Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.

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Sunday

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It's Sunday morning, the final day, and Ruby awakes to an almost empty house. The only one around is a fragile Envy, who explains that everyone else is looking for Jaune's body- something Ruby still can't believe or accept.

Just mentioning Jaune's death makes Envy breaks down again, and despite her lingering resentment Ruby comforts her while Envy sobs and explains herself into her shoulder. Envy's a brat, but not a malicious one. She was just afraid of losing her brother once more to someone who threatened her spot as favorite. Envy's always loved Jaune, maybe too much, and she was the one most hurt and most afraid when he disappeared so suddenly- more than even Wrath. But she was also the happiest when he was still alive, proudest of him being at Beacon, and most eager to see him again. She's been patiently waiting for him to return for years. Then he finally did, but Ruby came too, and threatened to take him away forever and steal her place as number one…

Ruby realizes that they aren't so different. Both care- cared- for Jaune, and both were insecure of their standing with him in that infamous Top Ten. Ruby was afraid that Jaune would choose family over her, but Envy was afraid he'd choose a stranger over family. Ruby was envious of how much attention Jaune was giving to his family and siding with them, but she never thought of what it might look like in reverse. And while she called Envy a brat… Ruby herself wasn't as mature as she'd have liked to be during their confrontation. And she wasn't as selfless as Envy was in that final choice of Jaune versus Envy, of love versus family.

Envy doesn't understand, considering that Ruby chose saving Envy over being with Jaune. Ruby makes a difficult argument about the selfishness of love. She loved Jaune, so she did what she promised to do- to save Envy- because Jaune would put family first. Maybe not before her (maybe), but certainly before himself. Jaune was angry with Envy for trying to play family vs. love in an either-or, but Ruby knows he would have been just as angry had Ruby tried the same. Jaune cares about his family, and Ruby cares about Jaune, and Ruby will care about Jaune's family, by extension if nothing else. If she hadn't- if she'd saved Jaune and left Envy to die- then it would have left a cloud over them forevermore. Ruby cares about the Arcs because she cares for Jaune that much.

It's the paradoxical selflessness of selfishness of love, and it ties in the lessons and promises from all the other siblings. Gluttony's promise to uphold the traditions, including the value on family. Sloth's promise to appreciate the time she had with Jaune in the present, rather than only look to the future. Pride's promise not to be ashamed of the choices they'd make. Lust's promise to not let emotion push them to something they'd regret. Avarice's promise about Family First and helping the Arcs. And Wrath's promise to not go back on her word, and thus any of the above, and her promise to Jaune.

Taken together, these are all things that pushed Ruby to save Envy, because these are things that Jaune would have wanted, and what Ruby wanted with Jaune. Ruby never wanted to steal Jaune from his family- she wanted to be a part of it. With Jaune, and Envy too, and to do that she had to keep her promises.

Saving Envy was Ruby Rose keeping her own Arc Word.

Envy bawls and breaks down again, sad and ashamed that she misjudged Ruby so badly. That she acted as she did, that she didn't give Ruby a chance, and that Jaune is dead because she didn't and now she's lost the chance to get such a wonderful sister-in-law. Envy cries, and Ruby comforts her, even as Ruby has tears as well over Jaune.

When Envy settles, sniffling on Ruby's shoulder, she makes the most sincere apology she can. Even if it's too late now… she wants Ruby to know she approves of her, and that she's jealous not of Ruby but that Jaune got to know her first. She wishes they could have had more time to get to know each other, but now that Ruby will have to leave this afternoon and will probably never return…

Hey, don't I get a say in that?

It's weak, but alive, and definitely Jaune making his presence known. Supported by Nicholas, and leaning against the doorway where he's been for some time, Jaune is beaten and worn but indisputably alive. Ruby and Envy both race to him, beating and berating him for making them think otherwise even as they embrace him. It's not his fault, he defends, he just got here- though he (and the rest of the family emerging from the woodwork) admit to having kept quiet to not interrupt the moment. Ruby laughs in relief while Envy cries and tells him to interrupt anyways next time.

Jaune plays off his near-death experience and means of survival, only claiming he still had a promise to keep. Jaune dramatically gathers attention… and Gluttony interrupts.

Yo Jaune, I'm happy for you and I'mma let you finish, but who's hungry? I'm famished. And so is Jaune, if his stomach is any clue- and so is everyone else, even Ruby, by the same measure. It's apparent that no one's eaten anything since lunch yesterday. Dinner never happened, and everyone left before breakfast to search for Jaune. Now that everyone's here, they can finally have the traditional family supper.

