Revelation for a Dark Soul

by Zacatecas

[summary rewrite] They were partners since the start of the rebellion 10 years ago, but on their last assignment, they fell off the grid. 13 years later, they're found by both old friends, and new foes. When age begins to take it's toll, it'll be up to the new generation to amend their father's sins. but, how far a price would they pay along the way?

12. Family of Four

From their perspective, it was almost as if Ozpin enjoyed being lectured by Goodwitch. After the woman discovered the destroyed testing room, she didn't even try to hide her anger as she effortlessly fixed the room and chewed out the careless headmaster. While the reason behind the destroyed room was kept between the current four hunters, and the...child, Ozpin made sure to keep Glynda informed enough that she didn't feel the need to poke around where she shouldn't. Though, at the moment, the three teens were occupied with the small child. Neo played around with the little blonde, childish games like hide-n-seek and tag was ones that kept the atmosphere lively. Emerald stuck with Jaune as the two reviewed the data Ozpin gathered on Blake. Often, the green-haired woman would glance to the child giggling and running from her mother, such innocence and peace wasn't what she was greeted to in their game. During their game the child flung a fireball at her, obviously unintentional. Though, when she saw how scared Emerald was, she continued to use her little trick in their game of tag. Almost as if she enjoyed seeing the older woman scared.

Once Jaune copied the data unto his scroll, he gave Ozpin the original data and walked over to Blake. The small one stopped in front of her father and held her hands out; a faint smile was on Jaune's lips as he carried his daughter. Glynda was still unaware of the child's connection to the blonde knight, only that they were family, and that was all. Before Goodwitch could personally interrogate Jaune, her scroll rang, cringing at the message subject, she left without another word uttered. Ozpin watched with a sly grin as he knew the reason behind her current annoyance. When glancing to Jaune, he could see the blonde's expression was of worry and guilt. He didn't allow his child to see, though, so he laid her head on his shoulder and lulled her to sleep. It took a few minutes; Jaune seemed relatively at ease knowing that he had a child of his own flesh and blood in hand, from the future no less. As crazy as it was, he seemed to accept Blake pretty quickly, despite the fact she beat the living hell out of him the day prior. On the other hand, she had to have had a good teacher, whether he was her trainer or not was still up for debate. Currently, on his mind, was the haunting image of his new family, and what Cinder would do if she found out who Blake was. The Onyx gem in the woman's possession was just as dangerous as the one contained within this small one. Knowing he would be under constant surveillance by Cinder's goons if she had the slightest hint of the existence of another gem, and not fully trusting Ozpin, Jaune took matters into his own hands.

"Professor." The blonde's passed Blake over to Neo as he gestured her to wait with Emerald outside. Catching both his attention and suspicion, Ozpin kept a close eye on the blonde's next actions. "There's something I need to speak to you about." In a way, Jaune was sealing his fate here and now, establishing his loyalty and his path. He knew well, after his conversation ended, the next time these two would meet; they will be standing behind different banners.

An hour passed before Jaune exited the recovery room and joined the two women outside. He took out a bandage wrap he borrowed from within the recovery room and thoroughly covered Blake's corrupted forearm. Once he was done, not a trace of the gem's influence could be seen.

"So, what happened?" Emerald asked quietly as to not wake the small one in Neo's arms.

"As of now; I walk my own path." The blonde responded. Confused by his little deceleration, the minty-haired woman was about to ask when Jaune held his finger to his mouth. Gesturing them to keep quiet and follow him. They all walked to the school's docks, thankfully, unnoticed seeing as how there was a convenient trio causing havoc within the school and gaining everyone's attention. The group of three boarded the first airship and traveled to Vale, all the while, Neo smiled widely as she held her sleeping child. As soon as she was passed Blake, the child's hands clung to her mother's jacket and refused to let go. Emerald sat quietly next to Jaune without saying a word since they left the school. She couldn't have been more thankful they left unnoticed, but his response earlier kept her mind uneasy. Knowing the blonde; he'd give answers after they were in a safe location, though, what he might've said to the headmaster was of greater concern. If he gave away information on the Coalition it'd make their next missions all the more difficult and costly. Then again, Jaune wouldn't put the life of his soldiers at risk. Of course, there was the possibility he was planning a coup against Cinder, given he never really tried to hide the fact that he hated her. All of these ideas kept clouding her thoughts to the point that she failed to notice a hand waving in front of her face until they snapped their fingers.

"You ok?" Jaune asked.

"Umm, yea. So, where are we going?"

"Somewhere." He replied, ominously.

Emerald wondered where the boy was taking them when the ship docked. The city was a big place, many good hiding spots, and plenty of shady figures willing to forge kingdom documents. On the other hand, hiding in a city that was soon to be a war zone could be classified as a little stupid, if you didn't have an immediate escape plan. Was he acting on a self-given mission, or was he ordered by Cinder to stay in the city to scout a target? It was then that she realized the latter wouldn't be possible given Jaune didn't exactly follow up on assassination missions from Cinder or anything related. Not to mention the fact that he rarely listened to Cinder or the orders she gave. It annoyed Emerald, but she could understand why he detested their boss. Hell, at times, even she couldn't stand the way her boss acted, but there wasn't a moment in her life she ever acted the way Jaune did. Luckily for him, he was valuable to the Coalition; otherwise, he wouldn't be breathing right now. She persisted in her questioning, but Emerald received no answer as they casually made their way to the city's lower-urban district. In this section, houses were two stories, kept separated by stone or wooden walls. Streets relatively clean and extremely quiet, folks seemed to keep to themselves here. The occasional passing car, bystanders were limited, odd for this time of day when the main city streets were packed. They reached a house with a stone wall covered in vines, a plaque beside the gate read; Domrémy. Only Neo knew the significance, the three entered the residence; Emerald did a double check outside to assure they weren't followed. As soon as they entered the house, the blonde boy removed his shoes at the doorway, gesturing them to do the same. He took Blake from Neo's hands and carried the little one upstairs. Taking a look around, Neo and Emerald noticed that what looked like the living room was nearly empty, with but a single couch for decoration. The kitchen had the basic appliances you'd expect, though, the interior color of the house was a gloomy grey. The windows were covered well by crimson drapes, though there wasn't a need to hide anything considering the high outdoor walls. The women followed Jaune after taking a quick look downstairs, the upstairs had four rooms, three empty, and a bathroom. The women were still confused and worried as to whose house they were currently in. Jaune made his way into what looked like the house's master bedroom. A queen-sized bed, a t.v., a nightstand with a small lamp, and an empty bookshelf were all that occupied this room. Slowly, the blonde lowered his child on to the bed, but as he did, she began to awake. Her hands clung tightly to her father's sweater as he attempted to set her down. Upon trying to remove her hold, her murmurs became excessive as she continuously tried to cling to her father. When her hands couldn't grasp any fabric of clothing, lacking parental warmth, she awoke and was noticeably on the verge of tears as she held her hands up, wanting her parent to hold her. Reacting quickly, Neo towered over her child and began playing around with the small one, making ridiculous expressions and tickling her sides. Rather than cries, the room was now filled with the sounds of laughter, allowing Jaune and Emerald to feel at ease. While Neo kept the little one occupied, the blonde and minty-haired teen stepped outside for a bit. Upon closing the door, Emerald wasted no time asking questions, specifically about the house they were in.

