Well another week another chapter of my little fanfic and I have to say it is one of my favorites particularly the ending but that is just me. Hopefully you all will also enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Again to all of you who have liked and follow this story you have my deepest thanks. As always comments and reviews are welcome and I will see you all next week.


A Re-cut gem

Chpt 5

Emerald had hoped that the booking of criminals would had been a faster and easier affair being on the right side of the law. Unfortunately she found out the process was just as bad, if not worse, than her own experiences on the wrong side of it. Taking of statements, handing over of seize stolen material, reading of rights and a slew of other time consuming and , in her humble opinion, giant wastes of time.

It was late into the afternoon before the four huntresses were finally able to leave the station and be on their separate ways. Coco and Velvet had a meeting with the other former members of team CVFY that they were late for and bid their friends goodbye as they rushed out leaving Pyrrha and Emerald to find a way to get to the airdocks. To say that hailing a cab was nigh impossible when you were a Shaded would be putting things mildly. It was nearly a half hour of walking and waving before the two found a cab driver with a mind not filled with fear for their race and another hour before the two were dropped off and the cab driver earned a tip large enough for him to call it an early night.

"I honestly can say that my opinion of humans is at an all time low after today..." Emerald sighed as she and Pyrrha walked through the terminals, arms loaded with several bags of clothing and other goods that Emerald needed.

Pyrrha nodded sadly as she saw, and felt, more people look at the pair. The waves of unease that where now a constant background noise to her, and any other Shaded, that wandered a crowded location. "It has been a rather eye opening experience becoming a different specie. I can easily see why many Faunus thought that the White Fangs terrorist acts were a necessary evil."

Emerald gave a humorless laugh as the pair rounded a corner and headed towards the personal craft docks. "I think I have enough hate and fear floating around me while in a city, thank you very much. Those blockheads that were in the Fang can't even begin to realize how nice it is NOT to be able to sense emotions. If they could I doubt they would have started their little antics, not that it did them anything good in the long run. I have to ask Pyr, why are we headed toward the personal craft docks?"

Pyrrha smiled as they pushed through several pairs of double doors and out on the the landing pads and headed towards those designated for the use of hunters and other quick reaction forces. A new idea that stemmed from the sluggish response times of hunters and other forces suffered due to crowded airdocks and people in personal craft only making things worse. "Well after Jaune and I... changed, we found it extremely uncomfortable to take public craft which only got worse after the crisis was stopped." Pyrrha's smiled dipped at the memories and Emerald prodded her playfully with a wingtip to keep her from letting her fall into those memories before she continued.

"Even with her and Cinder dead there was still more than enough work around Remnant to keep hunters busy for the next generation. Seeing as we needed to be able to get to these destinations and also had more than enough friends we decide to get a personal airship." Pyrrha finished her statement by pointing towards a large airship.

The craft was roughly 3 times the size of the now aging bullhead pattern transport and much more angular in its design. It had the bulk of a craft meant for extended trips in the rugged wild lands outside the kingdoms. The cockpit jutted out from a wide body that doubled as wings and tapered off to a sleek tail that had slip in half to create the boarding ramp. connected to the body and short tail wings of the craft were four blocky and powerful looking engines that completed the look that this airship was built with utility in mind rather that style.

Emerald let a slow whistle as the walked up the ramp, taking in the sight as they entered. "I don't even know how much lien you two must have sunk into this thing. it looks like it was built for the military." Emerald looked up the craft seeing several bunks and a ablations unit situated behind the cockpit and before the main seating area.

"Actually it was"

Emerald's head whipped around as her eyes nearly bulged from her skull at the response. Pyrrha gave a shrug and a sheepish look as she explained. "when he heard me and Jaune where looking for a personal airship, General Ironwood personally contacted us and offered this to us as 'a belated wedding present'." Pyrrha sighed and shook her head as she dropped her bags into a empty crash seat before putting a hand to her forehead and stroking the base of her horns.

"We just wanted a craft that would get us around but he convinced Jaune that this would be better since Jaune and I often lead large groups of hunters on missions. It has come in hand but Jaune agrees that something a little less "menacing" was in order for out day to day use. Before you ask, THAT one is being repaired after a certain hammer wielding huntress got tipsy at Praetoria's birthday and took a bet from Yang she couldn't do a loop de loop."

Emerald cringed at the thought before shaking her head. "That can not have ended well or cheaply."

Pyrrha sighed and nodded as she motioned for Emerald to follow her into the front. "Lets just say it is nice to have a generous multi-millionaire as a close friend. On the bright side the clearing it made is where the new guest house that you'll be staying in was built."

