AWOO, MUTHAFUCKAS! We're back with Werewolf Friday. Only four more chapters including this one. I still can't believe it's almost over, and that I actually managed to consistently (minus the hiatus) update a fic that's this long. I'm really grateful for all the support, guys. You have no idea.

Anyway, enjoy!

The next few days were incredibly busy, but very productive, especially on the negotiation front. With input from the townsfolk, and the members of the pack who were willing to speak up, Pyrrha and Ozpin were able to come to an agreement on several issues. It was decided that, for the next year, the werewolves would keep to the forest while the humans and Faunus remained in Vale. There would be free travel between both places, but no permanent residences would be made for an individual outside of their species' land. If things went well, they would start figuring out how to integrate different species into the territories without disrupting the forest or the schedule of the town.

The wolves would hunt for the town once there was more prey. In exchange, they would receive medical supplies, fresh clothes, and whatever else they needed that they couldn't make in the forest. Any wolf who wanted to learn a trade would be given the same opportunity as a human or Faunus.

Winter insisted that religious beliefs be discussed, opening the church to the werewolves and encouraging them to tell her more about their Moon goddess. Weiss readily volunteered to write down what she learned from the pack, so that the werewolves could have their own religious texts.

Bartholomew, of course, was entirely in his element, readily darting between the forest and the town, begging Winter for extra scraps of parchment and taking detailed notes on all of the negotiations. "Oh, this will be such a wonderful book!" he muttered, his eyes glinting as he wrote at a speed that almost caused smoke to rise from the quill. "Splendid moment in history. Simply splendid!"

Many people were mourning the loss of loved ones, of course, but no one was pointing accusing fingers or talking about revenge. Everyone was just too tired for any more of that nonsense.

It wasn't until Roman finally arrived that spirits were able to truly rise.

He came rolling into town, clicking his tongue at Lupin, loving the sound of his filled cart. A shadow passed over his face when he saw the town in shambles, but brightened when Neo rushed down the road toward him. He jumped from his wagon, sweeping her up in a long hug. "I take it things went well?"

"They're better now," Neo muttered. "There was a battle, and we did lose some people, but Cinder's gone and Pyrrha's in charge of the wolves. They've been working on negotiations for days."

"Thank goodness." Roman placed Neo back on the ground. "Who did we lose?"

"Corsac and May," Neo replied, bowing her head.

Roman shook his head sadly. "How's Fennec?"

"Last I heard, he and Fox are sharing a den. He seems to like the company."

"Well, that's good. I'll have to check in on him later." Roman noticed the crowd gathering near his cart, and put on a winning smile.

"Greetings, people of Vale! Roman the Saint is here to help! Do bring the Elders over, so that I may negotiate a fair trade. I have plenty of food, medicine, and some building supplies, and from what I hear, you have a surplus of weapons that won't be bloodied on werewolves anymore. I'd be happy to take them off your hands." I doubt I could afford to give everything away again, he thought with a grimace. "I also bring word from Burgundy! They're awaiting word from Vale that you are accepting aid."

Ozpin pushed to the front of the crowd. "You're most welcome here, Trader Roman. I'll fetch the weapon inventory from the smithy immediately. I think there are several pieces you'll like."

In the end, Roman ended up trading far more food than the value of the weapons he received, but he decided that it was worth it. I'll be their favorite trader of all time after this, he thought. And that's pretty much true on the entire trade route to Obsidian now! I'm set for life!

Qrow greeted the trader enthusiastically. "Hey! Look who finally got here!"

Roman grinned. "Looks like Neo kept you lot safe."

"Yeah, that's definitely the only reason things are going so great," Qrow chuckled, looking at the wagon. "So, uh, you wouldn't have anything for me to drink on that cart, would you? Town's basically dry."

"I do believe I have some whiskey right here." Roman searched through the cart until he found some bottles in the corner. He grabbed one and held it out to Qrow. "That'll be twelve silvers."

"What?! Can't you just add it to the food you've been giving away cheap?"

"This isn't food, and it's not an essential. Full price, Qrow," Roman said sternly.

"Pfft! Not an essential… I'm getting fleeced here," Qrow grumbled as he handed over the money.

In the afternoon, Pyrrha returned with several werewolves, including Sun, Blake, Neptune, and a handful of the wolves who had been under Cinder's regime. Bartholomew, upon hearing from the patrols about Roman's return, also accompanied them.

"That's it," Pyrrha encouraged. "You're doing very well. Remember, there's nothing to be afraid of."

The shaking betas and omegas were unconvinced, and remained in a tight cluster as they walked down the path to the town. When the smell of food from Roman's cart hit their noses, however, a few of them started to salivate.

"Pyrrha! Perfect timing. Ozpin already paid for rations for your pack." Roman unloaded a box of dried meat. "Burgundy will be sending more as soon as I get word back to them that Vale's accepting help."