"Care to explain why we're here? What is this place? And what did you tell the headmaster?"

Smiling slyly, Jaune answered her questions in order. "We're going to hide Blake here; I bought this place a few weeks ago, and for now, we don't have to worry about hunters and huntresses coming down on the Coalition. They'll be chasing ghosts."

"You bought this place?" Emerald asked skeptically, unsure whether this house was a good deal or a rip-off. Yea this place was peaceful, but for someone in their line of work, a house in the upper district wasn't exactly a problem. Though, this place could be counted for less risk.

"Yea, saved up a good amount of lien for it."

"With honest earnings?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm, knowing full well he wouldn't answer. Then again, she already knew the answer.

"It's not exactly 'proper', but I'm going to fix it up. Get some new stuff for the rooms, starting with Blake's room. First; we'll need some food for the week." Jaune was beginning to head out when Emerald caught his shoulder.

"The Vytal festival is in a month, are we really going to hide out in here for that long?" She asked in a hushed tone.

Glancing to the master room, Jaune saw Blake sitting on Neo's lap, both were watching some child's program. For a woman who knew nothing on kids and had a sadistic personality; Neo sure had an interesting maternal instinct.

"Neo, we're going out for food, we'll be back soon." The pink-haired woman nodded and rested her head atop her daughter's while the two watched whatever was on. The little one was captivated by the show she was watching, and Neo seemed more content to see a smile on the small blonde's face than anything. Jaune and Emerald left to the nearest store to acquire some food for the four of them.

Their walk to and from the store wasn't quiet, but more along the lines of Jaune hinting at the idea that he would betray Cinder. Though, he was always like this, so Emerald kept the hope that he wouldn't go back on the Coalition, especially after they've made it this far. It was still quite the surprise that Jaune owned a home in Vale, even more convenient was a nearby market they could go to for food and various other supplies. At the moment, they stuck with food, and some blankets, which were mainly carried by Emerald. Jaune carried the groceries in both hands, while Emerald carried two containers with blankets and pillows.

"Quick question, why involve me?" The minty-haired girl's question stopped the blonde in place, glancing to her with a stern look, he answered.

"Do you wanna go back to Cinder and tell her; not only did you fail to update her on an unknown team and kept information of another 'special' item from her, but you also allowed said item to fall into my hands?" Jaune's question brought up a messy, unsavory scenario for the woman. In her mind were images of Cinder chewing her out and burning her...again. As the thought of punishment filled her mind, she felt a cold breeze blow on her exposed neck. She yelped in embarrassment, jumping back and holding up her weapon at the blonde. To which Jaune merely smiled and held his hands up in submission.

"We don't have to keep it from her forever, just give me enough time to figure out how to remove the gem from Blake and how to control it; otherwise, Cinder will be corrupted in an instant. I know she's done much for you, and believe me I wouldn't stoop so low as to blackmail you into following me and betraying her. Preferably, I'd rather leave that choice to you." Jaune continued walking, leaving Emerald to somewhat understand why he was favored above Cinder in the Coalition; when Cinder demanded absolute loyalty and obedience, all Jaune asked for was trust and allowed people the choice of whether to stick around or leave. In a way, she could also see why Neo was smitten with him.

Once they returned to the house, the blonde went straight to work preparing lunch. Realizing they were home, Neo came down and gestured Emerald to go up and watch Blake.

"Are you serious?! No way?!" She protested, her burn wounds from earlier still stung and refused to be alone again with the one responsible.

Neo's smile turned blank, she reached into her jacket and retrieved a small notebook and pencil. She wrote in it and passed it to Emerald. Receiving it, the girl read to herself;

Get your ass upstairs, and keep my little angel happy. NOW.

Feeling the need to continue her protest, Emerald was going to refuse again, that is, until she could see an intense aura emitting from Neo. The need to reject was drained in an instant as Emerald nodded quickly and went upstairs to watch the little spawn. Jaune wondered what his partner had written on the note that sent the normally hardened woman up, though, he preferred not to ask. As Neo joined him in preparing lunch, the blonde could vaguely see a proud smirk across her lips.

"You're...really enjoying this aren't you?" Jaune asked, receiving a sly grin from Neo. The woman gave him a simple wink and paid little to no attention to any question that followed thereafter.

Upstairs, Emerald sat across the spawn of Jaune and Neo; a frightening combination, more so when she gets older. Though, considering she witnessed the power an older Blake had, it was safe to assume a child like this would undoubtedly be a mix of her parents in every aspect. Her mix-matched blue and red eyes were an obvious inheritance from her mother, especially when she blinked. For a few seconds, she could actually switch the colors. Her blonde hair reached just past her shoulders, but you could still see a hint of Jaune in her. How? It was the way in which she stared curiously at Emerald, and how little the woman's glare intimidated her. Like her father, she was only intimidated around unknowns, but as of late; Emerald wasn't exactly unknown. At the moment, however, her smile was what currently ticked at Emerald. She smiled at her, completely forgetting the hell she put the woman through. Emerald gestured to her burns and slightly frowned.

"See these? Don't think I've forgotten, burns and scars may heal, but the pain never really goes away." The little one saw both the anger in Emerald's eyes, and the slight pain she felt when her fingers accidentally brushed against one of the burns. Her right palm reached out and gently touched one of the burn marks. Upon contact Emerald hissed, causing the small one to instantly retract her hand. The little one stared with her mixed eyes a few seconds before her expression saddened.

"Aunty."

Emerald's glare softened. "Aunty? Who told you that?" She asked, not entirely in a tone of annoyance.

"Mama." Blake answered softly.

Emerald was somewhat surprised Neo actually spoke, considering she refused to in any situation regardless of circumstance. It spoke volumes as to how much Neo was invested in Blake, perhaps out of guilt for the night prior. Or, perhaps, she did actually want to be a mother and this child was her ticket to furthering her relationship with Jaune. More importantly, though, she talked! Then again, why would Emerald be counted as an aunt when she and Neo barely had much interactions? With Jaune, maybe they could be counted as friends, but not close friends.

