Hello! Sorry for the long wait, this one turned out to be a rather long one, so it was split into two.
Also, cover by me! At pixiv Alfa21
Nevertheless, hope you enjoy!

For the people of Remnant, with the ever-increasing presence of the Grimm within their borders, communication became more important than ever. After all, cooperation was key to keeping the Kingdoms alive. As such, communication had become and always would be an important fact in their lives.

The most wide-spread manifestation of this was the implementation and now-widespread-distribution of Scrolls and the DustNet, invented by Atlas and then spread throughout the other Kingdoms as a gesture of kindness. And as the name implied, the project had been heavily funded by the Schnee Dust Company, often abbreviated as the SDC. However, this gesture of kindness wasn't one that was free of being repaid.

No, the SDC wanted a more exclusive way of communication, a way Pyrrha had long ago figured out was just another way for them to amass power with influential people across the Kingdoms.

And that method was the annual Schnee Galas, held in rotation between the four Kingdoms. And as it happened, the event this year was being held in Vale.

And of course, even if her main popularity was in Mistral, she was still invited to attend - starting from 8:30 PM, tomorrow night.

Pyrrha resisted the urge to sigh as she held the letter in her hands. She leaned back in her living room sofa and tossed the open letter to the table. It would be yet another night of putting on her mask, and she dreaded every bit of it.

Pyrrha tilted to the side and gazed through the window; the sun had long since set, her newly polished weapons reflecting only the light right above her home's entrance. She yawned and stretched her muscles – she had been assigned a long, solo mission today and it was by chance that she had come back home faster than her husband.

Pyrrha rolled her shoulders. With nothing to do, her mind went back to that letter she received…. And she came to an idea that might just make attending a little less painful.

Pyrrha took out her Scroll and began scrolling through her contacts. It wasn't like she didn't have friends in higher society, it was just that those that could truly be called that were few and far in between. Case in point, in took her less than a minute to scroll through the 10-odd names in her personal Scroll's contacts.

Smiling slightly, Pyrrha tapped one of the few names she could trust, 'KittyNinja. Within moments, Pyrrha had already vigorously typed her message out and sent it through.

P: Hey. I just got the mail for tomorrow's Gala. Are you going to attend?

She kept an eye on her friend's online status; upon receiving her message, it had quickly went from 'offline' to 'online – typing…' and within moments her answer came back.

K.N: I thought I told you to use this only for emergencies.

P: This is an emergency. You know I hate these things as much as you do, that's why I'm asking. I have things to do too, you know…

It took several seconds, but Kitty did respond back.

K.N: …What 'Things'? With your husband, you mean?

Pyrrha blushed and quickly typed out her response while flustering.

P: Shut up, it's not like that. Anyway! So are you coming or not?

This time, the response was immediate.

K.N I'm coming, and so is my husband. Not like I could've dodged Weiss forever anyways… sides Dad's been pressuring me to take a more active role before I take over as chief, so there's that too.

Pyrrha's smile widened. She was just about to respond when she heard the creak of her door opening. With a rush, Pyrrha put her phone back in her pocket and looked to the source.

"I'm home!" Jaune shouted as he closed the door behind him. He grunted as he put his weapons next to her own by the doorside, swiping his hair back as he did so. "Sorry for coming home a little late, everything took longer than usual. Again."

"It's fine." Pyrrha hid a smile behind her hand. Ever since that day they shared a meal, things had been much better. Their initial ice was broken, and him coming home every day became something she always looked forward to.

Jaune brushed himself off and swiftly went to the kitchen, but not without giving her a friendly wave.

Pyrrha felt herself grow with even more excitement and couldn't help herself; she was starving. "How long until dinner, Jaune?"

"Ah, about 10 minutes if I can make it." Jaune rummaged through the fridge and pulled out several meals that were all but in their final steps of cooking. He turned on the stove and flashed her a smile, "Just hold on, alright? I'll make this as fast as I can!"

