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Chapter 25 Homecoming
Orr 'Two Hit' Flamberge awoke with a flash of red as her eye, for one, was swollen shut, shot open, and her fist impacted against a rough human palm. Despite hitting it with all her panicked strength, the hand did not budge an inch under the force of her punch.
Instead, a blue Aura that reminded her of the open sea flared dimly in response to her assault. The hand then enclosed about her fist, slowly, calmly, peacefully. And then, holding her hand, did the owner of it speak.
"Easy, Orr… you're safe."
Orr let out a long, pained groan, the noise carrying a tension she didn't know she was holding. It was as if the whole world had slipped from her shoulders, and she could finally breathe again.
"Nick… fuck, it's good to hear your voice, old man," Orr spoke hoarsely, her voice weak as she tilted to look at the good doctor with her working eye.
"Here, water," the old Huntsman spoke, pushing a canteen to her lips so she could drink. She did so with care as her lip was severely split, and her lips refused to work. She dribbled, but she doubted anyone gave a damn.
'Jaune never di-'
She choked on the water, some coming out in a pink-tinted spray from all the blood that had dried in her mouth. Dr Kaiser was quick to help her sit upright more, a movement that made pain flair in her torso but did right her breathing.
Which was good as she quickly grasped at the man, only one of her hands working for her as the other was too injured to move. With her fingers coiled about his bandolier Orr pulled the doctor to her and spoke in a rapid worried tone.
"Jaune! The kid, where is he, Nick? Where is my Sprout!" Orr pressed the man, her nails digging into the leather strap as she pulled herself up, blood flowing from her nose anew as she snarled at the man.
"Orr, calm down! He is right over there, see," Dr Kaiser hastily explained, leaning aside so that Orr could see her boy.
He was a mess. His face was caked in blood and cuts, and so was his chest. Red stained his usually pale skin, broken up only by filth and bruises. His pants were shredded, and she could see lengthy sections of his long limbs covered in abrasions. His feet were another spot of concern; blood seemed to coat the bottom of the there were patches of skin missing on both.
But his chest was moving.
He was alive.
"Jaune!" Orr exclaimed, her voice a mixture of concern, relief, panic and hope as she shoved and tried to crawl over the doctor to get to her charge.
"Dammit, Orr, stop this," Dr Kaiser snapped, grasping her arms and pushing back against her, not using his full strength for fear of hurting her worse.
"Move it, doc," Orr hissed before her eyes danced between the bloody Jaune and the doctor holding her back. "In fact, why are you helping me? I have Aura! Dumbass, help the fucking kid!"
"You actually don't have Aura, damn idiot; I had to jumpstart yours so you would wake up! And I would help the kid, except he refused any help until I saw to you and swung at me when I ignored him…"
"Wha-"
"Ms Orr?"
Orr's head whipped around so fast that she felt the swollen parts of her face throb as if freshly struck, but it was worth it.
"J-jaune?" He was lying flat in an alcove of boxes and crates, but she saw that he had tilted his head up. One sole blue eye was locked on her, and even with her shoddy vision, she could spot the slight upturn of his lips.
"You should let the doctor treat you… I already upset him by threatening him with your weapon," Jaune explains in his usual placid tone.
But Orr could see the smile in his eyes.
Orr could hear the relief in his tone.
Unbidden, she found tears forming in her good eye, and her lips split and ruined as they were, spreading into a blood-stained grin.
"I knew it!" Orr cheered, going limp, her form flopping atop Dr Kaiser, who held her aloft like a particularly stubborn cat. "I knew I saw you; it wasn't just a fucking hallucination, haha! We did it, kid!"
Jaune smiled; he seemingly couldn't move much more than his head for the moment but paid her a nod. "Thank you, Ms Orr… without you, I definitely wouldn't have made it," Jaune called over, straining his voice to ensure she could hear him.
Orr grinned wider, "Oi Nick, if you don't drag me over to my Sprout in the next ten seconds, I'm gonna bite you."
"… Feral bloody thing, aren't you? Oh well, probably easier to stick my problem patients together; it will be easier to keep an eye on you," the doctor conceded, scooping Orr up and carrying her over to Jaune.
"Oi, oi, easy now doc, don't ya know I am quite injured here," Orr complained loudly.
"I will drop you."