"Aunty." Emerald glanced back to the child whom was on the brink of tears, leaving Emerald in a state of guilt and fear. "M' sorry." The little one was quickly starting to tear up, saddened by the pain she inflicted on her own aunt. Emerald was left with the choices; either cheer her up, or welcome whatever fate her mother had planned for making the little one cry. Blake used her little hands to cover her streaming tears, Emerald instinctively held her. Confused as to why it was the first thing she did, she chose to ignore it when it seemed to calm the little one.

"I-it's fine, really. They hurt, but not as bad as before. So don't worry about it." She reassured, pressing the little one against her chest while softly petting the top of her head. "Please don't cry...aunty wants you to be happy. Okay?" Emerald could feel the little one's head lay against chest.

"M'kay." Blake responded.

Sighing in relief, Emerald continued petting Blake, somewhat comfortable with this situation. Some aunt, she made the poor kid cry. Being strict wasn't her intention when she was supposed to be watching her, though, it wasn't like she opposed the idea, this kid was different...somewhat. At least Blake recognized when she did something wrong, hell, she apologized for it. Perhaps, given time, Blake could be more like her father than her mother, if with any luck. Though, as she glanced to the doorway, Emerald was met with the haunting blank stare of Blake's mother. The sight sent chills down the woman's spine as Neo held a note with one simple word; later. After assuring she got the message, Neo returned downstairs. Now, the minty-haired woman was on the verge of tears as she could only imagine what form of punishment a mother as sadistic as Neo would dish out on her.

After a small moment of embrace, Blake detached herself from her aunt after her eyes caught sight of something interesting. She walked over to the nightstand and reached for a small book. Almost instantly after she recognized what she held in her hands, she ran to Emerald, diving into her aunt with enough force to send the woman tumbling backwards. The woman grunted at the pain, "What do you think you're..." and when she glanced to the child, her mix-matched eyes were beaming with joy as she held out the book to Emerald.

The minty-haired woman took the book and read the title. "Birth of the Seven Sins." She glanced to the child whom was waiting for her aunt to read to her. "Do you even know what this book is about?" She asked, to which Blake shook her head. "But it's a book, and you want me to read it to you?" She asked again, only this time, the little one nodded happily. With a small sigh, she gave in, though, having read this book before, she skipped to perhaps the tamest and shortest story in this grim fable. Emerald was about to flip the first page when she felt the little one reposition herself on her aunt's lap. From how she sat, Emerald could exactly see the book, so she leaned over and rested her head atop Blake's head. It felt comfortable, and it stirred further emotions she once thought to have killed off. Knowing this child's parents, Emerald hoped she wouldn't get any ideas from this book. Readied herself, and began.

'Pride the arrogant;

There once was an ancient city on the southern coast of Vale; Salem. It was a vibrant civilization filled with a great variety of artisans and scholars. Truly, a testament to human achievement of lasting unity and strength. Though, known to all in Salem, there was a woman who, above all else, was greatly respected and admired for her near perfect skills. As a warrior, she bested even the most hardened veteran. As a Mage, her limits stretched to the edge of taboo. As a scholar, there were none who could outwit her, or so she believed. The praise and accolades soon gave the woman the impression that she was divinity in mortal form. For soon, those of Salem began to believe this woman to be a direct descendant of Oum. The churches, in their fear, declared her followers heretics, and branded the woman a demon. In retaliation, she burned the priests of Salem to cinder, and no soul dared oppose her. Warriors who came to challenge her were cut down and fed to her pets. Mages whose power failed to overpower her were drained of their power, and cursed to live as pets of the human-deity. Scholars were perhaps the only ones who would not challenge the prideful woman. As time went on, any who dared to oppose this demigod was taken before her, given a trial, and burned.'

Emerald glanced to the small one; her eyes were glued to the book. When her aunt stopped, she glanced up. Her eyes said more than any word that could be uttered. Sighing, Emerald continued.

'One day, an old monk stood before the woman with a wooden box. With a small crowd gathered, the old monk decided to test the woman; that if she truly was divinity, then as an all-knowing being, she would know what it was he held within the box. The woman, taking into account the fragile body of this old monk, and the sweet, yet weak, fragrance emitting from the box, replied proudly. "A single, white Luna flower." All showed awe at the woman's confident reply, all, but the old monk. For when he removed the top of the box, for all who could see; nothing lay within. Baffled, and confused, all the woman could do was utter incoherently to herself. Her arrogance in belief of self-divinity could not comprehend how it was that her prediction was false. Without warning, she retreated within her built temple. The old monk smiled, and as he walked away, a single white Luna flower fell from his sleeve. "To 'err' is human." Said the old man before leaving to his home, passing away that very night in his sleep. By the time the woman was told of the monk's trickery, to be fooled in such a manner left the woman with unbridled rage. But, such a simple slight-of-hand was enough to eat away at both her mental state, and her reputation amongst those in her city. No longer was she feared, admired, nor deified. Most had begun to assume her power was not her own, but rather, a mere illusion. She was doubted, ridiculed, and made a pariah. Angered to a great extent, the woman took what little followers she had left, and shed their blood for a taboo practice. An art that should've been left to the hands of true gods; Homunculi. The dark influence used for her creations soon twisted her beauty to that of creature from gathered nightmares. Her sense of morality twisted as her arrogance kept her in the belief that she was above humans, and to prove her divinity, she would do what was strictly reserved for gods; creation of life. Her creations, however, were nothing short of monstrosities, dark, animal-like beings, twisted in appearance and with great hunger. Eager to rescind the old monk's lasting trickery, the woman unleashed her beings unto the city. As she creatures were now free, they viciously devoured any and all that came into view. The beings ripped apart the populace. From dusk till dawn all attempts to escape were futile. The hunt began and the monsters took their time with their captured prey. From the manner in which they acted; these creatures relished in the cries of misery. The walls and streets were stained with blood, the stench of death and burning buildings filled the air. When the city was without living humans or faunus, the creatures then ventured further into the world. The woman, however, stood before her ruined home, the destruction of her city and her people was all that was left from prideful beliefs. From behind her, though, was the old monk with a cane in hand. With a grim expression, he cursed the prideful human to eternally walk Remnant with her abominations; unable to die or forget her sin. Today, she walks Remnant, known only by the name of the home she destroyed.'

"Honestly, this is supposed to be literature? It's not even long enough to be believable, not to mention the countless clichés. I swear; Jaune has weird tastes." Emerald muttered annoyingly while closing the book, though, Blake instantly turned her head to her aunt, wanting to hear more. The minty-haired woman shook her head. "You're lucky I read that part only, this book isn't for kids."

