And here is the next chapter I hope you guys are enjoying the series thus far.
Chapter 3: Four Years later…
"Mommy…" Amethyst said shaking Ruby gently. Ruby began to stir, "Hmm, oh Honey what's wrong?" Ruby asked quietly so not to wake Weiss up. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep in bed with you and mama?" Amethyst asked. "Sure Sweetie." Ruby said moving back in her bed a bit to give her daughter some room to crawl in.
"Flopsy even got a bit scared." Amethyst said getting in and crawled over a bit so Ruby could hold her closer. "Was it the one with the pack of Grimm again?" Ruby asked with her eyes closed to try and salvage some sleep but not trying to be rude with her terrorfied daughter. "Yes but this time I was near Grandma's grave this time but it is always the same." Amethyst said in between yawns as she fell asleep again.
After a few hours of sleep again Amethyst woke up in a slight panic at the unfamiliar bed but after a mini panic attack she realized that she was in her parent's bed room. She got out of the bed clutching her battered stuffed rabbit Sanguine gave her when she started to have nightmares. She walked downstairs holding the toy for dear life, as she turned around the corner to the dining room she saw Sanguine doing what he does every morning and read a thick book about something their grandpa wants him to know.
"Hey Sangie where is mommy and mama?" Amethyst asked her brother as she took a seat putting her toy on the table so she could sit down too. "Mom went on a small scouting mission and Mother went to work, she said she will be back in a few hours." Sanguine said without taking his attention from his book.
"So, how is the book that Grandpa gave you recently? Does it have anything interesting?" Amethyst asked edging closer to Sanguine to read a bit from over his shoulder. "Boring it is about the evolution of Dust use in the world in fighting Grimm. You would assume it would be cool but all it is doing is making me want to take my eye drops so I can pass out." Sanguine said finally taking his sight from the book to smack his head against the table.
After Amethyst's small fit of giggling Sanguine's head shot up. "I forgot entirely what day it is." Sanguine closed the book and stood up from the table. "Amiee promise me you won't tell Mother about this because if she found out I gave you your present early she will kill me." Sanguine said quickly leaving the room before his sister could ask what he meant he re-entered with something behind his back.
"What tell me what is behind your back!?" Amethyst shouted at him trying to run around to see it but Sanguine stepped up to a wall. "Not until you promise me that Mother won't know you got this early, I like living a bit too much." Sanguine said still keeping the present just outside of Amethyst's eyesight. "Fine now let me see it." She said pouting and crossing her arms.
"Happy birthday Amiee, Auntie Yang should be on her way over to help making a cake." Sanguine said revealing a box no bigger than a small watermelon. "You may want to hide that from mom because she will steal it all on you." Sanguine said giving her a smirk as she tore the paper that surrounded the box off and opened it, to see a small treasure trove of cookies and candy.
"Sangie you didn't need to get me anything, I still love Flopsy but now she will get jealous of all this tasty food." Amethyst said with a pout. "I still haven't found a present to give you to repay for her." Amethyst continued putting the box down walked over and hugged her brother.
"You being my sister is payment enough. By the way Amber will probably take some so hide it fast." Sanguine snickered as they heard a knock on the door. "Go distract them while I hide this in my room. Take Flopsy she can help as well." Amethyst said running back up the stairs. Sanguine just laughed and walked over to the door and opened it.
"Hey auntie Yang you're here early," Sanguine said as his eight year old cousin pushed past him. "Hi to you too Amber," Sanguine said sarcastically. "Your mother would kill you and Rubes if she knew you mastered sarcasm this early." Yang said stepping in with a bag full of various ingredients.
"Also I figured I need a bit to try and get a simple recipe for a cake that I can't possible burn." Yang said scratching the back of her neck. "Mother already found one for you she thought that if you would try the ones you are thinking of we would be homeless." Sanguine said leading Yang into the kitchen that had a piece of paper with writing on it.
