There were a million reasons to say no. There were a million more to look him in the eye and tell him to wait. There was only one reason to say yes.

All of the odds were against them. All of the math promised that it wouldn't end well. She nodded in spite of herself. In spite of all of the reasons why she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that someone else…anyone else…probably would have told him no. She felt his fingers slip across her neck, grazing an old scar that she had acquired in her travels. She didn't even flinch as he ever so carefully tied the woven material around her neck.

Instead, she closed her eyes, and sighed into the kiss.

The cloth on her neck, woven silk, was something Blake had warned her about in passing. Faunus culture was complex, deep, and full of meaning. In all of her time living among them, Ruby never truly thought such customs would include to her. That she would never belong in such a delicate social structure.

And why should she? Her life had never been simple, it never followed the rules. Her life was just a tacked on experience of one weird story after another. That was fine, and more often than not, it was fun. Normally, she was completely alright with retelling her countless travels. Now though, it wasn't so easy.

As she laid herself bare before him, Sun could see the newest set of stories to be told. These scars that were fresh, pink, and new. The ones that changed her fate, and altered her very status, and state of being. They were the scars that called into question if she was still a huntress, or merely a former one.

She trembled at his gaze. The thought that he might see these closed wounds as weakness crossed her mind. That he might see them as the failures she knew them to be. Maybe they were silly fears to have, but she harbored them anyway…a timid, girlish expression had fallen over her. Shyness at war with the kisses he placed along those scars. Sun Wukong was ever the romantic…and his solid body pressed against hers was a foundation Ruby knew she hadn't truly had in a long time.

The love they made wasn't anything new. In fact it was all of the same emotions, all the same feelings, that Ruby had felt that fateful night that they'd shared together down in the mines. And that was the one reason she'd said yes. It was the only reason.

For all of the wrongs in her life, and in his, this felt right.

A long while later, when the muted thump of a tied off condom landed in a trash bag, he found Ruby studying him, as if lost in thought. She held his gaze for a short time, before trailing lower across his muscular form. Lower still to the thin sheet that covered the both of them from the waist down. "What?" He asked softly.

Deep silver eyes closed, old conversations and new rolling around in the recesses of her mind. She could have been wrong, but spending her time in the mining communities, chatting with Blake in passing, and bedding Sun, Ruby had come to several realized truths. "Faunus don't believe in contraception among committed pairs, right?"

He swallowed hard. He had told her that as a generalized practice, but that was only to fulfill a passing curiosity about the matter. "Well, yeah, but…I mean, that's among traditional Faunus pairs. It's hard for a woman to become pregnant outside of her heat cycle. That's why the rumors about sex-crazed Faunus exists, because that's the peek time…accidental pregnancies outside of heat induced delirium…well….that's kind of rare. It's not unheard of, obviously, but both people involved would have to be really reckless."

"Oh…" It was all Ruby could muster, unsure of what exactly that might mean for her and Sun. "I didn't know."

"Wasn't any reason for you to. We're anything but traditional." Sun replied. "And human women aren't…I mean…they don't work that way."

"You're right about that." She murmured quietly, snuggling up against him. "That's not a problem is it?"

"Na, course not." Sun chuckled. "I don't mind using protection. That's kind of the choice you have to make as a guy when you get involved with humans. Some dudes might complain about it, but I really don't see what the big deal is."

"Believe it or not, the people in patch don't believe in preventing pregnancy either, but it's a small island town. A lot of people don't exactly have sex before marriage anyway. It's not like the big city of Vale. The community is close, and everyone knows each other. I pretty much grew up in the weird family because of my dad...I don't want to say we were a bad influence or anything, but..."

"Had a reputation?" Sun offered.

Ruby nodded. "Let's just say that when we were around, people sort of kept an eye on their sons and daughters. Our parents were sort of weird, I suppose."

Sun barked a laugh, pulling Ruby closer, eyes closing as he breathed in their combined scents. "I guess spin the bottle was out of the question?"

"We just didn't care about it." She sighed contently, settling back in. Holding back a playful smile when she felt his tail wrap around her thigh to guide it over his hips. "Believe it or not, Yang didn't really get a reputation for that sort of thing until Beacon. Until then, Yang was more invested on being a big sister, and I was too young to be interested in that sort of thing."