"Splendid!" Bartholomew said, clapping his hands together. "Why don't you let me take the message back? Once nightfall comes, I'll be much faster than a loaded cart."

"Well, I know they'll be happy to see their little miracle wolf again," Roman noted. "Can you leave tonight?"

"Of course, with your permission of course, Leader Pyrrha."

Pyrrha smiled. "You don't need my permission, Barty. The sooner Burgundy starts sending more supplies, the better." She opened the box and handed bits of meat to all of the wolves with her. "Blake, why don't you show everyone around the town while I speak to Ozpin?"

The former Cinder wolves smiled hesitantly and muttered thanks to both Pyrrha and Roman before following Blake toward some of the houses that were being repaired.

Roman shook his head pityingly. "They're shaking like leaves."

"Believe it or not, this is a drastic improvement," Pyrrha sighed. "Some of them still won't look me in the eye. Some of them are scared of having the alpha stare used on them, but even more have no idea what to do now that it's not being used. I've had to rotate with Ruby and Weiss so that they always have someone looking after them. I've hardly slept in days!"

"Well, if anyone can bring them around, it's you," Roman said confidently. "You've already done it several times before."

"True." Pyrrha thought of Perry, Ilia, and all the others who had once been under Adam's control, but had learned to think for themselves. There was also Ferron, who was reacquainting himself with his old packmates and had already told several wolves the story of how he was adjusting to being a regular Faunus again. "I just wish I could do more."

"You're doing plenty! Here's some special advice from me: Take some time for yourself." Roman winked. "Have some fun when you get a chance. You deserve it."

Pyrrha's cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment, but she couldn't hide a slight smirk. "I intend to."

Roman's grin widened. "Should I give Jaune a fair warning?"

"No need," Pyrrha replied. "I'll be speaking to him once I'm done with Ozpin."

"Well, go easy on the poor boy, will you?" the trader chuckled. "I won't keep you any longer. I'm pretty sure Ozpin went back to his house."

Ozpin was waiting for Pyrrha when she arrived. "Ah, perfect timing! We were going to talk about repopulating the forest today."

"Yes. I was thinking of sending scouts further into the woods, maybe even past the mountain, and herding deer back this way." Pyrrha followed him into the house, talking eagerly about her plans.

In the evening, when she finally emerged, Jaune was waiting for her. He hugged her tightly. "Feels like I hardly get to see you anymore," he sighed.

Pyrrha nuzzled his shoulder. "We have certainly been busy. How are the townsfolk?"

"We managed to repair some of the outer buildings, as you've probably noticed. We have a whole separate group working to rebuild the Faunus District, though it won't be called that anymore. Ozpin expects humans and Faunus to resettle wherever they can."

"That's grand! I never understood why you'd live separately," Pyrrha remarked.

"Old, stupid traditions that no one bothered to change." Jaune shrugged. "Sometimes, a community needs a pretty bit wakeup call before they can actually make that change."

"We've certainly seen enough evidence of that."

Pyrrha led him to the edge of the forest before asking: "Jaune, would you like to meet me in the evening three days from now? Things should be calmer by then."

"I'll try," Jaune said. "It depends on when I'm scheduled for patrols or food runs."

"Well…I'm sure you could have Ren or someone cover for you," Pyrrha said offhandedly. "I already plan on having Ruby and Weiss cover for me."

"Cover? Are we going to be out all night?" Jaune asked, intrigued.

Pyrrha smiled, her fangs showing in the moonlight. "That is certainly the plan."

It was then that Jaune finally noticed the wolfish gleam in her eyes and the seductive edge to her sharp-toothed grin, and his face turned bright red. "Oh. Oh! You know what? I think Ren would definitely be okay with covering for me! Absolutely! I'll, uh, just have to let him know tonight!"

Pyrrha laughed. "How kind of him." She stepped close, pressing her lips to Jaune's. Yet again, the soft suppleness of his mouth overwhelmed her senses, making her feel numb and giddy. "I love you," she murmured.

Jaune sighed, brushing his lips gently against hers before reluctantly stepping back. "I love you too."

A loud cough nearby caused them to jump. They turned to see the werewolves approaching, a smirking Sun at the lead. "Not to barge in on the lovebirds, but it's about time to head back." He gave Jaune a brief apologetic smile.

"Of course!" Pyrrha quickly squeezed Jaune's hand before approaching her fellow wolves. "How was your tour of the town?"

There were a few mumbles. One or two voices could be heard saying "Good, Leader." Pyrrha deflated a little at their timid response.

Jaune approached the wolves cautiously, keeping his expression as open and friendly as he could. "Hello. I'm Jaune. I'll be joining your pack on the next full moon."

