Yo!

Realized I hadn't updated this story in like... six days? Which is the longest it's been for this story in quite a while. Here's a chapter to rectify that! First chapter of the epilogue. I think this story is going to be ending on chapter 69 (don't laugh), but perhaps it'll be slightly longer, we'll see.

Start Chapter 65

For Jaune, the next few days are relatively simplistic. That's because for pretty much the entire 72 hour or so period, he's being ordered around, told where to go and who to talk to. The benefits – or in this case, the curses – of having a medically-apt Semblance.

Technically, his semblance is also pretty good for enhancing others, but more often than not, he's reduced to an aura battery. Jaune doesn't really take it all that personally; he's more a talker than a fighter anyhow. Helping people has always been more his speed.

Then again, technically enhancing other people's semblances is helping people too…

Well, that's a thought Jaune's not considering right now.

At that exact moment, he's finishing using his aura on the leg of a White Fang combatant, who'd refused service from any of the Atlesian doctors in the compound, which is a rather common thing, Jaune finds. Though it pains him to admit it, he can't really blame them for their fear either. Thusly, as the only medical professional – and Jaune's using that term really loosely – around that's verified by Sienna Khan herself, Jaune's been the go-to person for helping out the White Fang who'd been injured during the battle with the Gods, or in stupid bar fights with Atlesian soldiers, after.

Yes, it turns out that even fighting against the literal Gods of the world side by side hasn't been enough to fully breach the divide for some people. Jaune almost wants to sigh, but then, that's really Remnant to a tee, isn't it?

Still, for the most part, all those currently calling Atlas Headquarters their home are doing so under a united front. About three to four percent of that number are what Jaune likes to call the 'trouble-makers', and really, he's decided to not focus on them much at all. That way lay madness, and the poor, poor soul of Winter Schnee, who has been given the duty of reigning in said trouble-makers.

Jaune grimaces even thinking about it.

"Is my wound that bad?" The White Fang woman he's been treating asks, and Jaune snaps out of his own head in order to berate himself profusely, and tell the woman that no, he'd not been grimacing at the wound he'd been tending to – it's actually healing up quite nicely – but had in fact had his head totally elsewhere in the moment.

She nods her head, before Jaune finally finishes up. His aura is hovering somewhere around twenty percent, which means that he's done for the day. He waves goodbye to the woman and her squad mates who'd gathered into the room to speak with her, and makes his way up towards he and his own teammates' current sleeping area.

It's not much; two tents that they're sharing between the five of them – Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, and Cinder – but for now, it's all they've got. Honestly, they've gotten off pretty lucky. Everyone who's not a VIP has been given either a tent in the courtyard – usually shared among four or more people – or a spot on one of Atlas' battleships, bunking there. The White Fang had, naturally, refused to do the latter, and so it's mostly White Fang on the ground, and Atlesians in the air.

Or, well, those Atlesians that hadn't been native to the city of Atlas itself, which are a surprisingly large portion of their forces, at least sixty or seventy percent. Those that had called Atlas their home had simply gone home, however, and in truth, Jaune envies them more than a bit.

The council of Atlas is currently working on getting the rest of them passage back to their own homelands, but given they'd just had a sudden election of one of their members – everything that had apparently happened regarding Robyn Hill getting elected, although the specifics are unknown to Jaune – and one of their other members being killed in the line of duty, well, things are rather understandably stalling.

And that's not to mention that Atlas doesn't really have that many civilian bullheads that aren't already in use for matters such as shipping and hauling. They're a militaristic society, which means that for the large part, their aerial machines are geared towards combat.

It's not the most realistic proposition for Jaune and his friends to be taken back to Vale or Mistral aboard a battleship.

Jaune understands that; really, he does, but even so, he's also really starting to get tired of sleeping on the ground.

He had saved the world, for crap's sake! Surely that had to be worth the honor of more than a sleeping bag, right!?