"Really?" Sun murmured. "Wouldn't have guessed."

"She had boyfriends, but they were all guys we grew up with." Ruby continued. "Patch is the sort of place that when it was hot out, the parents would just sort of strip the really little kids down to their underwear, turn the hose on, and turn us loose…when that's the kind of community you grow up with, it's kind of hard to get into too much trouble when you get older. Everyone's looking out for everyone else…"

"Sounds like a nice place, really."

"Mm…it is…"

A loud fidgeting at the door caused Sun to roll his eyes as he sighed. "Guess who's awake."

"I'll get him." Ruby said, loathe to move from her warm place in bed, parting herself from the sheets and grabbing Sun's shirt. Up-doing the top three buttons as she padded for the door. Zhu had clearly rejected sleeping in a separate bed again. "I'm surprised he stayed in his bed as long as he did."

"I don't know why you bother doing that for." Sun teased. "He's too little to care."

"He might be, but I'm not." Ruby said softly with a little smirk, grabbing the boxers that were discarded on the wooden floor throwing it at him. "Cover up."

"Ugh, I hate clothes." He grumbled, doing what Ruby wanted. "Damn things should have never been invented."

"Sun, we're in Vacuo. If you want sand in places it doesn't belong, be my guest. I'm sure you'll change your tune back in Atlas." Ruby opened the door, allowing the small monkey tailed boy to launch himself into her arms.

Weiss knew that with two sons and a daughter on the way, there was plenty to be planned for the future, and although she knew it was still too early, she couldn't help herself as she opened up a file of prospective matches for her children during her lunch break. In the past she'd spoken with Pyrrha and Coco about arranged marriages. They both agreed to keep an open mind, but they weren't the only ones that Weiss had spoken with.

In fact, Weiss put the least stock in her friends when it came to following through with something like that…after all, neither one of them truly believed in the concept. Not that Weiss did either, not completely. She hoped that she might be able to give her children a wide variety of potential dating prospects for when the time came. Making those alliances started early.

She began at the top of the stack. "The future head Vale Dust Industries had a daughter a handful of years ago…"

"Weiss, you're bored out of your skull." Blake said with a laugh. "Let's go back to the house."

"I hear his wife is pregnant again." Weis continued, eyes still glued to the screen. "That kind of information might prove beneficial."

"Oh no you don't." Blake replied. "You are not going to try and absorb Vale Dust Industries."

"That honestly wasn't my intention." Weiss replied. "Though absorbing them in just might be good idea, something to consider, at any rate. Covertly buy into their stocks, and….hmmm…"

"Leave the poor man be. You don't need dust mines in Vale." The Faunus spoke truthfully. Love and exasperation mixing beneath the words. "And if that wasn't what you were thinking, than what exactly is all of this?"

"I was merely thinking in terms of their children being plausible suitors for ours." Weiss explained, none the wiser as golden eye narrowed. "They come from a well-to-do family background. Highly respectable."

"For the last time, no. Put those away." Blake chastised, kissing her wife deeply as she slid the folder out from underneath her dainty hands. "They're not even born yet, stop fussing over possible mates. It's a silly thing to be worried about."

"I'll stop fussing with these, if you stop fussing with the nest." Weiss said, pulling the folder back towards her. "And for the last time, pick a proper governess. If none of the ones I've located seem good enough, I'll find others."

"I don't want a governess." Blake deadpanned. "If we need a baby sitter, we have plenty of willing friends, but I'm not going to allow anyone to raise our cubs except for us."

"They do more than raise children. They tutor them as well. It's a wonderful way to make sure they get a good strong head start in life."

"No governess." Blake insisted smoothly. "No stranger will be tutoring our cubs until they're much, much older."

"I don't suppose you will allow me to get back to work, now do you?" Weiss opened the folder, only to have it snatched away, and flung right off the other end of the desk. Papers flying and littering the floor. "Honestly, couldn't you have shown a little restraint?"

"Nope." Blake purred, keen on having the attention she so dearly sight after. "And the next piece of paper that so much as hits this desk is going to be shredded."

