Author's Note: Warning that I am thinking of taking next Sunday off, nothing certain yet but if there is no upload next week that's why.

It had taken Pyrrha a few days to come up with a plan to help Ruby. Thankfully, little else demanded her time as she spent her days training and waiting for the pieces to fall into place. They couldn't go back to Mistral to talk with Colonel Aurelian until after he had departed Vale, and General Ironwood was busy in Atlas until then. While it may have been nice to handle everything in Vale, the General had been adamant on returning home before the opportunity could present itself.

That left her with plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, run those ideas by Coco, and then come up with new ideas as her friend shot them down. Pyrrha had grown a lot since first setting foot on campus, but one thing that hadn't changed was her lack of social experience. She wasn't as bad as Ruby, but her friend's faults came from being shy and anxious around new people; Pyrrha's issue was simply a lack of trying.

That lack of experience usually left her feeling awkward, but it wasn't the same. Ruby had the best of intentions and would keep trying until she won you over, Weiss being a perfect example of that, but Pyrrha lacked that same initiative. She hesitated, unsure of what to say until the moment had passed and she was left behind.

She wasn't willing to let that continue however, even if it was easier said than done. Her life with Team JNPR had shown her the beauty of capturing the moment, even if she'd failed to do so with Jaune. Having friends and being able to be honest with them was something she knew she'd always wanted, but it was so much more than what she expected. The loss of her Team, if even temporary, had hurt and she had clung to the idea that she had to get them back.

While she still planned to connect with her old friends, Team CFVY had shown her that wasn't entirely practical. They'd stepped in when Pyrrha could so easily have slipped back into her pre Beacon days; her narrow minded focus on defeating Cinder could have so easily undone everything she'd learned. They'd forced her to open up - or maybe that was just Coco - and she was better for it.

Weiss would be better for it as well, she just didn't know it yet. From everything Pyrrha had overheard, the girl had been in a shockingly similar situation to Pyrrha when they first arrived. Perhaps that's why she sought her out before initiation, an attempt at friendship from one lonely girl to another.

Pyrrha sighed, remembering how annoyed she'd been at who she had thought was a spoiled girl used to getting her way. She'd interacted with her fair share of those kinds of people during her tournament days and she hadn't ever enjoyed the experience. She'd judged Weiss based simply off that, and she couldn't have been more off the mark.

On the surface Weiss was that perhaps, but underneath she had a soft side that simply wanted companionship, something Pyrrha could relate to on a deeper level than most. It just took the Heiress longer to find herself than it did for her.

She'd brought her thoughts up with Coco, who failed to see what Pyrrha had in Weiss. That had changed once she'd gotten to explain how Weiss' problems related to her own, which seemed to help Coco view Weiss in a more positive light.

"I didn't know it was that bad."

"It's not something you realize until after it's done." Pyrrha shrugged. "No one truly wants to be alone for the rest of their lives, but it isn't until you reach out that you realize how important friends can be. I was lucky to find Jaune, Ren and Nora when I did. Weiss was lucky as well, it's just…"

"They didn't give her a chance to prove herself." Yatsu said, having sat quickly on his bed until now.

"I didn't give her a chance." Pyrrha's head lowered and she brought a hand up to cover her eyes.

"This Pyrrha isn't you." Coco insisted, the look in her eyes threatening to bring up the familiar argument. For the first few days she'd blamed herself more directly, only for Coco to threaten to knock some sense into her, 'Magic powers be damned'. It had helped pull her stop hating herself and focus on the issue, even if she wasn't entirely convinced it was accurate.

Obviously she and the new Pyrrha weren't the exact same person, in that they didn't share thoughts or control each other's actions, but Pyrrha knew she would have made the same choice in her place; at least at that point in her life and not knowing what she did now. It was difficult to blame her past self and not feel like she had a part to play; it remained a touchy subject in their dorm.

Thankfully, that wasn't what she'd meant. "I judged Weiss the moment I met her. I knew her name and saw the way she carried herself and I disliked her instantly." It wasn't hate, or fondness, just the thought that Weiss was the embodiment of everything she had hated about her life before, never bothering to ask herself why Weiss wanted those things.

