Back to school.

"Oh, it's good to be back." Cried Elin, falling on his and Peyton's bed. "You said it. I missed Beacon." I murmured setting my bags on my bed.

I had finished most of my surprise but I still had some to finish.

The trip to Vasilius had been thrilling. Elise and Elin's mother had adopted me the second she met me, treating me like her own child. It was strange to have a real mother mothering me.

I was the motherly one in my group.

My own mother wasn't much to compare to. She had done her best with what she had been given in life. But the Thayet's mom changed a lot about my perspective of mothers.

Mama Thayet, a stout, generously figured woman who smelled of cookies and home was the ultimate mom and authority.

She was also one of the most understanding and accepting women I have ever met and my bond with her formed the second she looked into my eyes.

Elise and Elin had showed me every nook and cranny of their home town.

We had all sorts of mundane adventures and I captured all of it. I had bought the camera update for my Scroll. We took silly pictures, posed pictures, every sort in between. I took pictures of everything! But the really important things, I still drew in my sketchbook. Like the waterfall Elise had told me about so long ago.

A wonderful thing I had was an artist's eye and a photographic memory. I saw every detail of something and registered them in my brain before anything else. And I could call up an image from anywhere in my memory. Both these talents I used for my surprise.

"C'mon everyone's in the lunchroom!" Elise yelled pulling Elin and I to our feet and out of the room. Peyton locked the door behind him and followed.

The reunions were sweet. Everyone looked rejuvenated and excited. Tomorrow classes would start again.

In the hallway, I spotted a loving familiar figure in his formal green suit. I made eye contact with him.

His smile was gentle and secret and he raised his coffee mug in a salute. He looked calm but inside he was leaping with excitement.

Blake was staring at doodles in her school book that I took note of for further inspection later. Yang, who was catching the grapes that Nora was firing into her mouth from across the table, leaned obnoxiously over. "Whatcha doing?" I grinned and popped another blackberry in my mouth as Blake slapped the book shut. "Nothing just going over notes from last semester."

I snorted and Blake shot me the older-sister-stay-out-of-my-business look.

"Lame." Yang monotone before catching another grape. Nora was thrilled with the game.

Then Ruby slammed an incredibly large binder down onto the table, startling everyone out of their wits. I could feel her excitement and I tossed another berry in my mouth, then one into Elise's.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Sisters! Friends! Mother! Weiss..."

"Hey!"

Ruby motioned to me as she said Mother and I rolled my eyes.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream."

Yang leaned over. "This oughta be good." Catching a cherry Nora fired into her mouth. I tossed another berry into Elise's mouth and then into mine and nearly choked on it.

"A dream that one day, we would all come together and as teams, have the most fun anyone's ever had, ever!"

Weiss' first comment was, "Did you steal my binder?"

I really did choke on my berry, stifling a laugh. Ruby made two peace signs. "I am not a crook."

Blake looked at Ruby. "What are you talking about?"

Ruby beamed. "I'm talking about kicking off the semester off with a bang!"

I felt Yang's anticipation and groaned.

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang. Eh? Guys? Am I right?"

Nora tossed an apple at her face booing her.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester's going to be great! But classes start back up tomorrow. Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today!" She said proudly.

Weiss felt incredulous. "I'm not sure whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store."

Yang threw the apple back but nailed Ren in the face instead of Nora.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake said uncertain.

"Sit out or not, I think however we spend this last day we should do it as a team." Weiss said standing up elegantly. Nora cried "I got it!"

"I for one think that-"

A pie to the face stopped her mid-sentence.

My blackberry froze in my fingers.

Aiya.

The rest of Team RWBY that didn't have pie dripping down their face looked alarmed at team JNPR.

Nora was pointing at Ren who was holding a hand to his forehead while Pyrrha and Jaune shared matching faces of shock and horror.

Everyone stared. I looked at my team. "Team DEEP. Tactical retreat."

Elise, Peyton, Elin and I ducked beneath the table and quickly began retreating. "Oh no you don't!" Someone yelled and the table was knocked over.

