A/N: Enjoy

[~]

Cinder Fall was nervous.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Fall Maiden could gradually hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears grow increasingly louder. Sweat was pouring down her forehead even if the air-conditioning in the taxi was put on full blast. Honestly, the woman preferred facing down Salem than-

"Hey, how are you feeling?" came the voice of her beloved as he unknowingly interrupted her train of thought.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Cinder asked as she turned to stare into the deep blue eyes of Jaune Arc, her boyfriend. The Fall Maiden chuckled internally at that. If anyone had said that to her five or ten years ago and she'd have reduced them to ashes in an instant for even suggesting someone like her would end would with a fool like him.

Now, however, those same blue eyes that she had despised so long ago seemed to have the magical ability of turning her legs to jelly and not in the bad way, either.

"I asked you if you were alright. You seemed to be freaking out a second there." Jaune asked as he took her hand into his own.

"I am freaking out, Jaune!" Cinder shot back as she went back to try and fix her hair, "I told you I didn't want to do this!"

"I know but I also know that you'll be fine. I just know they're gonna love you." Jaune said with all the confidence in the world. How he could say that with a straight face is something Cinder will never understand.

"You don't know that. What if they hate my guts?" Cinder asked as she stared out the window of the taxi they were currently in, "I mean, I am an internationally wanted terrorist."

"You were pardoned, remember?" Jaune said, "Besides, Saphron likes you."

"Because I saved child's life. I don't think that's going to work this time around." Cinder said as she thought back to that incident a few years ago, one where she nearly lost her right arm from saving the young Adrian from a Grimm attack. The rest of the taxi ride to Jaune's house was spent mostly in idle chatter as Jaune attempted to calm his girlfriend for the eventual meeting.

Surprisingly, Cinder found that his attempts were working as she found her breathing had slowed and her heart wasn't beating as fast as it was before.

"Tell me about your sisters." Cinder said just as the taxi rounded a corner. Before Jaune could say a word, however, the taxi they were in slowly came to a halt as they reached their destination, "Oh, crap! We're already here?! Quick, how do I look?!"

"Cinder, you'll be fine. Besides, you look stunning as always." Jaune said, taking the Fall Maiden's hand into his own in an effort to calm her nerves. Unsurprisingly, the blonde's small gesture did wonders to calm Cinder's heart as the two lovebirds stared into each other's eyes, both of them oblivious of the driver's attempts to catch their attention.

The calmness, however, didn't last very long as Cinder shook her head in disagreement.

"As much as I love to receive compliments, Jaune, it's not you I need to hear from right now." Cinder said as she glanced at the house outside, "It's your family that I need to impress today."

"I don't have a single doubt you will. Come on, let me introduce you. Knowing mom, she's probably already waiting at the door." Jaune said, the blonde paying the taxi driver his fare before he exited the vehicle. Quickly making his way to the other side of the car, the blonde then opened the door for Cinder as he offered the Fall Maiden his arm, "Shall we?"

"Such a gentleman." said Cinder with a roll of her eyes before the woman linked her arm with his own. With the sound of her heart growing louder as the distance between the couple and the house in front of them shrinking, Cinder didn't even register the fact that the taxi behind them already left.

Before she even knew what was happening, the two of them were already mere inches from the door as Jaune knocked on it three times. Not even a single second passed before the door slammed open and a woman with the same shade of blonde hair as Jaune appeared at the doorway.

With shoulder length hair, the woman was wearing a simple red-colored long sleeve shirt, a pair of jeans, as well as a pair of slippers.

"Hey, m-" before the words could even leave Jaune's mouth, the blonde woman had quickly wrapped him in what looked to be a very tight and loving embrace.

"Oh, my baby boy! You're finally here!" the woman shouted out as Jaune returned the hug as best he could.

"Mom, please. I'm not a baby anymore." Jaune managed to say.

"Hush, now. You'll always be the little boy who would come crying to me whenever your sisters would make fun of you." the woman said as Cinder cracked a smile.

"That was a long time ago, mom. I'm all grown up now. I'm even a licensed Hunter now."

"That doesn't matter. Not to me." the woman said before her attention was suddenly focused on the other person standing in front of her house. Flinching at the sudden attention, the Fall Maiden had to fight off a very strong urge to turn around, run, and never look back, "And you must be Cinder."

"I am, ma'am. Cinder Fall. That's me." said Cinder, who had stiffened under the woman's gaze as she offered the woman her hand, "It's very nice to meet you."