"Ahh Ice Queen does care about me… or more so that her children are safe. I'm going to go with the former try and make her seem somewhat human." Yang muttered under her breath. "Mother does care about you and the reason she chose that recipe is the former because she wants to give you a sense of accomplishment." Sanguine said taking a seat and reopening the book.
"Well thanks for deciphering Ice Queen's emotions but it stops being an accomplishment if I know it is an easy recipe." Yang says walking in and sitting down next to Sanguine. "Which is why she picked a hard recipe that doesn't require a lot of technical skill," Sanguine said turning the page. "Did you take your medicine because even if I do great on the cake… which I will. She won't be happy if I let her son's eyesight go further down the craper." Yang said grabbing Sanguine's chin to force him to look at her.
"I'm not going to take them because I'm fine. Plus she won't be mad at you for not making me take them she will be mad at me for still not wanting to take them." Sanguine said moving his Aunt's hand from his chin and returned to the book. "Well you need to take them so do I need to call my dad and uncle to help you with taking them or can you for once do it willingly." Yang said taking out her scroll.
"Call granddad Xiao Long but I'm never going to take them willingly, by the mom is on her way back I suspect that she will be home within twenty minutes and Amber is with Amiee so if you want to call him to get over here just so I can take my eye drops so be it." Sanguine said staring into Yang's eyes so she knows he is telling the truth.
"Fine so be it and that tactic won't work on me. Staring me down wont work I've had it done to me by a mass murderer so a nine year old attempting it won't work." Yang said standing up walking back into the kitchen.
Meanwhile upstairs Amethyst sat in her room reading a fairy tale book that her aunt gave her to encourage her to take up reading as a past time instead of weapon tinkering like Ruby and Sanguine both do. "Hey Amethyst, happy birthday," Amber said poking her head into the room. "Hey Amber," Amethyst said looking away from her book.
"Still reading that book mom got you? They are old fashion stories most of which are semi common knowledge." Amber said taking a seat next to her cousin. "Yes but they are all so amazing and when you use big words like that you sound a lot like Sangie." Amethyst quipped back.
"Don't say things like that you know I hate him with his intelligence and skipping grades." Amber said pouting crossing her arms across her chest. "Hey Sangie is smart but that helps me when I need help and mama and mommy aren't home." Amethyst said defending her brother. "Yeah but he still sucks because you can never lie to him and it makes playing games really unfair." Amber said furthering her pout.
"But that is also good when he knows where the cookies are hidden." Amethyst chirped in with a massive grin on her face. "Yeah that is a good thing especially when you are with him playing card games against people with stakes like cookies. And don't you dare tell him I said that because I still need to seem like I hate him to try and discourage him." Amber said getting up.
"Hey Amber can you read me a story because I'm bored and Auntie Yang is probably making something and Sangie is probably reading that smelly book that is about the emulation of dust." Amethyst said. "Do you mean Evolution of dust?" Amber asked not sure if what her cousin said was right.
"Yeah that is it, something about him getting bored with it because it isn't like what he thought it would be." Amethyst said with a smirk handing her cousin the book that she was reading. "What page where you on and next time hide the candy a bit better I do have an excellent sense of smell." Amber said flipping through the pages.
"Page one hundred and ten and I'm not giving anyone some of the candy because you will find it and then mommy will and then there will be none left." Amethyst said sticking her tongue out at her cousin. "Aunt Ruby would devour all of those sugary things but it is worse with strawberries I hear from mom." Amber said quickly turning to the page her little cousin said.
After about twenty minutes Yang was well underway making the cake Weiss suggested and Sanguine was almost done the book. "Granddad Xiao long is here with Uncle Qrow." Sanguine said just finishing the book in front of him. "They look somewhat angry by the fact they got called away from classes." Sanguine said stepping up and walking over to the door to open it with Yang behind him, holding a small bottle filled with Sanguine's eye drops.
