AYangThang: This used to be part of the last chapter, but seeing as that would have made it well over 6k in length, I decided to split it up. However, because of that, it would be an injustice not to provide the other half today. I would have had this up earlier had it not been for work. Anyway, see you all Monday.

Blake swore there was something off about the scent in the air when she woke up that morning. It seemed different somehow, though she couldn't place why. Her sense of smell was keen, her sense of hearing keener. Every time Ruby passed by the bedroom door, the smell came back. This happened a few times over the course of about an hour.

Blake quickly became aware that the dysfunction in the air, for some odd reason, wafted from the younger woman. Thinking very little of the matter as first, Blake dressed and went about her morning ritual. Then, she walked out into the hallway.

There was a scent in the house…a very aggressively protective scent in the house…one that was like a big neon sign. In. Her. House.

Blake knew who it belonged to, and while it wasn't a true threat, it was annoying. She wasn't entirely sure that she liked the fact that it was in her own home. Blake took in another deep inhalation of air, frowning deeply. Yep. It was Sun leaving his mark, and it meant in no uncertain terms to keep all eyes and hands off of his girl. Ruby was none the wiser as she went about her daily chores, but Blake felt her spine crawl every time she so much as looked at the young woman.

It was a conflict of territory.

This wasn't part of Faunus custom. Her ear flicked in agitation, the smell wafting strongly again. Blake sighed, more annoyed than truly angry, but this would not be allowed in her household. She would not stand for any Faunus, friend or not, to start taking such liberties. Standing up slowly, she approached her body guard.

"Ruby…" Blake said slowly. "Roll up your shirt sleeve…"

"Uh…" Ruby did as she was told. "Oh, this?"

"That…" Blake withheld a growl. "Do you know what that is, Ruby?"

"Sun said it was like a promise ring of sorts…that one Faunus would give one to another…" Ruby shrugged. "Is something the matter?"

"No…if it's what you wanted." Blake told her, palm coming up rub at her nose, irritated senses be damned. It was just so intuitively wrong. "There's about to be a huge problem, though, if you didn't want to be scent marked."

"Scent marked?" Ruby murmured.

"Ruby…simple, Faunus related question…" Blake replied. "Did you ask him to override my scent that was on you?"

"Did I what?" Ruby shook her head. "I don't understand."

"That was all I needed to know…I need to go have a talk with Sun…nothing bad, but I need you to promise me you'll stay here for a second. I'll be right back."

"If…if you think that's for the best."

"Trust me, Ruby, it is…this is a Faunus matter only…excuse me…" Blake maintained her composure until she was out of Ruby's vision.

Then, she growled, going to locate her friend in question. He was still, as her nose told her, in Ruby's room. She didn't hesitate to fling the door open and march right passed the central seating area. The bedroom beyond was a cozy. There he was, Sun, resting none the wiser…until Blake grabbed him by the tail and yanked, flinging him to the floor. Grabbing him by the hair, she pressed him further into the wall.

"Sun…" She snarled. "What the hell…"

"Whoops?" He asked, his voice an octave higher than normal as he glimpsed angry golden eyes. He knew exactly what he'd done wrong, and submitted immediately.

"I'll give you whoops…" She said, smacking him in the back of the head. "Idiot…just what do you think you're doing claiming territory in my household?" Ignoring his well-endowed nakedness she stared him down.

"I…didn't think you would mind."

"I get that she's a human. That a lot of our rules don't apply to her, but this is my home….this is my family…I am the alpha around here, and you will respect that." Blake grabbing him by the hair again, taking a rather pointed sniff. She brought him inches from her face. "Rutting her is one thing, but mark territory in my domain again, and Yang's temper will seem mild in comparison. Do I make myself abundantly clear?"

"Crystal…" He squeaked as she let him go.

"Good, then put some pants on, and come down for breakfast…Ruby's probably worried because you don't think before you act." She replied, turning on her heel and exiting the room where the smell was the worst. Every inhalation was like another reminder that Sun wasn't only interested in Ruby, he didn't want anyone near her. It was so pervasive to the senses that it reminded Blake of her days in the White Fang.