Blake grabbed the book, threw it as far as her hands could, and lowered her head in what seemed like a pouting manner. Her little actions, however, received a small scowl and eerie smile from her aunt as her left cheek was being pulled. "Don't you give me that sass young lady."

"M' showwy, m' showwy." Blake apologized before her aunt's hand pulled any further.

As the little blonde recovered from her stretched cheek, Emerald hugged her from behind while laying her head again atop the little ones. For some reason, Emerald didn't feel as much hostility towards the little witch as she did prior, but she was still cautious regardless. To see that she was more invested in books than media was somewhat comforting considering the things that are shown nowadays. Blake, though, was now a child both at heart and in mentality. For her to act like this shouldn't exactly be a surprise.

"Look, I don't think your dad has any other kinds books here, so, later today, we'll go get you some books, okay?" She had hoped the child would smile, seeing as that was the reason she was upstairs; to keep her happy. Luckily for her, it worked. Blake nodded happily, it showed when she returned her aunt's embrace and hooked into her arms. "Jeez, you really are like your mom, Blake." Emerald commented. Though, now she had the confused eyes of the young child on her. Was she confused by her comment?...or, was she confused about her name? Did she even remember her own name? Come to think of it, Jaune and Ozpin didn't call her by her name directly since they left that medical room. "You...you know that's your name, right? It's what people will call you. Like your mom and dad; they're Neo and Jaune. Your name is Blake. You didn't know that?" Blake shook her head slowly, obviously astounded to hear her name for the first time. In a mere instance, the little witch stood up and was a few inches from Emerald's face. Her widened smile indicated she was pleased with the name given to her. At this moment, she believed her name to have been given to her by her aunt. Emerald didn't exactly feel comfortable with their faces so close together. She placed her palm on the child's face and pushed her away, though Blake did struggle to get closer to her aunt, giggling all the while. "No question about it, you really are like your mom."

Jaune and Neo entered with sandwiches, having no table, they placed they plates on the floor. Wanting to have her daughter again, Neo held her hands for her little one to join her, only for Blake to shake her head while smiling. "Aunty." Her gestured indicated she wanted to stay with her aunt. Neo felt a sting of betrayal and anger as she glanced to Emerald with empty eyes.

"Aunty?" Jaune teased.

"S-s-she told her that!" Emerald gestured to Neo, said woman was pouting at the fact that her little angel would rather stay with her aunt than go with her mom. In her fit, Neo sat on Jaune's lap. Her childish actions made the little one laugh, a smile once again spread across Neo's lips as she gave Emerald a sly grin of what she had that the minty-haired woman didn't. Though, it was made less subtle when she began grinding her hips on him, causing Emerald to instinctively cover Blake's eyes. "Please don't." She pleaded for the small one's sake, and her own mentality.

After the four had finished lunch, Jaune decided to take Blake out for clothes shopping; the little one only had her white clothing from Ozpin's medical wing. Neo switched into a disguise; a small black haired, twin-tailed, green-eyed woman. Yes, her size was still the same, giving the small group the impression she was a younger sibling of either the blonde or minty-haired woman. As for Jaune, well, given his faint scars and rugged expressions, many assumed he was well into his twenties, meaning he could've been the child's father or uncle. As for Emerald, she had nothing more than the clothes she usually had on and her Haven uniform for clothing. She looked like any normal teen. The walk in the city was short as they found multiple clothing stores, quite often, six in a single street with various price ranges and competitive deals. The small group went into the first store they saw, and luckily, or conveniently, it had children's clothes. Neo and, reluctantly, Emerald went in to pick out new attires for Blake. Leaving the blonde the choices to either wait outside or in the store. Choosing the latter, Jaune kept to himself as he watched countless people walk in and out while waiting. This store wasn't too big, but it did have quite the selection. While watching people come in and out of the store, a small hand tugged on Jaune's shirt. The older blonde glanced down to see his daughter in a white-frilled dress, with a blue sash, for whatever reason, tied around her waist, black dress shoes, and a blue ribbon on the left side of her hair. Once she got his attention, she gestured to changing rooms where Neo was gesturing him to go over to. Reluctantly, Jaune obliged, but kept his ground as he wasn't going to be tricked and pushed into the changing room. Though, what he was treated to was Emerald exiting with an annoyed expression and a mild blush.

"Neo, explain to me again why I have to try on thi-" her words cut short as she came out and was greeted by a blonde knight gazing down at her. She wore revealing black-frilled lingerie. The level of lewdness was hitting the extreme as this attire left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her nipples were peeking over the see through section of the bra, hell, why even cover the lower half of her breast. The garter belt added to the short, frilly panties, why Neo had Emerald wear this was beyond Jaune, though he couldn't deny that the minty-haired girl wore it well.

After a moment of shock, Emerald ducked back into the changing room. Though, with a mischievous grin, Neo held in her hands, Emerald's clothing. So, this was her punishment, a bit overboard, but the small woman could care less. Jaune gave Neo a small scowl before taking back Emerald's cloths and passing them through the curtain. A small thank you whispered through as the attire was taken and Jaune brushed off the blush he had. For the minty-haired girl, Jaune was the first man to see her in such embarrassing attire; the entire situation was humiliating and degrading. Neo smiled proudly and proceeded to further search for cloths for Blake. Feeling sympathy for the poor girl, Jaune leaned over to the curtains and whispered.

"I'm sorry about that, if you want, look around and pick out some clothes you like. It's on me. Again, I'm sorry."

Emerald poked her head ever-so-slightly from the curtains, her eyes refused to meet the blonde's. "Just...don't tell anyone about this."

"About what?"

"About thi-" Emerald just then caught wind of the boy's words. He gave a sly smile before walking over to Neo to scold the woman over her actions. Meanwhile, a pair of crimson eyes were glued to the blonde. For the likes of her, Emerald couldn't understand what it was that Jaune saw in Neo. Or, if he even sees her in that way, but the way he's so protective of her shows he cares. A sadistic woman with little to no respect for personal boundaries, and a man holding on to what little morality he has while doing his best to act as a role model for his daughter.