As the two entered the cockpit Pyrrha could only smile fondly at the sight that greeted them. In the pilot seat with the latest X-ray and Vav comic perched on his face was a napping Jaune. With each gentle snore the pages of the comic rattled and lifted, briefly showing his face before it settled back down.

"Yup, that there is definitely a keeper Pyrrha. How you got to him before the throngs of other woman chasing after him I will never know." Emerald sighed and shook her head at the sight while Pyrrha only nodded before lifting the comic off her husbands face and giving him an affectionate peck on the lips before gently shaking him.

Jaune woke with a gentle start and blinked several times times before a warm smile grew on his face. "I will never get tired of waking up to your beautiful face Pyr." Emerald gave a playful retching noise which earned a shove from Pyrrha and a middle finger from Jaune who returned his attention to his wife. "I got your message about having a run in with some pickpockets, hopefully everything got resolved?"

Emerald nodded as she took a seat in one of the secondary seats in the cockpit, a radio and comms station at a glance. Surprisingly, even with her wings folded closed against her back the seat was quite comfortable. "Yeah, everything went as well as to be expected. Bit of a experience seeing things from the 'good guy' view point." Emerald motioned air quotations as she spoke and chuckled. "Some of the cops actually recognized me, I wish I'd taken pictures."

"I can only imagine." Jaune smirked as he stretched before settling headphones over his ears and started warming the airship up. "Well your little good deed for the day did delay us a bit so we won't reach Patch before sundown. I already called ahead to Violet and Izzy we would be late but we should make it back for dinner."

Emerald eyed Jaune questioningly as he continued to bring the airship on-line while Pyrrha sat down in the co-pilots seat. "So vomit-man, are you really going to be flying us home or will it be safer for me to wing it?" If it was one thing that Emerald remembered about the knight, it was the stories of his true nemesis: airsickness.

Jaune smiled and held up a finger as he talked into the mike of his headset with the flight tower, confirming that when they would be clear for take-off before muting himself and looking to Emerald. "Well there are a few silver linings about having your body modified into a completely new species and being built to be a living weapon. One of them happens to be free of such a petty thing as motion sickness."

Emerald felt her stomach shift as the airship lifted off, the howl of its four engines muffled but audible even through the hull of the craft. "Yeah, it does have some benefits. I have perfect eye site and way better field of view. The cost is still pretty damn steep and I don't think many would be willing to pay." The trio went silent for several moments as the Emerald's comment and the press of the ship's acceleration stopped the conversation flat.

It was several minutes before Emerald decided to speak again, hopefully lifting thoughts form painful memories. "You said you called Violet and Izzy earlier, are they friends of yours I haven't meet before? I assumed someone was watching Praetoria but I've never heard of those two."

"They're my sisters..." Jaune stated in a quiet tone that confused Emerald. "They had business in Vale and volunteered to watch Praetoria while we got things finished with you."

Emerald noticed a hint of sadness in Jaune's eyes and Pyrrha wore an obvious frown. "I know you had family but you never really talked much about them. What are they like?"

"They are as loving and understanding a group of people you could ask to be your family." Jaune's tone was sad and Emerald immediately knew she had touched a sore spot. "I had my reasons for not talking about them, I'd rather not get into them Em."

Emerald could guess the reasons at the tone of his voice as well as from her personal experience and dropped the subject. It was an hour into the flight that the three began to talk about the safer subject of the current state of the world. Grimm activity was peaking again and it had not fallen back to normal levels from before the crisis to begin with. In response the academies had started taking in more students while trying to keep the standards and quality of huntsmen high.

It also explained why so many looked to the Shaded with such unease. They were seen as a symptom of the increase of Grimm as more people fell to the parasites that accompanied the oldest alphas. Many even directly blamed them for this increase, which caused hate to swell and for more Grimm to be created and drawn to the cities and towns. Such a obvious circle that no one seem to care enough to try and break.

It was another hour or so of idle chatting before the Island of Patch appeared on the horizon and a half hour more before details could be seen. Emerald was more than a little surprised to see a fair sized settlement on the mainland facing side of the Island, almost big enough to be considered a small city.

"Wait, what is all this? I though Patch was a sleepy little rural settlement on a mostly unused Island?" Emerald shot a questioning look at Pyrrha who shrugged gently as they pasted over the bustling settlement.