Pyrrha giggled. "Sure, Jaune." She looked away, but not without recognizing the slight blush that rose to his cheeks; and on hers as well. Her spirits lifted and her hopes up, Pyrrha opened her Scroll once more and saw that she had received 3 additional messages.

K.N: So, what about you? Are you coming or not?

K.N: Hello? I saw the read receipt come up…

K.N: Pyrrha, is something wrong?!

Flustered, Pyrrha quickly sent her response.

P: I'm sorry! My husband just came home… he's cooking us dinner right now. Again, I'm sorry!

P: As for the gala, I'll come, don't you worry! Hopefully things wouldn't be as dull with you around.

K.N: Ah, so it wasn't the Fang that got to you then. I'm glad.

Pyrrha saw her friend type for a several seconds, the long silence being awfully reminiscent if she were actually here… and then the next message came pinging back.

K.N: What about yours? Is he coming too?

Pyrrha stopped to consider. While she and Jaune had gotten closer in these last few days, she still had no idea if something like this was something he'd be willing to do or not. The Galas tended to have a massive amount of undertone to them, and on top of that, to go there and be associated to her fame…

P: I don't know.

K.B: Well, couldn't hurt to ask him, could it?

Pyrrha was about to type out her response when her mind came to a halt. If she were to ask him to come with her, then wasn't that just the same as asking him out on a date?!

And wasn't that just saying that she loved him?!

Her response was immediate.

P: No way! I'm not letting him go there as easy as that!

K.N: …What do you mean?

Pyrrha was just about to answer with a fiery reply when Jaune called out to her. "Dinner's all ready!"

P: I'll be right back.

Pyrrha pocketed her Scroll and swiftly went to the dinner table, all thoughts of the gala tomorrow pushed to the back of her mind. With nods to each other, both Jaune and Pyrrha quickly dug into their portions; two pieces of steaks with healthy servings of mashed potatoes.

Pyrrha supressed a moan as she ate. "It's as good as always, Jaune." She easily complimented him. After all, it was true, she simply couldn't hold it in!

"Ah, thanks." Jaune rubbed the back of his head with a blush. Even now, it still meant so much…

For a second, Pyrrha thought she saw her husband look nervous. But in another second Jaune had quickly steeled his nerves and asked her a question. "Ah, uhm, so I saw a letter come to us by the mailman this morning, right after you went out; it was specifically for you … what was it about?"

"Hm…" Pyrrha tapped her utensils as she swallowed her meal. Slicing another bite, she spoke just before she took it. "It's a gala by the Schnees. They're inviting me to attend tomorrow, around 7 PM."

Pyrrha's eyes sharpened for her husband's reaction as she chewed. 'Come on… ask me!'

Sadly, Jaune showed no signs of reacting with interest. He merely hummed as he continued to chew. "Ah, I see…" He stabbed another portion and quickly chewed that on that too. "Sorry, but I might not be able to make it."

Pyrrha's motions stopped dead in their tracks, her food almost spilling out of her mouth.

'A flat-out rejection?! B-but I haven't even asked him!'

Thankfully, Jaune spoke up again before she could suffer from a heart attack. "My Team and I have a night-time mission tomorrow. A nearby village has been reporting more night attacks by the Grimm lately…" He swallowed with a grimace. "And we couldn't have turned a blind eye."

"I-I see…" Pyrrha lowered her gaze and felt her energy leave her. She didn't know why, it wasn't as if they were even that close, and she had been prepared to make him chase and chase! But his refusal still left her wanting more.

"I can still help you get ready before you go though!" Jaune said, and he flashed her a sympathetic smile once she lifted her gaze. "I'll have to leave quick, but I can make sure you'll look your best!"

'Oh, right.' Pyrrha though; Jaune had plenty of experience with his sisters, and she was thrilled to be able to spend such a time with him! – but it still wouldn't be the same. Even more hurting was the fact that he was doing this out of the kindness of his own heart; she wouldn't dare hope for such a thing from the haughty scum that usually attended. 'Not unless they had something they wanted in return.'

