RWBY: Confessions by the Sea
"All aboard! We'll be departing in 5 minutes!" Words at the docks hollered that stabbed Ruby's soul as she saw several shipwrights follow their captains orders and loaded onto the ship crates of food, medicine, and most importantly… Dust!
Some bases across the Vacuo ocean we under siege these last few weeks by sea dragon Grimm. Officially, the news reports stated there were no casualties and that the beasts were repelled by experienced hunters, but RWBY knew the truth. Vacuo's headmaster ordered the media to fabricate that story to avoid losing the peoples faith and cause panic if they learned several huntsman gave their lives to win those battles and heavy blows to those bases were dealt. The more negativity, the more Grimm after all. The headmaster ordered a team of hunters to bodyguard the shipments of relief supplies and dust to those fortresses to ensure those outposts stayed strong, but Ruby was feeling horrible her team wouldn't be the one's to aide the crew on this important mission.
"This isn't going to be easy." Yang said nervously as she eyed a crate of fire dust crystals being loaded by two gruff looking men. She hated being out of action, she had enough of that when she wallowed in self-pity for 6 months before getting her robot arm. She wasn't the only one concerned by this as Blake slowly wrapped her hand around Yang's human one, their fingers intertwined as the later felt the cold that came from the sense of fear infecting the cat Faunus.
"Yeah, that much dust is basically a big target on their backs." Blake said fearfully, her cat ears dropped as the notion brought a grim reminder of her past. She had engaged in thievery of Dust in her time as a White Fang agent. It acts as a natural battery for appliances, source of warmth in cold times like dessert nights, and more importantly as a power source for weapons. She still worried a few active White Fang agents stubbornly loyal to Adam or bandits like the Branwen tribe would attack to steal it.
"I really wish we could go and help them but remember, Vacuo's the last line of defense. It needs all the hunters it can in case Salem attacks… again." Weiss said, her expression growing somber as she slowly remembered the end result of the last one the Grimm witch made. Ruby likewise frowned as the memories flashed, leading her to slowly approach Weiss, the one she felt understood her pain the most, and wrapped her arms around her neck as she buried her face into her partner's cheeks, to the latters embarrassment as they flushed.
"Eh Ruby? What are you-" Weiss asked nervously before Ruby's grip tightened, making her squeak a bit in shock to Yang and Blake's amusement as the former folded her arms.
"P-Please let go." Weiss asked, but Ruby only slightly loosened her grip, unwilling to separate as she was desperate for warmth and shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I just…. Really needed someone to hug right now." Ruby said, her tone broken as she felt tears flood her eyes and for good reason. She was going to be very lonely despite her teams presence.
For weeks, Team RWBY and their friends had been at the stronghold in Vacuo, desperately fighting off hordes of Grimm to keep the refugees sage in the last huntsman academy since Atlas fell. Ruby and Weiss in particular, always pushed themselves harder in battle since then as they felt the most responsible for the destruction of that kingdom, of Weiss's home. The helplessness they felt as it was laid to ruin at Cinder and Salem's machinations was a dreadful feeling Ruby was feeling as she realized she couldn't help the one she loved the most in a mission as likely as dangerous as they met the captain and prepared to board his ship.
"Welcome! I can't thank you all enough for coming to our aide for this voyage. We're sure to face some nasty bastards, not just Grimm, along the way so it eases my crew if hunters are here to lend a hand." The captain said. He was a well-built man with a rugged beard, narrow sharp eyes, and missing a few fingers. His demeanor and build meant he had obviously seen action and was experienced enough to spot danger and talent to avoid mishaps like Grimm and Bandits or at least counter them when they came.
"No problem sir, my team's always happy to help those in need." Jaune said as Oscar, Nora and Ren nodded, though the girl nudged her leaders arm and gave him a teasing look and grin.
"Just make sure to watch out for shark Grimm, they'll be swarming to eat the chunks Vomit boy here blows off the ship!" Nora yelled teasingly, followed by chuckles from the captain and even Ren surprisingly.
Jaune looked at him with an offended, almost betrayed expression but he shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry, the girlfriends always right and Nora's right for certain. Remember Yang's shoes at the Beacon flight?" Ren asked Jaune teasingly.
"Hah! See? Even Renny thinks I'm right! Need a bucket yet vomit boy?