'He's too good for her.' Emerald murmured quietly to herself before redressing in her normal attire and searching for something she could wear casually. After the three adults grouped at the exit, Neo gestured to a sweets shop nearby. Reluctantly, Emerald and Jaune went along acting as chaperones for these two. As expected, Neo spoiled her daughter to no extent as she bought the little one a triple scooped cone. Strawberry, Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip Mint were the flavors Blake chose. Neo also had three scoops, though; her flavors were Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate. The four continued their outing, Jaune and Emerald preferred single scoops, as to finish first and keep a keen eye on these two in case the sugar rush hit early. Blake was happily eating hers while, from the looks of it, her mother devoured hers in a few minutes. The twin-tailed woman finished before the two other adults, letting out a satisfied sigh. Continuing their outing further into the city, the crowds were beginning to become dense, and the noise made it hard for communication. In an attempt to keep from getting lost, Neo reached for her daughter's hand, but found herself grasping air. Glancing towards were her little one was supposed to be, she found nothing. She searched frantically all around her, but no sign of Blake could be found. When she turned her attention to Jaune and Emerald, her hopes crashed as she saw the two were in the same state as she was; searching for the small blonde. In a mere second, without so much as sign; their daughter had disappeared. While she wanted to cry out her name and receive a response, her words would not come out. Neo felt a crushing pain in her heart as she desperately searched around her with no sign of her little one; she collapsed to the ground and feared the worst had happened. Jaune turned to Emerald. "Search from the rooftops, contact me when you find her." The minty-haired woman nodded and ran towards an alley for a ladder leading to the roof. In the meantime, Jaune kneeled next to Neo. "She couldn't have gotten far, we'll find her." Jaune's attempt to ease her worries helped slightly, though, she still expressed extreme fear for her little one. She grew attached to Blake for many reasons, but the main one was because she was her own flesh and blood. To sum up whom Blake was; a once over-powered teen seeking to amend for family's sins, now reduced to an infant with barely any speech and little memories of her past. There was no way she could fend for herself in this city, especially in her state.

With Blake, Neo felt something she had yet to experience in a long time; she felt human. And this time, she was proud to feel this way, but now, she found herself in self turmoil as she failed to keep a close eye on her child. As she raised her head, she found a hand waiting for her. "Let's go find our little girl." Was she hearing him right? Did he say 'our little girl'? Neo smiled and took Jaune's hand. The two made haste as they began their search for the small one near the shops they passed.

Little did they know, it was in the opposite direction as to where the little one was headed. After much bumps and shoves, Blake had found a street with relatively little people, though when she glanced around, her parents and aunt were nowhere to be found. Lost, and alone, Blake wandered about, looking for any key features her parents had amongst the crowds of people. As she searched for them, she saw, peeking out from the corner, two black twin-tails. In her excitement, she rushed towards what she believed to be her mother. As she neared, she closed her eyes and prepared a massive jump to surprise her, and a surprise it would be.

"Mama!" Blake shouted as she jumped headfirst into the unknown, though, upon crashing into the woman, Blake tumbled backwards, dropping her cone. The unknown turned to meet her and was with widened eyes as her amber orbs stared at this mixed-matched eyed child. The young witch was currently recovering from her little attack that by the time she gazed up, she found herself surrounded by four young teens. In a mere instance, she felt an unusually cold chill run up her spine as she gazed at amber, lilac, light blue, and silver eyes.

Meanwhile, Emerald leapt from rooftop to rooftop searching for the young child, all the while keeping a low profile. She assumed Blake wouldn't have gone far, and considering the fact that she helped Neo buy the young one her new cloths, it'd be easy to spot her. Though, what she didn't take into account was who might find her first in this Valen city. And luckily for her, she spotted a small blonde in a white dress. What she found to great annoyance and worry were the company she was with. Especially if they decided to take her back to Beacon.

The small witch was being carried in the arms of Yang Xiao Long after showing a small amount of fear towards Weiss and the cat-woman of their group. Said Faunus was annoyed with her partner for forcing her into a maid outfit, and with twin-tails to complete the set earlier. Presently, however, she was worried over the child in Yang's arms. For some strange reason, she showed an unusual fear towards her and Weiss. For the heiress, it was to be expected given her usual glare, but why the Faunus? Weiss remained silent; her pride was somewhat hurt when she tried to comfort the saddened child. Ruby, on the other hand, kept trying to either carry the little one or make faces to lighten her mood. It worked on several occasions, though the little one was still wary of these people. For some reason they were really nice to her, but at the moment she wanted to be with her parents and aunt. Though, when she wanted to speak, her words wouldn't project themselves, leaving her to stay in the arms of this blonde brawler. Said huntress in training seemed prideful at the fact that a cute kid felt safer in her hands than the stuck-up heiress. Unable to get the little one to speak, an idea popped into the head of the team leader. Ruby snapped her fingers, catching everyone's attention. She reached into her bag and retrieved a cookie, waving it in front of the child as to gain her attention. It worked, the small hands of the little blonde reached for the pastry, only to have the heiress snatch it away.

"What are you doing you dolt?"

"Weiss?" Ruby wondered why her teammate suddenly stole the pastry.

"You can't just give her a cookie, she might be allergic." Weiss informed.

"To what?" Yang asked, curiously.

"To an ingredient in the cookie. We need to make sure that if we feed her, she isn't allergic to anything." Weiss stated.

"I think you're just jealous she prefers my big sis than with you." Ruby's words struck a nerve as Weiss gave a deathly glare at her partner. The heiress then glanced to the small blonde. "Sweetie, is there anything your parents don't let you eat?"

The little one shook her head, still somewhat afraid of the heiress, much to her dismay.

"I want...mama...n papa, n aunty." The huntress team felt their heart strings tugged.

Feeling s mall blush on her cheeks, Emerald retrieved her scroll and texted her location to Jaune, while also giving him insight in the current situation. If they were going to pry the little one from RWBY's hands, it would have to be quick and without them recognizing the three rogues. Keeping an eye down below, Emerald made sure to not allow the little one to leave her sight again. Though, from the looks of things, neither did this team of Huntresses. Xiao long kept the small witch in her arms most of the time, showing a great deal of interest in this mix-match eyed child. There was an assumption that she was related to BANE's witch or Jaune, but without those two blondes present to confirm anything, only Yang was left suspicious of this child.

Meanwhile, at a certain enclosed location, preparing for nighttime, Junior had his men double check everything to make sure they were ready for any 'special visitors'. His club had seen much in the last year, twice damaged by a certain blonde brawler. Now, a new blonde walked through his club's doors, and truth be told, he actually enjoyed this one's company. The two had met before the blonde knight was recruited into Cinder's faction, having worked together for a while in less shady business. Not entirely clean, but lighter when comparing them to the missions he took while in the early stages of the Coalition. Jaune was well aware of the shady business practice Junior was a part of, but at the moment, it mattered little to him. The two got reacquainted for a moment before the blonde explained his predicament. Though, seeing as how Junior never saw Neo in her disguise, Jaune decided to play it out. The story went; he had an old friend who worked in the same line of business he did. She lost her daughter in the city and needed help getting her back from the hands of team RWBY. Neo was confused and extremely worried when he specifically named the huntress team, more so since she wasn't exactly in a good light with the blonde brawler. Still, if she knew where her little one was, no doubt she'd bolt to her pry her from those huntresses, regardless if they recognized her or not. The child of an assassin and a traitor would no doubt be an invaluable bargaining chip if the kingdom knew what its huntresses had in their palms. With any luck, they haven't put the pieces together just yet.

