Hello again, friends!

I said, I was going to update this one pretty sparsely, but I guess this chapter just needed to get out of my head. So here it is!

The response I got on the last chapter was just fantastic, so if I haven't said it before, thank you guys for all your support.

Beta: Maxaro. Yrros rof lla eht dab gnippihs.

Enjoy!

Jaune sighed at the stack of paperwork in his lap as he sat, alone on a bench outside in the budding warmth of spring. If he had counted correctly, there were about three more pages left to review in this specific packet… then about a hundred more of those packets to go through. It was daunting, to say the least.

This wasn't exactly what a younger Jaune would've seen himself doing at the ripe age of twenty-seven.

Of course, quite a few things had changed since then, between his current job and his present relationship with Pyrrha.

Speaking of which…

Hoooooonk!

Jaune looked up to see a dark blue sedan pull up to the curb in front of him. The window rolled down to reveal a grinning Pyrrha, a pair of horn-rimmed glass donned on her face. "Hey Jaune!"

The blonde smiled. He hurriedly stuffed the rest of the papers into his shoulder bag and jogged to the car.

"Hey, you," greeted Jaune, as he climbed inside the car. "Have I ever told you that you should most definitely wear glasses more often?"

"Oh, I just got lazy today," laughed Pyrrha. "I like wearing my contacts more. I don't have to worry about these deadweights sliding down my nose every five seconds."

"Well, at least I tried," Jaune sighed. "How's your day been?"

Pyrrha shrugged and started to drive. "Pretty dull, for the most part. I went in and got the reward for my last mission, and I actually need to pick up my next one before we go home."

"You ever think about relaxing every once in a while? I can't quite remember the last time you took a break from huntress… ing? Anyway, I say you deserve one at this point."

The redhead laughed. "You think? A break does sound nice. What about you? How's your job treating you?"

Jaune groaned. "It's pretty rough. Sometimes I wonder why the hell I have to get swamped with all these papers all the damn time."

"Well, it was your decision to stop being a huntsman and to become a professor instead."

"Yeah. I know," Jaune sighed. "I… I just can't go back to that life."

Pyrrha gave him a reassuring smile. "I understand. Nobody's making you go back if you don't want to."

"It's just… I don't feel like I've escaped my past at all." Jaune gazed solemnly at Pyrrha. "I can't help but keep thinking that I'm just training and teaching these kids to go out on the frontlines to die."

"Jaune," answered the redhead sternly. "You have got to stop blaming yourself for all those things that happened. You did all you could to help them, and that's all they could've ever asked from you. Now, I think you taking up a teaching job is the perfect fit for you! You're great at motivating people to better themselves. Trust me, I would know – we were on a team together for four years, after all. But I think what makes you the best professor is that you care about these kids. And if you're the Jaune I know you are, you're going to provide these kids with all the tools to keep them safe in their careers as huntsmen and huntresses."

"I'm not going to be able to save them all."

"But you'll be able to save most of them." Pyrrha slowed the car down as the traffic in Vale screeched to a halt. "Look, Jaune, these kids know what they're in for. They know they'll be putting their lives on the line to protect the people they love, but you can make sure that many of them will be able to return home to their families. And I think that's an honorable pursuit. So if nothing else, you should be proud of that."

Jaune stared distantly at the cars as they crawled by. "You think?"

"I do." Pyrrha sighed. "Traffic isn't supposed to be this bad, what the hell?"

"You know, I'm not sure," replied Jaune. "Maybe it's another White Fang attack."

"I highly doubt it. They haven't been even remotely active in Vale for the last year and a half." Suddenly, Pyrrha grinned. "Hey, let's take a detour. I think I know something that'll cheer you up."

Jaune laughed tiredly. "What could that possibly be?"

"Well… it's Friday, neither of us have work tomorrow. You know the old arcade near A Simple Wok? I heard they just installed a new DDR machine," Pyrrha replied with a wink.

"Really…" Smiling, Jaune pondered over the prospect of beating Pyrrha in the one the he was better at than her. "Don't you need to go pick up the report for your next job?"

"Well, I figured maybe that break you suggested could do me some good."

"Ah. But we're still meeting with Blake and Yang later for dinner, I think. You sure we'll have time?"

"Oh, we'll definitely have time. I just need to give you a proper ass-whooping, that's all," Pyrrha smirked.