"Oh, put that away." the woman said as she shoved Jaune out of the way. The next moment, the woman then slapped Cinder's hand away before pulling her in for a hug, "After what you did for Saphron and Adrian, you're family. And now with Jaune, that's doubly so."

"O-oh, well… um… It was nothing. I just… did what anyone else would have done at that moment…" Cinder said as her cheeks reddened slightly. Jaune, the bastard, had a teasing grin on her face as he stared at her, "Help me, you grinning fool!"

"Nonsense. You really shouldn't sell yourself short, dear." the woman said as she tightened the hug while patting Cinder on the back, "Without you, I would have lost my grandchild and eldest daughter."

"Cinder, this is my mom. Claire Arc." Jaune said, an amused grin still plastered on his face even as he took a quick snapshot of the situation, "And mom, you can let her go now. I think she gets it."

His piece said, the blonde then took the bags they had packed for the trip before he stepped inside the house.

"No! Don't leave me alone out here!" screamed the voice inside Cinder's head. Fortunately, the blonde woman seized that moment to end the hug.

"Well, that's enough reminiscing about the past, wouldn't you agree?" the woman said as she held the door open for Cinder, "Please, come in. Make yourself at home. Everyone's eager to meet you."

With an audible gulp, Cinder did her best to hide any sort of fear from leaking out of her as she took the first step into the Arc household. What grabbed the Fall Maiden's attention immediately upon entering the house was the multitude of picture frames that decorated the walls.

Her amazement must have shown on her face as Claire immediately started telling her about the pictures.

"As you can see, I am extremely proud of all my children." the woman said as she continued leading Cinder deeper and deeper into the Arc household, "We have pictures of all of them hanging on the wall, documenting their life from the time they were barely able to walk to - in Saphron's case - them getting married."

"It certainly is… impressive, Mrs Arc. Indeed, it's a sight to behold." Cinder said, the woman meaning every word that just came out of her mouth. As the two women entered the living room, they were then greeted by the rest of the Arc family. The sight of six women and one man suddenly appearing before her caused Cinder to flinch slightly.

"Cinder, dear, allow me to introduce to you the rest of the Arc family." Claire said as she pointed at the six blonde women in front of her, "Jade's the second eldest of the family then after her we have the twins, Violet and Viridian. Then there's Scarlet and finally the youngest is Cyan."

"It's very nice to meet you all." Cinder said as she greeted them with a bright smile.

"And over there on the couch is my husband, Arthur Arc." Claire said.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Cinder. I hope my son has been treating you like a proper gentlemen would." the man said as he and Cinder shook hands.

"Everyone, meet-" Claire started to say before one of the six blonde women in front of her spoke up.

"Cinder Fall. We know who she is, mom." said one of Jaune's sisters, the woman's eyes narrowing as she stared at Cinder, "Hard not to when her face and name was plastered all over the news when Beacon fell."

"Also when Mantle was wiped off the map." said another one of the sisters, "You know, because she dropped Atlas on top of it."

Cinder's smile slowly dropped as the two women started recounting her past crimes.

"Not to mention everything that happened in Vacuo when-"

"Violet. Jade. That's enough." Claire said, chastising her daughters as an uncomfortable silence washed over the room.

"It's alright, Mrs Arc. What I've done in the past is-"

"No, it's not alright. We've all made mistakes - some more and bigger than others -but even so, doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" Claire asked as she turned to face Cinder. Before the Fall Maiden could answer, however, Jaune suddenly appeared behind them.

"So, I've just unloaded all the luggage by my self - thanks for that, by the way," Jaune said as he sent an accusing stare at his six sisters, "What were you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about how nice it is to finally meet Cinder." said the only other male in the room, "Especially since you couldn't stop talking about her every time we called, son."

"Come on, dad. She doesn't need to know that." Jaune said, an embarrased look on his face as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah. Real nice to meet her." said one of the two sisters from before as she along with the other one who hadn't taken too kindly to Cinder's presence left the room behind. Before anyone else could speak up, another of the sisters took the opportunity to walk up to her.

"Jaune, you go help your dad set up the table for lunch while Cinder here freshens up. I'm sure she's tired for the journey." Claire said as she led Cinder towards the stairs.

"I'm tired, too." Jaune said in protest only for it to be ignored.

"Your room is the second door on the left while the shower is the third door on the left." Claire said as she and Cinder reached the bottom of the stairs, "Freshen up and once you're done, then we can all have lunch together."