Jaune pouted as this embarrassing moment, as well as the one on that flight and Yang's frightful demeanor when she yelled at him enraged him. As a leader he couldn't show the fear of that time to his team or the captain, his pride was already hurt as it was. He raised a finger and opened his mouth to object before the name she teased him with made him pause. His expression turned from flustered rage to a pale longing, something Ren had noticed. Ren himself experienced it many times growing up as he pondered his losses and what he felt could have been done different.
"Sorry. We shouldn't have teased so much but…. Is something else on you mind Jaune?" Ren asked his leader, who strangely ignored him as he turned away from them, looking at the docks where team RWBY was instead.
"Helloooooo! Remnant to Jaune! Ren's talking here!" Nora chanted as she waived her hand in front of Jaune's face, but he ignored her. His gaze fixed solely on Team RWBY, or more specifically, the small red and black haired girl with silver eye's watching him from the distance, held back only by a few guards stationed to ensure the crates were loaded safely.
"Boy…. Now of all times to get a damn mission." Jaune thought to himself, little did he know Ruby was thinking the same thing. They both looked at each other longingly as their teammates waved goodbye to each other.
As the ship slowly took off, Ruby's mouth hung open a bit. Blake noticed she was fidgeting, wondering what she was struggling to say.
"Ruby? You okay?" Blake asked as she approached her leader, who jolted a bit as she was knocked out of her stupor and eyed the cat Faunus. Yang walked next to her girlfriend and eyed her sister curiously at the question.
Seeing the couple together, remembering their kiss in the Ever After and how happy they seemed together filled Ruby's spirit with vigor. She was holding something in out of embarrassment and fear, but their happiness inspired her to let it out at last. Gently pushing Weiss aside, Ruby then Petal Burst past the guards and ran to the edge of the docks so her message could be heard.
"JAUNE! JAUNE!" She yelled repeatedly. The Arc boy was knocked out of his stupor as he heard her cries.
"YEAH RUBY!?" He yelled his question so they could hear each other. His voice brought a bit of panic to her as she struggled to find her voice to speak.
"JAUNE I… I…. I!" She stuttered her yells. Jaune raised an eyebrow confused, as did the rest of his teammates.
WBY looked proudly at their leader blush a bit as she fidgeted. They could tell she was in love with Jaune for a while now, remembering how happy they were after they talked about their falling out in the Ever After. Yang herself folded her arms and gave her sister a teasing smirk. Normally she'd pummel any boy who dare to hit on her precious flower, but Jaune was way too geeky to pose a threat to his sister. Ruby was always the repressed type too, so she wouldn't be an easy person to romantically impress. Honestly, it wasn't surprising the two didn't date up until now.
"Here comes the love confession." Yang whispered to Blake who nodded with a bright grin. Her romance books were always her favorite to read so she relished at the opportunity to see one in person, rather than be on the receiving end like she did in the Ever After.
Weiss looked a bit disturbed as she heard that comment, she didn't know why though. Something about Jaune and Ruby together irritated her, but the former heiress shook her head, unwilling to speak up and distract Ruby. Though she soon wished to God she did as she and her teammates eyes widen in shock as they heard Ruby's confession.
"JAUNE I'M PREGNANT!" She yelled enthusiastically.
Silence filled the docks and ship, no one daring to say a word as they processed this shocking information…. Until a certain girl screeched at the top of her lungs.
"YOUR WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Nora screamed, totally flabbergasted as Ren held her in place.
"JAUNE'S GOING TO BE A DADDY AND I'M GOING TO BE A MOMMY!" Ruby replied at the top of her lungs. Whatever embarrassment she had earlier was swept away by a surge of happiness and relief she said that. It was the greatest news to her when she found out and was happy she could finally share it, until there was no reply for a bit as the ship starting growing distant.
"I-Is he upset? Does he… not want to be with me?" She feared in her thoughts. Blake and Weiss looked at her in shock before a heat began to fill the area by them and they grew worried. They weren't the only ones.
Ren and Oscar's jaws hung open at the news of their leaders fatherhood, still unable to say anything. It was a major development for a 20 year old to start a family, during a war no less and feared for him as Jaune himself stumbled a bit, struggling to retain consciousness as the reality of the news hit him. But as he eyed Ruby growing a bit worried, her hands covering her stomach as he could see her distress, he realized had to be a man and tell her how he felt, or at least partly.
"TH-THAT'S GREAT RUBY! I'M SO HAPPY!" He yelled with a bit of a broken tone. Ruby's silver eyes lightened up as she heard those sweet words. Smiling with all her might after a gasp.