But still, she'd rather have this rather than go there with her picture-perfect mask from the minute she stepped into the hall.

"I think I'd like that." Pyrrha settled. She put her fork down and brushed her lips with her napkin, her portion now all done. She put her dishes in the sink and went back to her bedroom, giving Jaune one final thanks for the meal.

And Jaune had responded with his usual kindness, "I really am sorry, but no other Team was looking to take it on." Followed by her a bittersweet smile. And then he had promised her:

"I'll make it up to you somehow," He had said with a hand over his chest, "and an Arc never goes back on his word."

And she could only hold herself from choking up and giving him a thanks before burying herself in her bed.

'That's right,' Pyrrha had thought, tomorrow would be a new day wearing her dreaded mask, one she had grown comfortable to wear slightly loose in these days with Jaune.

But she couldn't have pulled him from that mission, not when his sense of duty was that strong. And she wasn't yet close enough to draw him to her.

She needed a plan, a way to make him fall for her and only then for her to finally have someone that would understand her. Her bond wasn't yet strong enough to chink and pull at his armour, while she knew she was needing him – needing his presence, his smile, his companionship - little by little every day.

Pyrrha let out a calming breath and forced herself to stabilize.

She needed to find a way, and without an idea coming to her, she knew she needed an outside opinion.

But then, a stray thought did hit her. And that was enough for her to transform her sadness to a source of hope. And then, giddy victory in winning this war!

'Hm. Maybe Kitty'd have the answers tomorrow…. All those books, she's got know something!'

Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll once more and typed in her long-overdue response to her friend.

P: I mean that he's not coming because he has other things to do. And tomorrow, I need you to tell me how I can fix that.

K.N: ?

The next night, Pyrrha once more sat alone, her glass of juice long since empty as the gala continued on. She eyed the participants from where she was, sat at a table on the far and dark end of the hall right beside the exit door; she could see sons and daughters of CEOs, young up-and-coming politicians, and of course renowned Huntsmen and Huntresses. All in all, everything she had expected.

Pyrrha repressed a sigh. She had to appear prim and proper – just a little longer…

A voice interrupted her thoughts, one that brought relief to her. "Of course I'd find you here."

Pyrrha turned and responded to the speaker with a smile, "Took you long enough, KittyNinja. I was dying of boredom."

The aforementioned Kitty – an exotic-looking woman with black hair, gold eyes and cat ears sprouting from the top of her head – blushed as she sat down next to Pyrrha. "Stop calling me that in public," She quickly whispered, "People are going to get the wrong idea!"

"Ah, but it's so cute." Pyrrha giggled, "Kitty kitty cat-!"

"Stop!" The woman blushed. "Just Blake, Pyrrha! I'm not going to hear the end of it from Dad if you keep this up!"

"Alright, alright, ninja." Pyrrha gave one final giggle before relenting. "So, how have you been? Is everything going well in Menagerie?"

"More or less." Blake relaxed in her own seat. She drank a glass of her own before continuing, "Dad's been slowing down on what he's doing lately; wants me to start taking over seriously this year."

"Ah, I see…" Pyrrha relaxed in her own seat. This was Blake Belladonna – current chief of Menagerie, member of Team RWBY, and someone Pyrrha had met in the first ever gala she had ever attended, back when she first won her tournament at 15 years old.

And back then, right when they first spoke to each other, they had immediately connected on one thing; their shared distaste of lies and manipulative people in power. And throughout the years, as Blake ran away, redeemed herself at Beacon, found a man she could reasonably settle down with, and then came back to Menagerie, Pyrrha kept her in contact as one of the few she could trust.

She was the closest thing to a Huntress' 'partner' she ever had, even if Blake had her own team and partner as well.

"That fast, huh." Pyrrha said, "And how's the political side on that?"

Blake sighed. "That's why I had to come here. First impressions and all that… especially since we've been getting a lot of interest lately too."