Dr Kaiser left her sitting propped up by some crates next to Jaune, the older woman immediately placing and hand on her charges shoulder. "You were great out there, kiddo. I know grown Huntsman that couldn't have pulled off what we did," Orr praised.
"It was mostly you, Ms Orr; I just helped where I could," Jaune humbly replied with his eyes closed, the afternoon sun overhead causing him some discomfort.
Orr frowned at his response, slapping him lightly as she spoke. "What's with this 'Ms' shit? I thought we covered this… are you being shy?" Orr cackled loudly, her hand coming up to brush through Jaune's hair.
"Oh poor boy, don't you worry; once doc gives us the all clear, we will have us another sleepover, and you can spend the whole night seeing to my whims again. How's that sound?" Orr teased, hoping she could cause the young Arc to react in front of the doctor.
It would be worth it to have a witness.
"… Orr," Jaune spoke, his voice serious all of a sudden.
"Hm?"
"My mother is behind us," Jaune explained, his eyes still closed.
Orr's hand froze in his hair, her entire body rigid as her eyes darted to the doctor who was cleaning a cut on her leg. The man spared her a glance and then damningly looked behind her.
"… If you undo my work, I will report you," he said calmly.
"… Your whims, huh…" a haunting feminine voice spoke from above Orr, the voice shooting ice down her spine.
"… So this is how I die," Orr uttered.
"Oh, you silly girl… death is far too quick," Hella threatened, leaning over the crates, the upside-down glare terrifying Orr almost as much as the Spriggan had.
Jaune was quick to come to her rescue, however. One of his hands came up to rest atop his mother's, which was crushing a crate beneath her wrath. "Mother… I missed you," he spoke earnestly, one of his bloodshot eyes opening to look at his mother.
Hella all but melted, vaulting the stacked crated to perch next to her son. "My Sunshine… you were supposed to stay safe," Hella exclaimed quietly, her fingers tracing the deep cuts about his eye, her words hinting at her worry.
"… I know… Orr did her best, but we never expected an Elder Grimm."
Orr snorted at that; such a statement could be printed in the annuals of history as 'arguably the greatest understatement of all time.' This was a mistake as it attracted the female Arc's attention, and once more was Orr pinned with a chilling stare. Orr could feel herself sweating.
Hella scared Orr when she was healthy and had her Aura. Half dead and with her Aura inactive… Orr would honestly feel more comfortable with the Grimm. But once more, Orr was saved.
"She saved me," Jaune stated his tone like steel, causing Hella to divert her icy stare. Gone was the killing stare, just like that, and instead was a look that reminded Orr of a mother wolf looking at her cubs.
Orr couldn't help but giggle, it was insane and possibly the reason she would later go missing without a trace, but she couldn't help it. Jaune had his mother wrapped around his finger. It would be adorable if his mother weren't the most lethal woman Orr had ever met, bar none.
"Ahh, I can't believe it… holy shit, we made it," Orr breathed, relaxing again now that Hella's attention wasn't pinned on her.
"Just by looking at both of your injuries, I can tell you had it rough… to be fair; you still came out better than I ever would have expected for a solo Huntsman and civilian, but…" Dr Kaiser paid Jaune a knowing look.
"Perhaps I should stop being surprised when it comes to you, huh Jaune?" the doctor proposed glancing at the young man who was ignoring him.
Orr snorted in amusement. It was just such a true statement; her Sprout was a trouble magnet through and through. Not to mention ridiculously capable and a bit of a weirdo.
"That's my Sprout, fending off Elder Grimm at thirteen and-"
"Thirteen!"
YVYVYVYVY
Jaune was loathe to admit it, but his injuries at this moment were more than he could handle. The pain he could dismiss with practised ease, but sadly there was little he could do concerning physical limitations—especially blood loss.
He would most assuredly not be pushing himself in that regard, especially not after the damned Stag Beast and his apparent use of the Arcane. He had no way of knowing what other parts of Yharnam had bled into his veins, and thus he decided to rest.
The presence of his mother and Orr certainly helped in that regard, as did the scent of his father.
'I guess the good doctor is a welcome addition as well… at least for Orr,' Jaune admitted begrudgingly within the security of his mind. He did not mind the man, but he would never be comfortable with doctors and those who worked within the confines of clinics.
It just wasn't in his nature.
