Neptune laid silently atop his bed within The Notched Blade, staring up at the ceiling and feeling rather listless. The overhead fan rotated lazily above him, providing a cool wind that circled down to his bare flesh. He wore only his sea animal themed boxers as he relaxed, lost in his thoughts. Though he didn't know the exact time, he knew that it was rather late. The room was totally dark save for the moonlight spilling in through the window. Neptune could barely make out the wall of the hallway through the crack in the bedroom door as he leaned up to check the clock. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes appear within the small space.

"…you're still awake?" Blake asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Neptune said with a sigh of relief. "And I might have just peed myself…"

"Sorry," Blake apologized as she slipped into the bedroom and closed the door behind herself. "Just… bad timing, I guess…"

Neptune nodded and looked over to the clock, which read half past two in the morning.

"…you're still awake?" Neptune asked. "Don't you have a lot of planning to do tomorrow? You need sleep."

"I do," Blake confirmed as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "And… I do. But after all of you left, Mom and I got to talking, and… well, we did some of it. That's just how we are. We worry, we obsess, and we plan. A lot of good it seems to do us…"

"Hey, now," Neptune interjected as he scooted backward, pressing his back against the headboard. "It does. It just… doesn't always pay off the way we think it will. That's all."

"Maybe you're right," Blake considered as she began to slip off her boots. "But… what if you're not?"

"Does it matter?" Neptune asked. "Do you really think Sun had a plan beyond 'help her' when he went after you?"

Blake let out a sigh as she pulled her bare feet up onto the bed and hugged her knees.

"…you can't all just play the Sun card and magically make me feel better every single time…"

"…can't we?"

"…damn it, you totally can," Blake admitted while trying to fight back her smile. "No, I don't think he had a plan… and that makes you right. How is it that Sun can just come away smelling like roses from everything he does, when so much of what he does is so… stupid?"

"Stupid has its charm," Neptune answered with a wide smile. "After all, he won your heart by being stupid. You're not the only girl falling for stupid, either."

Blake shifted uncomfortably, knowing exactly what Neptune was referring to.

"I'm… sorry about Amaya," Blake offered as she looked over to her friend. "I thought she would go with us. She said she wanted to, a while ago…"

Neptune simply waved a hand and shook his head, though his expression was far less carefree.

"It's fine, it's fine. She's way out of my league, and it was nothing serious. Just a stupid crush. She's right… she'll be more useful here right now, just like you were for a time. Besides… I didn't come here to flirt. I came here to support you… and also to run from my phobia. I think the selflessness and selfishness kinda balance out, don't they? Can't let it tip too far in either direction."

"I'd say so, yes," Blake confirmed. "That's a balance I've tried to hammer into Sun's head time and time again- he needs to be more selfish, and I… need to be less. That's part of why I came here, to try to help my people after doing so much to worsen their situation as a member of the White Fang. I just didn't know that in doing so, I'd be putting him in danger…"

"Hey, c'mon," Neptune consoled as he scooted a bit closer and put an arm around Blake's shoulder. "Nobody knew about what was going to happen with Cinnamon and the Fang. It's a good thing we did come here. Without us- well, without you, things would be a lot worse. Sun's gonna be really proud when he sees you again and finds out how you talked Daisuke into heading to Atlas."

Blake looked over to Neptune and gave him a sad smile before leaning her head upon the boy's shoulder.

"…Sun's going to be proud to hear how you've helped me, and that you conquered your fear of the ocean to do what's right, too. At the end of the day, I'm doing this for him."

"And so am I," Neptune added. "As much as… it's going to suck, I'm doing it for him, too."

Blake stared straight ahead at the wall opposite the bed for a moment. She knew what Neptune was going to say in response to her offer, and yet, something compelled her to make it anyway.

"…you don't have to do this. No one would blame you if you chose to stay here and just… help Mom. Flirt to your heart's content, maybe settle down with your crush, if you get lucky. Take what respite you can get before all of Remnant is swept into a fight against Salem. You don't owe anyone this, Neptune… especially when you've already done so much, and you're terrified of the ride to Atlas…"

Neptune sucked in a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"…do you remember the last time someone made an offer like that to us?"

