"Ms. Nikos is deceased." the words rang in his head over and over again. He could hear Ozpin offering the official condolences of Beacon academy Luke didn't hear them. His entire world had just fallen down around him. The woman he loved and the child they were having. Both of them gone. He had lost a love before but not like this. Not this badly. He was there when Martin's birth mother died, true he loved her too. But he was also holding their newborn son in his arms. It gave him solace that her last thoughts were the three of them.

Martin, he didn't know where his son was. "Headmaster!" Luke said as he rose to his feet. "Where is my son?"

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee as though he needed to think about what his answer was. "He is with Team Mr. Ren and Ms. Valkyrie, he is quite safe I assure you." the older man set his eyes once more as though to tell Luke that there was more. "Ms. Nikos' heart and fetal monitor had the alarms turned off. And a Morphine Machine was activated and attached to her saline drip." he paused once more in order to give Luke time to put together what Ozpin was saying. "She was murdered, Luke."

If Luke's entire world had just fallen apart then he didn't even know what had just happened. Someone had killed her, someone had killed one of the kindest people he had ever known. "Headmaster," Luke had to stop for a moment to gather his strength before he continued. "When did she die?"

The elder man too paused as though he once more had to think about his answer before offering it. "The nurses noticed that she had passed at 1in the afternoon. However, the records of the machines indicate that she passed at 12:25 in the afternoon. Once more I am sorry. But your son was there. We do not know how much he knows or understands but he was in the room when it happened."

This left Luke with so many questions. How do they know that Martin was there but not know who did this? And where the hell was Suzanna she was supposed to be Martin although the day? But right now he needed to go tend to his son. Martin was scared and probably hurt almost as much as Luke was.

It was odd. He had just lost the woman he loved and a child he never been given the chance to know. And his only concern now was his son.

Making his way to team PLNR's dorm Luke entered and found Ren, Nora, and Martin all huddled together. Nora and Martin were sobbing and Ren seemed to be doing all he could to comfort them in spite of the tears in his own eyes.

Once Martin saw Luke he leaped to his feet and ran over to his father. Before he had even reached him Luke had his son in his arms. Martin was wailing incoherently but Luke didn't need to hear him to understand. "Shhh, I'm here buddy, I've gotchu son." Luke's accent was slipping out but he didn't care it only happened when he was exceptionally stressed.

Soon Martin's wailing settled down and then he drifted off to sleep in his father's arms. Carrying Martin across the hall to team RWBY's dorm. He lightly knocked and a moment later Blake answered.

"Hey Luke," it was clear she had been crying just as he imagined the rest of team RWBY was. Pyrrha was a good person with many friends. All of them would be grieving tonight. They stood there in an awkward silence for a time before she continued. "Is there something you need?"

The inquiry as to his motives seemed to snap Luke from his trance-like state he had been locking think about how many people Pyrrha's death was going to hurt. "Yes," he said holding his sleeping son out a small amount. "I need you to watch Martin for a little while." in truth the last thing he wanted to do was hand his child over to someone else but right now he needed to talk with his team in private.

Blake offered no verbal response she simply reached out and took the sleeping child in her arms before returning to her room.

Looking back to the dorm of his team Luke once more crossed the hall and entered in. locking eyes with Ren he said in a shaky voice. "Please tell me that there was a massive communications dealy. Please, tell me that is what it was."

Nora went to say something when Ren put his hand on her shoulder and said. "No, nothing like that happened. Why do you ask?"

All at once the tension in the room exploded. "THEN WHY DID I GET A TEXT SAYING THAT EVERYTHING WAS FUCKING FINE THREE HOURS AFTER PYRRHA WAS DEAD"

The shouting loud enough to make the water in the glass on Ren's desk and Luke could only hope that it didn't wake up Martin.

"Well," he continued. "What do you have to say for yourself," as he spoke Luke crossed the room and grabbed Ren by the collar before shaking and throwing him across the room. "Say something you piece of filth!"