Pyrrha winced. "That's rough. But I guess this is what you've always wanted, right? If Menagerie's getting a lot of interest, its only once the Fang's been completely cleaned from the island. And their support too."

It took Blake a moment to answer – she looked around for curious eyes and ears before leaning close and speaking, "You know I was once a member of the White Fang," she explained with sadness, "I wanted them gone, Pyrrha, but somehow, it feels a little empty now…"

And Pyrrha could understand - she had felt the same once she reached the top of her Kingdom as well. "That just means you and Sun did a good job." She nodded to herself, "And I'm sure he'll be there to help you through it, Blake."

"I know that…" Blake looked to her husband, who was in the middle of socializing with other men in the gala. The two women knew that Sun was much more open and fluid in these interactions – yet they also knew that Sun rarely let these people close either.

Blake gave Sun a shy wave from where she was, to which Sun had responded with an eager wave of his own. And as his conversation partners turned to look at her, Sun had been quick and slick to turn their attention back to him and away from her; just how she liked it.

And Pyrrha could only watch in envy. She wished she and Jaune were that close… if only…

Tap!

"Huh?" Pyrrha was knocked out of her daze when Blake tapped her shoulder. She turned to look at Blake, who had a knowing smile on her face.

Pyrrha blushed.

Blake hummed. "Ah, so that's what you wanted my help with…" And Pyrrha couldn't deny her. Blake cut to the chase. "So, you told me he couldn't come. Why's that?"

"He said he had a mission to do with his Team." Pyrrha mumbled. "It was on some village that's been having a Grimm spike recently."

"Ah ah, I see." Blake nodded along, "And I'm guessing he couldn't reschedule it for another Team?"

Pyrrha shook her head in a silent no.

Blake hummed again. Her mind came to a conclusion, "Did you even ask him to go with you?"

"I didn't." Pyrrha whined. "I mean, how could I? He's putting his life in line to save other people. That's his purpose as a Huntsman, and yours and mine too."

"But there's still other Teams, Pyrrha." Blake reasoned, "I mean, who knows? I think he would've looked harder if you'd just ask him. I'm sure he'd accept an offer from you-!"

"But that's from me!" Pyrrha shout-whispered. "If I offered him first then that'd mean that I want to go with him! No, he should want to go with me!"

"…. Isn't that the same thing…?"

"NO IT ISN'T!" Pyrrha shrieked and jumped up. Blake's eyes widened as Pyrrha's hand quickly went to her mouth in shock. Thankfully, though, as she looked around, no one had noticed.

Blake relented to her friend's logic as the redhead sat back down. "Okay, okay… I see." She really didn't, but whatever rocked Pyrrha's boat. "But what is it that you want my help with, exactly?"

Pyrrha gulped, "I heard Sun's been busy with a lot of investigations lately, but he still went with you tonight. How can you make him make time for you?"

Blake fought with herself for the answer; a relationship was supposed to be based on trust, not transaction. She was sure Pyrrha knew that too, and this was just her way of getting to that point. A roundabout way for sure, but cute to see.

Blake tried to recontextualize her relationship to the best of her abilities. If she were thinking like her, then, well…

"We try our best to always have a free day to ourselves every week," Blake said, "Usually he likes to go to amusement parks and game centres, and whenever its my turn we go to bookstores and libraries. If we don't have any time for either, then we usually just spar for a few hours in the backyard."

"Sparring…?" Pyrrha trailed off.

"Yeah. Sun's got way too much energy, and I don't like loud places. Sparring's the best of both worlds." Blake sighed and rolled her elbow, as if the mention of the word itself made her fatigued. She cracked her neck and let out a pleased sigh, "Ah, we went a little bit too hard too yesterday…"

An image started to form in Pyrrha's mind. She decided to confirm it with her friend, "So since you did what he wanted, then he has to do whatever you ask next, right?"

Blake raised a finger to object, her mouth open to respond, before she quickly closed it back and lowered her hand.

