Several days after their return to Adigiar Reed, Seraphina, and Phaedra sat in their normal booth at the back of Komodo Curry, now joined by Chase and Abbey. Melony, the owner of the restaurant and one of Reed's mother's oldest friends, had burst into tears when he walked through the front door. In moments he had been swarmed by the lizard-Faunus family, her husband and daughter running out of the kitchen to embrace Reed. It had taken him the better part of five minutes to convince them he was alright.

"You know," Melony said, having composed herself and gone to fetch the group a round of Komodo Teas, "Pets aren't normally allowed in the restaurant area."

Reed glanced down at the tiny fox cub curled in his lap, a chagrined smile on his face. "Sorry, Melony, they really don't like it when I leave them behind."

"Well," she said, setting the teas down and smiling at the little creature, "They look very well behaved, so I will allow it. Special accommodation for the Defenders of Adigiar."

"Thanks," Reed said, trying not to blush. The title had been all over the news sites ever since their return. Everyone who had taken part in the expedition had received a medal of honor in commemoration of their heroism, but somehow Reed's squad had become the focal point of all the stories. Apparently some security footage from the Support Tower had been leaked, showing Reed and his squad facing the villains who had robbed Adigiar in their absence and their subsequent defense of the tower until help from Beacon had arrived. Even now, dressed in their street clothes, they were getting looks from the other patrons of the restaurant.

"Careful, Miss Muscles," Phaedra said, a wicked grin on her face. "Our boy just became one of the most eligible men in the city. He's gonna have ladies lining up around the block."

"Ugh, don't say that," Reed groaned. He lifted one of Seraphina's arms, draping it across his shoulders and leaning against her side. "Guess I'll just have to make sure they know I'm taken."

Seraphina's face turned a shade of pink deeper than her hair, but her arm tightened around Reed's shoulders. Phaedra rolled her eyes. "You two are no fun ever since you made it official."

"Sorry Pixie," Seraphina said, smiling. "Guess you'll have to find a new target for your teasing."

"Hmmm," Phaedra muttered, narrowing her eyes at Chase and Abbey, who had their heads together and were whispering about something. "I wonder who that could be."

The bell above the front doors jingled, and a hush fell over the restaurant, broken almost immediately by whispering and muttering. Reed looked around Seraphina, and was surprised to see Felix Tanners standing in the entryway, Henry Tamus and Kiwidinek Kadir behind him.

"Sir!" Reed said, and everyone at the table made to stand and salute, stopping only when Tanners held out a placating hand.

"Please, no 'sirs' right now. Not from you lot."

Melony was staring open mouthed at Huntress Kadir, tearing her gaze away only when Tamus leaned in front of her. "Excuse me, madam, would it be alright if I dragged that spare table over there?"

Melony nodded mutely, and the big Faunus lifted an empty table like it weighed nothing, setting it down next to Reed's table while Tanners and Huntress Kadir dragged over a couple of chairs.

Reed stared at Tanners during the exchange. He looked… good. Surprisingly good. The bags under his eyes were gone, his shoulders were straight, and the smile he flashed Melony as she took their drink orders came easily and with sincerity.

"It's good to see you on your feet si—" Reed coughed into his hand, "Tanners, I mean."

Tanners rolled his eyes. "Last name, really? Come on, after all that I think you've earned the right to call me Felix."

"Felix, then," Reed said. "Maidens, that sounds weird."

"We could always call him Lixy," Phaedra said, putting a finger to her chin in mock thoughtfulness. Tamus scowled at the forge apprentice, but Felix just chuckled, leaning back in his seat with a smile.

Abbey coughed into her hand, blushing when the attention of the table turned to her. "If I may sir, I mean Felix, I mean Felix sir, you look much better than you did on the expedition."

Felix smiled at the girl, though his eyes looked sad. "It's a wonder what four straight days of sleep will do for an exhausted mind and body. I feel I owe the lot of you an apology. I pushed too hard there in the final stretch, and it almost cost us everything."

"Your only real mistake," Huntress Kadir said, setting down her drink, "was rushing the enemy without your squad at your back. Even a scion of the famous Tanners family has limits."

"A fact I was reminded of most acutely," Felix said, bowing his head to the older woman. "I deserve a demotion for my recklessness."

"Wait a minute," Reed said, leaning forward. "That's not actually going to happen, is it?"

"Worse," Felix said, although his mouth quirked up at the statement. "Commander Fulvio is making me a captain."