"Anything my men can use to know what the kid looks like?" Junior asked while gesturing some of his men over.

"...!" Neo made hand gestures to describe her daughter, though, it only left the club owner even more confused than before.

Jaune reached for his scroll and sent a location to Junior's. "No need, it's less of a search, and more of a recovery. I have a contact who's found them already, but she needs backup in case things get…unsavory. Oh, and do me a favor, take this and give it to her." Jaune retrieved a box from his satchel and passed it to Junior. Upon expecting its contents, the man grinned. "Ah, it's that kind of favor, huh? No problem."

Meanwhile, with RWBY, It would seem that upon Blake's decision to stop by a book store, the little witch almost immediately opened up to the cat Faunus. Now, the majority of the time, the child was in the care of the Faunus. With Yang and Ruby, unless it was of fables, books didn't exactly catch their interest. As for Weiss, she tagged along with Belladonna to assure she didn't pick out any 'special' books that could taint the child. An hour passed, Weiss was smiling widely as the blonde child was on her lap, listening to the heiress read a popular book of fairy tales. For the moment, all seemed peaceful. That is, until another thought popped into Ruby's head. "You know, we haven't even asked her name yet." It dawned on them that they had a lost child without so much as asking her name, giving them the impression of being kidnappers rather than helpers. Weiss glanced to the small one. "Sweetie, what's your name?"

While she still felt somewhat unsure about these people, the child found it best to at the very least give them something to call her by. At that instance, she remembered the name her aunt gave her, with a proud smile she answered while pointing to herself. "Blake."

The sudden reveal left the huntresses speechless, it couldn't be a coincidence; two blondes with mix-matched red and blue eyes, blonde hair, and a subtle eerie aura to her? Though, they would not be able to explore more as they found themselves surrounded by men in black and red tuxedos, crimson shades, and holstered pistols. From behind them came a woman with long black hair, red eyes, dark skin, and a more than malice feel emitting from her. The small one took a moment to gaze at this woman before shouting out happily. "Aunty!"

Emerald showed a hint of shock as she didn't expect the little one to recognize her so easily. Though, it wasn't until one of Junior's men gestured to her wig that revealed a portion of her green hair. Giving off the look of black hair with green bangs, hopefully these brats wouldn't know the difference. Emerald walked up to where Weiss sat and held her hands out for the child. The little witch happily went with her aunt, much to the disappointment of the huntress. The group of huntresses couldn't argue or make so much as a move since they neither had their weapons nor did they want to endanger the little one. Though, before any further scenario occurred, Emerald spoke in the thickest Haven accent she could. "Who's da leada of dis group?" It masked her real voice, though it made her sound utterly ridiculous. So much so that Junior's men had to visibly hold in their need to laugh at this woman's attempts to act foreign were proving somewhat successful.

While withholding the urge to laugh, Ruby stood up. Prompting Emerald to retrieve an envelope from within her tux and hand it to the young huntress. The young girl received it, confused.

"A thank you from da boss for finding dis liddle one." As she turned to leave, the heiress stood up. "Wait!" Weiss managed to catch their attention, but only for a moment. While she didn't trust the men taking her, the little one identified the woman as a family member at least. Reluctantly, she handed over the book she was reading for the child. "Here, I bought this for her, she really likes it."

Emerald was skeptical, but allowed her niece to take the book. Unwilling to continue spending any more time with these huntresses, she readied herself to leave. Though, before she could turn to finally end this conversation, she felt the little one lean over to Weiss and give the heiress a peck on her forehead.

"Thank you." She held on to her gift tightly while smiling widely. Weiss stood paralyzed after what occurred, giving Emerald the opportunity to leave without another incident. Yang watched as the small group left unbeknownst to her team, she knew damn well who those goons worked for. Junior was either in some way related to the small child, or this was a personal favor for his contacts. Either way, she felt the need to pay him a little visit soon.

"Woah!" Ruby's sudden high pitch caught her team members by surprise as she had seen the contents within the envelope.

"What's wrong Ruby?" The brawler asked.

The young huntress turned slowly and showed her team the gift they were given for taking care of the child. "T-t-ten thousand lien!"

"You did what!?" Emerald asked, astonished that the items within the envelope were of such high value, had she known, she would've taken a few for herself. The group of four was now back at Jaune's house after he arranged a few deals with Junior to keep their little recovery between them only. Once Blake was back in Neo's arms, and even when they arrived home, she refused to let go of the little one.

"The money in the envelope and Junior's goons were just a front, something to give off the impression that Blake comes from a 'shady' family. Knowing them, they'll either chase the dead ends I left in place, or, and I'm hoping; they'll forget about this all together. But, knowing Yang, we might just have a rougher time than I expected." Jaune pondered how to deal with the brawler. She wasn't exactly the brightest cookie, but she sure as hell was the sturdiest. Emerald was still peeved she didn't ask what was in the envelope earlier. More so that she was the one who had to confront team RWBY to get Blake back. In all honesty, however, it went smoother than what she assumed would happen. Team RWBY didn't hesitate much, nor did they protest letting the young witch go with the shady Haven woman. Come to think of it, if it wasn't for Emerald's small wardrobe malfunction with her wig, then there might've been the chance that Blake wouldn't have recognized her. If that being the case, then obtaining the little one would've been harder then what occurred.

Night fell on Vale, Emerald lay quietly in one of the upstairs rooms in her newly purchased sleeping garments; she wore green pajama pants and a black, muscle shirt that didn't exactly cover much of her stomach. What was more catching was how small it was on her more upper assets. The muscle shirt had an image of a peach-colored bunny nibbling on a carrot on the front. A cute addition, but not exactly something she wanted to be seen in public with. Jaune had an extra mattress in the basement. He brought it upstairs and laid it out on the floor for the thief, leaving after assuring she was at the very least comfortable. On his way downstairs, he found Neo waiting by the stairs. She had only her panties, and a large white shirt to act as her sleeping garments. From the expression on her face, she wasn't about to let him avoid a talk. The two walked to the living room where the blonde knight had set up a spot on the couch for him to sleep on. While he could've set up upstairs, he never actually slept on the bed Neo and Blake were using. Given the manners in which he had to gain rest previously, a bed wasn't exactly comfortable anymore in his point of view, more so now that it was occupied. Neo, on the other hand, thought differently. But right now, there was a pressing issue at hand.