He's grumbling when he pushes his way into his and Cinder's shared tent – Ren and Nora had chosen one themselves, and Pyrrha had, rather smartly, chosen to bunk with those two instead of he and Cinder – which causes Cinder to look up at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Just… annoyed about my back hurting." Jaune tells the truth. "Sleeping on the ground is starting to affect me physically as much as mentally."

Cinder smiles, although her eyebrow doesn't lower on her forehead. "You do know I slept on the floor of the Glass Unicorn for many years, correct?"

Jaune pivots immediately, "I didn't mean to–"

"I'm teasing you." Cinder says, and Jaune breathes out a relieved sigh. "In all seriousness, I too am not much a fan. In theory, we'll start to be ferried back to our home Kingdoms within the coming days, but then, theory has failed me many times before."

Jaune utters something along the lines of, "Ain't that the truth," under his breath.

Cinder goes quiet after that, and initially Jaune thinks she's just pondering her next few words, but when the silence stretches a few seconds too long, he asks, "What's wrong?"

"I… It's more…" Cinder pauses a moment, and this time, he gathers that it is to consider her next few words. "Where will we go?"

Jaune's eyes widen, even as Cinder looks up at him with a clearly worried expression.

"I do not think I am unique in not having a place to call home. Not truly. Evernight is no place to return to, especially not now. Ren and Nora hail from Mistral, but not from anywhere in particular. Pyrrha could perhaps return home to her family, as could most of Team RWBY, but for many of them, whether or not they would want to…"

Jaune scratches at his neck as he steps forward, and sits down beside Cinder on the floor of their tent. He brings her close, and allows her to rest her head on his shoulder, before resting his head atop hers.

"I agree, actually. My parents, and my family, I know they'd welcome me back, but… well, I think I left home intending to not ever really live there again, at least not for long. I want to visit and stuff, of course, but uh…"

Jaune remembers the thought he'd had, a few days prior, and finds himself springing to his feet, startling his poor Soulmate.

"Jaune?"

"I uhm… well, I had an idea, if you would like?"

Cinder tilts her head to one side, sort of lost. "Of course. What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking about how… everyone in Team JNPR, and of course you… they're all my family now. Just as much as any of the members of my actual family. So… I think… I want my two families to meet each other."

Cinder's eyes widen. "You mean…"

"So, I was thinking… since no one else really has anywhere to go back to – well, other than Pyrrha, I'll probably have to ask if she wants to come – …Would you guys like to come and visit Domremy with me?"

Cinder's face is so oddly vulnerable, then, like Jaune's words are something she could never have possibly considered. It hurts Jaune in an odd way to see that even now, well over half a year since they'd met, Cinder still doesn't fully believe herself worthy of the good things in the world.

He'll have to start working on that, then, given he's got all the time in the world now.

"I'd… Are you sure that they…" Cinder hesitates, and Jaune knows what she wants to say, but can't.

He also knows there's not a chance in hell that they'd ever do that.

"They'd love you, Cinder. Just like I do." He says, and he smiles as best he can for her. Her cheeks go a bit red, and she doesn't meet Jaune's eyes, but he gets that she appreciates his words, at least.

"Then… if you're sure, I… think I'd like that."

Jaune's smile could rival the summer sun, he's pretty sure.

"That's awesome! I'll uh… I guess I'll go ask the others, see if they want to come, too! We can make a whole week out of it, o-or however long we felt like. Honestly, my parents are used to a full house, I'm pretty sure they'd welcome the company now that everyone but my youngest sisters are out in the world."

Cinder smiles, then, but Jaune's pretty sure that's mostly his own enthusiasm being infectious. "That… sounds nice. I'll look forward to it."

Jaune laughs, a bit giddy, and turns on a dime back towards the entrance to the tent. He already has a hand hanging out before he stops, and looks back at Cinder.

And he feels he needs to say something else, too.

"Hey, uhm… there was one other thing I was thinking about. I just…"

He pauses a moment, a rare moment of hesitation from him. It's just… they really haven't known each other that long, considering how close they've become. What, less than a year? Should Jaune really ask something like this?

"What is it?"

"I uhm…" Jaune licks at his lips, and then, looks Cinder in the eye. "I just wanted to say that… I'd want you to be with me, no matter where I went. That wherever I might end up… it won't be 'home' without you there."