There was a moment of shocked silence, before the members of Reed's squad all burst out at once.

"Congratulations!"

"Whoa, for real?!"

"About time."

"Thank the Maidens!"

"Even after you almost botched everything?"

The last comment was from Phaedra, earning her a kick under the table from Seraphina.

"Ouch! Hey, it's just a statement of fact!"

"It's alright," Felix said. "She's not wrong. But a captain's duties are more involved than just leading troops into battle. I'm going to prove my worth by helping the people of Adigiar, not just waiting around for them to need saving."

His eyes narrowed, taking on a far away look. "After all, there are more problems in this town than just the Creatures of Grimm."

He shook himself, casting a chagrined smile around the table. "Anyway, that's enough heavy talk for today. Let us celebrate the successful defense of Adigiar! Eat up, the Tanners family will pick up the tab."

That earned a chorus of cheers from the Guards. Melony came by to take their orders, and Phaedra shamelessly ordered a double helping of the most expensive dish Komodo Curry had to offer. Conversation picked up around the table, stymied only by the arrival of food.

As they sat in the glow of their post-meal happiness, Reed felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see Felix leaning over him, and the man tilted his head towards the door. Reed nodded, slipping out from under Seraphina's arm and stepping outside, lifting the sleeping fox cub and holding it in the crook of one arm.

Outside, the street was quiet, the sun hanging low in the sky. Tanners leaned against the wall of the restaurant, gaze fixed on the middle distance.

"I need to thank you, Reed," he said after several moments of silence. "The Tanners family may be a famous military family, but contrary to popular belief we did not make a name for ourselves as warriors. We have always excelled at strategy, preparation, and, most importantly, picking good people."

He turned to look at Reed, and there was something conflicted in his gaze. "I've spent the days since I woke up reading through reports of everything that happened after I went down. You and your squad made the difference between success and failure."

"Sir," Reed said, catching himself when Felix rolled his eyes. "I mean, Felix. Team CFVY were the ones who really saved the day, we barely managed to hold until they arrived."

"But you did manage," Felix insisted. "After I'd fallen, after Kiwidenek was injured and Gerstein was killed, your team held until help arrived. That kind of tenacity deserves to be rewarded."

He held out a hand, a letter between his fingers. Reed gulped, taking the letter. He recognized the symbol emblazoned upon the front.

It was the crossed hatchets of Beacon Academy.

"I reached out to Ozpin, pulled some strings. You'll have some catching up to do, starting mid-semester, but the professor agrees that you are more than qualified."

Reed looked up at Felix, and was shocked at the certainty he felt in his chest. The feeling had started to take root after his conversation with Velvet, but now he knew once and for all what it was he wanted.

"I appreciate it, Felix, but I can't accept."

"What?" Felix said, shocked. He stepped away from the wall and in front of Reed. "Is this more nonsense about not thinking you deserve it? You—"

Reed held up a hand, forestalling the man's protestation.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just…" Reed struggled with putting the feeling into words. "Over the past months I've seen what Adigiar's Town Guard is working with. On a good day, they are full of well intentioned but poorly trained individuals. On the worst day…"

Reed thought of Gertsein. Even if the image of the lynched bat-Faunus he had seen had been falsified, Reed had seen enough of the man to know it wasn't far off the mark. Even with Gerstein dead, there was still Captain Collins with his borderline impressive level of incompetence, and Captain Argentos's complete lack of drive. And then there was the whole problem of the Heroes of Humanity and the White Fang lurking in the shadows.

"Well, point being, I wanted to join Beacon so that I could fight the evils of this world, and protect people from the Creatures of Grimm." He smiled, and shrugged. "I think I can do both of those things just fine as a Guard."

Felix stared at him, mouth slightly open, then shook his head, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You never cease to surprise me, Reed. Very well, but your refusal comes with one condition. I will be choosing my own officers and will be undertaking the exhausting prospect of reforming the Town Guard. I've already appointed Henry as my Lieutenant, but you will be promoted to Sergeant."

Felix jabbed a finger into Reed's chest. "If you're going to stick around, I'm going to work you to the bone."

Just a few months ago, if someone had said he would refuse the opportunity to attend his dream school in favor of remaining as a Guard, he would have scoffed and called them a fool. Now, though, after making friends and fighting by their side, he could think of nothing else he'd rather do.

Reed smiled at Felix, snapping a sharp salute.

"Looking forward to it, Captain."