But regarding his present physical condition, Jaune was forced to concede to his limitations. This meant that he could do nothing when a strange, unfamiliar voice just up and shouted in a startled manner just outside his field of view.
Nothing except inhale their scent.
'Leather, alcohol… bird?'
"Qrow, you stupid fuck! What the hell is the idea of startling us like that, you ass! And why are you lurking over there, you creep, trying to eavesdrop?" Orr snapped aggressively.
Jaune kept his eyes closed; he wasn't overly worried; his mother's fingers were still caressing the section under the cuts on his face. She had not stalled for a moment, so Jaune assumed she wasn't worried about the stranger.
Besides, Orr knew the man.
"Is that any way to thank one of the people who came rushing to your rescue?" the man asked; Jaune kept his eyes shut and listened as the man moved to perch on the crates near Orr.
"Get bent," was Orr's succinct reply.
"Pleasant as always, Orr," the man proclaimed airily.
Then Jaune felt the man's eyes on him, and his mother ceased her ministrations confirming this fact.
"Is the kid really thirteen?" The man asked.
"Yeah, what of it," Orr snapped.
"Bit big, ain't he?"
"Bit dumb, ain't ya?"
"You seem extra hostile today," Qrow commented, his gaze flicking off Jaune.
"Mm, strange, huh?" Orr bit out sarcastically.
"So why-"
"What's with all the questions Qrow? The fuck are you even doing out here anyway?" Orr cut the man off, shifting in her spot, causing the doctor to grunt at her.
"I was in the area, saw the Elder alert and figured I should help. You know, 'cause I am a Huntsman and all," the man replied sarcastically.
"Strange… I don't recall seeing your name on any official mission postings in the area Qrow. Are you perhaps freelance now?" Hella finally interjected, adding a new layer of tension to the conversation.
Jaune was not overly familiar with Huntsman politics in Remnant, but he was reasonably sure there was a subtext here he was missing. The question Hella had posed was enough to affect the man so significantly that his breathing stalled for a beat. Unnoticeable to an average person, but considering Jaune's peculiar nature and that everyone else present was a Huntsman, it was not missed.
'Curious,' Jaune thought, a small part of him admiring how easily his mother upset the man with but a single question.
"I was handling a favour for a friend, was up in Vacuo visiting Haven, in fact. Was on my way back when I got the alert," Qrow responded, his tone conveying indignation.
"Oh… heading back where Qrow," Dr Kaiser voiced up, his shuffling pausing for a second as he looked over his shoulder at the perched man.
"… Home; I decided I wanted to take some time off," the man replied after a brief hesitation.
This got a scoff out of Orr. Once more, Jaune heard her move, but again, a frustrated grunt from Kaiser made her stop. Instead, she spoke, "And just where the hell is home? Where does the Qrow nest these days, Beacon still?"
Qrow chuckled, "I can understand why you might think so, but no, I was on my way to Patch."
"Patch? That island that's just west of the capital?" Dr Kaiser spoke to confirm, perplexed by the man's answer.
"Yeah… Nice place to raise a family if you're into that sort of thing."
"…" Orr made a choking noise that tempted Jaune to open his good eye were it not for the sun's abusive rays.
"What?"
"Did you knock someone up?" Orr asked, her voice very accusatory.
"What, no!" Qrow rebutted angrily.
"Hey now, no shaming someone for settling down, Orr," Dr Kaiser piped up, "especially considering present company."
"Family is important," Hella added, her hand departing from Jaune's cheek to cover his eyes, blocking the sun's wrath much better than his eyelids, much to his pleasure.
"I did not knock someone up!" Qrow argued vehemently. "I am going there to-"
Qrow cut himself off.
This was a mistake.
"Keeping secrets, Qrow, up to no good?" Orr pressed.
"Oh, it's better than you think, Orr," a joyful, boisterous voice called out, announcing the arrival of the fourth response team member.
Jaune could not keep the smile from his face if he wanted to.
With gravel crunching beneath his heavy heel, Cloud Arc arrived, and the group's hostility seemed to get swept away beneath the weight of his presence. He took his spot leaning on the crates of their little makeshift camp and bent over so he was shading Jaune and Hella.
"Qrow is gonna be a teacher," Cloud proclaimed with a trickster's joy, "ain't that just something!"
Orr exploded into mirthful laughter and demanded answers from Qrow, who leaned back in his spot and groaned loudly.