Before that, though, Jaune puts his foot down because he has something to say. Something he was going to say at dinner last night, and an opportunity he promised he wouldn't miss again. Ruby doesn't comprehend, but Leandra seems to as she moves to object- that Jaune is being hasty, that he should think things through-but it's Nicholas who stops her before Jaune can. Nicholas reminders her about something involving her own word, and that Jaune is man enough to take responsibility for his own choices. They can offer approval, but never permission. With an approving nod of respect for his son, Leandra backs off, and Jaune takes a deep breath and says he needs to set the matter of the Top Ten straight once and for all.

Ruby and Envy, seemingly the only clueless ones as the sisters circle around with eager smiles, watch perplexed as Jaune kneels before them and pulls out a box.

Flash forward to the epilogue, taking place that evening as Ruby and Jaune are alone on an automated airship back towards Beacon.

Ruby and Jaune are in good cheer- well, Ruby is in very good cheer while Jaune is suffering airsickness- as Ruby recounts what happened, still giddy as she looks at the engagement ring on her finger. Jaune proposed, and she said yes.

Well, Jaune actually posed the question towards Envy in terms of 'Envy, would you give me away to marry Ruby Rose?', to which Envy gave a 'yes' as happy as if she'd been the one proposed. Only then did Jaune ask Ruby, as all the family watched. Ruby's laughing at it- even in proposing the family came first somehow- but asks what Jaune would have done if Envy had said 'no.'

Jaune would have been sorry, but still would have asked Ruby to marry him regardless. Jaune wanted his family's approval, but- undercutting many of Ruby's reoccurring fears- he didn't need their permission. They never wielded a veto, just like how they couldn't stop him from running off to Beacon.

Jaune elaborate his view on the Top Ten, now that Ruby is firmly and formally at the top. Jaune did and does put family first- and if Ruby had tried to place their relationship in terms of me vs them, she would have lost (and wouldn't have been the sort of girl he loved in the first place). But Jaune's view of family is that while family is important, it doesn't get a veto on who else becomes family. Parents don't pick-and-choose children they've already had, and sisters don't get to choose their sisters-in-law, because family isn't something you choose. It's something you have. There's only one person in a family you get to choose, and that's your spouse- and Jaune chose Ruby.

To him, the Top Ten was always a distinction without a difference, even with Family First. Ruby was always as close as she could be without being family, and so it was only natural that if they did become family- when they did get married- she'd shoot to the top.

Just like with Avarice and Uncle Greed, who may not have been family at first but who tops her Top Ten now (and hence is why Jaune got angry when Ruby doubted them). Jaune did want his family to approve of her- just as he sought her family's approval- but even if they didn't, they'd have to deal. Just like they did with Lust's multiple marriages, which hardly had unanimous approval. Family doesn't choose family, and even if they fought he knew they'd come back together for dinner eventually.

But that fight didn't happen. Ruby succeeded by being herself, just like Jaune knew she would, and everyone ended up approving. Even Leandra, who saw Jaune off with tears about her baby growing up so fast.

Ruby finally has the assurance of Jaune's commitment that she worried about, and finally understands his view of the Top Ten. Understands, but doesn't necessarily like- and she pre-emptively warns Jaune in no uncertain terms that he's not going to have any ranking or favorites amongst their future children. She might accept family as important and a priority, but there will be no Top Ten ranking amongst them, no playing favorites. They'll all be his favorites, no matter how many there are. That's Ruby's version of Family First- every member of their family comes first, so that even friends can be a close second.

Jaune accepts, and laughs at how they're getting ahead of themselves talking about children when they haven't even had the wedding yet. Jaune's family and sisters seem dead set on planning it- with Envy and Wrath the most enthusiastic flower girls- but Ruby counters that they'll have stiff competition from Weiss and the rest of their friends and her family. It promises to be an interesting and volatile encounter as everyone fights over the positions and roles- but one that will work out in the end.

There's a bit of reflection on envy- not just the character, but how jealousy and selfishness and how it factored in the story- but Jaune and Ruby conclude that the real theme of marriage was sharing family, not fighting it. Even if they weren't perfect people and had bad first impressions, Jaune's family were still a part of him, and they were still good people who worried for him because they loved Jaune. Ruby spending a week to reassure them is small change in return for their giving him away for a lifetime. Envy was ultimately willing to lose a brother- but Ruby vows that Envy is really getting two sisters, herself and Yang. With some light-hearted thoughts on how Yang will mix-in when she meets the sister who threatened to castrate Ruby, Ruby and Jaune hold hands and thumb each others rings.

