"There, you see? You thought we were bad as students." Blake said, laughing idly, finding just the man she wanted to see. "You have no excuse for demolishing the battle dome."

"Indeed, quite the carnage, now that I take the time to look. I suppose we did get a little carried away." Ozpin agreed, fixing his glasses. "My semblance is nothing to trifle with, I'm afraid."

"No, apparently not." Blake said, having witnessed firsthand the absurd level of power the cane wielding man had at his disposal. "It's nice to know you're all still as spry as I hoped."

"My gray hair is from my many years as an administrator." Ozpin said to her with a chuckle. "I'm not that old…not yet, anyway. Though, I suppose I'm not getting any younger, either."

"My apologies then, for being one such student. Glynda seemed to send you flying around quite a bit though, so perhaps the apology should go to her?"

"I'll have you know she took every bit of vile pleasure at my expense. I tend to find accidentally underestimating a combat instructor is never a wise idea."

"Obviously not." Blake smirked.

"Still, it was enjoyable to remember what being competitive among friends is actually like. Though, I do believe I'll leave such rambunctious behavior to my more than tenacious students." As he said this, he looked down to view Winter showing off a brand new battle drone. "Schnee family advancements never cease to amaze me." Watching from one of the balconies gave him an impressive place to watch the newest scene unfold. "I presume the new security drones were Ruby's doing?"

"Not at all, she's more interested in our weapon upgrades." Blake replied with a laugh. "She did approve the final schematics, but it was Winter who insisted on the upgrades. They've been several years in the making, a fully new operating system included."

"I'm surprised you haven't had a hand in it." He said slowly.

"I do better with people." Blake said, though now she wondered if that was true anymore. "At this point, I've given up my position to Yang. I have no intention to work while the cubs are young."

"An admirable choice."

"Stressful too." She said.

"Do you believe you will find yourself regretting stepping down?"

Blake didn't miss the paperwork, but she did miss being privy to the chatter in the offices. Spending time as head of security personnel, along with her own history, gave her a paranoid view of how criminals thought. She wasn't exactly conceited, but putting the safety of thousands in someone else's hands, even if those hands were Yang's, was a little concerning. Especially since she could no longer be there to watch Yang's back, as their many years of partnership had once allowed for.

"No I won't regret it, even if I am a little worried." She said thoughtfully. "I'm looking forward to being a mother, and those responsibilities are my top priority now. Although, I have a feeling I'll be helping Weiss with administrative documents, if only to keep her around the house more often."

"Well, if you ever do find yourself bored out of your mind, we've recently installed a new lecture hall. Along with it, the ability to utilize holographic conferencing to individual desks." He said invitingly and at length. "Should you choose to occupy your time in other endeavors, there are always openings for teachers, guest speakers, and tutors. I've said this before, but I would never hesitate to hire someone of your caliber."

Blake smiled at that. "Perhaps in a few years, I just might take you up on that. We will have to see."

The ball was being held at the SDC headquarters, and the lavished banquet went without saying. Releasing official statements on the latest and greatest in Schnee technology was the highlight of the year for many in the north. Everyone was putting on a good show in one form or another, lending their many talents to the table. The entertainment was lively this year, unusually so.

Winter participated in the program, demonstrating combat drills of assorting difficulty. SDC hunters showcased their prowess against challengers, and the talk of the evening was of special import. A battle that wasn't expected, and wasn't planned as Winter and Glynda stepped into the ring to playfully face off against Ozpin and Ironwood.

The preverbal war of the sexes waging onward after one too many comments among nobles brought the skill of women into question. Winter could not, would not let such questions stand...and Glynda hadn't been too keen to keep quiet either. None of them used their full potential, as doing so would have decimated the entire building. Still, it had been one of the many breathtaking moments of the night, and the repair cost of the battle dome would be remembered for years to come.

While the guests applauded the gritty and dangerous new advancements in military technology on the lower floor, on a floor above that there was dancing to be done. The family entertained a great many guests. As always, Weiss and refrained from rolling her eyes when she was dragged away from her wife for long periods of time. Professor Port's long winded spiel about his newest batch of students under his wing never ceased to grow longer by the day.

Every time he told such stories, new events seemed to spark out of nowhere.

She looked over her shoulder, taking a breath when she saw that Blake was currently chatting with Ozpin. It was probably the more engaging of the two conversations, all truth be told, but she still listened to the older man's bluster with her well trained ear and sense of propriety.