"Okay, if you put it like that, I'm sold." Jaune cracked his knuckles. "Let's go. This professor needs to give a certain somebody a proper schooling on the history of dance."

Pyrrha guffawed. "Oh, it is on."

The restaurant that Blake and Yang wanted to meet Jaune and Pyrrha at was rather fancy-looking as well as expensive. Usually, when any of the old eight decided to grab dinner with each other, it was either at someone's house or at a restaurant of much less elegance, so the selection of the current eatery piqued Jaune and Pyrrha's curiosity.

The foursome sat in a booth table near the back of the restaurant, the darkened lighting providing for a relaxed ambiance as they talked of old things and new things over drinks.

"So, I've got to ask the question on our minds right now – why such a fancy restaurant?" inquired Pyrrha, looking around the place in awe.

"Well…" Blake's face began to redden. "We just couldn't wait for everyone else to get back in town. We just had to tell someone."

Pyrrha and Jaune leaned forward in their seats, eagerly awaiting whatever news the girls were planning to reveal.

Yang beamed and took Blake's hands into her own. "We're getting married!"

For a moment, Yang's announcement was met with silence from the blonde and the redhead, and she wondered briefly if she had accidently struck a nerve.

Then…

"Oh my gosh, that's wonderful!" Pyrrha put her mouth over her hands. "That's absolutely wonderful!"

Jaune grinned. "Seriously, congrats you two! Have you got a date in mind?"

Blake smiled shyly. "We're thinking either September or December of next year."

"Wow," Jaune thought for a moment. "That's more than a year away."

"Yeah. We figured we could use the extra time to work out all the details," answered Yang happily.

"Ooh!" the redhead exclaimed excitedly. "When did you guys get engaged? Can I see the ring?"

"Almost two months now," answered Blake, a smile playing on her lips, and brandished the diamond band.

Jaune stared in admiration at the ring. "So… that means Yang proposed? I'm not exactly sure how that works in this kind of situation."

Yang burst out laughing.

"No Jaune, I proposed and kept the ring for myself," Blake teased mirthfully.

The blonde man rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Stupid question, I get it."

Pyrrha patted him on the back. "It's alright, Jaune. We've come to expect this from you."

"Hey –"

"Anyway," interrupted the redhead before Jaune could complain. "You two have anything planned for the wedding yet? I know it's more than a year away, but weddings take quite a bit of preparation."

"No, not yet," shrugged Yang. "The amount of stuff we gotta take care of… it's a little terrifying."

Pyrrha nodded happily. "Oh, that's understandable. You know, Jaune and I have experience with setting up weddings. We could absolutely lend a hand if you two needed it."

"Totally!" Jaune agreed.

"Uh… thanks, you guys," mumbled Yang, suddenly apprehensive.

Blake had the same apprehension on her face. "We… we were actually going to tell you two that you can bring plus-ones, if you wanted to."

"Plus-ones?" Jaune and Pyrrha shared a confused look before Pyrrha spoke. "Well, we're probably just going to go with each other. I don't think we'll need the plus-ones."

Yang frowned. "Isn't that… maybe just a little bit weird?"

Pyrrha glanced at Jaune. "No, I don't think so. Why would that be?"

"Yeah, why would that be?" echoed Jaune.

"Are you being serious right now?" Yang almost yelled exasperatedly.

"Yang," Blake tried to interject. "You shouldn't –"

"No, I need to say this." Yang crossed her arms and leaned on the table. "You two have been separated for the last six months. Fuck, you're getting divorced! And you guys still cling to each other every waking day of every week! Isn't that just the slightest bit weird!?"

"Well, you're not completely right," protested Jaune. "Pyrrha's out of town most of the time doing her duties, much like you guys are. But I'm stuck at home grading papers and giving lectures to half-awake kids. So I don't get to see her that often."

"Ok, that's fair," Yang conceded. "But when she is around, you two are inseparable, which isn't really a thing that happens between two people who about to get divorced from each other. Not to mention, when you say 'home?' You two still live in the same house? I… I just don't get it."

"Well, we sleep in separate rooms," countered Pyrrha. "I mean… we're pretty separate."

"Totally," agreed Jaune. "Not weird at all. Right?"

"It is a little weird," admitted Blake.

Yang nodded. "Thank you!"

Pyrrha sighed. "Look, you two, we may be getting divorced, but we're still best friends."

"The bestest of friends," added Jaune.