This hurt because the reason was so simple, Weiss thought she had to earn friends. She wanted to succeed because she felt pressured by the weight of her family's legacy and she held no one to a higher standard than herself. She aimed for perfection and, when she failed to meet such an impossible task, she blamed herself for it every time.

Ruby had pointed that out to her towards the end of the Vytal Tournament. When the younger girl had figured that out, Pyrrha would never know and she very much doubted Weiss would have ever admitted it, but it painted the Heiress in a very different light.

"We all judge people when we first meet them." Coco muttered, rolling her eyes. "It's why first impressions are so important. It's arrogant to think you know everything about someone simply by looking at them, but the way someone dresses can say a lot about them."

"The way they speak and carry themselves as well." Yatsu added. "It is not unfair to form opinions based on that."

"Just to hold them to it." Velvet added. "First impressions can be wrong, there's nothing wrong with that. You just have to give people the chance to prove you wrong."

"I wouldn't know, I've never judged someone like that." Fox's voice was filled with sarcasm. "Maybe I'm just better than everyone else."

Coco rolled her eyes, ignoring her partner as Velvet and him began to argue back and forth. "You get the idea."

"I know, I just…" Pyrrha sighed. "I want to help her."

"Then tell her what you just told us." Coco shrugged. "That speech you gave about wanting friends was way better than any of the other plans you came up with."

Coco's advice was simple, and yet oh so familiar given she'd said the same to Jaune in his pursuit of Weiss. Pyrrha smiled fondly at the memory, and nodded her head in agreement. Coco was right, the direct path would be better here. Weiss wouldn't be tricked into opening up and Pyrrha couldn't apologize for her past self's mistakes. She'd just have to reason with the girl and hope for the best.

In the end, Weiss wasn't hard to find. There were only a handful of places the Heiress could go, and with Team RWAN's room apparently no longer an option, that narrowed those down significantly. Pyrrha spotted her the moment she walked into the library. She was sitting alone at one of the tables, flipping through a book that she seemed to have little interest in.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Pyrrha gestured towards the chair across from her, drawing Weiss' eyes up from her book with a start as she clearly hadn't noticed her approach. After a moment's hesitation, she gestured for her to sit. "I wanted to talk to you, so long as I'm not interrupting anything."

Weiss closed the book she'd been reading, apparently something about the history of poetry, before looking up to her. "What did you wish to discuss?"

Pyrrha winced at the formality, remembering that Weiss didn't see her as a friend yet. "Ruby is worried about you and… Pyrrha." The Heiress seemed to deflate for a moment, her shoulders sagging as her head lowered. She realized where she was a second alter and sat back up, her doubt hidden behind a mask.

"Did she ask you to speak with me?" Weiss sounded annoyed by that, crossing her arms over chest. "I don't need oth-"

"She didn't." Pyrrha insisted, cutting her off before she could say something that she might regret. "Ruby is my friend and I don't like to see her blaming herself."

Weiss flinched at her words, her arms falling to lay on the table once more. "It's not her fault."

Pyrrha smiled softly. "She knows that, she just feels like she should be doing more to help. She's a good person once you get to know her." Weiss hummed softly in what might have been called agreement. "But then again she isn't the problem, is she?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sure I don't know what you-"

"Have you spoken with your sister lately?"

"Winter?" Weiss' suspicion fell away, replaced instead with confusion. "We've… spoken, yes." Clearly not as much as the girl would like, though she would never say it. Winter had made her point clear, that she wished to stay uninvolved and to give her younger sister this chance to grow; that hadn't been enough to stay completely out of touch however, and she'd heard of the two spending some time together in between their missions against the White Fang.

"Has she mentioned Qrow?"

"She mentioned she might be seeing someone, but she neglected to mention their name." Weiss' natural curiosity would never let that be enough however, and Pyrrha waited silently for her to continue. After several long seconds she sighed and spoke once more. "I saw the news reports though, she attended the award ceremony with an unnamed Huntsman involved in the White Fang case's. I take it Qrow is his name."