"-But surely you all know exactly what I mean about children and their newfangled weaponry."

That address caught her attention, and Weiss nodded. "It's a byproduct of the industry. Beacon will simply have to keep up with our military's advancements if you have any hope of maintaining the sort of enrollment that you had back when I attended." She nodded over to the youth that were over in one of the furthest corners. Seemingly making a game of keeping well away from the eyes of most of the adults. "Though I think you'll find the task harder than before. Even I find all of the newest advancements taxing on the mind, and I'm the one that normally gives the final approval of the schematics."

The men around her gave a laugh at that, some more boisterous than others. It was a distant friend of the family who spoke up next. "You know, you really should grace us with your own expertise in the field. You never do showings anymore. A shame to let the task fall to Winter."

"That's because she's not foolhardy enough to try." Port replied, with a wave of his hand and a firm dismissal.

"Are you going to take that, Weiss, are a huntress, are you not?"

"I attended Beacon to become a slayer of Grimm. A practitioner in the art of combat against beasts. I am not, nor will I ever be, suitable in the event of war-games. If I wanted to have the same prowess as my sister, I would have attended the academy in Atlas." Weiss chided, looking down her nose at the wealthy male in front of her, who had never so much as used a knife to protect himself, much less slay one of the foul creatures. "Besides, he is most certainly right. You can hardly equate the two professions, I would be foolish to try."

"And even without participating, the stories she has to tell make many of mine seem completely dull." Port continued. "And I don't say such things lightly, as you know."

"Flattering, but you'd be mistaken. My stories revolve around youthful indiscretion, undermining authority, and pointedly looking for trouble. They're nothing to brag about, even if some good did come from all of that." Weiss said primly, though she was proud to say her efforts as a huntress were well remembered.

"Aren't they all?" Port laughed. "My boyhood was much the same. Ah, the plight of all in our line of work. It suits the youth to be so fired up."

"I suppose so, although if you want to hear stories, I'm not the one to ask. Ruby's the real huntress, the only one to stick to the task well after graduation. She has stories that would put yours to shame, professor."

"Speaking of, I haven't seen her around." Taiyang Xiao Long replied from his place in the corner of the group. He wasn't much for dinner and dancing, and if he hadn't been chaperoning a bunch of Signal's finest athletes, he would have politely declined the invitation. "I thought for sure she'd be here."

"Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct...but given the current situation, she decided to take a holiday. I saw no reason to deny the request for time off."

"It was a shoulder injury that harmed her, correct?" This came from Oobleck, concern edging his tone.

"News travels fast. I didn't expect anyone to have heard." Weiss said, surprise evident, confusion more so. "We made a point to keep the press well away from her, so the news was never broadcasted."

"There's no reason to hide it among friends." Taiyang said with a shrug. "Ruby got hurt, as an emergency contact, the doctors gave me the information too. I told Qrow, and well, next thing you know, half of Beacon was ringing me up. They kept asking how she was, eventually, I had to say something."

"We refrained from calling Atlas so as not to distress her." Oobleck pitched in again, which clearly had disgruntled Port quite a bit, if the man's murmured ranting was anything to go by. "Ruby's never been one to enjoy the spotlight on any occasion, most certainly not a negative one. However, as a former student, and now among us as an equal, it's our given right and duty to worry about her."

"Well, then let me give you this piece of gossip to mull over." Weiss offered, her voice purely conversational at best. "Her leave of absence isn't for a set number of days. She's currently spending her time abroad with Sun. The only thing I know for sure, is that she will return prior to Blake's due date."

"Is that so…" Ruby's father grinned trailing off. "Explains why he always seems to be around when I call to check in on the girls. She's smitten, I'll bet. Certainly seemed so over our last call. Still, I never imagined she'd take a vacation with him."

"Indeed, she has." Weiss replied happily. "Anything beyond that is to your speculation. I promise you the prospects of that are far more positive, and interesting to debate, if we must do so at all."

"Which leads me to wonder about that, over there…" He said, leveling his finger over to Yang.

"Too afraid to stick your nose into it yourself, I presume? Well, frankly I don't blame you." Weiss lifted an eyebrow, but her knowing smirk spoke wonders. "It's a mystery to us all, unconfirmed yet, but I think the sight of the two of them speaks for itself. The betting pool is ongoing, though, if you wish to partake the festivities."