"...?"

"No, it'd be better if you two got some more alone time, build on your relationship. Besides, I need to watch the ground floor. Also, yes, I'm still angry with that little stunt you pulled earlier, maybe not as much as Emerald, but you did go overboard."

"..."

"I'm not lying about anything."

"...?...?...?"

"Don't bring this up right now, it's late."

"..."

"I'm not evading anything I just want to sleep."

"..." Neo's gestures suggested that she wouldn't leave him be unless he gave her an answer.

Tired, and now annoyed, Jaune answered her questions, vaguely.

"You're obviously not going to let me sleep unless I answer so; yes, I'm still trying to process all of this. Am I surprised that we had children later on in our lives, yes, who wouldn't? And no, it's not that I dislike you, but, this idea of you and me having a family...with an all-out war ready to occur, the things I'll have to do...the things I've done; I begin to think about what kind of person I really am. I really want to be a father, I never expected this to happen, but when I see Blake, after the things she told me before last night, I'm beginning to wonder if I have the right to be a father. With the blood on my hands maybe I don't deserve to be one. And… maybe I don't deserve to be anyone's lover..." There was an uncomfortable silence between them before the blonde further clarified. "There are things I've lied to you about, secrets about my missions that would make you look at me with disgust. You might tell me that you've done worse, but believe me when I say; I surpassed you long before Blake came into the picture. However you want to look at it, I'm a rebel in the eyes of the people, and a traitor when the government discovers my involvement. I'll be hunted every day of my life when that happens. If I was an assassin, like you, then maybe I would've consider settling down, an assassin can disappear with little to no trace. But not traitors like me. The kingdoms won't allow me to live with the secrets I've stolen from them. From now on, maybe it would be best if we just kept apart. If Cinder were to find out about Blake, no doubt she'd use her as leverage to keep me as a puppet. I can only shudder at the thought of what she'd do with you. I bought this house in the scenario I'd need a place to hide, but in this case, our daughter is the one who needs protection. It sounds cliché, but I need you to stay here and take care of Blake, I'll head to the front lines. Maybe there, I'll get what I deserve..." The boy's words cut deep, so much so that it angered Neo enough to slap him. The clapping sound echoed within the partially empty house. Once the initial shock passed, the blonde glanced to a nearly crying partner. At the moment, she refused any eye contact, ashamed by his words, Jaune kept his eyes away as well.

"...lo...me?" The blonde's eyes shot to the stairs, believing it was the voice of Blake he heard, though, after realizing his daughter wasn't eavesdropping, his eyes reverted to the pink-haired woman, now making direct eye contact. Before getting the chance to ask, Neo spoke, "Do you love me?" Jaune wasn't so sure what astounded him more, the fact that she could speak, or that hearing her voice made his heart beat faster. It was sweet and mellow. Though, soft as well, much so that he needed to bend to her level to hear her properly.

Tired of lies and secrecy, and if only for this one time, the blonde answered what he had been asking himself the entire day. "...yes." The blonde responded.

"I want...to hear you...say it." Neo demanded, leaving Jaune with only one option; to be honest.

"I…love you." Jaune's confession caused a deep Crimson blush to appear on Neo's cheeks.

"Then stay...with us. We need you...I need you." It was clear that speaking wasn't her strong suit, but damn did she try her hardest. Moreover, it was the fact that she actually got a confession from the blonde that had her locked in an awkward state. She had hoped for him to say the whole thing, but even so, the actual words still caught her off guard. Her smile was wide and mixed with embarrassment, Jaune's was too, but the boy managed to hide most of it. Unwilling to let him have this win, Neo grabbed hold of his shirt and French-kissed him, forcefully. As the two slowly descended unto the floor; her hands began to explore every bit of his body. Caught in the moment, Jaune acted on impulse, and reached within Neo's panties. The woman broke from their kiss and quickly covered her mouth as to prevent any moans from escaping. The blonde knight, however, didn't deter, as his hands continued their initial intent, further deepening Neo's blush and using both her hands to keep from moaning loud. Though, the motion of his fingers, adding his free hand rubbing her nipples made keeping quiet all the more difficult. Reaching for the covers on the couch, as they fell, it conveniently covered their actions, leaving nothing for the eyes to see. But the heavy breaths, faint moans, and movement of the sheets gave the imagination much to work on.

Emerald lay comfortably in her bed, today had been a long day. Interesting to say the least, and somewhat fun taking into account she learned much about the little one and her parents than she expected. As of now, though, she remained conflicted on whether to report this to Cinder, or actually keep this from her. Still, it wasn't like she needed to make a decision immediately. For now, she'd leave the subject to another day. As her eyes closed and began peacefully drifting off Emerald suddenly heard soft breathes by her bedside. The young thief's eyes shot open, reaching for her blades beneath her pillow, stopping only when she realized what was staring at her: a very, either, drowsy or worried child. Perhaps both, given the fact her father's muffled words could be heard not too long ago. She should actually be asleep by now after the little adventure she had earlier today. Be that as it may, Emerald sat up slightly.

"What's wrong, Blake? Can't sleep?" She whispered.

Blake nodded. Seeing the little one twiddling her fingers shyly, the thief knew full well what the little one wanted. Emerald gestured Blake to lie down beside her. With a content smile, the blonde climbed onto the bed and lay beside the minty-haired woman. As said woman was about to drift, she checked on the little one, only to find her still awake, and staring intensely at her.

"Something wrong?" Emerald asked

"Can't sleep." Blake averted her eyes to her aunt's rather bountiful bosom. Her sleeping garments weren't lewd in any matter, but the V-neck, from Blake's angle, gave her a pretty good view. Especially since Emerald wasn't wearing a bra. The older woman couldn't tell whether she was embarrassed or annoyed that this kid was peeking into her shirt. Regardless, it was to be expected since her mother didn't exactly have much to speak of. Not to mention, Blake's mentality had reverted to that of a child; extremely curious and extremely attached to loved ones. At the moment, it didn't appear as if she had any memories the previous Blake had, this one seemed like a whole other person entirely.

Gazing back down, Blake's eyes were still locked unto Emerald's breasts.

"Ok, let's try to sleep." Emerald directed Blake's gaze back to her aunt's eyes. She didn't show any form of anger, but rather fatigue. She was tired and didn't have the energy to deal with a perverted spawn of Jaune and Neo.

