at your worst, I pity anyone who crosses paths with you on a good day." I replied.

She laughed again and I smiled widely before falling into a blissful sleep, more than happy to be back.