"Hmm…no, I don't think I will." He said with a chuckle. "Part of the ole Xiao Long charm is that we don't kiss and tell." He earned a healthy round of teasing as they compared his youthful endeavors in romance with Yang's own, and it was with this thankfully disturbing transition in conversation that Weiss made her escape from the mostly masculine circle of peers.

"Are you okay, Blake?" Pyrrha asked. "Do you need to sit down and rest?"

"I feel like I should ask the same of you." Blake said tiredly, her exhaustion evident. "Quite the performance you put on."

"I feel as though you're dodging the question."

"I am tired." Blake admitted then. "These parties are emotionally draining when everything is going right, and I don't feel dead on my feet. I don't have time to worry about it, though. I have a few more rounds to make."

"I know better to try and dissuade you, so I'm simply going to claim ignorance." Pyrrha told Blake after she sighed. "Just promise me you won't push yourself too hard. Weiss would not be happy to know I allowed you to overexert yourself."

"I won't." Blake said, catching the eye of a few students from the recruitment programs that Pyrrha had handpicked to be chosen for full scholarships to a top rated school of their choice. "In the meantime, you should go over and congratulate them, they've been eyeing you all night."

"I should." Pyrrha sighed, affixing her painted on perfect smile made for all of the off-putting hero worship. "You're sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Blake nodded. "I just have a few more guests to greet, and then I'm going to go sit and relax with Velvet."

"So long as you're sure..."

"I am."

Blake didn't like greeting most of the Atlas elite. They were insufferable, even to Weiss, and so Blake had a difficult time. Still, she played the part her mate needed her to. Smiling and laughing with guests, and ignoring the snide and knowing looks from those who didn't approve of her Faunus heritage. The murmuring of her obvious belly ran rampant, and she finally caught a glimpse of a few knowing looks from some of the older gentlemen.

Several still held stock within the company, and she had to do her best to maintain their approval. Even though they attended with their wives or female companions, it seemed that meant nothing to them. Blake was beginning to understand that the scents on these men were not the sort that merely came from a housemaid. Though they didn't reek of the sexual deviancy that Wilson Schnee accused many of his peers in dabbling in, either.

Still, Blake had to admit that some of these men had been strangely kind to her in the past, especially whenever Weiss stood at her side. It was entirely possible these older gentlemen were equally as kind to their maids. Favoring them, showering them with gifts, and seeking particular favors on the side, when they'd least get caught. That would certainly explain why the scents of different Faunus lingered in the air around them. She pushed her ire aside whenever she had the displeasure of sharing conversations with them, but it was no easy task.

Now, she knew why they took such acceptance to her, and it boiled her blood.

They looked at her as though she was merely a sexual plaything. An erotic toy to be fondled. A conquest, or a prize Weiss had decided to keep possession of. Some of them even murmured worse things. Sordid and asinine assumptions that the family's offspring would prove wonderful consorts in the future for those looking for an exotic…pet...of near perfect breeding.

She flattened her ears, and bit back a snarl, forcing herself into a place of peace and calm.

She didn't lash out right then and there, but it was a near thing. Her temper was made worse by Blake's own exhaustion. Needing to get away and rest, she seated herself in a corner alongside Velvet, the two of them lamenting their conditions as their mates moved through the crowd expertly.

"Coco has absolutely no tact." Velvet said quietly, noticing that her mate's hand was firmly in Fox's butt pocket, as if to hold him there. "And she wonders why we're always referred to as the promiscuous ones."

"He's letting her do it." Blake intoned with a tiny smirk. "Better yet, he seems to be enjoying it."

"That's true." Velvet groused. "He loves being paraded around, even if he gets passive aggressive about it. Part of it is Coco's lewd promises that she continually makes to him. Another part is simply that he knows it bothers people. Though, they're not the only ones making spectacles of themselves."

"That's true, but Weiss normally does it on accident." Her gaze was firmly planted on her wife. Weiss was caught up in a mesmerizing dance with Jaune. It was always such a sight to see. Weiss in his arms, twirling around the floor expertly. "Thank god she's a lesbian, otherwise seeing that would almost make me jealous."

"Hmm." Velvet agreed wordlessly. There was a deep chemistry between the two dancers. Predicable, but no less amazing to view. Jaune was a good looking man, with a nearly perfect grin and spring in his step. It was his soft personality and awkwardness that held him back. He had never grown out of either of those things entirely, but in this moment, that didn't matter. He was in his element, carefree, and it showed. "Too bad you don't see fit to keep multiple lovers. Pyrrha and Jaune would make wonderful additions as mates for you. Especially Jaune, he's very virile."

