As Velvet and myself enjoyed each other's company and we conversed about what we could do back at my parent's house, our flight was called and I managed to show her a picture of Castor and Pollux together after they helped me build my weapons, each gauntleted arm around the respective uncle it was named after.

"So Castor is the bigger one with short brown hair and dark red eyes?" Velvet asked for clarification as I stowed our carry-on baggage in the overhead bins. I gave her an affirmative nod.

"Yup. And Pollux has the smaller build, long brown hair and pale green eyes." I said, closing the bin and taking my seat next to her and doing up the seatbelt.

"Okay. Is there anything I should know before I meet them and your parents? Any topics to be avoided or stuff like that?"

I tapped my chin with a finger and thought for a moment before swaying my head from side to side. "No, my uncles are pretty laid back and my parents accept everyone for who they are, not who they should be or what they are." I stated. "Oh and if Castor and Pollux start yelling at each other, just ignore them and watch the fun. It's just their way of jabbing at each other's career choices."

Velvet cocked an eyebrow. "They sound like quite the pair."

I nodded back and laughed. "Yeah, it's like I said, they're more like brothers to me than uncles."

After a short summarization of what my family was like, we decided to sleep for the remainder of the flight until we finally descended into the city of Vale at seven in the morning. Our plane docked at the designated area and we headed down to the baggage carousel to retrieve our luggage.

"Hey can you grab my bag for me, Joe? I just gotta use the restroom." Velvet asked me.

"Course. Just don't stay away too long okay?" I asked before giving her a peck on the cheek.

She then left with a tinge of pink on her face as I waited for the bags to come around. I retrieved the bags and my scroll vibrated twice, indicating that I'd received a text. I looked and it was from Castor saying that he and Pollux were waiting just outside the airport. I was about to reply back when I heard a voice from long ago call my name.

"Joseph?" I looked up and around to see my old neighbour Sylvia Chiffon walking towards me, her straight, long, light silver hair swaying as she moved, keeping her bright blue eyes locked on my purple ones. She was wearing an unzipped thick grey winter jacket, a pair of black sweatpants and a light grey long-sleeved shirt.

"Siv?" I asked in disbelief.

"Holy shit it's been a long time!" She declared, embracing me in a friendly hug, which I returned.

"Hell yeah, it has!" I added as we let go of each other.

She smiled and looked at me up and down. "So, what have you been up to these days?"

"Training at Beacon Academy actually." I stated with pride. "How about you?"

She smirked and let out a light laugh. "Just uh- just some banking stuff, it's pretty boring. Had to take a week to go to our branch over in Atlas to sort some stuff out." Sylvia said with a chuckle.

"Still pretty important though." I added as Velvet walked between our conversation and looked to Sylvia.

"Um, aren't you going to introduce me, Joe?" She asked with a hint of thinly veiled caution.

I mentally slapped myself. "Right. Velvet, this is my friend Sylvia, Siv this is Velvet. Siv lived in the house next to mine while I was growing up here."

"Hi." Siv said politely with a wave. "Yeah, Joe and our other friends used to call me 'Slick Sly Sylvia.'" She declared with a smirk.

I scoffed back. "Yeah that was only because every single time we went to the mall and you didn't like the price on something, you'd talk to every person working in the store to try and get a discount and if that didn't work, then you'd just try and steal it."

Velvet cocked an eyebrow. "Did it ever work?"

Siv and myself both chuckled. "No, she'd get caught every single time and be asked to leave." I replied.

She smiled and shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying." Siv then looked at the clock near the luggage carousel and then back to me. "Listen, I've gotta get back to the bank, but we should keep in contact. Here, I'll give you my number." I nodded back and opened the new contact page of my scroll before handing it to her. Seconds later, she handed it back and on my scroll was a new contact named 'Sylvia rules! :p'.

I chuckled as she walked away with a smile and a wave. I then turned my gaze to Velvet and smiled. "Come on, Castor and Pollux are waiting for us just outside."

She nodded, grabbed her rolling suitcase and followed my lead as we stepped outside to a snow-covered Vale, much thicker than it had been in Vacuo. I looked around until my eyes fell on a familiar black truck that belonged to Castor while both Pollux and him were leaning against the vehicle, apparently arguing about something, waving their arms erratically. Castor was wearing a green hoodie with a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt while Pollux was clad in a dark purple winter jacket, dark blue hoodie, dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans.

I approached the large vehicle with Velvet walking alongside and shouted at the bickering brothers. "Hey dumb ass!"