Jaune paid them no mind though; instead, gifting his father a welcoming smile.
"Hey there, son."
"Hello, Father."
And there, bloody and exhausted Jaune was cast back to a night all those years ago when he had laid in an unfamiliar bed that was all his own. Surrounded by faces he loved but could not recognise and wounded by a monster unlike those he knew. Awake but haunted by the memories of Dreams.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Cloud asked, ignoring the noise of Orr and Qrow's caterwauling.
Jaune's fingers twitched, the cuts prickling as the blood in his veins warmed. The scratches about his eyes chilled, and he breathed in through his nose, recalling the panic and fury he had lost himself in as he had fought the Spriggan.
The scent of the Old Blood -his Blood- sending sparks of awareness through his olfactory nerves.
Tenderly Jaune grasped his mother's hand and pulled it aside. Then his eyes fluttered open, one a beautiful Arc blue and the other looking as if that circlet of familial blue floated in a sea of blood. And Jaune smiled, purely and without restraint.
His teeth were marred by blood, and his cheeks were shredded with strands of skin sticking up, peeled back, causing the wounds to shift and move. Jaune gave his father a wide-eyed teeth bared smile that came from the bottom of his heart.
"Yes, Father, I did," Jaune answered with happiness he couldn't hope to contain.
And he meant it; the joy was as sincere as he could hope to express because in the terrifying clash, on the brink of death, fighting for his life…
He had finally felt whole. Reassured as to his being in a way he had not known he needed.
Sure of his place.
And Cloud Arc, his father, returned his joy in equal measure.
YVYVYVYVY
"Your mum looked really annoyed that you turned down their offer for a lift," Orr commented as the two continued walking through the woods.
"Yeah… but it didn't feel right," Jaune admitted to his judge and companion.
"… Your dad did say that helping in the slaying of an Elder Grimm kind of means you already passed, though," Orr pointed out, dragging Jaune to a stop, the boy turning to look at her.
It was a testament to how much he had grown that Orr now had to crane her head back to meet his eyes. He was taller than her before they had set off, but his growth over the last few months still went a long way to explain his eating habits.
He wasn't messy. Just gluttonous.
"… I still disagree with your assessment of that encounter; you were the one who kept us alive, Orr; I just did my best not to get in your way."
"That's bullshit, and you know it; you were incredible out there, Jaune. We made it, thanks to you! It was your plan, your support, your deer!"
"That deer wasn't mine, and I refuse to claim ownership over the damn thing," Jaune quickly rebutted, not picking up on the fact that Orr was kidding.
Orr just sighed; her humour was truly wasted on her Sprout.
"Not the point Jaune."
"What is your point?" the tall boy asked.
"I…" Orr just sighed and slumped into Jaune, who didn't even budge. "I don't know, Jaune… just stop saying you didn't help me. Ok, it's really annoying."
"… Ok, I apologise," Jaune agreed, nodding his head.
"Thanks," Orr replied gratefully before turning around and continuing back on their way. The forest was still well-lit, and while they had moved at much faster paces when they had set out for the Rite, neither felt up to rushing back.
Instead, the two enjoyed a much more leisurely hike back to Reach through the woods.
"Probably for the best that we got out while the getting was good, actually," Orr piped up again after another amount of random time had passed.
"What makes you say so?" Jaune queried; having become much more comfortable with Orr after their time together, he found it easy to converse with the adult Huntress.
"Well, after a successful Elder Grimm encounters, whether that be the death of the Grimm or just the team running it off, its protocol for a research team to be sent to gather data about the rare specimen," Orr explained.
"Seems like a waste of resources considering the Grimm disintegrate," Jaune commented, seeing the exercise as foolish.
"True, but Elder Grimm are old and often can have dramatic effects on their environments and leave traces behind that can lead to new ends regarding Grimm research," Orr lectured.
"I suppose, still seems like an unnecessary and hazardous exercise," Jaune shrugged.
"It is, and it isn't; since we slew ours, the data they collect might come around to be mostly for posterities sake but say the Elder Grimm had been chased off instead… then the data they collect matters." Orr finished seriously, turning back to meet Jaunes eye,
"… I suppose so," Jaune yielded with a nod. "We might learn something about Spriggan due to our efforts."
"That would be cool; they are really rare; I would not of know it was one had I not seen it with my own eyes," Orr admitted.