Blake blinked and looked over to Velvet. "That has got to be the hormones talking…" She reached over, handing her ailing friend a cold glass of water. "Sip on this."

"Of course it's the hormones. It makes the matter no less true." Velvet said low enough not to be overheard by the humans nearby. Allowing another dejected sigh, she shook her head, fighting the desire to douse herself in her sparkling water. "Then again, I don't know how you manage to keep from ravishing Weiss the moment she goes to your bed every night. I'm nearly at my wits end with Coco and Fox. Its times like this I curse my ancestral blood."

"Weiss is too busy exhausting herself in other domestic duties. I honestly worry she may be pushing herself too hard to try and please me. It's incredibly endearing, but sometimes I really do wish she would take some time for herself." Blake whispered, trying to ignore the truth of her own desire. "Besides, the tradition is meant to ease us into the upcoming adjustment period. Faunus rarely leave the nesting area for several months after their children are born. It does the heart good to go back to the little things that started it all."

"Speak for yourself." Velvet said with an upraised eyebrow. "For us, casual sex is what started it all. Complicated things like love and romance didn't come along until later."

"And here I was, wondering how you managed to get pregnant so often." Blake said good naturedly causing Velvet to laugh softly.

"All joking aside, I do cherish this time, frustrations and all. I think, as Faunus such as ourselves, it's important that we remember why we chose human mates in the first place." Velvet's eyes were planted entirely on her lovers as she said this, the devotion clear as day. "We chose the more difficult path, knowing in doing so, we would have to give up a great many things that our instincts demand. I don't know if humans feel the same way or not. Coco and Fox certainly don't seem phased…but, I believe I was just lucky enough to find such emotionally confidant mates."

"It bothers Weiss, on some level." Blake said then with a nod. "We really need this time, I think. If not for my sake, than for hers. I don't feel as if I've given up very much at all, but then again, there was a time when I tried to hide my heritage entirely. Compared to that, the life I lean now is as free-spirited as I could ever dream to be." Blake paused then, thoughtful. "I think Coco's partnership with you intimidates Weiss. She sees how perfect it is outwardly, and she aspires that same perfection in herself."

"Weiss doesn't know how flawed Coco actually is." Velvet replied, the fondness not ebbing at all, even with the harsh truth. "She's very ill tempered...flighty, and curses up a storm in front of the children. She leaves the house a complete disarray, and the way her and Fox argue, you'd think we all hate each other." Velvet shook her head once more. "We're far from perfect in principle, but I don't regret it. To me, they might as well be the perfect mates."

"Mm." Blake agreed. "It feels good to strengthen older parts of our bond. Moments that fell a little by the wayside after we became mates. The little things. It all means so much more again…more than I thought they would."

"Speaking of strengthen bonds, if those two don't do anything besides stand there, I'm going to beat Yatsuhashi with my shoe…" Velvet noted, seeing that he was still taking to Yang, but that neither one of them had moved from their positions, standing guard over the evening's events. "What is he thinking?"

"The same thing Yang is. If either one of them make a move, it's not going to end on the dance floor tonight. It'll end elsewhere." Blake offered with a mirrored amount of due agitation. "They've been building up to it for a while, but I think it's finally safe to say they're an item. They went out for dinner the other night…a proper one…none of that ordering take-out and locking themselves away from the world hijinks Yang's known for."

"And they went to breakfast the next day." Velvet reminded her.

"The jazz club that night, too. Yang needed the distraction, at least that's what she told me. I'm sure in some part its true. but that doesn't excuse the fact they've been joined at the hip all week long."

"Oh, they've been distracted by each other for sure. Yatsuhashi has been glued to his scroll whenever she's not around."

"I know. Yang's admitted to more than a few chats, not to mention, flowers showed up at the office according to Weiss." Blake said with a nod. "A large arrangement at that."

It was shared as Velvet bobbed her head as well. "She sent him some polish for his sword, and not the sort that he would buy for himself. This was a premium brand imported from somewhere. Naturally Coco made more than one obnoxious joke about it, but the fact that he started spluttering leads me to think he's starting to want something a little more personal."

"Look at us, we're acting like old crones." Blake yawned delicately before sipping on her own glass of water despondently. "If I had my choice in the matter, Weiss and I would be wrapped up in a thick blanket reading one of the new books she picked up."