It was Nora. I sighed as the food fight ensued.

A food fight between packs of deadly warriors. This would be good.

It was mayhem. Food flew everywhere, along with tables and drink machines. I snatched a big bowl of blackberries and found a safe place, high in the window frame to watch the chaos. My team joined me and I tossed more berries into their mouths.

For a moment, I saw Mykel smirking at me before he and his team vanished down the hallway. I hadn't seen much of him since the Forever Fall incident but he was always there, just out of the corner of my eye.

Someone hurled Jaune across the room into the window which he hit and slid down. I spotted Sun and a new face walked towards the door. I stifled a laugh. Boy did they pick the wrong day to come visit.

Finally, everyone ran away as Team RWBY and Team JNPR squared off. Team JNPR had built a massive construction of wildly thrown together tables. Nora stood at the top laughing maniacally while singing "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!"

I watched Sun and the new guy step through the doors, Sun smiling excitedly mouth open. The new guy looked shocked and slightly afraid. People were running out the door, parting around the two guys.

I turned my attention back towards the fight. Team JNPR stood on various levels of their tower. Ruby put her foot on a table holding a milk carton. She pointed at team JNPR. "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!" She cried, squeezing the milk carton hard and punching it up in the air as team RWBY yelled battle cries behind her punching the air.

Oh, this is going to be really good.

"Off with their heads!" Nora cried leaping to the ground. First up: Watermelons.

Ren jumped on a tray and roundhouse kicked three of them at the opposing team. Jaune did an impressive flip fling, Pyrrha started hurling them with just the strength in her arms and Nora, of course, flung a table full.

"Yang, turkey!" Ruby called to her sister, who flipped and slid two whole turkeys onto her fists, like her gauntlets Ember Celica and punched them together like she would. Then she began brutally punching through the melons.

Blake joined in the fight, grabbing two long begets.

I giggled seeing the similarities in the foods and the weapons the teams usually used. I looked at my team, who wanted to join in.

"Team DEEP, make me proud." I said, leaning back to enjoy my blackberries.

Joy filled them as the leapt into the battle.

Blake battled Pyrrha, who had one long beget alongside Yang who busted through the last watermelon before flinging her turkeys and nailing Jaune twice.

Elise grabbed an enormous t-bone steak and began to attack Ren, who was frightfully unprepared.

Elin grabbed up a pair of long sausage chains and attacked Ruby. Peyton grabbed two arm length crescent rolls and fought Nora.

And I sat back and enjoyed the show.

Blake got nailed by Pyrrha who also took out Yang with a spear throw- I mean beget throw.

Ruby leapt onto the tables that still remained in their lines, using a tray as a board. She flung it, hit Jaune, pulled out a second one and met Pyrrha who crossed her arms to defend but ended up getting knocked back.

Ren somehow managed to escape Elise, who was now on the offensive against the unprepared Jaune, and Ren ran at Ruby. Weiss leapt over Ruby with a ketchup bottle, which she used much like her sword when she stabbed the ground.

Ren slipped on the ketchup and slid like a bowling ball into a pile of tables. I flinched and yelled. "Good show Weiss! Bounce back Ren!"

I looked at Peyton. "Peyton, get that guard up!" He was fighting Pyrrha.

Nora used Ren's hit on the table's to leap up into the air and rip down a metal flag pole, which she stabbed into a watermelon.

Bam. Homemade war hammer.

No one could deny Nora's incredible skill as she slung her watermelon hammer around and delivered a powerful hit to Ruby.

Weiss took up arms with a swordfish.

I laughed till tears came and ate more blackberries. The red juice stained my fingertips.

Weiss knocked Nora back several feet but ended up getting slammed with a horizontal hit with Nora's hammer into the back wall. I'm fairly sure it almost knocked her unconscious but I sensed no danger. "Good hit, Nora! Way to hold up, Weiss!"

I mean, she was still intact.

Ruby cradled Weiss and dramatically cried. "Weiss! Weiss! Don't leave me! Nooo!"