"Well it was before the fall of Beacon. After Beacon fell and a large chunk of Vale proper was destroyed, a lot of people fled the mainland and made their way to Patch. They set up a refugee camp that quickly became a settlement thanks to the natural defenses from where they landed. After the Crisis a lot of people stayed and now we have 'New Vale' on this side of the Island."

Jaune gave a grunt of annoyance. "Thanks to them Grimm attacks have quadrupled on the Island though thankfully that still isn't much. It does mean that there is always a sweep-n-clear job or two knocking around that is too dangerous for Signal students to handle so you won't be lacking for a job. Still we moved here to be away from the city and it apparently followed us. Thankfully the town of patch is still nice and quite on its own corner of the island where we live, a lot more accepting of Shaded as well."

As the trio talked Jaune began final descent for landing at the old airdocks at Patch. Right way it was clear that these docks didn't see much use as they used too. Many hangers and pads stood vacant and the terminal seems partially shut down.

"Well at least rent on a hanger must be cheap." Emerald quipped as Jaune guided the airship into its hanger. Jaune nodded in affirmation as the engines spooled down and with a sigh he rose from his seat. "A few people from New Vale keep their ships here so not as cheap as you'd expect but still better than at the New Vale airdocks."

After collecting their purchases and dumping them onto a grumbling Jaune the three hunters began the short walk out of the village and to the Arkos residence. The sun was just dipping below the horizon and the shattered moon starting its ascent into the sky by the time the group started up the path to a rather sizable home. It was built in a log cabin design but was three stories tall and quite broad but the gentle glow that came from the windows and the atmosphere of its setting still made the sizable residence feel homely.

"Damn! You guys must do well for yourselves to be able to afford a place like this. Do you really need a place this big with just the three of you?"

Pyrrha shook her head at Emerald's question before nodding towards her husband as they approached the front door. "With his family we do. Seven sisters and his parents, not to mention their families. Add that with all our friends who are hunters and travel the world with a perchance to drop by without notice and it is actually not enough usually. Why do you think we have a guest house?"

Emerald went to reply when she caught the motion of a window on the third floor opening and a figure jumping out. obsidian black wings unwrapped from around the individual's shoulders as they entered a steep dive towards the group. Emerald instinctively tackled Pyrrha to the ground and yelled a warning to Jaune. "DUCK!"

"DADDY!"

The figure shouted as they collided with the bag laden hunter, driving the wind out of him and sending bags and boxes flying as the two landed in a heap on the ground. Emerald picked her head up from the ground and looked over to her friend to see a young Shaded girl gripping him in a vice like hug as she nuzzled her head into Jaune's chest. Jaune just gave a pained smile as he patted the girl on the head gently. "Hey there Tori, I take it you missed me?"

"Praetoria Jean Arkos! What have I told you about jumping out windows and tackling people!?"

Emerald flinched at the authoritative tone that was coming from Pyrrha as she picked herself up from the ground. The look on the spartan's face and her posture could only be described as parentally stern as she marched over to the now cowering girl and picked her up off her father before setting her down and scolding her.

Emerald took the time to pick herself up from the ground and get a good look at her 'Niece'. Just like in the pictures that Pyrrha had shown her the little girl was the spitting image of Pyrrha save for her ocean blue eyes that looked suitably chastised. She was wearing jeans and hiking shoes, the former having stars and suns decals running up the right leg. Emerald couldn't see what shirt the girl was wearing as she had wrapped her obsidian black wings around her shoulders like a cloak, reminding Emerald of a bat at rest.

It didn't take long for Praetoria to notice Emerald staring at her and her expression changed from one of guilt to elation. Emerald barely had time to brace herself as the little girl darted at her and wrapped her arms around her legs in a hug. "Auntie Em! You're here! I've been waitin forever 'n ever to finally meet you!"

Emerald flinched at the contact but plastered a smile on her face before ruffling the girls hair, noting the small nubs of her horns that were just barely poking out of the crimson sea of hair. "N-nice to finally meet you as well squirt, I've heard so much about you."

Emerald cast a pleading look for help at Jaune and Pyrrha, the former still picking himself up from the ground while the latter had started gathering the scattered bags. It was at this time the front door that burst open and two tall blond women came rushing out. Emerald did a double-take at the first woman that stepped out the door, she was quite literally a female version of Jaune when he was human. She wore a blue and white hoody and had several belts looped around her waist holding up a pair of worn but well cared for jeans. In her hands were twin short swords and was in a fighter's stance as she looked towards Emerald who quickly threw up her hands in surrender.