"Can't." The little one whispered back.

"Well, you need to try, Blake." Emerald insisted.

The little one groaned and closed her eyes, her expressions indicated a rather difficult attempt to stay put as she rolled around a few times.

"What do you want then...a lullaby?" Emerald pondered, remembering how easy it was for Jaune to put this kid to sleep with his lullaby earlier. It was when she noticed the little one's gleaming eyes did she realize what she involuntarily suggested. Almost quickly, she shook her head and closed her eyes, hoping the child would just close her eyes and fall asleep as well. Though, after five minutes, she slowly opened one eye to check on Blake, only to find the little one waiting for her.

"You're...not going to sleep unless I sing...are you?"

Blake smiled innocently, giving Emerald the impression this child was definitely going to be like her mother when she wanted something. With a tired sigh, the minty-haired woman placed a hand on the small one's head and closed her eyes. She hummed softly, allowing her voice to ease into a lullaby, and relax the child. Though, when she glanced to assure Blake was actually trying to sleep, she could feel the little one's hands cling to her shirt. In Blake's eyes were that of a child who might've seen a monster under her bed. Or in this case, two monsters having a not-so-subtle argument downstairs. The many conclusions in her head were perhaps what troubled the young blonde. In her mind, she might've thought her parents were fighting because of her, or perhaps papa isn't really in love with mama. Both might've been true to an extent, and they might've used Blake's name in their arguments, but the least they could do was keep their voices to a bare minimum...or Jaune at least. Hell, Emerald could even make near-perfect guesses as to what Neo would say and how Jaune would respond. Whether he knew it or not, he was really predictable when it came to his partner. Still, they should've had their talk in a place this little one wouldn't accidentally end up hearing them. Granted, she couldn't understand most of their words, though, the site of seeing her parents fight did trouble the little blonde. Empathizing with what she was going through, Emerald hugged Blake tighter and softly sang for her.

"Little baby, hear my voice

Beside you, O maiden fair,

Our young lady, grow and see

Your land, your true land free

Oum and moon, guide us

To the hour of glory and honor

Our baby, our young lady

O maiden fair."

For a thief, her voice was soothing and gave off a sense of security and peace; ironic.

"Aunty?" Came a tired and whisper-like voice. Emerald glanced to see the child, not facing her, but rather resting comfortably against the woman's chest with her eyes slowly closing. "I love you." She whispered.

Emerald stopped for a brief second before repeating her song, over and over until she heard the soft snores of a sleeping child. Blake had fallen asleep clinging to Emerald, which was somewhat sweet to a point. What bothered her most was what Blake said to her before falling to slumber. She was caught completely by surprise, hell, if her current blush indicating anything, it was how the little one's words made her feel...something. "Don't say such things, especially to me." She whispered, knowing full well the little one was already deep in slumber, unable to hear her.

This feeling she had when Blake said those three words. It was yet another new feeling she had to endure since the arrival of this witch. Neo might've had no problem being so motherly and soft towards Blake. But for the minty-haired woman, she had mixed feelings about this kid. On the one hand; Blake appears to be at a state where she knows very little about the world and the people around her, and yet she's eager to learn. Who knows, maybe she'd make a good thief, assassin, maybe even a swords woman. With her parent's guidance...wait. It was at that instance, the minty-haired woman began picturing scenarios in which she would watch the child grow into an adult. Her innocent smile would vanish within her first missions, her moral boundaries would crumble, and there was the risk that she'd end up constantly on the run like her parents, only to end up betrayed for a bounty on her head. Something within Emerald didn't want the child to be raised in the lifestyle her parents were experiencing right now. She didn't have the right to criticize them, given her similar job description, but there was still a nagging feeling. Was it; a maternal instinct? Who knew, she still had that sentiment after all this time. So many new emotions began to battle Emerald's morality, unbalancing her once set boundaries. These emotions kept the woman awake for most of night. Though, there was one clear decision her mind made up just before lulling the small one to sleep; there was no way she'd let Cinder get her hands on this child.

Another day arrives as Emerald awoke first and gently detached herself from Blake's grip. As quietly as she could, she went downstairs ahead of Blake, while noticing a few bits of scattered clothing on the floor. Upon glancing into the living room, she saw two naked parents with the sheets hardly covering their birthday suits, sleeping peacefully on the floor. Speechless, and caught in an awkward scenario, Emerald attempted to return upstairs, but was stopped when she noticed Jaune begin to wake and arise from his position. Though, as he did, what little sheets that covered his manhood fell, giving Emerald a world of a view. The minty-haired girl's blush was as dark as her eyes. Jaune's eyes wandered about until they finally landed on Emerald's. Her shocked expression confused him, that is, until the ruffling of his partner returned his attention to his exposed goods. The two were a state of paralysis as Emerald's mind desperately tried to respond to the situation.

"K-kyaa!" Was her reaction, awaking all within the house.

An hour later, Jaune and Neo were busy cooking when breakfast while Blake sat on Emerald's lap in the dining room. The young witch's father was shirtless, but had dark blue pajama pants on. Her mother had a white shirt, presumably belonging to the father. But as to whether she had anything else beside that was still to be seen as the shirt acted more of a short dress than an actual top. Emerald had a faint scowl as she kept trying to forget the dangling hook she saw not too long ago. Blake sat quietly on her aunt's lap, waiting for her parents to join them.

"Sorry about leaving you alone like that Blake, did you sleep well with your aunty?" Jaune asked from the doorway. The little one nodded happily.

"I'm sure you two slept well." Emerald retorted.

"Hardly, but we did relieve some stress off our shoulders." Jaune hinted, increasing Emerald's embarrassment. The minty-haired teen groaned and wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Stress?" Blake asked while tilting her head, to which her aunt picked her up in her arms and began walking upstairs. "Okay~, I'm gonna get her ready. Try to at least be discreet around your kid." She remarked with a hint of annoyance.

Neo peeked from the corner after Emerald left.

"They seem to be getting along." Jaune commented before subtly reaching down copping a feel, causing Neo to jump whilst trying to hide a crimson blush.

Hi everyone, given the fact that lately a great deal of stress has been lifted off my shoulders I've been in high spirits. Also, I've read your reviews; so, we'll have peace and dwell further into interactions with the little witch. And as for the reveal of the other members of BANE, stay tuned. As for the next two chapters there will be no deeply dark moments, but brace yourselves, for the chapters that follow are planned and prepped to pull heart strings after our three-chapter-peacetime. Just a heads up from your somewhat friendly author. Thank you all for reading, i hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.

Ps. Emerald's lullaby is a slightly altered version of a mhaighdean bhan uasal from Brave.