"…I suppose you can that, yeah." Blake settled. Hopelessly, if one looked close.

But alas, Pyrrha didn't.

"Right, right…" The redhead's mind raced as she put her chin on her fist. Sparring, she could do. She could do it well! She was the champion for a reason you know! But she needed to wrap him around her finger, first.

That's it! All she needed to do was make him indebted to her, drip-feed him what he wanted, and then she'll leave him wanting more - and then he'll have to do whatever she said!

Pyrrha looked back to Blake. "So you two stay in contact often, right? Even when he's away in Mistral and Vacuo?"

"Especially when he's away." Blake stressed, and her mouth frowned in worry. "It's just – Most of the White Fang ran away to Mistral once they were driven out of Menagerie; it's their new hotspot, and I'm just a little worried for him…"

Pyrrha lifted a hand, prepared to soothe her friend, before her actions were interrupted; Sun had suddenly appeared behind Blake and slung his arm around her shoulders.

Blake yelped in surprise, much to Sun's delight.

"Aw, there's no need to worry so much, honey!" Sun laughed and tapped his chest proud, "I'm as strong as ever!"

Blake felt tension release from her shoulders as she relaxed to her husband's chest. "I-I know… I just can't help it…"

Sun gave her a toothy grin in response, flashing a thumbs-up to ease her nerves. Which he could see it did, as Blake had let out a relieved breath and leaned more heavily on him.

After a moment, Blake looked back to Sun. "Are you done talking with them all? I thought you'd like a little more time…"

"Ah, about that, everything's starting to wrap up now. Weiss' going to make her closing speech in a few moments." Sun shrugged. "I thought that maybe you'd want to take a look, eh?"

Blake debated the matter for a few seconds, before settling on a firm denial. "No thanks. I'd rather stay here with Pyrrha. We can always catch her later, off-stage once everything's done."

"Hmm." Sun nodded along. "That's all fine by me. I'll be sitting over there if you need me." And by there, Blake and Pyrrha both knew meant in the middle of the crowd. Someone had to make an appearance for them, after all.

Sun turned to Pyrrha. "What about you, Pyrrha? Maybe you'd like to sociali-"

"No."

"Sheesh. Still not over last year's thing, huh…"

"No, I'm not. And if Weiss wants to talk to me directly then she better stop looking for a champion." Pyrrha threw the word out with venom.

"Ooookay, I'll pass it along if I meet her." Sun nodded. He backed off and gave the two a nod, "Have fun for the rest of the night, kay? Blake, just remember that our flight for tomorrow's a little early, so…"

"I got it." Blake smiled, "Go on. We won't be too late."

Sun then left the two of them for each other again, to which Blake took initiative in speaking.

"Listen, Pyrrha," Blake began, "I'm sorry about Weiss on last year's Gala. I know it was a bad time for you, but she was just so eager to meet you, and she-."

"Save it, Blake." Pyrrha looked away and shifted to see the stage, far away from them with a certain Ice Princess taking stage and tapping the mic, bringing all people's attention to the CEO of the SDC.

Pyrrha scowled. "If she wants connections so much then she shouldn't be approaching everyone like tools."

Blake flinched. "W-well, she does have real friends, you know."

"Like you, and the rest of Team RWBY, right? I know." Pyrrha said as Weiss began her speech, "But she could still afford to be less of an icy prick, don't you think? When she talked to me all she talked about was my accomplishments – and when I denied her, she got angry. Does that sound polite to you?"

"W-well, when you put it that way…" Blake lowered her hand and shook her head. Back then, Weiss hadn't yet risen to CEO – and while she did growsofter during her years at Beacon, she still had, as Yang would put it 'a stick up her ass'. Especially towards a blond knight she was an acquaintance with.

Come to think of it, didn't he get married too? She ought to congratulate him sometime, her and Sun had been completely out of it while driving the Fang off Menagerie. That meant two friends whose spouses she hadn't meant, Jaune and Pyrrha.