Pyrrha hummed softly, she hadn't read the news about the event, having attended it herself, but she found it interesting Qrow wasn't mentioned by name. No doubt thanks to Ozpin, but now her own curiosity had been peaked and she couldn't help but wonder just how he'd managed that, and if he had extended the courtesy to herself as well.

"Winter and him have become close, I take it she hasn't said how they met?" Pyrrha felt safe in her assumption. Weiss hesitated, clearly trying to figure out where Pyrrha was going with this, before shaking her head. Pyrrha smirked slightly. "Then I highly doubt she mentioned how much they hated each other until recently."

Weiss looked surprised, but clearly didn't see the importance of it. "I've often heard that relationships can start like that, not everyone meshes well together so easily."

"That would be an understatement. When I say she hated him, I do mean that literally." Pyrrha chuckled softly. "I don't know if he felt quite the same way, but he certainly didn't have the highest opinion of her."

"How is this relevant?" Weiss' irritation finally showed itself, her attempts at figuring out Pyrrha motives giving way as her patience died.

Pyrrha used her words against her. "Because as you've said, not everyone gets along right away."

"I am aware of that!" Weiss snapped. "I fail to see why that matters."

"I think they didn't get along because of how similar they are." Pyrrha explained, having spent more time than was probably normal thinking about it to stave off boredom when she was working out or training. Funnily enough, both of them probably would have taken offense to that statement at one point, now they might just agree.

Qrow and Winter were very different people personality wise, almost exact opposites in fact, but when you looked at how they lived their lives they had a lot in common. They had dedicated their lives to serving what they saw as a higher purpose, Ozpin for Qrow and Ironwood for Winter. Both had lost touch with family due to that choice, Qrow his sister and Winter her father. Despite the cost, they were both driven beyond normal measure to fulfill what they wanted and neither seemed to regret that choice.

They fought for what was right and had strong morals that were at times difficult to understand. They'd grated against each other because they saw the other one as foolish for doing exactly what they had done, just with a different party.

Pyrrha smiled sadly. "You and Nikos have more in common than you realize. Maybe that's why you argue so much."

Weiss stood from her chair, the sound of the wood scraping back against the floor deafening in the relative silence of the library. "We're done here! Yes, my Team has issues, as does every Team so early into term. It will pass-"

"Nikos came here to make friends." Pyrrha outed her biggest secret without hesitation. She hadn't chosen Beacon over Haven because it was a better school, and she wasn't ashamed of the true reason anymore. "She chose Beacon for a fresh start, a place where she could be herself without having to worry about what others might think."

Weiss crossed her arms once more, glaring down at her with all the warmth of a blizzard "And how would you know that?"

"Because I know what it's like." Pyrrha could only smile sadly. "Trying to maintain an image and keep to yourself just doesn't work on a team, you need to trust each other for it to work."

Weiss huffed and stepped away from the table, storming out towards the door without care for those that watched her go. Pyrrha sighed, that had gone exactly as she knew it would. Weiss was stubborn, but she was also smart enough to see the truth in Pyrrha's words. Just because she wouldn't like feeling so called out, didn't mean she wouldn't take the time to think and come to the right conclusion.

Pyrrha had faith in her.

Weiss Schnee walked through the halls of Beacon alone, past crowds of teams talking and joking with one another. No one dared approach her. That sense of isolation wasn't unusual, the Schnee family was something that people felt they couldn't hope to interact with; be it in business or a friendly conversation. Despite what others may think she had made an attempt to be more social, a smile or nod whenever someone caught her eye as she walked, but it hadn't changed anything, so she'd stopped wasting her time.

Beacon was supposed to be her chance to be herself. She'd known people would recognize her as a Schnee of course, only Jaune being ignorant enough not to, but she'd hoped it wouldn't have the same hold as it did in Atlas. She thought that by being far outside her father's control, that she wouldn't be held to the same standards as before. That she could live something resembling a normal life.