"Absolutely. In fact, I think you guys should be happy for us. I mean, we used to argue all the time! You don't have to put up with that anymore. We're great now, and I think the fact that we still get along quite well is just a testament to our friendship," finished Pyrrha.

Jaune nodded. "So what if it's a little weird? Why should we care what other people think? I say we just do what makes us happy, and I'd say me and Pyrrha staying friends makes us pretty happy."

Yang lifted her hands in defeat. "If you say so. I'm just gonna say, as a friend, the way you two are heading right now, things are gonna change. For better or worse, I don't know, but they willchange."

"Nah." Jaune waved off her statement. "We'll be good."

Pyrrha nodded. "I think so, too. But let's not take the spotlight off of you and Blake! This is big news, after all. We should have a toast."

"To what?"

"How about… happiness?"

"Works for me. To happiness!"

"TO HAPPINESS!"

It was 10pm by the time Jaune and Pyrrha finished their dinner with the newly engaged couple. Jaune was driving this time around, weaving through the streets of Vale as they made their way back home.

They rode in silence for a while, as their thoughts raced, separate of each other. Sure, they still enjoyed each other's company, but it never was the same as it used to be. The two used to relish bathing and breathing in the other's presence, but nowadays their lives were not quite so intertwined.

Whether the closeness they once shared was something they missed remained a secret that each kept from the other.

Finally, Pyrrha broke the silence. "Hey, Jaune?"

"Hmmm?"

"… Yang and Blake are crazy, right?"

Jaune frowned, the city's lights reflecting off his face as the passed by. "For getting engaged? I mean, sure they might be polar opposites, and maybe human-faunus marriages aren't widely accepted yet, but –"

"No, silly!" Pyrrha shook her head, laughing. "I'm talking about what they said over dinner."

"How do you mean?" Jaune inquired.

"Well, I mean… them saying that what… we do… you know, us hanging out… is weird. We're not weird, right?" The redhead looked to Jaune for assurance.

"Nah. I don't think so."

"Yeah. Neither do I." Pyrrha smiled. "You're my best friend. You'll always be my best friend. You know that, right?"

Jaune smirked. "I do. The same goes for you. You're my best friend, too."

"Thanks, Jaune." Pyrrha went quiet for a moment, before turning back to the blonde. "Yang and Blake are completely crazy, right?"

"Totally. Like, Oobleck-level crazy."

"That's Doctor, to you."

"Oh hush," laughed Jaune. "As much as I respect the man, I'd like to forget the shitload of papers he made us write in that class. I swear if someone sent me back a couple hundred years, I could make a pretty decent living as a scribe."

Pyrrha giggled. "You could be an author, you know. I'm sure Blake could get you started on that route pretty easily if you wanted to."

"Nah. I'm great at writing, not so much at coming up with what to write." Jaune suddenly brightened. "Speaking of Oobleck, I ran into him at… no wait, guess where we ran into each other."

"Coffee shop?"

"Fuck!" Jaune double-taked. "How did you guess that so quickly?"

"It's Oobleck, silly," smiled the redhead. "I can't imagine that man lurking anywhere else outside of Beacon."

"… Fair enough," Jaune grumbled. "Anyway, I told him how I was teaching at the local hunter's school. He was surprised, to say the least."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "To be fair, almost everyone you've told so far has had their jaws hit the floor at your announcement. The great huntsman Jaune Arc retiring from hunting at twenty-six? Nobody saw that one coming."

"Okay, no need to patronize me," Jaune laughed.

"I wasn't trying to, I swear!"

"Uh-huh." Jaune smiled at her. "The hunter's life is brutal. If I'm honest, I'm not sure how you and the rest of the gang still manage to put yourselves through it. I really respect that, y'know."

"Not all of the gang," reminded Pyrrha. "Remember, Ruby's not going to be able to do any more missions after that horrible injury she went through last October."

"Oh yeah," murmured Jaune remorsefully. "Poor Rubes."

"She's a strong girl. She'll figure something out." Pyrrha turned to face him. "Anyway, you were saying how you told Doctor Oobleck you were a professor now?"

"Right!" Jaune brightened once more. "I told him all that… and he told me that he could easily put in a good word for me to Ozpin back at Beacon."

"Wait…" Pyrrha's eyes widened. "So that means…"

"No, it doesn't mean anything yet. But Oobleck says he'll give me a call if anything turns up."

"Oh my goodness, Jaune!" Pyrrha squealed in delight. "You might be teaching at Beacon!"