"R-REALLY!? OH MY GOD! I WAS SO WORRIED FOR A BIT. I'M SO GLAD, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOUR AWAY SO YANG CAN'T KILL YOU FOR THIS!" She yelled as her half sister's hair became encased in flames and she ran to the edge of the docks with her arms angrily flailing as Ember Cecelia shot out grenades that exploded midair.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU VOMIT BOY! GET BACK HERE!" Yang yelled with fury. How dare he deflower her precious little Rose? Was all that ran through her mind other than killing the Arc who gulped as he sailed off in the distance.
"Welp! When we get back guess that kids going to be a Bastard!" Nora said as she patted his back and laughed wildly.
SCARS
Later that night Jaune looked out to sea, the dark ocean water illuminated by the partially shattered moon above Remnant. Jaune could see hordes of fish, some large but also followed by smaller versions, children of the species staying close to them for protection.
"So….families all around huh?" Jaune somberly said as he eyed the family of fish swim off in the distance, back towards where he left his new one coming soon. The thought filled him with immense fear and anxiety, threatening to summon a leviathan that's how bad he felt. It didn't help his discomfort to hear singing coming from behind him, it only annoyed him.
Oooooh! And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little boy blue and the man in the moon. "When you coming home, Dad!?"
Nora sang behind him as Ren smacked his face with his palm at her insensitivity. He knew she was excited for Jaune's kid but this was ridiculous. Before he could scold his girlfriend, Jaune startled him as he beat him to it.
"NORA! STOP SINGING!" He roared his demand, his eyes hoarse with rage as he whipped around to eye the frightened girl who waved her hands defensively.
"OKAY! OKAY! SORRY! Got carried away thinking about the bundle of joy coming is all." Nora frantically apologized before sheepishly explaining her excitement. Jaune exhaled as he calmed down, he didn't want to hurt her or anyone but he wasn't in the mood.
"Yeah well…. That makes two of us." He somberly explained before clenching his eye's with his fingers.
"Ruby's pregnant, God how could this have happened." He muttered.
"Well, when a man loves a woman very much, a powerful fire burns within him." Ren started explaining, having felt that way with Nora many times.
Jaune fumbled a bit as he grew exasperated with all the antics today as he glared at him.
"I KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED! I-I just can't believe it did." He yelled before pondering how it did happen.
RWBY and Jaune had just returned to Remnant from the Ever After, an alternate world where animals talked, reincarnation existed, and time travel was actually possible. Jaune pulled a piece of his white steak from his blond hair, a byproduct of that time travel. He had waited 20 years in that world for RWBY and was lucky to be de-aged, just as they were all lucky to be back home and see Vacuo surrounded by countless ships from the other kingdoms, having heard Ruby's message and unified to fight Salem.
"They heard your message Ruby, you inspired them all." Ruby's uncle Qrow had told her when they reunited at the fortress at Shade Academy.
"No…. not everyone." Jaune bitterly thought as he remembered what came next in a market the next day. RWBY and Jaune were browsing the area with Oscar, looking for a bite to eat and get a feel for their surroundings. It was small market with a few vegetable and item trading stands. Some holding towels, rugs, shirts and others had hand-crafted items said to be good luck charms that many wanted to word off negativity an Grimm, not that the heroes blamed them. But understanding wasn't coming Ruby's way.
"YOUR RUINED OUR LIVES!" A brown haired man yelled at Ruby as he pelted her face with a tomato.
Ruby stood there, rubbing her cheek red from the juices of the splattered vegetable as she stared in shock. The man who assaulted her was soon joined by a couple of men and woman bearing angry expressions of their own.
"You call yourself a huntress!? Huntresses would have saved our homes!" A blond woman angrily yelled.
Ruby's eyes widened as she realized who these people were. They were refugees from either Atlas or Mantle. Their outfits seemed rugged, likely that the poor Mantle citizen's would wear, but the way they walked and their entitled tone made her settle for Atlesian, having heard that stinging tone from Weiss in the past. The former Heiress and Yang bolted in front of Ruby while Blake and Jaune stood by her, the former wiping her cheek with a cloth tenderly as Yang's eyes turned red from rage.
"The hell is your problem!? " Weiss yelled as she grabbed her saber, feeling an urge to cut them up for the indignant treatment they gave to Ruby.