"Blake, dear, this is getting to be a bit much." Weiss sighed, rolling her eyes as she felt Blake start kissing at her neck. "If you rip another one of my shirts again..."

"Then lock the door and take it off." Blake offered playfully. "I could help you with that, if you'd like..."

"I'm working." Weiss protested as she felt a tug on her shirt collar. "Blake…don't you even…BLAKE!"

The Faunus purred happily, spitting out the torn fabric, ignorant of her wife's discontent. Now she could fit her nose right where she wanted it, no fabric to deter her. "Mine." The scent was glorious, so purely Weiss and thus, so perfect.

"Yes..." Weiss sighed at length. "Incredibly frazzled, exhausted, and wondering why you keep killing my clothes, but yes…I'm yours…"

Weiss knew that Blake couldn't entirely control the behavior. Over in the Adel household, Coco and Fox were enduring an equally demanding rabbit Faunus. In fact, considering that Coco had just suffered an entire conference call with Velvet in her lap, Weiss knew this was mild in comparison. At least Blake had waited until the call was over to storm the room demanding attention. She was also beginning to understand why Coco had been wearing halter tops lately…even though the fashionista often complained that she hated them.

Blake squirmed her incredibly pregnant way into her mate's lap, and Weiss was suddenly very grateful she had listened to Coco and purchased the new office chair from the local 'big and tall' shop. The double wide seat and added arm space allowed Blake to cuddle into her mate, in spite of her pregnant belly getting in the way.

"Are you happy now?" Weiss asked, as Blake settled in.

"Mm," Blake sounded her agreement quietly. "Very happy."

"Then I'm glad." Weiss wrapped her arms around her wife, the angle made even more awkward by her much slighter frame.

Blake was so happy, and so tired. Her ears began to droop before flattening back entirely to block out unwanted noise from the office. "They've been fighting around all day...I don't think you'll be able to keep these long hours for much longer." Blake told her in-between purrs. "They've finally stopped." Snuggling closer still, she yawned against her wife's shoulder. "Must have missed you too."

"So if I were to continue to go over company reports?" When no reply came, she tried again. "Blake?" No sound, and even the soft rumbling purr edged to a stop. "Of all the places for you to fall asleep…" This wasn't a comfortable way to sit, not in any capacity, and with no way to even reach her computer terminal, even work was out of the question. The only thing she could do was reach a little call button that buzzed Yang's scroll.

It wasn't too long before Yang entered the room. "Yeah boss?"

"Yang…please just…" She was in no mood, or position for that matter, to yell at Yang for that infernal nickname, so she rolled her eyes instead. "I need you to take Blake home and put her to bed."

"I don't know if I should. She looks pretty comfortable to me." Yang replied, coming around to the other side of the office. "Might be best to let Blakey sleep where she is."

"No teasing, no clowning around, just put her to bed, Yang." Weiss threatened with a scowl to match. "I don't have nearly the time for work that I used to have."

"Kind of wasn't kidding, though, Weiss." Yang said awkwardly. "I mean, I'll carry her, but maybe you should go too. Blake's really not happy about being away from you for too long anymore. Also, I don't think Winter is actually a substitute for Ruby and Sun...not that I don't cheer the effort, but when it comes to helping keep Blake distracted, Winter's just not the answer."

"I already plan on taking time off after the children are born, Yang. If I want to maximize that allotted time, I can't be lazy and leave work whenever I please." She told her friend with a guilty looking expression. "I wish things weren't so busy...but they are."

"Going to get crazier too…"

"Yes, I know." Tiredly weaving her fingers through Blake's dark tresses, she rolled her eyes. She was sure all of this talking would wake her wife up, but she was clearly more tired than Weiss had first assumed. "Perhaps Pyrrha and Jaune will prove a reasonable distraction…more reasonable, at least, than my sister."

"They're bringing the girls again, and according to Pyrrha they're excited to get some more training in." Yang warned, passing Weiss a thick white booklet. "Hope you didn't bite off more than you can chew…"

"Don't we always?" Weiss opened up her planner, cringing at all of the added notes. She closed it and set it off to the side. "It's no matter, I'll have to find some time…or make time, somehow…oh, alright fine. You win, I'll go home too."

But, if anything was true as of late, time was simply not on her side.