Thanks for the support! Sorry I've been MIA for so long! Hope you like this chapter...

Chapter 13 – Restless

The wind ruffled the fur on Blake's ears. For once, it was not bitingly cold; it felt good. Her amber eyes took in the view.

Did this many people and Faunus live here all in one place? Although not everyone got along, there was at least tolerance. It something Lycannis could only dream about. If only this mindset was in the other areas…

Blake sighed. After everything, the only thing she should be thinking about was finding Fiona.

A shape passed by the corner of her eye. Frowning, she turned her head to look but saw nothing.

"Adam? Did you see something?" Adam looked around; his maroon eyes searching for movement.

"Blake," he handed her Gambol Shroud and her bag, "Something's wrong. Stay here." He peered out at the adjacent buildings.

However, Blake's Faunus ears could detect the sounds of footsteps walking up the stairs.

"Adam," she touched his arm, "There's someone coming up." He unsheathed Wilt.

"Blake, be ready to run." On cue, two people appeared in the doorway. Both of them looked like thugs and carried knives, swords, and guns.

They smirked at him.

"Finally found you, filthy animal," one of them taunted, "Y'know, when the boss sends his best men, we expect at least a group of ten, not some Faunus scum and his girlfriend."

"This will be easier than I thought," the other said callously, "I was hoping for something entertaining. You'll pay for the time you made us waste."

It was almost instantaneous; one of them pulled out a gun and fired. On instinct, Blake created a Shadow and pushed Adam out of the way. In the next second, the Shadow had dissipated with the bullet.

That shot was meant for her.

"You…" Adam scowled and lunged at them. One managed to whip out his sword and block it; there was a clang of metal.

Meanwhile, the other one sprang towards her; blade unsheathed. Like before, Blake created a Shadow to take her place.

"Stay…still…" her attacker snarled and swung at her. This time, however, Blake countered him, catching the man in the wrist and leaving a gash. He swore and dropped the sword.

"Leave!" Blake snapped, "Just surrender, and you'll keep your life!" The man could sense her reluctance to kill and grinned. He was relentless as he gripped his knife and advanced. Blake could hear the sounds of Adam's battle in the background. The thug was losing.

Without a word, Blake created a Shadow and leapt out of the way. Her attacker stumbled and turned, swiping at her. Blake knocked the knife out of his hands with the sheathe and brought Gambol Shroud's handle over his head. A crack could be heard, and the man went limp.

Blake eyed him, checking to make sure he was still alive. That was surprisingly…easy. The thug was large and clumsy compared to her quick, graceful movements.

Turning, Blake was about to assist Adam, only to find him standing over his attacker's limp body.

Adam eyed her with interest.

"You put a lot of your weight on the toes of your feet," he commented, "Did you wear heels when training?" She had; those were the only shoes she wore when Sterling was training her.

"Yeah," Blake eyed the man, "Were you watching me fight?"

"You took out a highly-trained thug. Even though his fighting style is garbage, that's still notable."

Blake sighed. He was always the one to obsess over fighting techniques at the worst moment; that still hadn't changed.

"Let's go, Adam. I don't want to be here when they wake up."

For the rest of the early morning, Blake and Adam jumped subway trains, never loitering in one spot for too long. They had stayed in the better part of the city; away from dark alleyways and shady buildings.

Now, when the streets had crowded enough, they found themselves waiting at the train station.

Blake's eyes felt heavy with sleep while dark circles had formed under Adam's eyes. They sat on a bench as their eyes tracked the trains, waiting for the right one to appear.

However, Blake was shaken out of her trance when Adam abruptly straightened.

"Blake, I need you to put on your hat," he warned her in a low voice. Blake gave him a questioning look but complied. The cloth of the beanie felt uncomfortable on her ears, pressing them close to her head. It felt itchy and hot.

Adam pulled out a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly, "Are they back?"

"No," Adam muttered, "Look." Out of the corner of her eye, Blake could see a robot patrolling down the platform.

"They have scanners that match faces to a database," he muttered, "Keep an eye out for them."

Blake frowned. Adam was registered. What kind of things had he done?

"Adam…" He noticed her disapproving glare.

"They don't have a picture of me yet. I've only got descriptions."