Blake furrowed her brows, trying to follow Neptune's train of thought.

"No…?"

"Beacon."

Sudden memories of a day that Blake had tried so hard to suppress from her mind came flashing back all at once. The weight of guilt and panic hit the center of her chest as hard as a physical blow, and for a moment, she could feel her throat tighten involuntarily. She remembered the exact moment that someone else had indeed made her and her friends such an offer, and she remembered the defiant feeling and desperation that made her decline it immediately.

"…yeah. I know that look," Neptune said softly. "That's part of why I can't sleep. I'm not just doing this for Sun, and not for Cinnamon, either. I'm doing it for Ironwood, too."

"…we owe him," Blake said in a quiet voice. "We owe him, and he has no idea what's coming…"

"We do," Neptune agreed. "And he doesn't."

James Ironwood sat behind his desk, staring down into a small etched glass of whiskey and actively trying not to look at the mountain of paperwork sitting beside it. He ran his finger slowly over the grooves in the glass, his mind both a snarl of thoughts and yet entirely unable to settle on any one of them. At the sound of the door to his office shifting open, he instinctively reached his right hand down to rest upon the holster at his side. Upon seeing who it was that had entered the office, he was grateful that the desk had blocked the instinctual motion from view.

"…I'm not sure whether or not I'm happy to find you still here," Clover said as he slowly made his way into the circular room. Winter entered just behind him, looking rather distraught as she kept her hands folded behind herself. "It's far past a reasonable hour to be doing work, General."

"Then why do I sense that you're bringing me more?" the general replied half-jokingly as he upturned the corner of his mouth.

"I…" Winter began as she moved to stand before his desk, only for her words to fail her.

James' expression immediately shifted to one of deep concern as he noticed the worry written all over Winter's face. Upon seeing Clover standing incredibly close to her with his hands behind his back as well, the general shook his head in disapproval.

"…at ease. Speak freely, both of you."

Clover immediately exhaled a sigh of relief and placed a hand upon Winter's shoulder, though she remained characteristically rigid in her stance.

"I spent much of today with Weiss," Clover began, looking conflicted. "We spoke about quite a few things- her team, the Aces… Winter and I."

"How did she take it?" James asked in a voice of eternal calm, tilting his head curiously.

"Well," Clover answered. "Very well, all things considered. She was initially upset that she didn't know already, but upon getting to know her better, she seems happy for both of us."

"Good," James said with a nod. "But there's more to this story."

"She knows about Fria, as well," Winter said quickly.

James inhaled sharply through his nose and lifted his glass of whiskey. Without a second thought, he knocked it back and swallowed, downing the entire thing in a single gulp. He closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger as a noise of irritation escaped his throat.

"…when you say she knows…"

"She… seems to have figured it out," Clover said slowly. "She doesn't know specifics. I told her nothing directly, but I let slip that Winter has an assignment taking up much of her time that Harriet and Elm declined, and Weiss figured it out from there. It's ultimately my fault."

James opened his eyes and cracked his knuckles before balling his fist and cupping it with his mechanical hand. He planted his elbows upon the desk and rested his chin against his hands, thinking silently for a moment.

"…no. This was bound to happen one way or another, as time went on. Perhaps it's best to lift the veil now. Winter, you have permission to fill her in, when you're ready."

"And… what about her friends…?" Winter asked, dreading the answer.

"I… don't know," James replied flatly.

"…oh," Clover added. He shifted from side to side, ultimately settling on stuffing his hands into his pockets as the air in the room grew increasingly more uncomfortable. "And is there a reason you don't know…?"