Immediately, both their heads snapped in my direction and they grinned widely. Castor was the first to speak, as usual. "I'm pretty sure he's talking to you, Paul."

My other uncle scoffed back. "Yeah, call the guy with a degree in engineering a dumb ass."

I shook my head and gestured to Velvet. "Anyways, Cass, Paul, this is Velvet." They both waved with a wide smile. "Velvet these are my infamous uncles Castor and Pollux."

"Holy crap, Joe." Paul said with a light chuckle. "How the hell did such a repulsive guy like you wind up with a beauty like her?"

"You didn't brainwash her did ya?" Cass added with a grin.

I dropped my duffle bag. "You guys are assholes." I declared before embracing them in a hug.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, bud." Cass stated without sarcasm, pulling away from the group hug.

"Agreed." Paul added. "Here, give me your bags, I'll put them in the back." We then let my intellectual uncle take our bags as Cass opened the door to the cab and gestured for Velvet and myself to get in the back as he sat in the driver's seat while Paul entered the front passenger seat.

I got in the seat behind Paul's and Velvet sat behind Castor even though the middle seat was wide open. Probably doesn't see the seatbelt. I thought.

"So how long have you guys been together?" Paul asked.

Velvet let out a light laugh. "According to others, about three or four months, but I think we can both agree that it's been closer to five." She said, shooting a smile at me.

"What makes you say five?" I replied, confused.

She shrugged. "I don't really know, it just feels like I've been attracted to you the day of the Cardin incident."

I chuckled and grinned back as I held her hand. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

"The woman's always right." Cass declared, not taking his eyes off the road. "And with your intelligence Joe, I think it's probably true in every case."

I grumbled at my uncle while Velvet laughed hysterically at my expense. Conversation to my parent's house was constant between my uncles and Velvet as they went into deep detail about some rather embarrassing stories from my childhood that I'd rather have buried under a rock never to be seen again. In the meantime, I sent a few messages to Siv detailing what life at Beacon was like, how I'd met my friends and what my semblance was.

They had just finished talking about the story that I'd told Chris about when my uncles put me in a barrel and rolled me down a hill when we pulled into the driveway of my parent's home in the suburbs.

I took a long look at the three-story house from the window of the truck before exiting. The shingles on the roof were in better condition than I'd last seen them and there was a stuffed beowolf imitation on the front lawn beside the steps to the door. Other than that, the tan-colored paint was still present, the house itself and the attached garage had no other modifications and was the same as every other house on the block. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a basement, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and rec room in the basement.

"Joe!" Cass called. I snapped my head over to the driver's side to see that he and everyone else had exited the vehicle. "I know you haven't been here since you started Beacon, but home shouldn't be that faint of a memory."

I chuckled sheepishly as Velvet removed her bag from the back of the truck and waited for me to guide her inside my home. As we walked along the concrete pathway, Cass began questioning why I hadn't contacted my parents since starting Beacon.

"They're your mom and dad for shit's sake, Joe!" Paul declared.

I shrugged as I climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell, Velvet right beside me with both the uncles behind us. "I guess that after initiation I just…" I paused, not sure how to word my next sentence. "Didn't really feel like talking to anyone."

"Well you've still got their numbers on your scroll, right?" Cass asked to which I nodded. "Then even just sending a message that only said 'I survived' would've been good enough."

Before I could argue my position any further, the front door swung open and my mom stood in the doorway, her hazel eyes still full of sleep and her short cut blue hair slightly messy wearing her dark purple housecoat with the Beacon academy symbol emblazoned over the heart, a long-sleeved pink shirt and purple pyjama pants. She first looked at me, then Velvet, then her brothers and embraced Velvet and me in a bear hug.

"It's so good to see my little Joey in good health!" She said ecstatically.

"Um… Diane?" I heard Cass ask. My mom's grip loosened slightly. "I think they need air."

She quickly dropped Velvet and myself, my breathing much more laboured than my girlfriend's. "Thanks bro." Mom said.

Cass waved her off and Paul looked at mom. "I'm here too, sis." He said with a raised hand.

As he spoke, dad walked up beside my mom wearing a light orange t-shirt with black jeans and shot a smirk at his brother-in-law. "Really Paul? Honestly didn't notice." His dark purple eyes hiding the mirth that I could see spreading across his face as he brushed a lock of chestnut brown hair out of his eyes.

"Always the comedian, hey Eric?" Cass asked with a smile.

Dad shrugged. "I try. Anyways, get in here before you guys freeze to death. I'll take your bags into the house as well." He offered as Velvet and myself gladly gave him our own luggage.