"Why do you need to hide?" Blake asked, "What did you do?" Adam looked away with his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"That's confidential information, Blake."

As soon as they sat down in comfortable seats, the two Faunus passed out from exhaustion

Lulled by the droning of the train, Blake has closed her eyes and fell asleep. She leaned her head on Adam's shoulder. He could tease and make fun of her for all she cared. Blake just wanted to go to sleep.

Adam, similarly, closed his eyes and dropped into a light doze. He needed to be somewhat vigilant for anything threatening.

His eyes had moved to Blake's resting face. Her ears stuck up like small pinpricks under the hat.

He's never make her cover up her ears ever again.

By the time the train had reached her stop, the sun had set, casting long shadows along the ground. Adam glanced at his scroll for the time.

"We're too tired to make the drive," he announced, "We'll stay at the inn here." Noticing Blake's worried look, he added, "Don't worry, I'm sure there's no enemies. The innkeeper knows Bane. We'll be fine."

Reluctantly, Blake followed him. Their faunus features remained disguised as they passed through the milling crowd. A few people gave them passing glances but quickly averted their eyes.

Did she look too nervous? Blake tried to relax. They were just people, after all. It wasn't like they'd attack her if they suspected her to be a Faunus. Humans didn't outright hate the Faunus for no good reason.

…right?

Adam then pulled her into a small, seedy tavern with dim lights and a smell of wet wood that clung to the air.

They took a seat at the bar and waited for the bartender to approach.

Blake's eyes observed the man. He looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint why. However, the bartender noticed Adam and approached him with a smile.

"Adam! It's been a while! I haven't seen you since you were a little boy! What brings you here?" The man gave Adam a toothy grin; Blake then realized that the man had wolf fangs. Was this person related to Bane?

"Uncle Hong, how long has it been? Four years?"

"Five, I think. How's Brock? Is he doing well?"

"Bane is tutoring him for now, but I think Brock will be assigned a mentor soon. He's better than the regular recruits, and Bane sees a lot of potential than him." The man smiled at him. Blake realized that he was actually quite old with graying hair and the beginning of wrinkles near his eyes.

"Good, Brock always idolized you guys. I'm glad he's doing something productive for once."

Hong's eyes turned to look at Blake with curiosity.

"And who are you, miss?" and held out his hand for her to shake.

"My name is Blake," she took his hand, "I'm a friend of Adam."

"Ah, I see." Hong had a spark in his eye as he gave Adam a mischievous look. "What brings you here? Bane's house has been empty for years."

"She's my apprentice," Adam answered, "I need a training area quiet enough for her to focus properly." Hong nodded in understanding.

"Just like you, eh? Bane always come around whenever you were being difficult." He smiled to himself. "But, it all worked out in the end, didn't it? I recall yours was difficult to master." He handed Adam and Blake two soda cans.

"It's getting late. There's the spare room upstairs if you're interested. I'll send some food up later." He gestured towards a nearby door.

"The guests here are a little loud though, but I'm sure things should be comfortable. It's the second door to your right."

"Thanks, Hong," Adam stood and Blake followed him to the room.

The inn room was simple with two beds, a table, and a bathroom. Sighing, Adam placed his sword on the table and shrugged off his jacket.

"I'll go down for food. If you want, you can use the shower over there. I'll be back in an hour." He turned and shut the door, leaving Blake alone in the room.

Sighing, Blake rubbed her tired eyes, took off Gambol Shroud and the metal plate, undid the buttons on her jacket, and unwound her scarf. There was a faint murmur of the bar's visitors coming down from below. It would almost be dark, and the bar would soon be crowded.

Blake skipped off her shoes walked into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door and taking her bag with her. There, she stripped herself and turned on the shower faucet.

The water was warm and soothing against her tired muscles. Blake quickly washed her hair and rubbed off the dirt from her skin. Afterwards, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and inspected the stitches.

To her relief, they hadn't been very agitated, and the other shallow cuts and bruises had mostly healed without any scars. Blake quickly patted the area dry and bandaged the area like the doctor had taught her.

Blake quickly dried her hair and pulled on her clothing, deciding to forgo the stockings.