Jaune hummed at that, his mind still dissecting the information he had gained from the dangerous encounter with the monster. While some of him wanted to focus his efforts on the monstrous Grimm itself, sadly, his thoughts went in a different direction.
It was one thing to be haunted by memories.
It was another to be haunted by Blood and Dreams.
"-aune… Hey Jaune!"
Orr was shaking him by his shoulder. He had been so lost in thought that he was nearly startled by her action. Instead, he settled for just blinking.
"Pardon me; I was… thinking," Jaune explained poorly.
"I could see that; you all good?"
"Yes… we came quite close to death, wouldn't you say?" Jaune intoned, doing his best to focus on his companion.
"Oh yeah… I won't lie; that might be the closest I have come, passing out like that… it's a damn good thing our backup arrived," Orr exhaled.
"Mm," Jaune agreed, his mind returning to the moment he had witnessed her succumb to her injuries, beaten and bloody, her body going limp.
He remembered fear and a dark sky painted in light the colour red.
How close to death had he come? He had felt its claws encroach; he knew better than most the feel of it.
So just how close had it come?
"Weird that we couldn't find the stag after everything, though," Orr suddenly spoke up, remembering the Beast that had saved them both.
"Yes, it was peculiar, but if we are to believe Mr Branwen, then it's possible my father may have… erased it," Jaune spoke, pausing to pick his words.
He could still recall with near-perfect clarity the look of embarrassment his father had worn for his actions. So could Orr as she erupted into a cackle that would befit a witch. Even Hella had smiled at his look in the moment.
Coming down from her fit of amusement, Orr sighed dramatically before speaking again, "Oh, to see it."
"See what?"
"While I am a little put out that the deer might have gotten caught up in it, I would have loved to see your dad go all out," Orr explained seriously, a fire igniting in her eyes.
"Truly, is it a rarity?" Jaune asked, perturbed, he had watched his father spar with his mother frequently, and it was not a falsehood to say Hella was the superior combatant.
"Oh Sprout, any Huntsman worth a damn knows about your old man; he is a modern legend. Descended from the great General Arc, the legendary 'Silver Lining' who comes with the rolling thunder."
Jaune had stopped walking now, looking at Orr with wide eyes, he had heard Orr speak of his father before, but it was always with familiarity. This was adoration, respect, and perhaps even a little bit of worship.
She usually reserved that for his mother.
"Not a lot of the civilians know it, but your dad's greatest feat was splitting an entire mountain in two; I don't know the full story either, of course, but I have seen that mountain," Orr said, turning to face Jaune.
"Truly?"
"Your dad… he is an amazing Huntsman, a certified hoard breaker, and you will always find him in the thick of it… but kid his power, it's something else," Orr said with a shaking head.
"… I had no idea; I admit the tiny gorge he made of the creek was certainly impressive, but to think… a whole mountain…" Jaune breathed; that was impressive and terrifying.
"Hah! Yes, the creek; he kept saying he 'lost his temper' as if trying to excuse removing the whole thing from existence," Orr laughed.
"I don't know why he was embarrassed. I am quite pleased he made well sure that the Spriggan was dead… it was quite resilient," Jaune growled, beginning to walk again.
"Hm, of for sure, I am with you there, kid. That thing was a fucking monster, but your dad prides himself on control. Going all out like that might be viewed as overkill," Orr snorted, showing her own opinion on the matter.
"I don't like that term 'overkill'. Ridiculous," Jaune spat, repulsed by such a notion.
In Yharnam, you hit something until you were sure it was dead and sometimes until it wasn't even recognisable. Then you burned it. Just to be sure.
Orr quickly pulled Jaune to her side, holding his taller frame against her with her strength; it was a credit to their time together that Jaune didn't even break his stride. "I hear ya, kiddo; there just ain't no kill like overkill."
Orr was not expecting a response to her words. It was not strange for her to do the vast majority of speaking between her and Jaune, so when he remained silent, she was unbothered.
However, She was beyond surprised when the kid rested his head atop hers. She nearly tripped over her own feet. She was so shocked by the sudden affection. She couldn't even think of something to say; she was so surprised.
Eventually, she settled for just giving Jaune a squeeze and not making a big deal of it.
Jaune cuddles would always be a welcome treat.