Huh, what a coincidence…

Well, no time like the present. Blake spoke up again to Pyrrha, whose eyes were hate-glued to the stage; "Say, Pyrrha, I never did get the name of your husband. Would you mind introducing us sometime?"

Pyrrha turned to Blake, her eyes shining as she remembered him. "Oh, his name's-!"

BANG! BRRRRTTTT!

"NOBODY MOVE, OR WE'LL BLOW THIS WHOLE PLACE TO SHIT!"

"Shit, duck!" Blake and Pyrrha quickly ducked under their tables as shots flew in the room, making clear what was happening:

The Gala was being held hostage.

On the other side of the Kingdom…

Once more, Jaune wiped sweat from his brow as he leaned against his sword. Corpses of Grimm were littered around him and his Team, their dead numbers almost reaching a hundred.

The mission was complete, and the village they had been protecting was now completely safe. However it wasn't easy. Both Jaune and Ren were exhausted beyond belief, and some of the Grimm did get through and burst into the city; thankfully, they only managed to damage some of the outskirts stores and homes, with the local militia able to take care of a few stray Grimm and preventing any casualties.

It was a growing trend that Jaune found himself slightly concerned about - the amount of missions had lately been increasing, both for him and the general Huntsman populace as a whole. Grimm attacks were becoming more common, though not many had yet commented on it.

It made him concerned - he didn't know if he could keep up his pace if this continued. He might need to start considering filling up the empty spot on Team JNR now. Question was, who would be a good fit?

'Hm, Yang's still out there somewhere... maybe she'd like a shot? Nah, probably not...'

His thoughts continued to wander as he thought of possible candidates. His mind gave a stray thought; what about inviting Pyrrha onboard? Start going on missions together?

'Mayb- no no no, there's no way she'd like to.' Jaune shook his head silently. 'There's no way she'd say yes, she's already way too busy already. And besides, we're not even that close yet...'

And how he wanted to bridge that gap too - but wanting and being able to do something were two completely different facts. He wasn't even sure if she'd be up to spending some casual time with him...

Unaware of her leader's racing mind, Nora stretched and yelled as she felt fading adrenaline racing throughout her. "Whooo!" She screamed, plopping down to sit on the dirt as her face flushed with the usual satisfaction after a mission, "That was great!"

"Sure," Jaune sighed as he slid down his sword. "Yeah, whatever you say…."

Ren leaned against a tree nearby and slid down to sit as well. He came down with a plop! And tossed Jaune and Nora his homemade juice. "Here, hope this fills you guys up."

"Thanks Renny!"

"Thanks, Ren." Jaune and Nora drank up, Jaune taking sips while Nora downed the whole thing in one go.

"Mmmm, this tastes much better!" Nora licked her lips and sent a blinding smile to Ren, "What did you change this time?"

"I added sugar." Ren said sadly, but Nora laughed to it delighted. "You wouldn't have drunk it otherwise…"

"Mmmm, speaking of sugar…" Nora turned to Jaune, "How's it going with Pyrrha, Leader?"

'Those two have no connection at all.' Jaune thought deadpan, but relented nonetheless. "Things have been… good, I guess."

"Good how?" Nora pressed, scooting closer to him and making sure to look him in the eye.

Jaune shrugged and took another sip. "Well she likes my cooking I guess. We've also gotten to talking more with each other. It's getting a lot easier now."

"Okay, okay…" Nora nodded along. She waited for a few seconds, expecting Jaune to continue, but when he didn't, her eyes went slightly wide. "…That's it?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Jaune nodded. "It's only been a week. What did you expect?"

Nora sighed. Her Leader could be so dense and slow to act sometimes! "So you haven't done anything together yet? Not even a dine out once?"

Jaune raised his hand in his defence. "Well, we do have breakfast together…"

"That's mostly expected." Ren broke his silence. Jaune turned to his best friend in betrayal, who shrugged away any concern. "Everyone's different, but Nora pretty much couldn't live if I stopped the pancake train."