Unlocking the door, Blake found Adam sitting on his bedside, checking his Scroll. He looked up from the screen.

"Oh, you're finished. You took forever in there."

"Sorry, I needed to check my stitches."

"How are they? It hasn't been infected, right?"

"No," Blake assured him, "It hasn't. Bathroom's free if you want to use it."

"Thanks."

The rest of the night, Blake had curled up under the inn's dusty blankets and fell asleep. However, early in the morning, she had been awakened by a small sound.

The early morning sun streamed through the pale white curtains. In the bed next to her, Blake could see Adam shift uncomfortably in his sleep. She sat up, flicked on the lamp, and peered over at him.

Adam's forehead had shone with sweat, and his face was a slight red.

"Crap," Blake muttered and slid out of bed. Adam was hot to the touch, and she didn't have anything to keep down the fever.

But, at least she was able to remember what Fiona did whenever she got sick. Blake wetted a small towel in cold water and placed it on his forehead.

Adam opened his eyes at the cloth's cold touch.

"Blake…?"

"You've overextended yourself," she chided, "You didn't sleep on the train, did you?"

"I needed to keep an eye out for trouble." Blake sighed and sat at his bedside.

"We'll stay here until you get better. This inn is safe, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" He tried to sit up, but she forced him down.

"You need to rest, Adam. Do you feel cold?"

"Kind of…" Blake went over to her bed and placed her blanket atop of his.

"Better?"

"How are you going to sleep?"

"I'm not. I've slept enough. I'll read or look at my Scroll." She retrieved her book, but, before she was about to sit on her bed, Adam reached out and grabbed her arm. Weakly, he steered her to sit on his bedside.

"You said you'd read to me," he mumbled and moved her blanket over her legs, "I'll fall asleep faster if you do."

Sighing, Blake grabbed her pillow, and sat up against the headboard. Carefully, she moved the blanket to cover herself. There was still another blanked in between them, but she could still feel the heat and outline of Adam's body pressed against hers.

"Fine," she acquiesced and opened the cover, "You'll find some parts boring though."

The next morning, Blake found herself waking up to rays of sun shining in her eyes. Blinking, she turned her head to find Adam's a few inches away from hers. Somehow, she had shifted over during the night and had pressed herself up against him for warmth.

Damn Faunus instincts.

Blake moved to shift away from him but found herself staring at the lines and ridges of his face. It was different from what she had last remembered. There was a hardness that wasn't there before, and a few fading, faint scars dotted his face. The childish roundness had gone and had been replaced with a worn hardness that had slowly etched itself on his face.

Adam was no longer a child anymore. That realization felt strange but oddly not unwelcome. In the back of her mind, he still was the same person…she hoped. A strange feeling had begun to bloom in her chest. It made her feel lightheaded and her chest clench.

Without thinking, Blake raised her hand and touched the side of his cheek. The fever had winded down, but his temperature was still somewhat higher than normal.

Suddenly, his maroon eyes shot open, startling her. Blake tried to withdraw her hand, but he reached out and caught it by the wrist.

"What are you doing?" he looked at her in confusion.

"I…I was checking to make sure your fever was gone." Blake's flustered response seemed to amuse him.

"Are you sure? You were staring at me for a while," he teased. Blake glared at him

"Then, why didn't you get up?" she countered, "Were you staring at me while I was sleeping?"

Adam snorted a laugh.

"Your moving woke me up." His eyes moved to rest on her hair. "You have a really bad bedhead right now."

"Almost as bad as yours," Blake retorted and snatched her hand back.

They had left in the inn in the early hours of the morning. Blake had waited at the bar for Adam to pick up the old, rusted pickup truck from Hong's garage.

"Have it back in two months," he called out to them, "I need it to pick up supplies."

The ride down the worn forest road was quiet. It needed to be. Grimm would be attracted to the noise of the engine.

Adam had to stop the car completely a few times and step outside. Fortunately, he had only shot once.

Night had fallen when they had finally reached their destination. The house had been hidden amongst the dense forest. Only a long, thin wire lead out from the roof and into the trees – a telegraph line.

Adam stopped the car, and they stepped out.

"Wait here. I need to check for any intruders." Adam took Wilt and Blush and circled the house, peering in and out of the windows. Blake's amber eyes studied the house's dusty windows and walls.