Luke brought his right hand down in a blow that could have been lethal. Ren shifted his body 3 inches to the left. using his left palm he pressed Luke's right arm off the line of attack and using his right hand he grabbed Luke's right wrist. in the blink of an eye, Ren drove his left knee into the back of Luke's right knee. buckling it and dropping Luke to a knee. leaning forward Ren pushed Luke to the floor and for a brief moment Ren for an instant he thought. then his eyes set to the hardness of a diamond and he pushed Luke's arm forward until the room was filled with a disturbing POP!

Ren quickly scrambled to his feet and backed up across the room. He was careful to put himself between Luke and Nora, even now he put HER safety beyond his own or even Luke's.

Luke rolled to his feet and locked eyes with Ren. the staring contest ended when Luke asked in a tired and pain voice "why, why would you lie to me. I trusted you. I HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW!"

As he spoke his words grew louder and more tempered. And it was at this point that Ren had finally had enough.

"DAMMIT LUKE, YOU THINK I WANTED TO LIE TO YOU. NO, FUCK NO" as Ren yelled his own voice rose to a dull roar echoing off of the walls. "I DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOU, I DID IT FOR MARTIN. HE JUST LOST HIS MOTHER and I wasn't about to let him LOSE HIS FATHER IN THE SAME DAY because you lost your will to go on. I would never be able to orphan him like that." in truth, it was a pain Ren knew all too well. It was the pain he felt every time he thought back to his childhood and then the day that it ended.

Shaking his head to clear the dark thoughts of that day Ren saw that Luke was heading for the door. Once he was outside of the room he slammed the door with so much force that paint from the door jam flaked off and fluttered to the ground.

And that was it, Nora had had enough. It started out small with a fear tears. But soon she was shaking from her sobbing. Looking back at her Ren felt a wave of shame rush over him. He got so wrapped up in his own pain that he forgot about Nora. here she was, having just lost her Pyrrha and now Ren a Luke fight before Luke runs off. He knew that she was just getting used to having a small pseudo family group. Pyrrha had taken on the role as team mom and Luke was easing into the role of the dad friend but now Pyrrha was dead and Luke was gone.

Walking over to her he held her in his arms and began to speak to her. "Shhh, I know I'm sorry." as he spoke Ren gently rubbed her back and holding her tightly. They stayed there until Nora finally stopped sobbing. Gently he pulled Nora to her feet. He helped her over to her bed and got her to lay down, he knew that she needed to rest. They all did but first Ren had to see to one more thing.

"Nora, I am going to come back but I need to go talk with Jaune first. Can you stay here for me?" the question was an important one. Because if she couldn't deal with him leaving the room then he wasn't going anywhere. His team was important to him but Nora was far more important. When she offered a weak nod of her head to say yes Ren wrapped his arms around her once more and whispered. "It's time to brave little Valkyrie." it was a small line that he had always told Nora whenever things were about to get harder. Whether it was a fight that was about to start or when she had a rough nightmare.

With that taken care of Ren rose to his feet and headed for the door. He fought to keep himself from looking back because if he did then he wouldn't be able to leave her. And right now he needed to see Jaune.

…

When he reached Jaune's dorm room he lightly knocked and the door swung open. It seemed that Jaune was expecting company and left the door unlocked and slightly open.

"Jaune, are you in here?" Ren made sure to ask before he entered just in the off chance that Jaune wasn't here.

When he received an empty "yeah" from within the room Ren entered. Ren thought he would find Jaune here. In times like these, the leader needs to have his men only see his strength. If they see his weakness then they would reflect that weakness.

Ren had understood this ever since he started to travel around with Nora when they were children.

Opening that door the rest of the way Ren saw Jaune sitting on his bed, he was seemingly focusing on something though Ren couldn't figure out what. It was possible that he was meditating but Ren never took Jaune for the meditating type. Walking over he said, "are you okay?"

There was no right to answer that question and Ren knew it. Jaune wasn't alright but the way he answered would help Ren figure out what is wrong. "No, I'm not alright. They are dead Ren. they died because I wasn't here to protect them. Just like Gypsum."

Nodding with him Ren sat down and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. He didn't know who Gypsum was but it wasn't hard to figure out that she died and Jaune blamed himself for it. Right now Jaune seemed to need to just have a shoulder to lean on. And he was here to offer it.