"Hmph! You're damn right!" Nora crossed her arms over her chest, and then quickly turned back to Jaune. "But you did say you wanted to get closer with her, right?"

"Yeah…" Jaune trailed off. He didn't get where she was going with this…

But Nora had picked up on her leader's pride (can it be called that…? He never had anything like that before….) on their last meeting. She decided to prod. "And are you sure she hasn't invited you to anything lately?"

"Not that I remem- oh! She did have a gala to attend to day… by Weiss, I think." Jaune shrugged. "I couldn't come because… because we're here now, y'know?"

Once more, upon hearing her leader's actions, Nora sighed. "And she didn't even you to it…?"

"Well, she just brought it up this morning, and by then it was too late to reconsider, wasn't it?" Jaune said. "And besides, I'm sure Weiss didn't invite me. We didn't get off on the best of terms when graduating, remember?"

Nora and Ren looked at each other. While that was true, it wasn't well for Jaune to keep his failed past attempts from his current relationship that could be going so damn well!

And besides, something in Nora told her that Pyrrha was different. She would've guessed that Pyrrha would've loved for him to come with.

"Let's say that you did ask her." Nora began, "Do you think she would've allowed you to go?"

"I-I…" Jaune stuttered. Last week he would've known for sure that she'd reject, but now… "I don't know…"

"But you want to get closer to her, don't you? You said you wanted to make this real… well don't you?"

"Y-yeah. More than anything in the world."

"Then why didn't you ask her? Couldn't have hurt, could it?"

Jaune's mind raced – of the possible outcomes, of how it seemed the possibilities of him being rejected grew and grew, and how if he did then it would him on the receiving end, when he just didn't know!

"Ah ah, Jaune, so you want to come with me even when you know you're not invited?" The imaginary Pyrrha in his mind said. "So you're saying that you want to be with me so much, is that it? That you need me, and that you love me so much, right? Or is it that you're that desperate for someone to love you? My my…

How cute."

'NOOOOO!' "Nononono! That's impossible!" Jaune shook his head and fervently denied. "No, she's gotta be the one that invites me!"

"And…. Why is that?" Ren asked.

"Because think about it! If I asked her, then she'll hold it above my head forever! I'd be making myself vulnerable, and the outcome isn't even certain! There's a high chance of losing, Ren! If I want to be sure then it has to be her asking me!"

"Losing…?" Ren whispered in confusion.

Nora voiced her concern as well, "But Jaune, you're a couple! You've got to spend some time together, don't you? It's what couples are supposed to do!"

Jaune whipped his head to his female teammate and moved his ramble on to Nora. "No, you don't get it! If I ask her then that'll mean that I want to spend time with her! And that means that I'll always be indebted to her and then we'd always be too different! I could think of a lot of ways to have fun, and I'll bet you it'll make her jealous! And once she is, I'll make sure that she should be the one asking me!"

"…" Nora turned to look at Ren, who responded with the same silence.

Shaking his head ever so slightly, Ren decided to break the conversation. "…Ignoring that big can of worms," he began, "I think we should head out soon. It's getting way too late for us to keep staying out."

"A-ah, yeah." Jaune broke free from his trance and pulled out his Scroll. "Hold on, let me call for our escort outta here-!" But his voice died in his throat when he looked at the newest feed in his Scroll, his grip slacking and Scroll barely held on.

"Uhhh, Jaune? What's wrong?" Nora quickly scooted over to her leader and looked at his Scroll. Her face went pale as she too saw the information, and soon her husband joined her by her side and tried to use his Semblance to calm them down; but alas, he was in shock too.

'Vale Schnee Gala taken hostage! White Flang threaten to start killing if ransom is not paid within 24 hours!'

Jaune's face turned to steel. How dare they – and right when he was away from Pyrrha too!

His grip tightened and his Scroll began to crack. His mind was set on one thing – no matter what she might think, he was going to go there and save her.

He was going to make sure his wife was safe.

"We're going there." Jaune stated with grit teeth. "Now."