The two would continue their travels for just over a week; as they went, they both took turns commenting on the Bullheads that flew overhead. Solidifying that they had made the right decision to depart by foot and finish Jaune's Rite properly, even if they were a little ragged by the end.
Jaune thought so because he had no desire to be surrounded by a random assortment of strangers and, worse… researchers. Orr because she had no wish to begin filling in the numerous reports they would demand of her. In the end, though, both would enjoy a relatively calm trip.
They would take turns sleeping and move at a relaxed pace, allowing both of them time to recuperate. They would talk, mostly Orr, of course, but Jaune would occasionally speak, sharing stories he had read in the old Arc tomes to help explain his decision to walk back.
Orr even learned some Mæli and found she enjoyed learning a bit about the culture of Jaune's family.
But as their time together began to draw to a close, they began to speak more and more openly, often on matters they had previously avoided.
Jaune asked about Qrow, asking Orr for the reason behind her animosity towards the man. She had hesitated to speak on the matter at first, but her trust in Jaune was not a meagre thing. So she told him.
She spoke of Qrow Branwen, his sister, who was viewed by many as the worst sort of traitor for abandoning her team, and how many viewed him with distrust for his past and his tribe. She spoke of the Branwens and the well-documented destruction they left in their wake in Mistral.
She also spoke of how the number of dead Huntsman courtesy of the Branwens skyrocketed after Qrow's sister returned to their fold.
She talked about how Qrow was extraordinarily talented, and those who knew of him in the circles of Vale considered him amongst the best. But he wasn't ranked despite his nature as a sponsored Huntsman, and he was not a Head-hunter who were not counted amongst the rankings for security. She talked about the suspicion of it all.
How despite seemingly being on their side, Qrow's attitude and movements did not go unobserved, and many noted he was shady.
Many whispered spy and the brand of traitor seemed poised to mar him.
Orr asked about Kos.
Jaune had choked on his food when she asked, having to clear his airway before his brain could even think of a response. She had affirmed that he did not need to answer if he didn't feel capable, which would be the end of it.
But…
Jaune did speak.
Not of Dreams, Nightmares, Blood, or any of the horror that stalked him as memories and curses.
But he did speak of Kos.
He told Orr a story about a goddess who was, above all else, a mother. Who loved her children above and beyond all else, who treasured them and shaped them. He told of how they praised and loved Kos and the depth of their grief and loathing for those who wronged her.
He told her of tragedy.
He told her of a mother gone before the child, unable to safeguard it from those whose ambitions, hubris and greed ran unchecked. He told her of a mother's love that transcended all known bounds and spawned curses that drowned those who walked in the footsteps of her wrongdoers.
He asked her not to speak of the matter to anyone else and to keep the story confined to her own person.
She agreed and shortly after spoke of how he seemed not to know any happy stories.
He promised he would work on that.
YVYVYVYVY
Jade's mood could best be described as edge-of-her-seat frustration.
About a week ago, her parents had been sent out on an urgent mission, leaving the girls at home wandering about their sudden disappearance. Tami had known something and had been there the whole time, capable of telling them but was sworn to secrecy.
Scarlett and Saphron seemed to know something, but whatever it was, they wouldn't share it with her or Sky.
When her parents had come back, her mother had been angry, but you would not know it for how quickly she hurried to be with the twins. Their dad was the one who let them in on what all the fuss was.
Jaune was coming home.
Jade cheered loudly and madly, going so far as to pick her younger sister up and spin her about in circles, Sky joining in, screaming excitedly. This was the beginning of her excitement, and she could not stop fidgeting. She was too amped.
Then her mother told them how he chose to walk back instead of just returning with them. Jade had never wanted so badly to bat her brother up the back of his head as she had seen her mother do to scold her older children… and her dad.
But despite her excitement, life went on. More accurately, school went on, and even the return of her brother couldn't lessen how much of a pain it was. And as if it couldn't get worse, she was informed that their next project was a group one.
Jade had made no attempt to hide her horror at the announcement.
She could hardly focus on her regular schoolwork. She was so anxious; now, she would have to navigate the social awkwardness of working with others.
She had said fantastic when the teacher announced it, but she very much thought of another word that started with 'f'.
And now here she was, eagerly awaiting Jaune to hurry the hell up and come home with two kids from school, both staring wide-eyed at her house…
She didn't feel up to it, but Jaune would be upset if she didn't try.