"Weiss is… reasonable," James began, his voice somewhat muffled by his hands. "With a little coaxing, she was able to understand why we need Jacques to win the upcoming election, unpleasant as that fact may be. Winter, I trust you to make her see reason when it comes to Fria, and the responsibility you've chosen to bear as the next Winter Maiden. Seeing what I've seen of the others who came here with Weiss, I'm not so sure that they'll be as accepting of our methods… especially if the power is needed suddenly."

"…that seems a fair assessment…" Winter agreed, clenching her hands tighter. "I'll talk to Weiss. But… she's going to talk to her friends…"

"I know," James resolved as he mashed his forehead down into his knuckles. "I know…"

"So… perhaps it's best that they do all hear it from us," Clover offered. "The longer we obfuscate things, the more trust we lose over time."

"And trust may ultimately preserve or break this kingdom," James acknowledged. "Fine. We break the news to them this week."

"That isn't all," Clover warned.

"Of course it isn't," James lamented as he opened a drawer on his desk to withdraw a nearly empty bottle of alcohol. "What else?"

"Pietro informed me that Yang has seen Pax," Clover explained. "They spoke earlier today, and she is also aware of the other commissioned defense constructs from Penny's line. Apparently, she is… unnerved, to say the least."

"…I see," James replied as he poured another glass of whiskey. "Leave her to me. I'll put her mind at ease."

"Personally?" Winter questioned with a raised brow.

"Personally," James confirmed. "I think I have a potential in with her that will make the process easier."

"As you wish," Winter said with a nod. "And there is… one more thing. Sun came to us earlier in the evening to ask about… well… you."

"What about me?" James asked as he raised his glass and took another drink.

"Your wellbeing," Clover clarified. "Mentally. Emotionally. He was worried he would be overstepping if he asked in person…"

"He would be," James said with a nod before tilting back the rest of his glass and swallowing.

"…James," Winter said as she closed her eyes, the word seeming to almost cause her physical pain as she spoke it.

The name drop certainly caught the man's attention as he slowly set down his glass, looking almost as though he was a child who had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

"Winter… I'm fine. Under stress, sure, but… I'm fine. I chose to shoulder this burden rather than run from it."

"But you don't have to do it alone," Clover reminded.

"And I'm not," James countered. "I have walls up, yes, but they're as much to keep my emotions in as they are to keep other people out. When I need someone, I will let one or both of you know. You have my word."

"But you can see why Sun is worried, correct?" Winter probed. "To an outsider…"

"I have a support network," James insisted. "Even if it only consists of a select few, it does exist. In fact, I'm looking at two particular pain in the ass members of it that refuse to leave my office right now."

Clover and Winter both smirked at the accusation, though only the former showed teeth.

"…well, at least you haven't lost your humor, even if only we get to see it..."

"Salem isn't besieging Atlas tomorrow," Winter tried. "We have a monitoring system around the entire kingdom, and she would be unable to breach the perimeter without being noticed. Even if she did arrive at that perimeter, we would have ample warning. So… take tomorrow off. Rest. Please?"

"And let the two of you organize the initial assignments for the rookies?" James questioned.

"We can handle it," Clover reassured. "We already have partners drafted up, as well as the exceptions planned out. I'll be filling Harriet's role at her request. You need a day off."

James said nothing as he rose from his seat and turned his back upon his subordinates. Slowly, he approached the wall of windows that afforded him a view of the city of Atlas far below, though the neon lights didn't hold his attention. Instead, he kept his gaze upon the reflection with weary eyes, an untrimmed beard, and disheveled hair that was staring back at him within the glass.

"…fine, provided you two get out the hell out of my office before I change my mind."

"Pleasant evening, Sir," Clover offered with a smile as he turned and led the way with Winter just behind him.

"Ebi. Schnee."

The two soldiers stopped immediately and turned, looking back toward their leader.

"…thank you. Truly. I need you to keep me in check."

"We know," Clover offered.

James closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of the metallic door sliding open and then shutting once again. He shook his head before bringing his natural hand up to his forehead and rubbing at the flesh to try to knead away his burgeoning headache.

"…pains in my ass…"

Author's Note:

Next time… something a bit different.

-RD