They knew from the start, from the first waltz to the last of the night, that they could no longer hide behind false pretense and time. There was nothing holding them back, but nothing pushing them forward. It was a matter of trust, a leap of blind faith that neither one of them were entirely confidant with, but keeping things the way they were wasn't an option either. Not forever.

A strange sense of calm washed over Yang. The baited breath captured between the lines of desire and denial, snapping in a shaky exhale.

How they even reached this point was beyond her. Mindless insanity, or at least idiocy was part of it…anything else, she would never truly know, but one thing was for sure. She was dwarfed by him. Fitting so perfectly in his embrace that in spite of her stature, her broadness, and ironclad physique, she was treated delicately in his hands. Just like easy to shatter porcelain, he was always so very careful with her. In word and in deed, as though she was of some great significance to his life. Something he dare not mistreat, no matter the cost of his diligence.

If she couldn't trust her heart to that…to him…then what good was her faith at all?

Once they reached her room, they dressed down as usual. He in his underwear, and she in hers, bra left forgotten on the dresser, another foregone conclusion she just couldn't deal with anymore. A barrier that pushed him away.

After she decided she loved him, that was no longer an option. Holding back would not grant her solace. She would not deny, she was a very sexual entity, a sinner with countless notches in her bedposts.

Whispered promises that had fallen through the cracks time, and time again.

She couldn't let him slip through her fingers. Could not live in the shadows of those she cared about, waiting to be noticed, begging to be seen for who and what she was…fucked up perceptions and half-hearted concessions be damned…and if that made her a terrible person…so be it…she dropped her panties to the ground too…nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Yatsu…" Yang murmured as she sat on the bedside, long blonde tresses hiding the emotion in her eyes that the shadowed darkness didn't. "Want a riddle?"

"Sure." He says softly.

"An addicted man walks into a bar. There's a glass of whiskey on the table. He knows if he drinks it, he'll order more…when he does, he'll forget, even if just for a few hours. If he doesn't drink it, he'll sit there, and think about every failure he's ever made. Either way he'll wake up in the morning, and nothing will have changed…which is worse? Giving into his own vices entirely? Or failing to meet the expectations of those that need him?"

Long moments went by, the clock passing by minute by minute, like agony.

She didn't know why her uncle's words had chosen now to replay in her head, or why she'd chosen to speak them. All she knew, was that she wanted an answer to the riddle. A different one, than all of the things she had bitterly come up with.

"That the man cannot change his ways." Yatsuhashi replied. "That he is unable to do that, results in his desire to give into his problem…because he losses himself, he expects to fail. Unless he can break the cycle, he will be doomed to repeat it."

Yang licked her lips. She was sure, that was what her uncle had been trying to tell her as a girl. That damn question of his smacked her in the fact again, forced her to consider it. Telling him how she really felt about him, or letting him walk away again without a solid answer? What would hurt the least? How much was she willing to gamble, now that her heart was on the line?

What was most bearable?

"The sun is going to rise, you're going to kiss me on the forehead, and go home…" Yang sighed softly. "But I don't want that. I don't want you to be my vice, or my addiction, or just a way to kill away the loneliness…I want you, Yastu." Her words catching in her throat made it no easier on her. "I want you to stay here, with me. I don't want you going 'home', unless that home includes me too. I want to need you in my life, and I want you to need me too…I need you to love me."

He reached up, fingers brushing away the strands of blonde that concealed her fears of rejection. Pulling her into his arms was the easy thing. The same thing he always did, but the way he began capturing her lips with his own, that was new. As strange and unfamiliar as the way his hands trailed down to her legs, thumbs brushing along her knees before guiding her legs around his hips. Flesh to flesh, nothing between them, not even the sheet.

"I do." He breathed. "The selfsame way you love me."

AYangThang: This story has picked up more readers/followers since the last time I wrote one of these longer author's notes, so I just wanted to welcome you aboard. For those of you that have been reading, following, and reviewing since the beginning, thank you. The number of hits and visitors so far is a humbling thing, honestly...more than I expected, for sure.

Normally I break chapters this large into segments, but we've hit chapter fifty, and that means we're in the home stretch. Ten chapters left, eleven if you include the epilogue. As for future plans of this universe, after this story concludes, another story will begin, detailing the Schnee-Belladonna family, and the cubs' first year of life…family and friends included. Though that story will contain a little less drama, a little more slice of life/fluff/humor…we all need a "feel good" fiction before we dive into some other character's storylines after all.

Anyway, it has been a crazy several months, hasn't it? I just wanted to thank you all for the support so far, and I'll see you in the next chapter.