just so everyone knows I won't be updateing this stroy until after Father's day. until then I am going to be working on my Father's day special. thank you for your time.
Jaune and Yang sat down at the table in the dinner where Jaune jumped on his first grenade. Since then he had gotten much better at handling the blast. His aura had been strengthened through training and now he knew he could handle two maybe three grenades before his aura was exhausted.
Ordering them both a coffee Jaune looked to Yang and asked. "Do you remember a few months ago when you and I were staying at my father's old safe house. The night when I accidentally shot that mirror.?"
Yang offered a slight nod. He figured she would remember that after all, he woke her up too when it happened.
She was relatively certain what the direction of the conversation was but she chose to let him continue.
"That was in part a result of what happened in Durant." as he spoke he pulled out his badge sheriff of Durant was written across it in raised lettering. " I was made sheriff in less than an hour when I found the sheriff was about to rape someone in the stable. He died with my knife in his back."
While this was not a shook. Yang already knew that Jaune had killed but the fact that he said this with such a calm demeanor made Yang's expression grow slightly more serious.
"Later I meet with the Town Clerk. Her name was Gypsum. Now I need to explain that life in Durant moves very fast. Gypsum and I had dinner that night and we were married inside of a week. It was odd but it fit and we were happy,"
Yang tried but failed to keep her eye from raising at the mention of Jaune getting married but she soon brought it back under control. Like he had said life moves fast in Durant.
"We were expecting our first child in about a month," Jaune's eyes took on a semi-glossed over look. It was clear that he was thinking of what he thought of as happier times.
After he seemed as though he didn't want to keep going Yang asked. "Jaune, what is wrong?"
Jaune nodded and said. "That was about when your uncle showed up, Qrow." as he said the hunter's name his voice grew dark and filled with spite. "Your uncle killed Lee Marvin. He was trying to get Lee's eight brothers to come and try to kill him. Or so I thought. He pinned the killing on me so that the Marvin's would try to come after me. He planned to kill them afterward."
Yang didn't want to believe this but she also knew that her uncle had done some questionable stuff.
"They came while I was dealing with a fight over at the hotel. They didn't know where I was so they just sprayed into the sheriff's office." Jaune needed to stop for a moment and clear his throat and wipe the small tears from his eyes which now seemed as though they were seeing the horrors of his past. When he continued his voice was weak and almost cracked. "I got there as fast as I could, but they had fired almost 500 rounds into my office. I found them on the floor. In a pool of blood. They had been shot almost a dozen times."
Now Yang was fighting back her own tears. She was feeling the sadness that was emanating off of him. And she was trying to accept that her uncle had caused this. She was shaken from her thoughts when Jaune kept speaking.
"That is why I have such a burning hatred for your uncle. The fucking bastard killed my wife and unborn child" Jaune's eyes were still distant but now they also seemed to be filled with the pain of memories. Shaking his head in order to dispel the thoughts that were brewing Jaune spoke. "Your uncle didn't mean to get her killed, he was trying to do his job. And I was doing mine. I know I shouldn't hate him but … "
"Like hell you shouldn't." as she spoke Yang's voice rose with the rest of her. She was fishing around in her pockets for her scroll. When she found it she briefly scrolled through the contacts.
"What are you doing?" Jaune asked slightly afraid of the answer he may get.
"Calling my uncle, I need to have words with him." speaking as she dialed.
"Yang, no. we already had this discussion. He did a bad thing but he had the right intentions. Besides. If I had done my job then none of this would have happ ..."
once more he was cut off by Yang's angry yelling. "not another word of that out of you, I know that you want to shoulder all the responsibility in the world but you didn't do this. GOD, I HATE IT WHEN YOU GET LIKE THIS." having had enough of Jaune and Qrow both Yang stormed out of the dinner as she pressed the call button.
"so, I take it that you are in the metaphorical doghouse?" looking up Jaune saw the owner glancing down at him.
"hey slick, yeah we are all in a tough spot and she just got some even tougher news." even as he said the words Jaune knew that Slick could tell there was more. Jaune had no idea how the man could tell but he could.
pulling up a chair the man asked. "how many,?"
the question caught Jaune off guard. "what do you mean how many?" he said
Slick looked Jaune in the eyes and began to tell of all the times he had lost men in combat during his enslavement in the army of whatever country he was from. having finished some of his war stories he asked. "son, I used to be a squad leader, so I repeat. how many?"
it was clear what he had meant of course so with an ashamed tone Jaune said. "two, no wait three. one of them was pregnant."