The werewolves turned to stare at the human with undisguised shock. This was the famous human who had claimed the heart of a werewolf alpha? A younger wolf who was just entering her adolescent second year, took a cautious step forward, sniffing the air.

Jaune held out his hand. "Hey."

The young werewolf sniffed his hand, then took a quick step back, though her posture relaxed significantly. This one smelled like nature and other werewolves. There was also the smell of metal, but hardly any traces of Dust or poison. "H-Hello," she whispered.

Pyrrha's heart swelled and she beamed at Jaune, feeling yet another surge of love for her future mate. "We need to go back now," she said reluctantly. "Take care."

"You too." Jaune said goodbye to Blake, Sun, and Neptune and nodded once more to the other werewolves before heading back into town.

He found Ren and Nora near the Schnee residence, which had recently been turned into a gathering place for the workers at the end of the day, as well as a source of several more rooms for injured humans and Faunus. "Hey, Ren. I'm not sure what the patrols will be like, but can you take over for me if I'm asked to go out at night three days from now?"

Ren tilted his head. "Of course, but why?"

Nora grinned. "You know, silly. Jaune's gonna be spending some quality time with Pyrrha. Am I right?" She winked cheekily at Jaune, her smile widening when his face turned red.

"Nora, don't tease," Ren scolded, though he was also smiling now. "What Jaune and Pyrrha are or are not doing is none of our business."

"Heck with that!" Nora snapped. "I want all the juicy details! I mean, she is a werewolf." She held out her hands, curling her fingers in a clawlike way.

"Nora." Ren's voice was a little sterner. "Don't make assumptions like that."

Nora pouted. "What? It's not like that'd be a bad thing! I mean, I sure wouldn't mind it if you were a little roug- Mmph!" She was cut off when a red-faced Ren put a hand over her mouth.

"I think we should change the subject now!" Ren said loudly, pulling Nora against his side as she tried to push his hand away.

Jaune honestly didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or laugh, so he agreed, following his friends into the house.

The first thing that had been done in Jacques's old residence was to take the werewolf pelts and return them to the pack, who had buried them with the other fallen wolves at the edge of the woods. Next, Ozpin had gone through the extensive library and started writing up plans to make that area a public place for all the townsfolk.

"It could be turned into a school," he had said to Jaune and some of the others. "A combined school for humans, Faunus, and werewolves, where they can learn each other's histories and cultures." Blake had volunteered to be a teacher if that plan ever did come to fruition.

The house had a much warmer, welcoming atmosphere, even if the floors were much colder with the werewolf pelts gone. People sat at tables or on cushions. Those recovering from injuries were just starting to fall asleep. A few were sipping broth or eating some of the dried meat that had come in Roman's cart. Jaune, Ren, and Nora found a spot near the Obsidian Huntsmen, who were in the middle of a game of blackjack.

"Hey," Nolan greeted. "Want me to deal you in?"

"I'm fine," Jaune said. "What are you betting with, anyway?"

"We bought a tin of hard candies from Roman," Dew explained, indicating a cluster of brightly-colored candies in various shapes. "They work well enough."

"Ooh! I want candy!" Nora seated herself at the table eagerly.

"Don't eat too much sugar so late," Ren warned, pausing to let out a yawn. "Save them for morning, so they'll wake you up."

Nora giggled. "Maybe I should save them for you. I'm always awake in the morning!"

"You're always awake, period," Ren muttered dryly before yawning again.

Jaune repositioned himself, grabbing a nearby cushion and placing it next to him. "Here."

Ren smiled gratefully, lying down on the floor. "Thank you…"

Jaune lightly stroked his friend's hair while watching Nora lose hand after hand to Nolan, who was the current dealer. He could feel himself starting to nod off by the time a disgruntled Nora sat down on his other side, sucking on a strawberry candy that Dew had given her out of pity. "Ready to sleep?"

"I guess," Nora muttered, rolling the candy with her tongue. She looked down at Ren, her gaze immediately softening when he made a noise and stirred in his sleep. "He's so cute," she cooed, moving closer so she could cuddle against Ren's chest.

Jaune chuckled. "You both are." He gently ruffled Nora's hair before lying down on Ren's other side, though not as close to him as Nora was. "Goodnight."

"Night, Jaune!" Nora chirped, nuzzling Ren's neck and letting out a contented sigh. "Onward and upward tomorrow, right?"

"That's right," Jaune replied. Closing his eyes, he realized that Nora was right. That battle with the Grimm and werewolves had truly been the end. All that remained was figuring out how things would be from then on.

At the very least, he knew how things would be in three days' time. He tried not to think about it too much right then, however. He had a feeling that dwelling for too long on what Pyrrha likely had in mind would make it incredibly difficult to sleep.

So, Sunday's chapter. It's gonna be a chapter. Yes. That is what it will be. *nods* Of that, I will say no more. For now.

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Peace out!