"Hey Daddy, Uncle Qrow, I'm sorry I had to call you but you guys know how hard it is to get him to take them." Yang said passing the bottle to Qrow while Taiyang jumped forward to grab Sanguine barely missing him as he side stepped. Yang tried to catch him but Sanguine dodged it by ducking and tripping Yang up. "When will you guys learn he can read your mind so trying to catch him off guard isn't going to work." Qrow said grabbing Sanguine by his ear.
"Owowowow, why is that everyone's go to?" Sanguine asked as Taiyang got up and grabbed the boy. "Because it gets the job done and you can't defend against it too well." Taiyang stated as he held the boy still while his brother attempted to pour some eye drops into his eye.
"Ahh go back to pulling my ear but don't use them. They hurt a lot worse." Sanguine said trying futilely to get out of his Granddad's iron grip. "Sorry but I'm more so scared about what Rubes would do if I don't make you take them." Taiyang responded. "Yeah she is very scary in recent years since she started to become very big in the hunting world." Qrow said trying to steady Sanguine's head.
"Ahh stop it I don't want to take them you can't make me!" Sanguine shouted still trying to get out of the grip of the eldest Xiao Long. "Granddad! High." Amethyst said running down the stairs to see her granddad and Uncle. "Not now Amiee I'll be sure to wish you happy birthday properly once I get your stubborn brother to take his goddamn medicine." Taiyang said starting to struggle with the boy in his arms.
"Sangie, please can you take them for me." Amethyst said giving Sanguine a hurt puppy look, somehow making her eyes grow to twice the size. What finished the look was the pout with small tears building in the corner of her eyes. "No fair that is cheating you know I can't resist that look it makes me feel like I did something wrong." Sanguine said starting to settle and didn't resist when his head was tilted back and when Qrow started to pour he let out a small whimper.
"There Sangie that wasn't so bad, was it?" Amethyst asked just as Sanguine was about to pass out from the side effect of his medicine. "It sucks and now I'm going to sleep." Sanguine said passing out. "Why does he hate them so much? I swear on all of Remnant that he will break some of my bones." Taiyang said putting Sanguine on the couch and covering him with a blanket.
"He won't even tell me, mama or even mommy." Amethyst said hugging Taiyang as he picked her up. "Well I'm sure he has his reasons as to why." Qrow said walking into the kitchen and then quickly out. "Snow Queen will not be happy that that room is a mess Yang and I'm pretty sure they don't want to see a fight today." Qrow said pushing Yang back into the kitchen to clean her mess.
"So Amiee, how has your day been thus far? Besides having to use your cuteness to get your brother to take his medication," Taiyang asked sitting down at the table with Amethyst on his lap. "It was fun Sangie gave me his present and it is great!" She gleefully said jumping up and down on Tai's lap. "What did he get you? Is it another stuff toy?" Qrow asked taking a seat giving Tai a mug.
"No. he knows I couldn't show another one love like I give Flopsy. He got me this ginormous box of cookies but I hid them because mommy would eat them all on me." She pouted during the last part of her sentence as Yang walked back into the room holding a few mugs in her hand with Amber being just behind. "Here Amiee I made you some Hot Chocolate." Yang said passing Amethyst a mug. "Thank you, auntie Yang" Amethyst said taking a big gulp to spit it back into the mug.
"Itsh hot!" Amethyst said earning a laugh from everyone at the table. They sat in a comfortable silence enjoying the hot drinks only to be broken out of it by the sound of the door opening and a loud thud of something dropping. Yang got up a bit sceptical but her scepticism when Amethyst said "Hi Mommy. How did your mission go?" Earning an exasperated sigh.
"It was fine sweetie." Ruby began walking into the dining room to stop when she saw her dad and uncle. "It happened again didn't it?" She said already knowing the answer. "Yup." Qrow said popping the 'p' "Ahh Princess and I will talk to him later." Ruby said plopping down into a free seat.