The blonde laughed at her excitement. "Nothing's set in stone yet, Pyr."

"I know, I know," beamed Pyrrha. "Still, the prospect of you being able to work at a place where we made so many memories is very exciting to me."

"Yeah, it would be. I can just imagine those halls and those classrooms… man, that would definitely be a sight for sore eyes."

"Yes, yes! And the dorms, and the commons, and… oh my God." She leaned towards him with a rare devious flash in her eyes. "The roof, Jaune."

Jaune grinned. "The roof."

"Please promise me that the first thing you when you get that job is to sneak me on to the roof so we can spar, just like old times."

"If, Pyr, not when." Jaune chuckled. "Plus, it's been a while. I'm probably out of practice. You'd wipe the floor with me."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Pleeeeeaaaase, Jaune?"

"… Sure," Jaune relented, albeit with a smile. "But if Goodwitch catches us, I'm blaming you."

The redhead smirked. "It'll be worth it. I promise."

They pulled up to the driveway at 10:30pm.

The one-story house was not extravagant, by any means. It was modest, but it was enough for Jaune and Pyrrha's humble lives. If they wanted to, they could most definitely purchase a more spacious and flashier property befitting of their reputation, but that was just not the lifestyle suited for the two.

They entered the house – and were greeted by a large, swiftly moving form.

"Oof!" grunted Jaune as fifty-five pounds of Atlesian husky pounced excitedly on the blonde, knocking him flat on his rear. "Geez, Hermes. Do you ever get any less enthusiastic or are you just running on eleven all the damn time?"

Hermes barked happily in response.

Pyrrha chuckled as she knelt down to hug the dog, rubbing the back of his head in the process. "I think he wants to know if you'll ever be any more enthusiastic. Ever."

Jaune shook his head. "Between the two of you, I just can't win, can I?"

"Nope," Pyrrha replied happily. Hermes barked in agreement.

"I figured as much," laughed Jaune, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna make some coffee. You want any?"

"No," Pyrrha yawned. "It's been a long day for me. I think I'm just going to shower and turn in. Catch up on some much-needed sleep."

"I'll bet." Jaune walked into the slightly outdated kitchen, with Hermes eagerly trotting after him. "Heard your last mission was a doozy."

Pyrrha smiled. "It was very rough. But it paid well, so all's well ends well, I suppose." She yawned again. "Oh my goodness, I think I might just fall asleep right here if I'm not careful."

"Go clean up and get some sleep, then. You deserve it." Jaune started the coffee maker. "I'll be up for a while reading through papers, if you need me."

"Okay." The redhead paused to watch Jaune pour an excessive amount of coffee grounds into the filter before heading to her side of the house. "I hope you don't start developing a dependence on coffee. I certainly do not want Doctor Oobleck as a roommate."

"Very funny. I think I'll act like him for a day just to fuck with you."

Pyrrha chuckled, already out of Jaune's sight. "Goodnight, Jaune."

"Lov-" He caught himself. "Goodnight, Pyrrha."

He listened for the door closing on the other end of the house. When it did, he subsequently smacked his head into the closest cupboard.

"Shit," he muttered quietly. "It's been six months. I gotta stop doing that."

Shaking his head, he checked the coffee brew and poured himself a hot, steaming mug. Looking down, he saw Hermes waiting patiently by his feet, staring at the blonde expectantly.

"Oh, you wanna hang out with me tonight? I thought you loved Pyrrha better." He patted the husky's head. "C'mon, then."

With the mug in hand, he grabbed the stack of papers from his shoulder bag with his other hand and headed towards the opposite end of the house. Hermes followed along happily.

So the cat's out of the bag. Jaune and Pyrrha are separated and getting divorced.

Hermes the dog was a very last minute addition. It was the middle of the night, and my brain went, 'They should have a dog,' and I said, 'Okay, brain,' and thus, the husky popped into existence. He's already my favorite character. And for the record, it was Pyrrha who bought and named the dog.

If you've figured out what movie this is based on, it was a fantastic movie. If not, then at this point you won't figure it out. At least not until I decide to reveal it. Maybe.

But yeah... going forward, the fic will be sparsely updated. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter - but I have no idea how to even start the next one. Decisions, decisions.

It also actually starts to get worse from here. Just so you get the disclaimer. This was a pretty vanilla chapter, if I do say so myself.

Reviews are always welcome.

Until then, you beautiful people!