"Leave my sister alone or else!" Yang yelled as she clenched her fists together, but the people remained strangely undeterred, only stopping in place wisely, as Jaune could tell another inch towards Ruby would cause her teammates to draw blood.
"Our problem isn't just her, it all of YOU! You all lost our home! You big bad hunters were supposed to save it but now Atlas is gone!" The brown haired man yelled. Yang gritted her teeth frustrated at the declaration while Weiss solemnly averted her gaze.
Jaune and Ruby knew they felt immense guilt from their loss. Hell, Jaune could see by Ruby's shivering she was no exception.
"Come on, ignore them. You don't have to take that." Jaune whispered to her as he tried to help walk her out but she pushed past him, awkwardly avoiding his gaze to his surprise.
"No, but they don't either." Ruby said sadly as she walked past him and Weiss and Yang.
"Ruby stop! Their not worth it." Yang begged but Ruby shook her head.
"No! They deserve to hear it. I-" Ruby said as she walked closer to the small crowd. She tried to apologize again, but Jaune saw more glares coming from all sides as the more in the market place had notice this altercation. He could feel the hate spewing from them as they listened to Ruby's plea for forgiveness. Though he felt they didn't really listen as more shouting resumed.
"We don't care your sorry!" a man yelled followed by jeers from people all around. Blake rubbed her shoulder nervously, she knew how selfishness and ignorance were from her past, a past she saw relieved through Ruby right now as their leader shivered.
"B-But I- I really tried I-" She stuttered, but a yell from a white haired man cut her off, making her wince in terror.
"YOU TRIED!? How did that work out?" She sarcastically yelled followed by another woman with blue hair who strangely wept as she drew closer to Ruby. Everyone's eyes widen in shock as the woman revealed something.
"Yeah, you tried, you tried and failed… YOU FAILED TO SAVE MY HUSBAND ON THAT BRIDGE!" She yelled as she shoved Ruby back.
Jaune grimaced as he realized she was a widow who lost one of the dozen of people they lost to Cinder's ambush that night. His hand shook as he eyed his sword, the bringer on one of those dozen's deaths at his own hand. He regretted taking his eyes off Ruby in that moment as more people yelled at her and threw food at her.
"GET OUT OF HER BITCH!" A man yelled.
"WE DON'T NEED YOUR "HELP" ANYMORE!" the blue haired widow yelled.
"I-I'm sorry" Ruby weakly whispered as she cried heavily and clenched her face sorrowfully. Jaune walked up to her to put an empathetic hand on her shoulder, but the second he touched her and met her gaze she shoved him away. Ruby couldn't take anymore jeers and eyes on her. It was all too much as she remembered such hateful gazes from Neo's clones of her family and friends as she tortured the silver eyes maiden, who began to hyperventilate and petal burst away to Jaune and the others horror. They remembered the teary gaze she gave them, they remembered the tragedy that happened last time Ruby gave it to them before she was driven to solitude. They couldn't lose her again as they ignored every urge to cut and pummel the insensitive crowd as they cheered for her departure and ran off to find her.
Planting the Garden Seeds
It took hours of searching, but Jaune alone saw Ruby by a fountain crying. He immediately wanted to run over to her and comfort her, but felt his feet freeze in place as if Weiss had froze them in ice as he remembered Ruby's hurtful gaze. It was the same one she had when he angrily blamed her for being trapped in the Ever After, for his role in Penny's death. Granted he was just angry when she took her own grief for those things out on everyone, including him but he was so damn selfish that time he exploded at her and drove her to tears, the same tears he saw in her eyes right now.
Slowly he approached, certain any sudden movement or declaration would end violently or she would run away again. He sat beside the crying girl as he placed a slow empathetic hand on her shoulder, her body tensing at the action as she looked up and met his sad gaze.
"J-Jaune?" She choked, tensing as he gripped her shoulder slightly as he felt her body begin to shift away, knowing her intention to retreat. He knew only one thing could possibly keep her here, even if it hurt his spirit to do so.
"Ruby please listen, it wasn't your fault. It's mine." He sadly said quickly. Ruby's water eyes squinted as she heard those words, every fiber of her being believing them to be lies.
"J-Just stop Jaune. I'm… not in the mood." She bitterly said.
"Please Ruby. I was there too, but I didn't do any real fighting. I couldn't save anyone. You and your team were strong and saved so many people-" He said, but she jerked her head around and gave a bitter death glare at those words that startled him into silence.