Much to Ren's shock Jaune seemed to not notice him. It was as though Ren had read him wrong. It had happened before but it wasn't the sort of thing that happens too often.

Ren opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off by Jaune. "Ren, I felt her die."

To say that Ren was confused would not do the lack of understanding the man now experienced justice. "Jaune when Pyrrha died you and Luke were somewhere in the Mistral. How could you have felt it?"

With that same thousand-yard stare, Jaune said. "Not Pyrrha, I felt Suzanna die. It was just after I found out about Pyrrha. I tried to find Suzanna to find out what had happened when I felt her die. I couldn't save her."

Though his initial confusion had cleared up Ren now had new questions. One of the most important and yet somehow most obvious was how Jaune had felt Suzanna die. On the one hand, there was no reason that he would be able to do this but Ren had also noticed a strange energy coming off of Jaune and Suzanna that was definitely not their aura.

Pushing these things to the back of his mind Ren asked the next most pressing question. " Jaune, I know this is a bad time but Luke has just stormed out and I don't think he plans to come back. What should me and Nora do?" it was a question that held much significance. Ozpin most likely wouldn't keep a team of two first years and so it was likely that team PLNR would be dissolved and Ren and Nora given an honorable expulsion due to team fatalities. In truth, they could have survived the loss of Pyrrha and Luke. Ren would have ensured it but Ozpin was probably filling out the paperwork right now.

Jaune said nothing he simply stared at the floor between his feet with so much focus that Ren doubted a grenade could break it. Jaune didn't speak for several more minutes before he said. "Jorge is on his way. He will know what to do."

It was obvious that Jaune wasn't in a talking mood so Ren chose to leave him to his meditation. Closing the door behind him Ren took out his scroll and dial the number for headmaster Ozpin's office. The line rang three times and then it answered. "Yes, Mr. Ren how may I help you?"

Much to Ren's surprise, it was Ozpin who answered the line. In hindsight it made sense. Anyone who needed to talk to Ozpin needed to talk to Ozpin and if anyone were to prank call him then he was already there to dispense the appropriate discipline. Getting back on track Ren said. " Sir, in the event that you don't already know I need to tell you that in addition to Pyrrha's passing Luke has left and I doubt he is going to return."

"Thank you for telling me, I regret to inform you that without at least three teammates by the end of the first year I am required to terminate your status as students. I wish you and Ms. Valkyrie the best of luck either in finding a new teammate or in the rest of your lives." with that Ozpin ended the call and Ren headed back to team PLNR's dorm. He wasn't sure why he never mentioned that Jorge was on his way but Ren felt that it was best if Ozpin didn't know that. There was a strange tension in the air whenever Ozpin was mentioned during the time that everyone was staring with the Arc's

As he opened the door Ren realized that he was so busy thinking about what he and Nora were going to do that he forgot to mention that Suzanna was supposed to be dead. He deemed it odd that he would forget to mention that but he was tired and Nora needed him right now. Deftly pulling his shirt off over his head and climbing into the bed that she was in he quickly and smoothly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to his chest. Ren knew that what he was doing was dangerous, he knew that if let the feelings he had for Nora get a foothold they would be almost impossible to control. Just like everything else about her it was a force of nature that couldn't be stopped, just redirected.

When he felt her relax into him his heart slightly skipped. Despite her outward appearance, Nora was a very nervous sleeper. That fact that she was letting her guard down to him and leaving herself vulnerable while it was expected given their history still meant a great deal to him.

Realizing what he was thinking Ren banished the thoughts. Nora needed a friend more than anything else and what she needed was more important than anything. Even what he wanted. Closing his eyes Ren allowed the pain of the day to register in his mind. Soon the tears had begun to run down his face and almost made it to Nora's hair before Ren reached up and brushed them away.

Then Nora turned over so that she was facing him. With her eyes watery she tried to say something but there were no words that would be right for what she was feeling. Unable to continue she buried her face in his chest and wept. Soon Ren joined her in her mourning.

Soon they had both cried themselves to sleep and they were resting peacefully. They were going to need all the strength they get soon.