The second appeared several years and was dressed in purple button down dress shirt with a gray vest over that and for pants wore gray slacks. She had all the hallmarks of being an Arc, Ocean blue eyes, gold blond hair done in a simple braid and carried Crocea Mors. Emerald would have laughed at her stance had she not had two swords held by a clearly trained huntress in her face.

"Who the hell are you and why do you have Praetoria!?" Barked the Female Jaune clone and Emerald tried to back away but found herself unable to move with the little girl still clinging to her legs. Said child was giggling a fit at the tense scene like it was a comedy act being preformed.

Jaune walked over to his clone and pushed the blades down with a gauntleted hand as he spoke."Ease up there Izzy, that happens to be our good friend Emerald and I would like it if she remained in the land of the living. Violet, please put Crocea Mors down before you hurt yourself, your're an accountant and it kinda shows."

Both woman blinked several times and gave the same sheepish look that Emerald had seen on Jaune's face several times since she meet him. Apparently it was a inherited facial expression. Jaune relieved Violet of his sword before snapping it to his belt and picking Praetoria up into his arms as Izzy sheathed her own blades.

"So not exactly how I planned on introducing you to the family Em but given how our own luck works it isn't the worst way." Jaune chuckled. "The lovely mature woman to the left is my elder sister Violet, oldest of the bunch, and to her right is my twin sister Elizabeth, though she prefers Lizzy."

"Oh, eh, nice to meet you I guess." Emerald smiled as she scratched the back of her head as the two woman mumbled their apologies and greetings.

"Well with that out of the way I will start on dinner. Feel like giving your old man a hand Tori?" Jaune smiled as his daughter nodded vigorously before heading inside followed closely by the four women.

Inside the house was just as homely and cozy as the outside with the layout making use of open spaces and a minimum of doors. Emerald could see down the main hallway to the back as Jaune pushed a set of saloon style swinging doors open into what was the kitchen as she was led by Violet to the family room off to the right of the house. Along the walls there were many generic paintings a photos but what dominated the wall above the couch was a blown up picture of Team JNPR and RWBY in their early twenties in front of a still being repaired Beacon while proudly showing their hunter's degrees and license.

Emerald was snapped out of her observations by Violet as the older woman spoke. "Again Miss Sustrai, I apologize for how me and my sister acted earlier. I've actually wanted to meet you for some time. I and the rest of the Arc family owe you a debt for helping get Jaune home and reuniting him with Pyrrha."

Emerald waved the incident from earlier away as she gave a smile to Violet. "Just Emerald will do, no need to get formal with a former thief and terrorist. I can't say you owe me anything, those two were as much of a ticket out of my situation as I was for their's. I just wished I could have stopped Jaune from becoming Shaded."

"Eh, shit happens. We couldn't care less that our bro became a new species or lost all of his memories of his family. What kind of family would we be if we couldn't overlook such minor details?" Lizzy said off-handedly as she flopped into a recliner before Pyrrha bopped her on the head.

"Lizzy! you know it is impolite to talk about the memories Shaded have lost! Honestly have some respect for our specie's developing culture! The one that should bring it up is Jaune, Emerald didn't know until you opened your mouth!" Pyrrha hissed while Emerald just blinked in stunned silence.

Since the awkward chat on the flight to Patch Emerald had her suspicions but it was still a shock to have them confirmed. She sat down on the couch and sighed before looking to Pyrrha. "I guess this would explain why he didn't mention have seven sisters or his family on your two's visits. You don't have to say anymore on the subject, if Jaune wants to bring it up he will. No doubt he heard us at any rate."

Lizzy groaned and planted a hand on her face. "I forgot about that goofs super hearing. I keep thinking of him as the lovably dense goof ball that you'd need to use a bullhorn to get him to listen..."

"Love you too sis!" Jaune's voice faintly echoed from the kitchen causing the rest of the women to burst into laughter, easing the tense mood.

Violet patted her sister gently on the should in comfort as she looked towards Emerald while perching on the arm of the recliner. "So just to make sure that there are few surprises left for the day, I just want to make sure you know that Lizzy here is also staying in the guest house with you. I hope Pyrrha and Jaune informed you of this on your flight over."

Emerald shook her head before giving Pyrrha a mild look of preturbance to which her friend shrugged. "They failed to mention a roommate in the arrangement but we did have a bit of a interesting day. I can let that slide as I'm not opposed to the idea, makes doing housework easier. Does that mean you aren't staying Violet?"

Violet nodded with and gave an apologetic smile. "Indeed, I was just out visiting for a few days as my company moved offices from Mistral to Vale. As much as I love staying with my niece the commute between Patch and Vale would be taxing at the best of times."