Where every room and corridor was a battle of dominance and scent supremacy. It ignited feral, dormant, desires to reclaim her position of power in her own home. It made her edgy, as her predatory instincts told her assert her dominance over any who might call it into question. She needed to dull that scent of Sun's, and dull it quickly.

She went to her bedroom and picked out one of her sweaters, bringing it back to Ruby. "If you're going to be around me, I need you to put this on, Ruby." Blake said, crinkling her nose as she stood side by side with the girl.

"I don't even know what's going on…" Ruby did as she was told, but she just didn't understand. "Do I smell bad, or something?"

"To the rest of the world, probably not…but to me, yes." Blake sighed, leading the younger woman to the table. "He gave you…well, what would be equal to a promise ring Ruby, but you need to understand something. It carries his scent. Those arm bands are special…we use them to mark territory. Scent is one part of our communication. It can mean everything from a friendly greeting…too claiming something…"

Ruby nodded, knowing that claiming was not exactly a bad thing. Blake used the term often. "So, he did that, then?"

"In a manner of speaking…" Blake allowed, deciding to school her expression and keep it neutral. "The problem is, this is my household. I'm married to Weiss, I am the Faunus in charge…this is my territory…and since you live under my roof, that makes him a lowly beta trying to enter into my domain…which is fine, I'm happy to have him. Still, there are proper ways to go about it, and he didn't…I had to correct that."

"Yeah, like I said, whoops." Sun smirked, scratching the back of his head where Blake had tugged so hard. Actually, he'd come out of the matter lucky.

"Don't you dare do that again." Blake warned, but her own scent wafted heavily in more than a threat. It was a promise. If he made an oversight like that again, she would wipe the floor with him. "You want to mark her like that, you do it outside of this house, or you defer to me…those are your options…"

"Defer?" Ruby spoke aloud.

"Faunus term, Ruby." Sun replied simply. "I did something a little stupid, Blake corrected me. It's not something you need to worry about. We're good now."

"Indeed…Ruby, you and I will discuss that when the time is right." Blake explained, giving Sun another look. "Which is something I will decide…and Sun will mind his manners until then. You will need a shower later though." Blake replied. "After breakfast, would be best. My nose is telling me to stay away from you…since this is my house, that's actually pretty offensive…"

"Well…" Sun said, sheepishly, his tail flicking. "There are a lot of servants around here…and I just wanted to…you know...make it known."

Blake rolled her eyes at him. "Well, you certainly managed to accomplish that."

Saturday came around quickly, and so did the meeting with Oobleck.

The procedure sounded much more complicated in verbal communication than it was in practice. Then again, it was a much longer process than either Blake or Weiss had been fully prepared for, leaving all of team RWBY frazzled. Weiss had to set up temporary dwellings in Vale. That way, Blake didn't have to fly back and forth like a madwoman, and Oobleck could monitor her progress properly.

The problem this created was twofold.

Firstly, Weiss was flying back to Atlas regularly for business meetings. Secondly, Yang was going bonkers from the nightmare security detail became…and it would only get worse. The first step in the entire baby making escapade was the use of fertility drugs, which both Weiss and Blake had to go on. Unfortunately for Blake, the medicine had a rather particular side effect.

"I have no idea why you're getting dressed…" Yang said, having allowed Weiss to use her shower. "It's been two days, and Blake's going to be zero to sixty."

"What do you propose I do, get on the elevator naked?" Weiss replied, dressing in a clean, scent free shirt and blazer.

"Well…" Yang grinned wolfishly. "Not saying some people wouldn't appreciate the view."

"Some people more than others." Weiss looked at herself in the mirror, lacking cosmetics, hair free of its usual constraints. "I've no idea why you'd even want too. I'm not much to look at."

"Hey, I'm not a raging pervert or anything, but I hope you realize you're selling yourself short."

"I'm honestly not. My looks are suited for refinery. I'm the dainty, pretty little woman that you put on display with a huge sign that reads; look but don't touch." Weiss replied then, her words more cynical than she wanted them to be. "You're different. You have all the right curves in all the right places."

"I'd hardly call you dainty." Yang laughed at this, a dirty little grin speaking well of her thoughts. "I've seen those claw marks. You must be more robust than you give yourself credit for. I know the kind of kinks she's into…then again, there was that pair of panties I found under the dining room table that one time. You never did explain that one."