Jaune doesn't think he's seen that expression on Cinder's face before. The rosy cheeks, the teary eyes, the way she seems so skittish and uncertain, despite the gratitude in her gaze, and in her entire form.

Jaune doesn't know what to think, not really. He's pretty sure someone better at this whole… relationships thing might, but he certainly doesn't.

And then… then Cinder stands from her place on the ground, and takes Jaune's hand.

"I'll go with you." She says then. "I… wherever you go… that's the only place I could ever call 'home', either. It's strange, I…" Cinder actually chokes up, and Jaune reaches up and wipes a tear away from her cheek as it falls. "I'd never really thought about it, how it made me feel to never really belong anywhere. And yet… yet now I…"

He nods his head, before leaning forward, and pressing his forehead against her own.

"I guess this is what it feels like, isn't it?" Cinder says, and then she giggles so freely and so wondrously lightly that Jaune thinks he might be able to float upon that air. "To feel like I belong. Like I'm wanted. Like I'm l-… like I'm loved."

Jaune can't find anything in his lexicon that could properly convey the feelings inside of his heart, then. Instead, it's all he can do to press his lips to Cinder's own, and to wrap his arms around her, and embrace her.

They stay like that a long time, four or five minutes, maybe, before Cinder finally pulls away.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

And back out into the world they go.

/

In the end, it takes them around two more weeks staying in Atlas before anyone starts to get ferried out. Mostly, it's those who are critically injured, but stable enough to make the trip, returning to their families and loved ones. Then the White Fang go next, because unfortunately tensions are starting to flare between them and Atlas' soldiers. That's mostly, in Jaune's opinion, down to everyone going a little stir crazy from being stuck in a freezing cold city inside tents. No matter how high-tech the city itself might be, and no matter how much spending money they're being given by the government to tide them over, it's not enough to quell everyone.

When their sleeping arrangements are as they are, and they're packed together within Atlas headquarters, well, it's not long before tempers flare.

Still, eventually, it's just the lower-priorities left. People like Jaune, Cinder, and the rest of their teammates. And they, too, are eventually given the means to actually leave Atlas.

Jaune thinks, initially, that's its mostly just going to be him and his teammates, minus perhaps Pyrrha. But no. Cinder, Ren, and Nora had of course agreed to come to his village with him, and so had Pyrrha, when Jaune had asked.

"Of course, I'll come." Pyrrha had said when Jaune had inquired. "That would be lovely! In truth, while I love my family, I have a feeling that when I return to Mistral it will be for quite a while, and I… don't quite think I want to spend upwards of a few months with them just yet."

Jaune understands that; feeling stifled by others, and wanting to spend time away from them. Not necessarily because of anything they'd done, but more…

Well, that's not important. He throws a half-hearted invite towards Ruby and her team, and expects no one to come at all. Blake and Yang decline, stating that they're going to go visit Blake's family in Menagerie alongside Ilia and Emerald, and apparently Mercury's going along with them as well? It sounds fun, and Jaune wishes them well.

Jaune's sort of expecting the same from Ruby and Weiss, and yet, both agree to come with him.

"Is it okay if everyone comes with?" Ruby asks, and Jaune's almost afraid to ask for clarification as to who everyone is. "Oh, I meant my mom, and probably Raven, too. That uh… that last part is really weirding me out, but I'm trying not to think about it."

Jaune pats Ruby on the back as gently as he can, before letting her know that yes, everyone listed could come.

It's going to be a bit weird having two adults come with them all, but hey, now it really feels like an event. That, and Patch – Taiyang and Summer's old home – is only a few hours from Domremy, so they could probably head back there if they wanted to at any time.

Now Weiss, Jaune hadn't expected.

"That sounds agreeable enough." Weiss had stated as Jaune just stared at her with a raised brow. "What?"

"Uh… isn't your sister, y'know… injured?"