"So it will be just you and me Emmie, try not to bring strange men home without giving fair warning" Lizzy joked lightly as the a delicious smell wafted into the room from the kitchen. "Mm, smells like Jaune is cooking up something tasty, can't wait to see what."

The other three woman nodded in agreement as the pattering of feet echoed from the hallway as Praetoria sped around the corner. "Daddy says dinner is almost ready and we should sit down. It's s'getti and sauce with garlic bread an'a salad which I helped make!"

As the excited 5 year-old disappeared around the corner towards what Emerald could only assume was towards the dinning room the 4 women stood from their seats and followed Praetoria at a more sane pacing. As they turned the corner into the main hallway the three ran into Jaune who was carrying a large bowl of pasta that was covered in a thick and savory looking meat sauce.

"Hope you guys are hungry, might have made a little much but I didn't want the sauce to sit half-used in the pantry." Jaune smiled and motioned for the group to proceed. As the group filed pasted he turned slightly and tapped Pyrrha on the leg with his tail. "Actually I wasn't able to grab everything this run, would you mind getting the bottle we have been saving for today Pyr?"

Pyrrha's eyes brighten as a smile crossed her face. "Oh, I completely forgot about that! I would be delighted to Jaune, why don't you get everyone situated while I go get that. You already have the glasses I hope?" After Jaune nodded in the affirmative Pyrrha squeezed past Jaune and towards the kitchen.

The dinning room was just as homely feeling as the rest of the house and built to accommodate quite the gather with the long table dominating the center of the room was rough looking in design but carved with intricate motifs and scene along the edges. The chandeliers that hung evenly spaced along the room were set to a flicker, giving the warm glow and feel of candle light which only added to the warm atmosphere.

Emerald found herself dragged by her niece to a seat right next to Praetoria's who in turn sat on the right side one of the two chairs at the head of the table. Jaune snickered and patted her gently on the shoulder as he set the massive bowl of pasta in the middle of the group along side golden slices of garlic bread and a salad that looked like it had gone through a threshing machine. "New guests always get the seat of honor, unspoken rule of the Arkos household."

Jaune stopped long enough to help his daughter into her seat booster against the unheeded claims the young Shaded didn't need to help before taking a seat in the left seat at the head of the tablet. Violet sat to his left and was sipping at a glass of water while to her right Izzy eyed the Garlic bread like starving hound would a Juicy steak.

"Took a little longer than I thought to find it, sorry all." Emerald looked over her shoulder to see Pyrrha walk in carrying two bottles. One was a simple bottle of sparkling white grape juice that Pyrrha wasted no time uncapping and pouring into a champagne flute for Praetoria while Jaune took the other bottle and unwrapped the cork of foil and began working it from the neck of the bottle.

The label on the bottle was faded with age but still legible and what Emerald read nearly made her eyes bulge out of her head. "IS THAT A BOTTLE OF MT. GLENN BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE!? Only one vintage of that was produced before mount Glenn was overrun!"

Jaune chuckled as he glanced at the now standing Emerald, her chair rocking back and forth from the force of her standing. With a satisfying POP the cork finally jump from the neck of the bottle and Jaune set the bottle down to breath slightly. "You are correct, this is a bottle of that rare vintage. Vale thought it would be a good gift to me after I helped organize and led the assault that drove the Grimm that had been infesting Vale and Beacon. I didn't take you to be a champagne connoisseur Em."

Emerald watched as Jaune poured a wine vintage that was worth more that some mansions into several champagne flutes before passing them amongst those at the table. "I'm not, I once was approached to ste-er- acquire a bottle for a client from the Vale national treasures vaults. I turned it down as there was way too much security to get through." She accepted a glass from Jaune who had arched an eyebrow.

"Well that was in the past. As of today, you are officially one of the good guys." Jaune held up his own glass in a toast. "You can also consider yourself an official member of the family, just like the rest of our friends that we have fought along side. Emerald Sustrai, we may not be able to help you learn of the memories you lost saving Pyrrha and I but we will help you build new ones as your friends and family. Welcome home Emerald."

Emerald had to blink away tears as the rest of her gathered friends, her family, echoed 'welcome home' before gently clinking their glasses to hers before sitting down to begin eating. Emerald had to admit that it all felt so... normal. Here she was, a former thief and terrorist sitting down to a family dinner with a niece she had only just met and the siblings of the man who had helped her escape her past mistakes like it was just a normal day's end. It was something that Emerald didn't want to stop feeling any time soon.