"Yang, why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Flirt with everything that moves?" Weiss said to her. "And don't think I haven't noticed the pattern, either. It may be harmless, but that the problem. The people you flirt with won't take it anywhere. You know you're doomed to fail from the start." She set down her hair brush, turning to give Yang a soft, understanding look. "You may get a quickie every now and then, but when was the last time you really let your guard down?"

Yang drummed her finger on the door frame. "That a serious question?"

"I make quips because we've avoided the topic. Our entire friendship revolves around our more acerbic tendencies." Weiss explained, feeling as even that was some sort of mortal sin. "It truly does concern me though. As much as we banter about it when the day is done, I know there's a reason you keep doing it."

"I've been thinking about that a lot recently, and you know, Ruby's right." Yang said after a short while. "I'm a control freak."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Oh, you are not…"

"So says the queen control freak." Yang shot back, but her grin fell. "No, really, I kind of am. My flirting extends to that. Like you said, I might get a quickie, but I don't let anything last."

"Why not?"

"I don't think I've ever felt like I had the chance. So, I just never have." Running over it in her mind, her lilac eyes trailed to the floor. "You and Blake, you two are the only ones that just go with the flow…you guys let me say what I want, don't take it out of context…you don't think I'm actually going to start something, or that I'm some kind of slut…you don't think less of me, or anything like that…you joke about it, Weiss, because you know I want you to."

"And even though you're grateful for that, deep down, you wish one of us would have taken it someplace." Weiss had always suspected that. Yang wasn't exactly subtle. "Maybe then, you would have let yourself let go…is that it?"

Yang shrugged, looked away.

Weiss broke the silence before it could consume them. "That's why it would never have worked out."

"Huh?"

"You would have been the comfortable choice, the easy way out." Weiss murmured, reaching up to run her fingers though long curly locks of blonde. "You're fun to be with Yang, and you're a really great friend. More than anyone could ever ask for. You would have given me anything I ever wanted, protected me from all of the bad things in this world. You always stood in front of us…protecting us…" She pulled away, seeing those hurt lilac eyes growing wet. "I needed someone beside me, not in front of me."

Missed chances, ignored opportunities, all of them were choices Yang made willingly at the time. She didn't regret it, but it still hurt.

"Yang, that's the difference. Blake stood…stands…by my side. She's not my pillar of strength. She's not the easy way out…we've made our lives harder by being together, and for reasons I still don't understand, she wants to be by my side." Even thinking about that was overwhelming. "It's not rational, it doesn't tick all the boxes, it isn't a fairytale. What I have with her, I know in my heart I'd never be able to have with anyone else. It's not easy, and I'm entirely okay with that."

"What am I doing wrong?" Yang asked, trying to push away the tears that just kept flowing. "I've been the best friend, the big sister, the she-hulk, my whole life. I'm always the 'comfortable' option Weiss…but if I'm so perfect, why doesn't anyone ever want me? If I have all of these wonderful things to give, why won't anyone actually take it?"

"Because you're looking in all of the comfortable places too, but, that isn't going to work." Weiss was probably in the top ten most unsuitable people to dole out hugs.

She wasn't a warm person, and she didn't like surprise contact from anyone besides Blake. Still, Yang was her friend, and the blonde deserved her best attempt, even if Blake or Ruby would have been much better suited to the task.

"Trust me, when you stand in the right place, with the right person, you'll know." Weiss promised. "It won't even be a question, you won't even have to ask, because you'll just know."

Weiss tiptoed around carefully as she entered the presidential suite. She was sure to shower in Yang's room before actually announcing her presence, and for good reason. The medicine had forcefully induced Blake's heat cycle, and it was in full swing. Weiss peeked around the corner worriedly, only just barely bracing herself for the oncoming ambush. Blake, overjoyed at the fact that Weiss was finally back, lunged from her position in one of the armchairs.

"Mine." Blake purred happily, having pinned Weiss to the ground.

"Yes, yours." Weiss rolled her eyes before she finally saw that thin rim of gold. "Blake…sweetheart..." She was in for it now. She'd left Blake alone too long. "When was the last time you had any catnip?"