She didn't want to ruin his homecoming.
"So yeah, we can sort out who's doing what today and…" Jade trailed off, realising she was no longer walking with her new project partners. Both of them were standing on the footpath, staring at her house.
"Um… guys?" Jade spoke up, snapping the both of them out of their stupor.
"Jade, your house is huge!" Malt exclaimed.
Jade looked back at it and just nodded. "Yeah, well, my family is pretty big; we kinda need the space," she explained with a shrug.
"No, I mean that door is the biggest door I have ever seen on a house!" Malt babbled, pointing at Jade's front door like an exhibit on display.
"… Well yeah… Malt, you've met my dad," Jade spoke slowly, concerned by her friend's behaviour.
Was her house really that strange?
"Brothers… how tall is he?" Brick spoke up, the tallest boy in their class, apparently having a real mind-warp moment.
"I don't know… tall," Jade answered succinctly, choosing to end this weirdness and just hurry up to the door pushing open the lower handle and waving them in. "You coming or what?"
Both of her classmates were quick to hurry in after her; she noticed they took a moment to stare at the door frame and second handle curiously but chose to ignore it. Taking her shoes off, Jade showed them where they could put theirs so they wouldn't get mixed up in all the other ones.
Then she gave them a really brief tour, only showing them the loungeroom and kitchen. Of course, she told them where the downstairs bathroom was and sarcastically where the backyard was, but somehow she thought her wit didn't land.
She hadn't planned for it to be a tour with a Q&A section, but it turned into one somehow.
"Where is your room?" Brick asked, still amazed by how tall all the doorframes were.
"Upstairs," Jade answered crisply.
"What's in there?" Malt asked, gesturing to the room off to the side of the lounge room.
"My parent's office. Don't go in there," Jade replied to Malt, warning her off the room.
"Why, what's in there?" Brick was quick to ask.
"None of your business now can we please just get onto the project," Jade groaned.
Then her sister showed up. Jade had thought she planned things out pretty well; she would have the two over to her place for the planning session and thus put a good foot forward. She thanked her great luck when she learned that most of her family would be out.
The key word there was most.
She had just figured Scarlett would be at work.
So when the tallest of her sisters walked into the kitchen in shorts and a singlet with a bag of popcorn, Jade had to very firmly resist the urge to hurl her school bag across the room. That said girl was eyeing her very warily only made the situation worse.
"Jade… who are your friends?"
"Wow," Brick breathed, his face looking weird as he stared at Jade's sister. Malt was being her usual shy self and was now avoiding looking at Scarlett with her shoulders hunched in.
Jade just wanted to do her freaking project.
"Scar, this is Brick and Malt. We're in a group project together," Jade spoke in surrender. Scarlett gave them both a wave before sliding past them to steal some chips from the cupboard throwing out her empty popcorn bag as she did.
"Right, well, I'll be stealing the loungeroom, so if you need the TV too bad," Scarlett shrugged, patting Jade on her way out, flaunting her height.
Jade hated that she was shorter than her sisters.
She hated that Sky was nearly as tall as her even more.
"We won't. We are just going to get some work done," Jade replied curtly, in no mood for her sister at the moment.
"Cool, don't burn down the kitchen," Scarlett called back over her shoulder.
The urge to throw things grew as Jade did her best to stay on mission.
"Right, shall we get started?" Jade spoke, placing her bag on the table and turning to her classmates.
What followed was at least five more minutes of consecutive question-asking and answering and Jade contemplating what Jaune would do in her place.
Then she remembered that her brother didn't have peers let alone friends.
Jade growled audibly, silencing both her classmates. Never mind, she was growling at herself for being unable to think of anything but her big brother. But with them silent, Jade would not let this opportunity pass.
She pounced on the silence and, from there, began brute-forcing the two of them to discuss the project with her. By the time she was done speaking, they had successfully managed to hash out a plan for their project and even organised what work they would each focus on. They would probably have to have more get-togethers, but that was a problem for later as far as Jade was concerned.
Flopping back in her seat momentarily, Jade relaxed as Malt and Brick conversed about structuring their introduction.
"Hey, is that your brother?"
Jade shot forward in her seat, her hands coming down to smack the table and her head whipping about wildly, looking desperately for her brother. Malt and Brick recoiled at her reaction, not expecting her to explode into motion like that.