"She has recovered. It has been a month, Jaune, and I have been at her side near the entire time. Neither of us are terribly clingy people, in truth, and… well, my father has been asking for me, if you wish to hear my true reason. The longer I can delay going to see him, the better things are for me."

Jaune just sort of shrugs. Sure, why not?

That makes nine people coming, so Jaune's initially pretty content to end the invitations there. Except, apparently, word of this little gathering in Domremy has extended beyond the people that Jaune had initially asked, because a day later, Penny comes up to Jaune.

"Friend Jaune, I have heard that you are having a gathering at your family's home, and that Ruby would be going herself. Are invitations still open to attend?"

Jaune wants to say no. He probably should say no, but frankly, Jaune invites anyone to try looking Penny Polendina in the eyes and telling her that she can't have something.

It's like trying to kick a puppy.

So, Penny's coming.

Then Qrow shows up, announces he and Tai are coming, doesn't let Jaune get a single word in edgewise, and Jaune sort of just realizes that things have officially spiraled far too out of his control to regain any semblance of it.

Then, something else comes to pass.

Yang and Blake's trip to Menagerie falls apart.

So, suddenly, the five who'd been planning to go to Menagerie – Yang, Blake, Emerald, Mercury, and Ilia – are now going to Domremy as well. That makes… what, fourteen or fifteen people? Maybe more – he's pretty sure he'd lost count somewhere along the way.

Huh. That's going to be something.

So, as he boards the bullhead to Domremy, taking with him about a dozen more people than he'd originally intended, he's really barely even phased to see Oscar sat next to Nora, who's currently chatting the poor boy's ear off.

"Uhm… hi?" He says, and Jaune just sort of rolls with it.

Jaune plops down beside Cinder, who is currently doing her best to pretend, for Jaune's sake, that this is all not terribly amusing to her, but she's evidently failing quite profusely if the occasional snickering is anything to go by.

"Yes, yes, very funny." Jaune remarks under his breath, which only causes Cinder to crack further. "Laugh it up."

"Oh, worry not, I will." Cinder notes, grinning impishly over her hands which rest atop each other in front of her face. "Still, even if it isn't quite what you had in mind… I think this will be nice."

"Yeah. I… I guess you're right."

"Still, you should probably call ahead and let your family know that Oscar will be coming along, too. Wouldn't want them to have one too few chairs or something of the sort."

"Yeah…"

Cinder catches the fact that Jaune is oddly evasive immediately; she is far too sharp not to.

"Jaune…"

Jaune does his best to ignore his soulmate.

"Jaune, you did tell your parents that you were going to be bringing company with you when you went to visit them, yes?"

"…Well… I mean…"

"Jaune."

"It just didn't come up?"

"How could it not come up?"

"Well, I… technically, it never came up because they uh… don't… really even know… that I'm coming?"

Jaune's not entirely sure it's possible for Cinder to look at him with any more raw incredulity than she does in that moment, but he's willing to bank on the answer of no, it isn't.

"…And just how did you think this was going to go, then?"

"I don't know… something like…" He gives jazz hands, "Surprise!"

Cinder rubs her hands down her temples, and groans into her palms.

"You are entirely hopeless."

"I know. And you're stuck with me."

"Yes, yes I am." Cinder says, and she rolls her eyes fondly. "And glad for it, as much as this current instance is making me question certain matters."

Jaune can't help it, he cracks a smile.

"Well, off to face the gallows, then?"

Jaune mimes holding a glass, and Cinder does the same, holding her right hand up towards him. A second later, they 'clink' the two drinks together, before laughing under their breaths like idiots.

And Jaune…

Well, even if his mom does kill him…

It'll probably still be worth it.

End Chapter 65

Alright, that's that!

Epilogue will be set in Domremy, just our boys all chilling together in Jaune's hometown. It's not going to be as lengthy as I'm sure some would want, but I still wanted to give everyone a little sendoff here at the end. Honestly, I think my desire to write in general has been lowering over the last little while, added to me having some wrist issues, so I've been taking it easy. Thusly, I'm not going to elongate the epilogue any longer than it has to be.

Still, I hope you all enjoy it! Still fourish chapters to go!