As we entered my childhood home, I realized that the interior was exactly the same as it had been when I left. The closet was still right next to the front door, the dining room and kitchen were still directly on the right, lit up by the daylight that shone through a large window and open, the only space separating the two being a small counter. To the left were two sets of stairs, one that led up to my parent's bedroom and a bathroom, the other led to a bathroom and the rec room where I assumed my parents still had my old gaming console, a wall-mounted HDTV, along with several bean bag chairs, a leather couch and a DVD player. My room had the only attached bathroom and was on the ground floor along with the guest bedroom.

"By the way Joe, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" Dad asked as he went down the hall and dropped our bags off in my room before returning.

"Right." Introductions would probably be a good idea. "Uh mom, dad, this is Velvet. My girlfriend." I declared with a proud smile.

Mom smiled and waved to her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Diane, but you can call me Di for short or Mrs. Taren."

Velvet's smile reached from ear to ear as she waved back. "All right, Di." She then looked to my dad. And your name's Eric right?"

Dad extended his hand and Velvet returned the gesture. "Yup. Eric Taren, at your service."

Velvet giggled and looked back to my mom. "Well, we certainly picked the right guys."

Mom smiled her classic motherly smile and shrugged. "Maybe you did, but I'm still trying to train this one to pick up after himself." She said, gesturing to dad.

Dad looked to mom and shot her a smirk and a shrug. "I'm a slow learner."

"You'd think after twenty years of marriage you would've learned by now though." I interjected.

"Okay, I'm a very slow learner." He admitted with a sheepish smile as he curiously gazed at the chain around my neck. "What's that?" He asked, intrigued.

I glanced at Velvet and smiled as I began to regale my parents and uncles about my Dustmas and what I gave Velvet as well as what she gave me. We then took the conversation into the dining room as mom made some breakfast for Velvet and myself. I mentioned everything about my visit with her family aside from getting drunk with Fallow.

Much to my chagrin however, Velvet deemed it necessary to be included in my retelling as I began to shrink down in my chair and hold my head in my hands.

"So-so me, Chris, Kay and my mom are all in bed when we hear someone open the front door." Velvet began, already laughing. "Ch-Chris is already out of bed and at the front door by the time the rest of us get there and then I hear two people talking really loudly, right?" She said, looking to my dad and uncles who I could already see grinning as they sat around the dining room table. "I get there and Joe and my dad have their arms around each other's shoulders, both of them completely hammered, talking about carrots or something and just stumbling everywhere."

At this point, Cass and Paul were almost busting their guts laughing so hard while my dad tried to hold back his laughter as he listened on.

"There I am trying to get Joe out of his winter jacket so that he can sleep comfortably and he just looks at me and goes: 'I think you remind me of someone.' I said my name to him and then he tilts his head and goes: 'oh. I guess it is you! Hey, Velv, how are you?'"

I facepalmed at the memory and let out an embarrassed groan as my family continued to laugh.

"I try to take off his jacket but he pushes me away and you know what he says?" Velvet asked with a smile, looking to my dad who had now stopped laughing and shot a glare at me.

"What did he say?" Dad asked cautiously.

"He said and I quote: 'I already have a girlfriend and she's the best!' After that, he went off to bed and we showed him and my dad the video the next morning." She finished with another smile as she held my hand.

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and looked at dad. "Yeah, as it turns out, even when I'm drunk I know that Velvet's the only girl in the world for me."

Dad chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "So overall, you guys had a nice Dustmas?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good." Velvet declared.

"Well as long as you two had fun, that's all that really matters." Mom interjected as she placed a plate of her homemade waffles in front of both of us glazed with syrup. "Want anything to drink, Velvet?"

"Orange juice please."

"Milk for me." I added.

Over breakfast I gave my parents and uncles a brief summary of what life at Beacon was like, including a brief once-over about the demise of Andrea, Denara and Elias.

"Joe… that's-that's awful." Mom stated sympathetically. "I can't believe Andrea's gone."

Cass nodded, just as stunned as mom and dad. "I know a good therapist if you want to go." He offered.

I shook my head and swallowed a mouthful of waffles before answering. "Thanks, but I've already got my own therapist."

"One of the Professors at Beacon?" Paul asked.

"She's actually sitting right across from you." I said, nodding over to Velvet. "No one understands me better than her and I just feel so lucky to have someone like her to talk to." Velvet smiled back and moved her chair closer to mine as my scroll buzzed once more, notifying me of a message from Siv. I quickly replied to her question of asking what I was doing with a 'just hanging out with the family.'