Blake was all purrs, no speech. She wasted no time nuzzling that long white hair out of the way of her wife's tender neck. Eyes dilated, sharp teeth nipping at pale skin before cloth impeded her way. Quite the feral little sound protruded her lips at this, her purrs intensified to a lower, wild tone. The cat Faunus bit into the fabric and tugged, tearing into the white and baby blue fabric. Blake issued another sound at this.

Longing, and sadness, glee and arousal mixing into that rumbling whine.

"I know, I know…I'm sorry." Weiss murmured, wincing when a sharp nip to her shoulder was both pleasurable and painful at the same time. "Did you really miss me that much?"

Blake purred louder in response to this question, already making quick work of her wife's clothes. What she couldn't fumble with quickly enough, she merely shredded, leaving tattered cloth in ribbons, and Weiss struggling to determine if this was the sexiest heat cycle she had ever seen out of Blake, or the most frightening. Seemingly thrilled that she'd thoroughly murdered the fabric that had offended her, Blake started to relax, finally able to pick up her wife's scent after being separated for far too long.

Blake took in the scent deeply, curling around Weiss tightly, her frazzled senses slowly returning as her mate was back in her arms. All was finally right with the world.

"Blake I have your-" Ruby very nearly dropped the bowl she had in her hands. "Uhhh..."

Blue eyes trailed over to that familiar voice, looking up at Ruby. Her left shirt sleeve looked like it encountered a paper shredder. "I'd ask what in the world happened to you, but, I get the feeling I've already figured that out."

"Oh, yeah…" Ruby grinned sheepishly. "I kind of spooked her, earlier. I didn't mean it…honest...it just sort of happened."

Weiss looked back to her own state of disheveled undress. Her shirt and Blazer were goners, but her bra, being of the strapless variety, thankfully survived. "Oh…Blake…" Threads of apology weaved into her voice. Her hands weaved into Blake's hair, and then her fingertips trailed to her painfully pinned back ears. Weiss sent Ruby a searching look. "You know, Ruby, I expect that kind of fashion carnage from Yang, not you."

"Yeah, well, I forgot what you said about not borrowing your laundry detergent…" Ruby said shyly, placing the bowl on the table nearby. "She ambushed me at the door thinking I was you."

"It was an accident…" Blake protested, face crimson red as her voice finally came back to her. Thick with need, and slightly mortified. "I'm sorry, Ruby, really."

"I told you before, no harm done." Ruby said, brushing off the strangely common occurrence. It wasn't the first time in her life she'd been mistaken for Weiss, and really, it was her fault for forgetting about the detergent in the first place.

"You dolt…" Weiss deadpanned, she shouldn't have been surprised. "If you're going to walk around smelling like me, at least let her know it's you before walking in. I've told you this before."

"Please don't get mad at her." Blake murmured, still embarrassed. "I'm the one that nearly used her as a scratching post." Loathe though she was to do it, Blake finally lifted herself off the ground, and subsequently, off of Weiss. "Do you want some noodles? Ruby ordered takeout."

Weiss nodded. She was actually quiet hungry, but she eyed Blake in sympathy. Two days really was torture for Blake to be away from Weiss entirely, not just physically, but emotionally too. "Are you sure you don't need…" She trailed off, eyes flicking towards the bedroom.

Those deep golden pools slipped behind Blake's closed eyes, as she pulled Weiss closer once more. "I'm okay…"

"You are not…" Ruby turned to Weiss. "She's lying, she's exhausted." Ruby ranted then. "She hasn't slept since you left, and she's been a total basket case since yesterday afternoon. Her migraine last night was so bad, she was curled up on the bathroom floor for three hours…she's not okay." Ruby lifted her arm. "This…" She pointed to Weiss. "And now that…"

Weiss and Ruby shared a sort of glance that only battle partners ever could. Ruby smirked, giving a lopsided salute before she left the room to go take her post outside the entry door. This, fortunately, left Weiss to deal with her stubborn, heat ridden wife.

Weiss looked at Blake up and down. They'd eat some real food later. "You…bedroom…now…"