Amethyst pushed her mug with some hot chocolate still in it towards Ruby who took it. "Happy birthday sweetie, your mother should be here in about an hour because your other Aunt and Uncle are coming." Taking a sip and passed it back to her. "Yeah auntie Winter is so nice and uncle Michael is so funny." She joyfully said jumping onto Ruby's lap. "Hey, Yannnng. Do you want to be a great big sis and make me a mug of hot chocolate?" Ruby said giving a puppy face to her older sister.
"You know that doesn't work anymore Rubes." Yang said taking a sip of what only Ruby could guess as hot chocolate OR coffee she wasn't too sure. Amethyst hearing this looked at Yang and gave her a puppy face with Ruby. "Pwwease Auntie Yang or she will drink all of mine." Ruby just nodded to this. "Not far pulling in that adorable bundle into this." Yang said standing up and walking into the kitchen.
"Amber can you stop hiding from me. Honestly every time you do this." Ruby said pouting to her niece. "That scythe is just scary and it always has a strong smell of iron like uncle Qrow's but I know he was in a war but I don't know about you." Amber said slowly hiding behind the chair her mother previously occupied. "It is Grimm ichor, don't worry." Ruby said with a smile on her face when she saw her niece relaxing at the knowledge that it wasn't what she feared.
"There is your stupid hot chocolate. I hope you burn your tongue." Yang said passing a mug over to Ruby. "Aww Yang you forgot the mini marshmallows." Ruby pouted earning a laugh from her dad, uncle and daughter. "Ru you are twenty seven, not seven." Tai yang deadpanned. "Well it isn't exactly hot coco without them and besides even Princess stopped trying to change the childish side of me. She says it is kind of cute." Ruby further pouted.
"But mama also says it isn't as cute as me." Amethyst said sticking her tongue out at Ruby. "I can never be that cute even if I tried. But what I can do is… this!" Ruby said as she started to tickle Amethyst who burst into a fit of laughter trying to get away from a fiendish person who was tickling her. "St-sto-st-stop i-i-it mommy. Please."
Even though her eyes were closed because she was laughing that hard Ruby could tell she was attempting to give her the puppy eyes. "Fine but you got to say the line…" Ruby began starting to let up her relentless assault. "Mommy is far cuter and deserves tasty cookies!" Amethyst managed to get out between her bouts of laughter. "And don't you forget it!" Ruby said helping Amethyst up and putting her back onto her lap and took a large gulp of her hot chocolate.
"Ahh I burt my tongue owie." Ruby said putting the cup back down and began to frantically waving her hand in front of her open mouth. "Ha serves you right, pulling those damned kicked puppy eyes constantly." Yang muttered under her breath barely audible enough for the Faunus and half Faunus to hear. "Mom you forgot me and Amethyst can hear you." Amber said to Yang while poking her arm.
"Ahh I swear I can never mutter anything anymore." Yang said muttering again. Crossing her arms and sulking. The group dissolved into normal conversation for another hour, conversation that was only interrupted by Weiss walking into the house with a look that simply stated that anyone with a few acceptations will be brutally murdered. Amethyst once she heard the door open jumped off of Ruby's lap and ran into Weiss' arms.
"Hi mama. How was your day?" Amethyst asked hugging Weiss. "Hey Honey, happy birthday and it was a work day so bad because I had to be away from you and your brother." Weiss said returning the hug. The tender moment was broken by Winter walking in and screaming, "I don't care what you thought but a Strip Club isn't a wise gift!" Weiss covered Amethyst ears and turned to her sister.
"Winter normally I'd side with you but DO NOT TALK ABOUT THIS IN FRONT OF MY CHILDREN OR SO HELP ME GOD!" The temperature in the room could be felt dropping fast as Weiss got far angrier than anyone in the room had seen.
"I'm sorry but he bought a Fucking strip club as a gift for me and then changed the name of it to 'Winter's' so sorry that I am a little pissed off." Winter complained as Michael walked in. "Stop calling it that. It isn't a strip club it is a burlesque parlour there is a big difference and I actually agree with Weiss let's not discuss this with an ever so innocent Amethyst right there." Michael defended whilst pointing to Amethyst.