"So, on a happier note, what do you guys want to do for the rest of today?" I asked everyone as I stuffed the scroll back in my pocket.

Cass shrugged and took a drink from his coffee cup. "We could head downtown, hit the arcade and go to a movie afterwards."

"Great! Let's go!" Dad said with enthusiasm as he made for the front door.

"Ah, not so fast Eric." Mom declared waving a disapproving finger at her husband. "I got a lot of cleaning to do around here and you're going to help set up the rooms for Cass, Paul, Joe and Velvet."

Paul stifled a chuckle at the remark while Cass chugged the rest of his coffee and gestured for Velvet and me to follow him out to the truck.

Dad let out a growl and looked to his engineer brother-in-law. "Yeah, remind me how long your last relationship went on for." He snarked back.

Paul made to open his mouth, but no words came out. He then sighed and silently walked out the front door as dad held a smug look on his face. "Exactly. Let that be a lesson to you Joe. Being 'whipped' is another way of saying your respect your girlfriend."

I nodded back as I opened the door for Velvet and walked out to the truck with Cass right behind. The drive into Vale was comfortable as my brother-like uncles and Velvet got to know each other as I texted back and forth with Siv along the way. We finally arrived at the downtown Vale mall and made for the arcade, Velvet once again dominating at the DDR machine while Paul struggled to keep pace with her. Cass and I tried our hands at a shooting gallery style game, which my burly uncle managed to beat me at by just five points, which I attributed to sheer luck.

We managed to burn a few hours and more than a few lien there as we walked out with our prizes; a scale beowolf figure Velvet gifted me with her winnings and an adhesive glove for Cass and Paul to mess around with. By the time we finished, it was four thirty and the four of us made our way to the nearby movie theatre where we decided on watching a comedy about a retired Special Forces soldier who was asked to train a group of incredibly disorganized new guys.

After the two-hour film, we decided to call it quits for the day and headed home. The second I opened the door, I was hit with a wave of incredibly inviting smells including that of roast chicken which was one of my favorites. I looked to my left to see dad setting the table for six with a big chicken in the middle of the table surrounded by a Caesar salad, mashed potatoes along with roasted veggies.

"Oh. Hey guys." Mom said from behind the counter separating the kitchen from the dining room. "You hungry?"

Velvet shrugged. "I could eat."

"Yeah." Cass and Paul declared simultaneously in awe at the sight.

I already pulled out a chair for Velvet to sit in before she answered my mom's question, eager to dive into the delicious meal.

After I had finished my fair share of food, I leaned back in my seat and patted my stomach contently while everyone else was still eating.

"So are you guys comfortable enough to sleep in the same room together?" Dad asked, biting into a chicken leg.

Cass scoffed. "I grew up with this guy." He stated as he gestured to Paul. "I think that three nights won't be a problem."

"Not you, stupid." He replied with a shake of his head. Dad then looked to Velvet then me. "You guys. You mind spending the night together? The only other position open is the couch in the basement, but it's already pretty cold down there."

I shook my head. "No, we've spent our share of nights together at Beacon." I said as the innuendo dawned on me a second later. "Uh-wh-what I mean is- what I meant to say is that uh…"

Velvet facepalmed at my stuttering and shot a pleading look over to my mom. "Di, why is it always the guys who say the stupid stuff?"

She shrugged and looked back at my girlfriend with a sympathetic expression. "Must be genetically encoded."

Velvet laughed as I continued to struggle to form a proper sentence. "Eric, what Joe meant to say is that no, we don't have any problem spending the night together or sharing a bed. He's had nightmares since initiation day and I've had my share of bad dreams so whenever one of us can't sleep, we go to the other person's dorm and spend the night cuddling each other until we fall asleep." She explained.

Dad nodded. "Thank you, Velvet." I breathed a sigh of relief and sank further into my seat. "Joe, you really gotta think about what you're saying before it actually comes out of your mouth."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, getting people to understand what I'm saying has never been a skill of mine."

"Thanks, captain obvious." Paul said with a smirk and a chuckle.

After playfully punching my intellectual uncle on the shoulder, I went into my room, showered, changed into my pajamas and told Velvet that I'd be watching a movie in the basement if she wanted to join me, which she did after finishing her own dinner. We then stayed up until about midnight re-watching childhood classics we loved as kids and headed off to bed. I texted Siv a goodnight and almost instantly fell asleep, my arms wrapped around Velvet's waist and hers around mine as we faced each other.

I heard her let out a satisfied yawn as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. "Goodnight baby. Love you.

"I love you too." I replied softly, gently stroking her hair as I felt sleep quickly closing in.