Suddenly, disaster! Grimm attack! The bullhead's in flames! Or at least there are flames, and it's losing altitude as warning sirens go off. As they prepare to exit, the consequence of Ruby breaking Crescent Rose in the attempt to save Jaune are revisited. Ruby might not have broken Jaune's heart but she made one of Leandra's children cry (Envy, in the aftermath), and so Leandra took Crescent Rose just like she promised. Leandra promised to return it by the wedding- and Ruby's not sure if that means repaired, or mounted.

Down a weapon but not particularly concerned about a landing strategy, Ruby insincerely bemoans about missing a few more days of Beacon until they're rescued. She wonders how Teams RWBY, JNPR, or the Arcs will take the two of them being alone on their own until rescue. A man and a woman, engaged, alone together? Scandalous!

Maybe they should stay missing a few days longer than necessary, and get started on their family early?

Jaune says what she thinks, and Ruby is shocked as he blushes and busies making final adjustments for the jump. Emboldened by the heat of the moment, Ruby impulsively kisses Jaune and jumps into his arms, bridal style. He'll be her landing strategy, and after they land she'll give him a hero's reward for gallantly saving her…

Jaune is flustered, taken aback by how forward Ruby is being. Now? Just a few minutes from here? They've waited this long- why not wait for the wedding in a few months since they're this close? They'll never be able to scold their children to wait until marriage if they don't.

Ruby playfully considers it- quaint and charming in its own way, true- but also brings up his promise about missing opportunities. If they're as good as married already, given away by the family and everything, why not take advantage of the next few days as an early honeymoon? Who else needs to know?

Besides, what happened about that promise he made her about never hesitating? Wrath would be terribly angry at both of them if she let him go back on his word again…

With another kiss, Ruby jumps out of Jaune's arms and pulls him by the hand towards the door. Ruby invites him to follow- to see how it plays out- before falling out of the bullhead backwards as if she were falling onto a bed.

Jaune mutters how much he loves her, and jumps after her with exceptional haste.

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Fin

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Author Notes:

And there we have it. The end of the re-do. Coeur liked it, I'm proud of it, and together we agree that it's a market improvement. If you hadn't seen the Writer's Game version yet, I encourage you to do so now. See the differences. Some may not like it still... but eh, I stand by what I was going for.

There will be a aftermath review/analysis, in which Coeur and I both look at what changed for the better, what didn't, and why what didn't change may have been for the better. More to follow.

With that, a little someone on how I viewed Ruby and Jaune for the purposes of this story.

Ruby: A young woman raised and reflecting an unspoken cultural belief that love comes first, in a relationship with someone who wasn't, and thus concerned that the relationship isn't as committed as she wishes it was. No stranger to loving or protective family, Ruby's solution to the dilemma of family opposition to her is to try and win them over. Abandoning a relationship of years over a lack of support or bad first impressions wouldn't be putting love first. The crux of the conflict is Ruby's increasing difficulties as her pace slows, combined with the rising stress of sleepless nights shading her views for the worse. Ruby's strength is love and empathy, understanding Jaune's troubles and his family's concerns and willing to assuage them rather than disregard their views. Ruby's flaws are her insecurity and her desire to avoid personal conflict: insecurity feeding the fear that Jaune isn't committed to being with her, and avoidance preventing her from addressing issues of concern (the Top Ten, the Leandra's veto threat) that could have been resolved had she brought them up with Jaune.

Jaune: A young man who's not as good a son in practice as he was raised that he should be. Close with his family, but dealing with guilt in how he left them years ago, and possibly overcompensating now as he tries to return. Despite his words of the importance of family, his actions paint another picture- someone who abandoned family for personal priorities, stayed away longer than necessary, and who's first impulse (and last threat) in response to his relationship being challenged is to leave again. Jaune is trying to balance love and his family, but needs Ruby to succeed. Jaune's flaw is ignorance and carelessness with the feelings of others. Jaune doesn't realize how Ruby takes the Top Ten, hurts his family running away, and doesn't grasp the full extent of Ruby's stress or difficulties with his family. Countering these are Jaune's strengths- support and reconciling family and love. Even without knowing the full truth that Ruby hides, Jaune still repeatedly supports Ruby, in private and when she's directly challenged by family. Jaune is also the one with the best reconciliation of the sometimes competing values of love and family, by recognizing the limits of family and letting love choose who can become family.