Sanguine walked into the room rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the side of his hand. "Looks like Uncle goofed again. You really need someone like mother to give you the all clear before you start buying things for Auntie Winter." Sanguine said yawning. "That is actually an excellent idea. From now on before you give me a gift Weiss has to say it is okay because this is happening too often." Winter said quickly walking to see the other people who took a great liking to the conversation.
Weiss let go of Amethyst's ears and glared daggers at Michael. "Snow White I have a long list of people who want me dead so you will need to glare a lot harder." Michael said shrugging his shoulders. Sanguine walked up and hugged Weiss. "Hey Mother, I hope work wasn't that bad." Weiss quickly returned the hug and muttered, "It wasn't but when your Uncle starts to buy gifts it instantly becomes worse." Weiss lead the quartet into the next room where a fuming Winter sat next to Ruby.
"Hey Mom did the scouting go alright?" Sanguine asked walking up and hugging Ruby. "It went fine, until I came home and found that you didn't take your eye drops." Ruby said returning the hug. Amethyst walked over to Michael and tugging on his sleeve, "Uncle Michael what is a strip club because Auntie Winter keeps muttering it under her breath and I am confused." Amethyst said looking at Michael ignoring Tai Yang's, Qrow's and Yang's laughter.
Michael picked up Amethyst and began, "Well to put it simply your Aunt is just a small bit angry and confused herself, but that doesn't answer your question now does it." Amethyst furiously shook her head. "Well let's just say it is an awful place that if anyone sees you there I will most likely be brutally murdered by every single person here and triple murdered by your loving mothers. You don't want that now do you?" Michael asked the girl.
"No your funny. I won't let them kill you." Amethyst said giving Michael's neck a death grip. Weiss' anger seemed to subside temporarily along with Ruby's. "Right so can we please just drop this before Snow White's death gaze turns into hands around my neck." Michael asked the group. Yang simply leaned towards Winter and said, "You can't mutter things around Faunus. Their super hearing is both cool but also a curse." Earning a rare laugh from Weiss.
"Wow ice queen does know how to do something except bitch at me." Yang said raising her hands in victory. "Careful you brute I have had a very unpleasant day due to a romantically challenged man in a suit." Weiss cautioned Yang in an unspoken challenge, who gladly enough didn't accept. The sat down and fell into a comfortable talk between themselves.
The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful Amethyst unwrapped some of the presents people gave her. Ruby and Weiss got her some more stuffed animals. She got a giant panda bear one she named Theodore Snuggles, and another Rabbit she named Thumper. Yang and Blake gave her some clothes for her animals. Tai Yang and Qrow got her a toy tea set. Winter and Michael got her some nice outfits. Unfortunately the cake Yang attempted to make burned but Blake foresaw that happening and already had one ordered from a bakery.
The excitement wasn't able to keep Amethyst up for long after she had some cake and fell asleep sitting on Weiss' lap hugging her neck and burying her face into the crook of her neck. Weiss ever so carefully carried Amethyst up the stairs trying ever so hard to not disturb her. Ruby who was just a few steps ahead opened the door to her room and pulled the blanket back. Weiss gingerly placed Amethyst down and pulled the blanket up to cover her up.
"You know princess I'm actually really glad I decided to take that detour and go visit Mom's grave." Ruby said embracing Weiss from behind. "This is also the only mess up that I am happy you made because we know have two very beautiful children who I wouldn't trade the world for." Weiss said spinning around in Ruby's arms and capturing her lips in a chaste kiss. Happy the way things have turned out for them.
Author's Note:
Right so I finally get this chapter out and for those of you wondering no this isn't the end of this story because I still have a few descent chapters planned that intertwine with another story on here just later called 'A Desert Rose' which is more so about Sanguine heading to Beacon and becoming a hunter with his own team. So the updates for this may be a bit sporadic. Like always I hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to Follow Favourite and Review.
Timmydog Out :)