"So now it's all your fault instead for being weak!? For not saving her?! How do you think I have been feeling this whole time!?" She yelled, her eyes almost bleeding from the stress the anger and crying put them under.
Jaune sighed heavily as his words failed to reach her. He hoped putting blame on himself would help her but that was a colossal failure, just like himself. He had felt that way many times in his life, from failing to get his parents approval to saving Pyrrah and Penny, but his dread turned to horror as Ruby pointed something horrible out to him.
"The only difference for us is you got to see a friend die once, I saw it twice." She bitterly said, malice in her tone. Jaune knew then she was still mourning seeing Pyrrah and Penny die in Beacon, something they use to comfort each other during their travels, but now she was blaming him for killing Penny instead of understanding him. A burning rage overtook him from that and, in a moment of weakness, Jaune shoved her into the water.
"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! THAT I WANTED TO KILL HER?!" He yelled as Ruby shook her drenched head, her hair whipping water around and splashing on him as she glared at him annoyed. He gasped as he realized he did it again, he lost his temper and shouted at Ruby who gave him the same tearfully angry glare. He made the same mistake again and now someone was going to pay. But it wasn't going to be Ruby who punched his gut, knocking the air out of him as he knelt down to her face level, allowing her to grab and throw in into the fountain with her as she laid on top of him, delivering a furry of punches to his face as his aura shined to heal him.
"YOU DID IT ANYWAY! AND YOU BLAMED ME! YOU BLAMED ME!" Ruby roared as she continued her assault before Jaune grabbed her shaking wrists stop her.
"I KNOW! He shouted before he took a deep breath, it and the cold water cooling him down. "I was wrong to put that on you when it was my weakness that caused all of this. *Sigh* I was wrong to make it ALL about you or me, okay. It wasn't something any one of us caused. Those people were wrong to think otherwise, just as we were wrong too." Jaune said solemnly, Ruby's eyes widen as she weakened her arms, letting them grow limp. She never once considered what he was saying, it made her drown out everything as she pondered it.
"I-It's both our faults she's gone, it's all gone isn't it." She sadly thought.
Jaune, as if sensing her thoughts like a Grimm, gently sat up and hugged her but received no fight this time to his relief. To him, it was a sign she calmed down a bit and was more open. He didn't know if it was the fountain or her tears, but he felt his shoulders grow wetter as she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on them. He soon saw some people staring at them and knew it would become embarrassing for Ruby, whose bra on her back he saw through the water, to be seen like this as he grabbed her princess style to her shock.
"Whoa Jaune! What the f-" She asked flustered, before he started running out the fountain with her. He soon found an Inn and got them a room. It was a small one bedroom room because the 2 beds bedrooms were already full. Jaune didn't care, he had to get out of that embarrassing venue. He soon felt a fist playfully lock his jaw as he looked down to see a blushing Ruby glare at him.
"Down Now!" she demanded, he blushed in return as he realized he was still carrying her and dropped her unceremoniously on the ground to her annoyance.
*Groans* Way to treat a lady Vomit Boy." She groaned in annoyance as she shivered from the cold, still wet from the water fountain. Jaune scoffed in return playfully.
"All I see is a kid who needs a hot bath Crater Face." He retorted. Ruby pouted before she couldn't help but snort a bit as he replied in kind as they laughed.
"T-Thanks. I could use one. But you go f-first." She stuttered as she felt the cold room's ac make her skin chill, making her teeth chatter.
"N-No you first Rubes." He stuttered, also shivering from the cold. Ruby glared at him, her face flushing as she thought of something crazy, making her scream in her head.
"W-What if we…. Go in together?" She asked nervously. Jaune's eyes widen in shock, but she waved her arms out in protest before he could say a word.
"DON'T GET ANY IDEAS!" She yelled, making him recoil before she coughed to collect herself.
"We need to heat up now or we'll get sick. We keep our underwear and my bra on. You did say we should share, it doesn't' have to be just blame." She said as she opened the bathroom door and pointed to the large bath inside. Her teeth grinded as she gave a demanding glare, but Jaune saw her arm shaking. He could tell she was just as nervous as him.
"Y-You don't have to-" He started to say before an irritated groan from her shut him up as he nodded in compliance and started removing his armor. Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Thank god Yang isn't here right now. She'd smash his nuts and my head if she saw this." Ruby thought as she took off her wet shirts, hanging them on a chair by a small desk to dry by mourning.