"Thank you, Mrs Arc. And sorry… for-"

"You don't need to apologize. I meant what I said, you know? We all deserve a second chance in life." Claire said, "And stop it with all that Mrs Arc nonsense. Just call me mom."

"Thank you…mom" Cinder said as she climbed the stairs towards her room as a small smile formed on her face.

[~]

As Cinder entered Jaune's bedroom after a quick but refreshing shower, the Fall Maiden could not help the worried look that appeared on her face as she stared out the window. Her mind kept going back to what Jaune's sisters had said earlier.

"...This was a mistake…" Cinder said to herself with a sigh.

"What was a mistake?" the woman jumped at the familiar voice of her boyfriend behind her as she didn't hear him come in.

"It's… nothing. The others are waiting for us, right? We should join them." Cinder said, the woman turning around before quickly making her way towards the door. She would have made it had Jaune not stood in her way.

"Cinder, talk to me. What's wrong?" Jaune asked. When her eyes refused to meet his, the blonde placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you can trust me."

"You wanna know what's wrong? It's this whole trip, Jaune. I told you this was a mistake." Cinder said as she took a step back, "The things that I've done… They're not so easily forgiven and why should they be? I've taken countless lives and for what? The meaningless pursuit of power."

"Cinder, I-" Jaune started to say only for Cinder to cut him off.

"The governments of Remnant may have given me a pardon - for what good it's worth - but that doesn't mean everyone else is ready and willing to forgive me." Cinder said, "Least of all your family."

"Someone said something to you, didn't they? I'll talk to them and-" Jaune said only for Cinder to cut him off once more.

"That's not the problem, Jaune!" Cinder shouted loud enough that it would have definitely been heard by the rest of his family downstairs, "Don't you get it?! I don't… I don't have the right to be here!"

Tears had started to form around Cinder's eye before the Fall Maiden quickly wiped them away.

"Cinder, I'm sorry but that's just not true." Jaune said as he and Cinder took a seat on the edge of his bed, "You're welcome in this house just as much as I am."

"There you go again, saying stuff like-"

"It's doesn't matter if what I'm saying is stupid or foolish or even crazy." Jaune said, cutting off whatever the Fall Maiden had to say, "What matters is that it's true."

Before Cinder could respond, however, Jaune immediately got up before the blonde stood in front of her. Offering her his hand, the man said, "Come on, get dressed. We're going on a short trip."

"Where? To your kitchen?" Cinder asked as she put on a plain grey shirt and a pair of black pants.

"Nope. We're going to go on a short adventure." Jaune said, his hand still outstretched and waiting for Cinder to grab it.

"What about lunch? Your mother's worked so hard to prepare it, I wouldn't want her efforts to go to waste." Cinder said as she finally took the blonde's hand.

"Ah, I'm sure mom will understand." Jaune said as he led the woman out of his room, "Besides, where we're going is much more important than food."

"I am both deeply afraid and yet also strangely intrigued by whatever it is you have planned." Cinder said, a small smile appearing on her face as she wiped the last few tears away.

"That's the spirit. Quick question, though: You know how to ride a bike, right?" Jaune asked only to receive an eyeroll and a deadpan stare in response, "Hey, just making sure."

When the two of them reached the bottom of the stairs, they quickly bolted out of the front door.

"Jaune?! Where are you going?!" his mom asked.

"Sorry, mom! We're going on a date! You guys have lunch without us!" Jaune shouted into the house as he slammed the door behind him. A moment later, the door opened once more as Jaune poked his head inside, "Scarlet, is it okay if I borrow your bike?!"

"Absolutely not!" his sister shouted in response, "I just had it cleaned, Jaune!"

"Okay, thanks, you're the best! Bye!" Jaune shouted back as he took his and Scarlet's bicycle out of the garage before he and Cinder used them to ride away from the Arc house as fast as they could.

[~]

"So, here we are." Jaune said, the blonde getting off his sister's bike before leaning it against a nearby tree.

"Where is… here, exactly?" Cinder asked, the woman finding it surprisingly easy to ride a bike even with one hand.

"I don't know the official name of this lake so I just call it 'The Lake'." Jaune said, looking at Cinder with a look of pride on his face.

"Truly, your mind is just brimming with creative imagination, Jaune." Cinder said as she snickered at her boyfriend's terrible naming sense, "But that does bring me to my next question: What exactly are we doing here?"

"Well, this is one of the places I usually come to unwind whenever I'm feeling stressed out." Jaune said before he took a seat on the grass by the lakeside. Looking at her with a smile, he invited her to join him by patting the spot next to him.