Obviously she'd been a fool for hoping for such, and the worst part was that it wasn't her family name that had ruined her chances. In the end, it wasn't that which had doomed her. It was something laughably simple in comparison.

It was her hypocrisy.

She'd been prepared to defend herself when it came to her name, the Schnee family wasn't quite the monster the media liked to paint them as, but they certainly weren't saints. She knew showing up that people would judge her based on her name first and she'd sworn she wouldn't do the same. She had planned to prove them wrong and show that not all Schnees were like her father.

She'd always hated when people judged her based on her name, and yet she'd done the exact same with Pyrrha. She'd gone to Beacon with the intent of proving her father wrong, and then acted exactly like he had raised her to and, in that moment, she'd never been more like him.

If what Amber said was true then Pyrrha had come to Beacon with the same intention as her; to escape expectation. What was the first thing Weiss had done upon seeing her? Appeal to her on a professional level. How much of an idiot could she be?

If Pyrrha had wanted to be seen as the Invincible Girl and celebrity that she was, she would have stayed in Mistral and attended Haven where her fame was at its greatest. Instead, she'd chosen Beacon. Just like her…

They could have been the greatest of friends based on that, both able to provide what the other was sorely lacking. If only she'd been able to be kind. Now that bridge was burned, and her Team hated her.

She said a Team is about trust… but they don't trust me. And why would they? All of their Team's issues were directly her fault.

Weiss felt something warm in her eye, and she quickly searched for a way to isolate herself away from the student body of Beacon. They weren't tears, a Schnee didn't cry. At least, that's what she told herself as she stepped up onto the roof of the dorm building.

Beacon was beautiful and while many would admire its architecture and grandeur, it just didn't compare to Atlas. That comparative simplicity was exactly what she wanted however, and it appealed to her on a deeper level than she had ever expected.

"I don't think things are that bad." She jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of someone else, her mind only registering that it was Jaune after she had moved to wipe away the moisture in her eyes. He stepped up beside her, looking down over the edge of the building. "I mean, doesn't that seem a bit extreme?"

It took her a moment to recognize what he meant. She'd walked over near the edge of the roof, taking a calming pleasure from the view as she thought. To any one else though, a girl who had been isolated for weeks, had the beginnings of tears in her eyes, and was standing alone on the edge of a very far fall? Her eyes widened at the implications, and she stepped back.

"I wasn't going to-"

Jaune held his hands up. "I know, I know, I was just- sorry, bad joke."

Weiss took a moment to compose herself. "You shouldn't joke about something like that."

"Sorry." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "You just looked like you could use a laugh."

"I'm fine." Her response was instantaneous, and he didn't look like he believed her. "I shall survive." She tried instead.

"You know," Jaune looked hesitant, struggling to choose his words as he continued to rub the back of his head. "It's okay to be upset by all this."

Weiss turned away from him. "I don't know what you mean."

The silence returned, and Weiss regretted turning away. He was trying to help her, to be kind, and she had bit back at the first sign of him pushing. But she just didn't have the strength to face him; or anyone from her team for that matter.

"When I got into Beacon I was so excited." Jaune spoke softly, his voice barely audible over the wind, but with the two of them alone she heard it clear as day. "My family was less thrilled. They tried to talk me out of it actually." Jaune chuckled bitterly, causing Weiss to turn just enough to see him over her shoulder. "They didn't believe in me. They thought I didn't have what it took to be a Huntsmen. Some of them supported me as best they could, but it was clear they thought I'd be on my way back home by now."

It was painfully similar to her own situation, and Weiss finally turned to look at him fully. He wasn't looking at her; however, his head turned to look off towards the sea.

"They were happy to hear I made it through initiation though, all thanks to you three." He finally looked back at her. "If I hadn't been found by you guys I might not have made it out of that forest in one piece."

Weiss sighed, remembering how much she had argued with Ruby throughout initiation. "I don't think I am to thank for that."

He continued, either ignoring or not hearing her comment. "Despite all of that, Beacon… hasn't been what I thought it would be." Weiss could easily relate. "Between all the arguing and lessons and… bullying, I don't know what to do."