Slick's eyes widened somewhat. he had lost brothers in war but he never had any mother's killed. now it was true that the entire army was comprised of men but still. "damn that's harsh who was the other one?" it was an uncomfortable question but it needed to be asked.
"the woman that I was in love with," Jaune's response was soft and low. giving away just how broken he currently was. "she needed me and I wasn't there. I failed her just like Gypsum"
this garnered a confused look from Slick who was no doubt wondering who Gypsum was. "Gypsum was my first wife, she was killed while she was carrying our first child. If I had just been a little faster ..." in truth Jaune was getting sick of being interrupted but since this was the first time Slick had done so he chose to let it slide, this time.
"Kid, if you were a few seconds faster then you may have died right beside them. now tell me. is that what Gypsum would have wanted for you?"
he was right of course and Jaune knew it. he had to stop holding the blame on himself. it was Qrow's plan that got her killed and he hated him for it. But hating Qrow won't bring them back. He learned from experience that harboring resentment for a person only lead to bad choices.
His scroll sounded and when Jaune looked down he saw that Jorge had sent him a text. Looking to Slick Jaune gave the man a look in the hopes that he would get the idea.
"I've said what I need to say. dinner is on me kid." after saying this Slick stood and headed back to the kitchen.
Reading the text informed Jaune that Ren and Nora were going to be living with Jorge and Isabao. Jaune figured that this was going to happen. They weren't going to stay at Beacon and Jorge saw potential in them.
Rising to his feet Jaune headed outside. Using the app on his scroll Jaune found out that Yang was several blocks to the east. It was a slight secret that Jaune had gps'd everyone's scroll. One that would serve him well.
He found her in an alley yelling into her scroll. "She was pregnant you drunk fuck. I didn't think that even you could ever get that drunk apparently I was wrong. You can be damn sure you won't be getting a warm welcome from me the next time we meet."
Dropping her end of the call she turned to go back to the dinner and collect Jaune only to be surprised to find Jaune at the end of the alley leaning against the wall. "Well, how long have you been standing there?" she asked suddenly very self-conscious of her language. She wasn't sure why. After all, she had heard Jaune use very, very creative language but for whatever the reason the verbal lashing her damn uncle just received had her on worried.
"I have been here long enough to know that know that you have a rather interesting view of your uncle. After all, if you really hated the man you wouldn't have bothered to call him. But the way you spoke or rather yelled means that you care enough to lay all the sadness you can on him in the hopes that he learns. If I am being honest it was kinda funny to watch someone play the mom card on their uncle."
as he answered Jaune walked the distance between them. Making sure to not step on the foot of the drunk who was slumped against the side of the building. In passing the man seemed familiar but not enough to rate any interest. When he reached Yang he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tried to guide her out of the alley.
"Come on," he said. "Ren and Nora are going to live with Jorge and Isabao and I think that you and I should get back to the school. The last thing we need is to add an aggravated Glynda to our problems." as he said the last part Jaune's eyes grew wide with mock horror.
This drew a laugh from Yang who walked out of the alley and headed to the bullhead dock. In truth, she was somewhat saddened when Jaune took his arm off of her shoulders but Jorge was right. He needs a friend at the moment. Nothing more.
If she was being entirely honest they all did.
…
Once they returned to Beacon and had made it back to the team RWBY dorm Jaune walked in with Yang and told the rest of team RWBY about Ren and Nora. they seemed okay with it. Ruby swore that she would find a way to keep in touch and the rest of them smiled at her endless optimism
With a smile on his face, Jaune strode over to the chair that he usually slept in. a part of him knew that he should have slept in his personal room but right now his team needed him. And they were all they had left. He couldn't leave them now.
Taking a trick from his father's play book. "Goodnight one, goodnight all. Let's go to sleep so that tomorrow we may stand big and tall."
His words earned an amused chuckle from several of the occupants of the room. It was quite cheesy and it was also what they all needed. As they all drifted off to sleep they began to wonder what troubles the future would hold for them.