The wall fell down behind her.

"Elin, move your feet faster!" I called.

Yang got a running start, somersaulting and scooping turkey back onto her fists.

Ren grabbed two pieces of kale and charged as well.

What a brave boy.

"Peyton, think before you charge. She's fast." I called to the big boy taking on Blake for a moment.

Yang kicked and Ren crossed his kale, blocking her.

Their styles were very different and that put Ren at a disadvantage that showed when he got punched up then down to the floor.

Nora's protective instincts kicked in and she slammed Yang up through the roof.

"I wonder how far she's going to go." I wondered out loud to my almost empty bowl of berries.

Blake performed a graceful attack with another length of sausage chain and knocked Nora into a soda machine.

Nora went long range with soda's that burst colorfully like her grenades.

"Stronger stance, Elise."

Elise's attacks were nigh unstoppable. She was masterful with her steak. "Wider and faster, Elin. Whip them harder! Make it hurt!"

I was proud of my team and their food fighting capabilities.

Blake was forced back by Nora's soda grenades.

Then I saw Pyrrha look with interest at the aluminum soda cans.

I swung my legs up onto the ledge, out of the way.

The red haired girl tapped into her Semblance and the cans rose at her command.

Blake was batter by the increased amount of cans and she was painted some interesting colors.

Then I saw the giant two pronged wave of cans, Pyrrha's massive thrust movement and knew Blake was done for.

I finished the last of my berries.

"Watch out, team DEEP." I called as Ruby got into a starting stance. I grabbed a hold of the sill and prepared.

She was off like a shot, moving so quickly she was just a red blur. Everything was gathered in the wind of her wake.

Tables, food, people, everything. I tossed my bowl into the storm and held on tight. At the end of the hall, Ruby turned fast and the back wall cracked with the force of her speed. Her Semblance was simple but impressive.

Team JNPR and my team were thrown up against the wall and pelted with everything, exploding in a million splotches of color.

Ruby landed with a flutter of her cape and slowly, the seven people that were so covered in stuff, you couldn't see them against the wall, slid down, leaving people shaped outlines in food on the wall.

I brushed a piece of lettuce off my sleeve.

Sun was still standing there with that open mouthed smile on his face. "I love these guys." He said to his friend who was mostly painted purple with either grapes or soda.

His friend was about to say something when Huntress Goodwitch shoved the doors open with an angry growl.

She flicked her crop and incredibly everything cleaned up and returned to its proper place.

"Children. Please. Do not play with your food." She said surprisingly calm as she pushed her wire framed glasses up her nose.

The ten team members sat exhausted at tables, covered in food. Nora burped and people began to giggle. I jumped down gracefully and walked over as Yang came down from her flight and put another hole in the roof.

She broke a table but was okay.

Goodwitch looked like she was going to explode as everyone began laughing.

"Let it go." A calm, laughing voice said behind the blonde huntress. She sighed and began to smile.

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." She murmured.

Yang stood up grinning and flashed the Huntsman and Huntress a thumbs up.

"And they will be. But right now they are still children." He said putting a hand on her shoulder. "So why not let them play the part?" He turned to walk away from her. "After all- it isn't a role they'll have forever." Oz finished before looking at me.

"Ms. Derivalle... you look astonishingly clean." He said with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

Traitor.

There was a sudden silence and a malicious glee filled my friends.

"You're right, Professor." Elise said, standing up.

"She does." Blake finished and everyone began slyly looking at each other and smiling.

Goodwitch sighed.

I gulped.

Oh Boy.

"Hold still." Oz said laughing as he picked chocolate chips out of my hair. I was grumpy with him.

"This is all your fault. You know that right?" He laughed.

We were in his office, hiding from my friends.

We sat on a low couch in a corner of the room with a gorgeous view of the entirety of Beacon and most of the city of Vale. Funny enough, this was the room I had planned on infiltrating the first time I saw this tower.

One on eleven were such bad odds when you weren't allowed to really fight.

"Oh, you had fun." He same, popping another chocolate chip into his mouth. "I got stuck with desert! All the sticky sweet stuff!" I griped.

