There was a new tension in team JNPR. During the week leading up to the trip to the Forest of Forever Fall, Jaune was barely seen nor heard from and when he was around, he was exhausted and despairing.

I tried many times to get him to talk to me but he brushed me aside, saying it was nothing I needed to worry about. The more he said it, the more worried I got.

And Pyrrha... Pyrrha was deeply sad about something. No one could get her to talk. All around, everyone wasn't very happy.

I was distracted and stressed over Med. He had accidentally knocked a big boiling pot of water over on himself and the resulting burns were grievous.

As a favor to Medro, who would spend years working off the debt a trip to a paid Healer's would cause, I took Med on but it was hard. The water had literally boiled the poor boy's skin on most of his body. I spent hours on end with him, getting excused from class to care for the child. He required a long time Systematic Healing.

A day before the field trip, I made a breakthrough and the final Deep Healing took care of the last of it. I gave Medro a salve with instructions for Med to rub it on three times and day, morning, noon and night and to use it whenever his skin felt tight or itchy,

I could always make more salves.

"You are a lifesaver, Dahlia. Truly a god sent." Medro said weeping with gratitude as I gave him the salve. "Anything for a friend." I replied gently before taking leave to my bed where I slept the day away, dreaming of the past that I hadn't escaped. Such long term Deep Healings always left me vulnerable to night terrors.

I woke at dawn and prepared for the field trip. Everyone was excited for the trip.

Over the weeks, Peyton and Elin's grew more and more normal. No one was surprised anymore when they held hands walking to class. No one tried to laugh at them or hurt them anymore. It only took Elise breaking four different people's arms and the times where I pinned multiple people high on the wall of the auditorium with throwing knives for people to get the message. Do not mess with them.

Each time, both Goodwitch and Ozpin just gritted their teeth and explained while they understood our need to make a point they'd prefer that we not take action on our own. We did anyways. Somehow it gave me perverse satisfaction to force our Headmaster into facing me, even if it was to attempt to discipline me.

Ozpin never met my eyes and though he was polite to me, he was distant. I was just another of his students. If I tried to catch him alone, he would make a quick escape. That always left me feeling ignored and very sad.

But it was not unexpected, which somehow made it worse.

So instead I live vicariously through my teammates. Elise went through boys quickly, none of them able to keep up with her and keep her interested. Sometimes I'd get messages from the old bastard which helped soothe my ruffled feathers over Oz.

Peyton and Elin's relationship was subjected to excited comments from myself and Elise, though mostly from Elise.

And both of us had long discussions on what went on when the red ribbon was tied around the door handle.

In the Forest of Forever Fall, we listened to Huntress Goodwitch lecture about the beautiful forest. I stayed towards the back and collected samples from the stunning red leaved trees.

Apparently, we were also collecting sap samples for class and I was eager to grab some of my own samples from trees deep within the forest.

Together with my team, we followed our friendly teams, laughing and admiring the falling leaves. Peyton and Elin held hands the whole way, both of the smiling like the lovestruck idiots they were. With the beautiful leaves and petals falling all around us, the walk through the forest was rather romantic.

We all had our large jars and I had my own sample vials to fill and the time was passed in laughter and fun.

Nora had taken a liking to the syrupy sweet sap and consumed several jars that needed refilling.

I admired her stamina. That would have made me horribly ill.

Out of the corner of my eye sometimes, I would see Martris glare at me but when he noticed me looking he would turn away quickly. Once, Mykel saw the interaction and he offered me that gentle smile and a slow, seductive wink.

I pretended not to see and pretended I didn't feel the shiver of excitement and fear creep up my spine.

There was some horrible feelings running around near us toward the end of the sap collection but I couldn't pinpoint who was the source.

Then of course, someone cried Ursa. Actually, several people cried Ursa. Specifically, Cardin's teammates who had left him to the beast.

Ruby, Pyrrha, Weiss and I took off when Pyrrha realized that Jaune was with Cardin and therefore the Ursa. The rest of our teammates excluding Peyton and Elin who had vanished earlier, went for help. Elise promised to go find them.

Oh Gods, what if they were attacked?

No, I told myself. If they had been attacked, I would have felt it.

We charged off into the woods, kicking up red leaves and petals as we went.

"He'll be alright, Pyrrha. We're going make it." I told her, easing the jagged fear inside of her.

Her face was tight with concern for the blonde boy who had somehow someway stolen the heart of the most capable warrior in the land.

The Ursa, we saw when we arrived, didn't want Jaune. It only wanted Cardin who had Forever Fall sap all over his clothes.

Part of me wanted to give him to the Ursa and the other part was saying that probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation.

Then suddenly, as the Ursa went to disembowel the vulnerable Cardin, Jaune was between the claws, the boy with his sword and shield in hand.

I'll hand it to him. The boy's got guts.

It was a pretty big Ursa.

He fought with the same lack of tact we saw in practice, but he had tenacity. Each blow he got back up and fought hard.

I could see his Aura was getting low, so I did something only true Healers could do and seldom did.

Standing in the tree line with Weiss, Ruby and Pyrrha, I tapped Jaune's Aura into mine and took the next blow from him. The blow that should have killed him only weakened him slightly, for his Aura was blended with mine and now any blows dealt to him would instead be dealt to me.

It was painful, but I am no stranger to pain.

I sagged against a tree onto the leaf covered ground, no longer capable of balancing with Orchid.

Jaune charged and took another blow from the Ursa's claws. This meant I took it. And another, and another.

Jaune really did have a lot of Aura. Now if he could only learn to tap into it.

I prepared to take another blow, for Jaune had not put his shield up again. But then something strange happened. Pyrrha raised her arm and Jaune's shield rose to protect him and gave him to boost he needed to decapitate the large bear Grimm. Pyrrha looked embarrassed.

Ah, her Semblance. I had forgotten. Polarity. She had raised Jaune's shield for which if I could have spoken, I would have thanked her.

I saw them walk off and Jaune who gave Cardin his last warning, left as well. I was too weak to call for help and soon my vision went black from pain and I saw no more.