Weiss' eyes widened slightly. Was he getting bullied? She hadn't realized. Another thing she'd failed to do, something that any good team member should have noticed.

"I've got to try and fix something though." Jaune explained, the look on his face shifting from uncertainty to determined. "I know that things can't keep going like they are, and I want to make the team work."

Weiss wanted too as well, more than anything, but she didn't know what to do. "Teams are about trust." She stole the words of advice that had plagued her since she'd heard them, shaking her head softly in as she forced herself to speak. "But our team doesn't trust me, and they have their reasons to."

Whatever those reasons were. Pyrrha, she could understand, but she didn't doubt that Ruby and Jaune had their own opinions on the matter. They hadn't said it, and both had made attempts to fix the issue, but she wasn't certain they didn't blame her. Still, they seemed to be good people and had tried to help, that was more than could be said about her.

"You think we don't trust you?" Jaune sounded surprised, and hearing it from someone else made it sound so childish. She tried to explain herself, but he cut her off before she could. "I trust you."

"I appreciate you saying that." She said even if she didn't believe him. She'd spent the last few weeks causing arguments between their team, why would he have any semblance of trust for her?

"You're not a nice person, but you are kind… if a bit snippy." Jaune smiled as he tried to convince her. "You offered to help me with my sword technique and lessons within the first couple days of school, even though it would no doubt waste your time. I thought that was kind."

She smiled for his benefit, unwilling to argue the point. The fire had burned out already, and now she just felt tired. His words, flattering as they were, didn't overwrite the truth.

"You don't believe me." Jaune realized. "Fine, I'll make you believe." He looked down at the ground, staking a deep breath as if to prepare himself. "I… I forged my way into Beacon." It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did Weiss stepped back in shock. "I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied."

"W-why?" She barely managed to croak out.

"Because being a Huntsman has always been my dream." Jaune shrugged, refusing to look up and meet her eyes. "My dad was a hero, and his father was too and so was his father. I wanted to be just like them. Beacon was my chance to do that."

It was a useful explanation, but not what she had meant. If he had truly managed to sneak into Beacon, pass initiation, and get assigned onto a Team, all without getting caught, then surely he had already made it past the dangerous part. Remaining quiet would be the best course of action now, keeping that secret to himself so that no one could ever find out and betray him to the teachers.

She wanted to know why he had told her.

"You can tell the teachers if you want."

"They'll expel you." Weiss felt confident in that.

"Probably, and hey, maybe they'll break the Team up entirely and send everyone to another Team." Jaune said. "Team CFVY sort of has five members, what's a couple more?"

It wasn't an impossible thing, no doubt a Team of three would always be at a higher risk on missions, but he would lose his palace here. Expelled and forced to go back home to the family that hadn't truly believed in him.

"Why tell me?"

Jaune finally looked up from his feet, locking his eyes with hers. She could see the fear there, as well as the vulnerability, but she also saw that same determined expression from earlier. "Because I trust that you'll keep my secret."

Such a simple sentence, but in that moment it was exactly what she wanted to hear. She thought there should have been some hesitation to her decision, but she already knew what she would do. He had trusted her, and she wasn't willing to betray that.

"If… if you plan to stay in Beacon you'll need to work hard to catch up." She couldn't say it directly, as if acknowledging that she would cover for him would somehow doom her as well, but her words were enough to reassure him.

"I could use extra lessons." Jaune smiled. "Pyrrha already offered but, like you said, I'll need to work harder than everyone else."

"Learning from two teachers could certainly help." Weiss stepped forward, just a little more confident in herself. "Assuming you can trust me to help you, that is."

His response was simple, but it meant everything.

"I trust you."

Author's Note: Nothing certain in regards to next week's upload, but I might take that Sunday off. Depends how I am feeling.

Other than that, I hope you enjoyed reading and as always let me know what you think in the reviews. I anticipate some people being less than impressed with the Jaune stuff, but I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.

Sincerely, SE