My uniform was completely saturated with all many of dessert items ranging from syrup, cake, ice cream, cookies, whipped cream, fudge, pudding, to the chocolate chips that invaded my hair.

He kissed me. "You taste sweet too."

I stuck my tongue out at him. He smiled and wiped a bit of whipped cream off my face with his finger and stuck it in his mouth.

"I missed you. It was far too boring here without you." I grinned and kissed his cheek. "I missed you too, Oz, my dear. I was a little lonely without you. I've gotten so used to having you as my confidante. But it gave me a chance to work on a surprise I have for everyone, including you." I said, dropping the hint. I had finished Oz's and I would give his separately.

Our relationship was still so secret.

I wished sometimes that it didn't have to be, but now with Omar looking for me, everyone I cared for was in danger.

"A gift? For me?" He said incredulously. He was genuinely surprised. "Of course I have a gift for you. You're special to me, Oz. More than anyone, except for maybe Blake. Maybe." I said and heat suffused my face.

I had said before that I loved Blake. Luckily, he didn't catch the significance of what I said.

"What is it?" He asked happily.

I licked some whip cream off my upper lip. "It's a surprise, silly."

He kissed the rest of the sweets off my face and some off my neck.

I was slightly embarrassed by the sudden, voracious heat between my legs as he gently sucked all the sweets off the soft skin of my neck.

"I'll give it to you tonight, if you're nice to me." I said, knowing that I'd give it to him anyways.

He smiled and took off his spectacles and again slowly licked the whipped cream off my neck.

"I said... be nice." I said, my breath catching in my throat. I squirmed and he held me still.

"I am, aren't I?" He said with a husky voice that sent shivers down my back.

His kiss was gentle at first.

Then it wasn't so sweet. It was hot.

Oh, I guess he feels ready.

His tongue hesitantly touched my lips which parted readily. I leaned forward and wrapped one hand around the back of his head, through his soft hair and one was on his back, pressing the hard planes of his chest against my aching breasts, not caring at all about the sticky state of my person. I kissed him hard, with all the passion that I had been saving up.

His hands trembled slightly as they gripped my upper arms then wrapped around my back and pulled me even tighter. His hands were so hot against my back.

Our tongues danced and we stoked the fires inside each other till we burned. It was hard to breathe, I was so intoxicated by him.

I bit his lower lip gently and sucked on it.

He moaned and that seemed to bring him back to reality.

We eased back to the easy kiss.

"Well." I said, breathing deeply. Never had I had to deal with lust before. Lust was not part of me. It had never been a part of me.

Apparently, Oz had proved that wrong.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

I looked at him confused and he seemed fixated on my kiss swollen lips. "Why?"

He tried to run his slightly sticky hand through his hair. "I was too forward." I laughed. "I've been waiting for you to be ready. I couldn't be happier, Oz. Trust me." I said pressed my thighs tightly together, as if that would relieve the pounding between them.

How did one deal with such savage emotions that triggered such physical responses?

"Maybe, I'm the one that's too forward." I said tucking my hair behind my ears.

"No!" Oz blurted out. I smiled. I leaned over and pressed my lips gently to his. Then I kissed the tip of his nose. "I missed you, moonflower."

"Will you come tonight?" He looked pained. I was sad. "I can't, Dahlia. I got a message today. General Ironwood is arriving here the day after tomorrow. I have things to prepare. and-" I cut him off with another kiss.

"I'll leave it in your room."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can't get in my room without me. You don't even know where it is."

I gave him a dangerous smile. "We'll see." I had every confidence in my abilities.

I rose, brushing my fingers over his cheek lovingly before I turned to leave. I pretended not to see the bulge my dear, collected Oz had between his legs.

With a secret smile I left, my hips swaying slowly.

That night, when Ozpin stumbled to his room after a long gritty meeting, he was amazed to find a package laying on his perfectly made bed.

How had I done it?

He wondered that well into the night, holding my gift in his hands, feeling love warming his heart.