With each layer of wet clothing the two slowly removed, the heat of embarrassment inside them rose, making them ponder if a bath was even necessary anymore. Jaune and Ruby decided anyway, they were more drawn to the thought as they couldn't help but also draw glances at the other's body every now and then. Jaune admiring his friends curved thighs and modest breasts behind the blossom peach bra and Ruby the firm chest on Jaune especially.
"When did he get a six pack?" she thought before shaking her head embarrassed. "No! Just warming up! Just warming up!" She yelled in her head as they headed off to the tub and filled it up with hot water. But as the couple entered, laying their backs to each other to avoid staring anymore, their embarrassment made them feel hotter than the water itself. A few minutes of silence brought a chilling thought to Ruby.
"Penny died… because of me AND Jaune?" She asked herself quietly, remembering his words earlier. She never once thought to blame anyone but herself or Cinder, it was shocking for her to think to share responsibility for a failure due to being leader, but then remembered Jaune was a leader too.
"Jaune it-" She started to say before Jaune turned around, wrapping his arms around her to her shock as she squealed a bit silently. She didn't know why he was being so intimate with her, they weren't lovers. She was shocked out of her fluster by what he said next.
"It's tough isn't it, having it all on are shoulders. The mission, our team's lives, everyone and the world, it's just so damn unfair." Jaune wined. Ruby felt her shoulders loosen as she fell back into his body and grip. His words rang through her head as she teared up and couldn't help but agree.
"No one but us knows how much this hurts. How much losing all those things hurt." She tearfully acknowledged as Penny and Pyrrah filled both their heads.
"Well we both know, and can at least share that hurt now." Jaune sheepishly said as his hug loosened a bit, letting Ruby move a bit more freely as she smiled and turned to face the blushing boy.
In this tub they shared, more than just their bodies, the two shared their hearts as they stared blissfully into the others eyes… no, their spirits. They were one and the same, same hearts filled with love and pain they wanted to give the other. Slowly, Ruby and Jaune drew closer to the others faces, Ruby putting her soft thin hands on Jaune's face as her peach lips connected with his. Their eyes locked before slowly shutting as Ruby pushed Jaune down into the water, both wanting nothing more right now than to let this warmth they were sharing last forever.
Wake Up Call
But Jaune soon felt a chilling splash of water hit his face as he jolted and yelled in shock once the memory ended from that. Oscar placed his glass of water on a barrel and sighed. Jaune had been out a couple minutes blindly staring into space. Ozpin within him had urged the boy to address the elephant in the room and to not allow such distractions any longer.
"So what are you going to do about it now? Marry Ruby and raise your family?" Oscar asked skeptically as he raised his eyebrow. Jaune's eye's widening before he rubbed his head awkwardly and looked away didn't inspire confidence in that notion.
"I know we are on a mission for a couple months, but you're really going to ditch Ruby after all that?" Oscar asked angrily, Nora and Ren's eyes widening in terror at such a thought but Jaune shut them all down with a small yell.
"No way! I will marry her and be a father. I just…just don't know how I'm gonna be those things she needs. I don't exactly have the best track record with girls who need me." Jaune shamefully said. Everyone averted their gaze as Penny and Pyrrah, two girls lost from Jaune's life, the former by his own hand they would never dare to bring up enlightening them. Ozpin asked Oscar to let him speak and he complied as his emerald eyes lite up to the groups surprise.
"Mr. Arc… no Jaune listen to me." Ozpin said, drawing everyone's gaze as the boy sat down and nodded in confirmation. Despite the past tensions due to all the secrecy, Jaune still held respect for his former headmaster for his past guidance and wanted to get at his eye level to show that, something Ozpin was counting on.
"I have been a father before in my past lives, not just with Salem but a silver eyed woman too." Ozpin admitted. Ren covered Nora's mouth so she wouldn't scream in shock and interrupt as Jaune leaned in, curious about this story.
"We had 2 kids with each other, both grew up strong and brave like Ruby. I didn't feel a bit worried and let them enjoy a lot of personal freedoms in life, running around unsupervised, try out guns, and let them attend a school I didn't work at. I guess when I found that happy life, I let myself believe things would be okay all the time considering my good luck." Ozpin said, his happy story making Jaune smile a bit, feeling confidant things wouldn't be so bad.