Something about it looked awfully familiar, but Blake couldn't decide what it was.

Adam walked back to her.

"It's safe," he confirmed, "Here, it hasn't been visited for a while, so the power may take a few hours to start up."

Adam took out a key and unlocked the door. A small layer of dust had collected on the furniture. Blake locked and closed the door behind her and sat on the couch.

Meanwhile, Adam reached into a drawer and pulled out a candle and lighter. He sat next to her and placed the lit candle on the coffee table. Its soft orange glow cast faint shadows.

"You didn't have to do that. We can see in the dark." Blake stated.

"I…I find the light more comfortable," he admitted, "I'm used to it, anyways."

Blake, who had often had to rely on her Faunus abilities back in the dust camp, nodded. Her eyes didn't have to work as hard.

"Yeah…you got in trouble if you used candles late at night…" she began, "They were afraid that the wooden buildings would catch on fire."

Adam was silent for a moment as he stared into the flame.

"Blake…what was it like back there? What did Fiona…" he trailed off, afraid to reopen a wound that had just barely begun to heal.

Blake was silent for a moment. Fiona's warning about White Fang echoed in her mind. She couldn't trust them, not at all.

Yet, Adam was different. He seemed to care about his subordinates; they were on friendly terms and genuinely liked him compared to Pitch or Bane. She knew he was worried about her would just ask again on another day.

Should she tell him the truth? What she suspected and why she wanted to leave? Could Adam help her locate Fiona in the others in Vacuo?

No…that was something that she should never repeat. Blake would just be lowering Fiona's odds of survival if she told him. Adam, no matter how much she could trust him, still represented and believed White Fang's violent ideology. He was in the Vale criminal database and was stalked by thugs. What else had he done?

"It was…cold," she finished lamely, "There wasn't anything interesting to do." Adam didn't look like he believed her but didn't ask any further questions.

"Okay…"

They sat there in silence, the rift returning and settling in a sense of awkwardness. Blake and Adam didn't look nor speak to each other for the entire time in the darkness. Eventually, the lights flickered on, and they rose from their seats.

"There's…woman's clothing in that bedroom over there…" he gestured to a nearby door, "It belonged to Bane's ex, but I'm sore some things will fit." He had a look of resignation on his face before he bid her goodnight and disappeared behind an opposite door.

Sighing, Blake returned to her assigned room. Other than the pink bedspread, the room was relatively plain. Blake shed her jacket and placed Gambol Shroud on the nightstand. Checking the drawers, she found a plain white nightdress. She swiftly changed into her nightclothes and ran her fingers through her tangled short hair.

She slid herself under the covers and tried to drift off to sleep. However, Blake couldn't shake the nagging feeling. Something was awfully familiar about this house; as soon as the lights came on, she felt like she had seen this place before. But, that was impossible. She had never been here before, had she?

And then…there was Adam. She'd be sharing a living space with him…alone…in the middle of nowhere… Worse, what was that feeling she had earlier today? That was…new but not unexpected. That strange fluttering feeling bothered her more than the haunting familiarity.

Frowning, Blake tried to shift into a more comfortable position, made an exasperated noise, and turned over. She'd sort things out when she had the time.

For now…she needed to get used to the uncomfortably soft mattress.

DELETED SCENE (by popular request)

Blake cracked open the book, only for it to slip from her hands and fall to the ground. As she leaned down to retrieve it, a miniature poster fluttered out from the pages. It depicted a risque image of...

Blake slammed the poster back into the pages, but, alas, Adam had already seen it. Despite his fever, Adam smirked up at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. Blake could only feel her flustered face turn redder and redder.

"Now that's a katana-" he never got to finish his sentence before Blake chucked her pillow at him with a mortified look on her face.

It's kind of ironic that this gets posted when Volume 4 premieres, isn't it? TBH, I'm not as hyped for this season...I kind of have a feeling that it's just going to cause a lot more ship wars. The poor BlackSun ship (which is my third favorite) is getting so much hate now that it's discouraging. But, at least we still have our little tauradonna community.

Look forward to the next chapter! They're alone in the woods...what possibly could happen now? ;)

Love,

raining-indigo