Rolling her eyes, the Fall Maiden joined him sitting on the grass without another word. A few seconds of silence passed before Cinder decided to speak.

"What's supposed to-" Cinder started to say only for Jaune to cut her off.

"Shh… Just… Close your eyes and feel." Jaune said, the blonde's eyes closed as a serene and calm look was etched on his face.

"Feel… what?" Cinder asked, still not seeing the point of this little excursion Jaune had brought her on.

"Everything. The feel of the wind blowing past your ears, the sun shining down on your skin." Jaune said as he gently took Cinder's hand into his own, "Even the sound of the lake in front of you."

Not seeing the point of the exercise, Cinder followed her boyfriend's instructions regardless. Taking a deep breath, the Fall Maiden started to steady her breathing as she did her best to take in the nature around her. A few seconds of silence passed before the sounds of a bird chirping a few meters away reached the woman's ears.

As she strained her ears further, the sound of a group of people fishing and laughing further down the lake brought a small curve to the edge of her lips. As the seconds ticked by, the wind seemed to pick up as it rushed faster and faster past her ears.

"Feel better yet?" Jaune suddenly asked, breaking her out of the trance.

"A bit." Cinder said before grabbing Jaune's arm as she laid her head on the blonde's shoulder, "There. Now I feel a lot better."

"So cheesy." Jaune quiped, a small laugh escaping his lips as the couple enjoyed the moment of peace he had bought them.

"Jaune…" Cinder said.

"Yeah?"

"I've done… a lot of terrible things in the past."

"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one but yes, you have." Jaune said as he squeezed the woman's hand, "I was there for most of it, remember?"

"Even after all that, you would still have me?" Cinder asked, her heart beating just a little bit faster at the thought of whatever answer she was about to receive.

"Without a second thought." Jaune answered, the blonde not letting the question hang in the air for even a moment.

"Why?"

"Cinder, look at me. Look into my eyes and tell me if I'm lying." Jaune said before the Fall Maiden did what he said. Turning her head, the two of them locked eyes before Jaune continued to speak, "I love you. I don't see that changing anytime soon and I also don't need a reason to love you as much as I do."

Taken aback by what he had just said, Cinder fell silent as the two of them simply continued staring at each other's eyes. Their faces grew closer as their lips were about to meet before he sound of a bicycle bell ringing reached her ears.

"I thought I'd find you two lovebirds here." said an unfamiliar voice.

"Hey, Cyan." Jaune said, the blonde breaking away from Cinder as he stood up to greet the new arrival. Cinder, meanwhile, could only scowl at the sudden and incredibly unwelcome intrusion, "What are you doing out here?"

Getting up herself, Cinder dusted off her pants before turning around to face the new arrival. With a blonde hair the same shade as Jaune's and covering one eye, the woman in front of her was wearing a plain purple shirt along with a pair of purple pants.

"There's definitely a resemblance to Claire Arc in there." Cinder thought to herself before chuckling internally, "Well, she is her daughter, after all."

"I'm out here because of you, you blonde-haired idiot!" Cyan shouted as she kicked Jaune in the shin.

"Ow! Why?!" Jaune wailed as he rubbed the sort spot on his leg, "Also, you have blonde hair, too."

"Because you stole Scarlet's bike, mom made me go after you." Cyan said with a deep frown, "You know how much I hate the outdoors. You owe me fifty lien for this."

"I see that hasn't changed about you." Jaune said before turning the attention to Cinder, "By the way, this is Cinder. My girlfriend. Have you two met?"

"Eh, not officially. Violet and Jade kind of-" Cyan started to say before cutting herself off with a shake of her head. The woman then offered Cinder her hand, "I'm Cyan, by the way. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Cinder said as the two women shook hands.

"Now, come on. Mom is making everyone wait until you guys get back before we start eating lunch." Cyan said. Sharing another look, both Cinder and Jaune let out a small laugh as they got on their bikes and started cycling back towards the Arc house.

[Chapter END]

A/N: So, this is a wrap on the first chapter. I've wanted to post this for a very long time now. Originally, I wanted to post it as a single one-shot but instead, I'm just gonna post it in three parts. Consider this a very late Valentines special. Or something.

Just in case anyone's missed it, I am a GIANT Knightfall shipper. Also, if you need help imagining what Claire Arc looks like, just imagine Claire Dunphy since that's who I used as reference.

As always, faves, follows, and reviews are always welcome.

NoXIV Signing Off