Ozpin frowned a bit at the sight, hating himself as he had to continue this story, knowing if he left it at that, Jaune would make the same mistake he had to share with his own kid
"Sadly, that was my downfall. Worse actually, it was my girls. Because I wasn't their, because I was so damn complacent I couldn't be there to help them face a King Taijitu that devoured them." Ozpin admitted, Nora muffled screams of anguish being easier to hear, not that Ren and Jaune blamed her, they felt horrified by this too.
"I knew it was my fault. I knew Salem had been keeping tabs on me. She didn't send it right away, she wanted to me to find some joy with my wife then she wanted to hurt me. She knew just the way to do it, when I was at my peak. My wife and I feel into a deep depression, but she never recovered and then took her own life, another in the long lists of my failures. If I had been more attentive and less cocky with my relationships, I could have saved them." Ozpin said as he hung his head in shame. Jaune teared up as he heard this, it not only reminded him of his losses, it filled him with fear at the thought of that happening to Ruby.
"Jaune, I understand better than anyone how you feel. Please, you can't make my mistakes, do you understand!?" He asked.
Jaune was silent, he felt the fear in him grow stronger, the fear of losing Ruby. That's when it dawned on him how much she mattered to him. He knew he had to man up and be by her no matter what.
"I do! I'm gonna say that to Ruby when we get back! I'm gonna marry her and be with her the whole way and keep her and my kid safe! Screw the Grimm, screw how scared I am, I promise!" Jaune yelled enthusiastically, leading Ozpin to smile proudly.
"Don't say that to me, say it to her or miss Xiao Long." Ozpin said with a smirk, making Jaune slouch his arms as he went wide-eyed at that reminder.
"Yup, tell your sack to say its peace. She'll smash it if she decides not to kill you." Nora teased, Ren couldn't help but nod in response.
"Sorry, but that is how she made it seem with that fireworks show. Pretty sure she was aiming those grenades at you if Ruby didn't stop her." Ren teased.
Jaune could only groan at that "conversation" coming, not sure if he wanted to get home sooner or later after all.
(3 Mice) 3 months later….
The ship, riddles with burn marks and small holes from bandit and Grimm attacks came into view off the ocean sunset. 4 girls, one noticeably cradling a small pregnant stomach, eyed the ship solemnly as they feared for the crew and their friends, wondering if they had all survived such dangers they saw the ship befell. Their worries were soon proved unwarranted as they heard a familiar yell off the distance.
"RUBY!" Jaune yelled as he soon came into view. A few minutes of silence filled him with dread as he pondered if something bad happened to her while he was gone.
"Oh God! Is what happened to Ozpin happening to me now!?" He thought as his panic grew stronger. Panic that melted away as he heard a familiar sweet and high pitched voice that rang his ears
"I'M HERE JAUNE, SO IS THE BABY!" She yelled as smiled brightly once his ship grew closer. She had just wanted to see him up close before letting him know. She pushed back her team and started running towards him at the docks before kneeling and clenching her stomach, huffing and exhaling to her teams worry.
"Ruby you can't run while pregnant you dunce!" Weiss yelled as she patted her back gently as Blake helped her up.
"Agh! Don't remind us!" Yang groaned as she folded her arms and looked away. She had promised to not kill or hurt Jaune, but knew she'd forget that the second she saw him and decided to help her sister by not breaking that promise.
"Now go and have your lovey dovey reunion already Rubes before I get sick of it all." She groaned, but Ruby and the others chuckled as they could tell she was really enthusiastic for her. Yang was a horrible liar after all.
Jaune couldn't resist once heard those words, any fear for Yang subsided as he bolted out the ship and darted towards Ruby. As Ruby and Jaune met after months away, Jaune eyed her stomach before placing a tender hand on it, almost swearing he could feel the baby inside. Ruby tenderly grabbed the hand, clenching it as she and Jaune met each other's gaze once again.
"Glad you made it back in one piece." Ruby said nervously, she had cried many nights hoping he'd be safe from the dangers she knew would come to him if that charred ship was anything to go on.
"Come on, was there ever any doubt?" Jaune asked with a confidant smirk, though his tone was a bit sheepish as he saw her raise an eyebrow teasingly, she could see right through him.
"No way. Welcome home Jaune." Ruby said softly as she pecked him on the lips. She did not close her eyes though, she wanted to gaze at him with her bright silver eyes as long as possible before the sun could set and encased them in the dark night.