"Where?" Jade pressed them loudly.
"Umm, I meant in your book…" Malt admitted warily, pointing to the page with a pencil sketch of her brother's profile.
"Oh…" Jade felt gutted, "yeah, that's him."
Jade turned the book around so that Malt could see the picture.
It was one she had drawn after he first came back after the Saphron incident. He had been reading a book at the time and remained unmoving for a long time in a very Jaune-like way. It was pretty close to how he looked before he left; his hair was shorter, having had it cut while the sheriff's department still held him.
She wondered how long it was now.
"Wow, so that's the guy, huh? Everyone was talking about him a while back. Is it true he fought off like ten older kids by himself?" Brick asked, leaning over to look at the picture.
"I don't think it was ten, but yeah, he fought some older kids, it's why he had to go on trial and stuff, but they let him go," Jade shrugged.
"Can he really smell fear?" Malt asked quietly, her question making Jade smile.
"I don't know. I'll ask him next time I see him," Jade replied politely to the shy girl.
"They say he is tall, like really tall," Brick said, holding his hand way above his head.
"He is, and he is still growing," Jade giggled.
"They say he is like some kind of super hardcore fighter…" Brick spoke again, this time his words carrying a hint of fear.
Jade just nodded as she could understand why people would think that. It was always scary watching her mother train Jaune. "He practices with my mum a lot… they are pretty rough with each other," Jade supplied uncertainly, unsure just how good they were.
Malt, in a manner counterintuitive to what Jade had come to expect of her, hurriedly and loudly interjected, "Did he really-"
"Hey, what's with all the shouting!" Scarlett bellowed from the next room, cutting Malt off with a squeak.
"Sorry, sis!" Jade called back. "Perhaps a little quieter, please, Malt."
"… D-did he really kill a-a Grimm… when he was five?"
"Holy shit! Did he really?" Brick spoke up. Jade just smiled at both of them, pulling her sketch back towards her and admiring the image of her brother.
'Come back soon, Jaune,' she thought before closing the book and looking back to her classmates.
"Yeah, he did… right guess I will see you at school next week!" Jade proclaimed cheerfully, ushering them out of the kitchen. She was met with complaints and more questions; Brick and Malt wanted her to tell them about the Grimm, but Jade ignored them.
After they both left, Jade returned to her room exhausted and emotionally spent. Her room was much cleaner than it had been a week ago. With the announcement that Jaune would be returning, Jade cleaned up. She also returned his book to his room up in the rafters.
This time she brought a light and made damn sure that there was nothing up there before she stuck her hand up on the beam.
She hoped Jaune would forgive her for going through his stuff, but it was worth it.
She had done it. She had all her designs ready, and when her big brother came home, she would show them to him and just knew he would love them.
Because they were perfect, she just knew it.
They were incredible, Jaune would love them, and she would get to see him walk around with her art on him forever and ever.
Jade picked up the folder struggling a little with its weight; the book was positively cram packed with images, drawings, rough copies, translations, research pages and diagrams. It was much neater than it had once been and was very orderly despite its appearance.
She just ignored the few sheets that stuck out haphazardly; it was fine.
Jade hugged the folder to her chest and decided to take a nap. Maybe when she woke up, Jaune would be home, and everything would be better.
'Come home, Jaune,' Jade thought as she drifted off, holding her masterpiece close to her chest, her dreams filled with flesh inscribed in dark ink that she knew as well as she knew her own two hands.
YVYVYVYVY
Jaune's only memory of a homecoming was sadly skewed by the discovery of his own warped mind. He still thought back to it, however. He recalled that moment he had laid in bed confused, cautious, and caged.
And then the instant, the moment where it all changed.
When he laid eyes on that symbol, his symbol, their symbol. The Arc crest.
That bittersweet transformation he had undergone from the Hunter into Jaune. The instant when he could think of more than blood and horror and pain. A pain he could never be numb to.
The memory of first comprehending sight of his family, his family, all around him, as real as he was.
The events of that day were chaotic and pressing, and while they could never fully take away from that blessed day… they did somewhat make it hard to recall everything perfectly.
Maybe that was why he felt this homecoming so much more profoundly.
From the moment he laid eyes on the Reach Plateau to the smell of the crisp air as the elevator took them higher and higher. He must have shown how much of an effect it had on him because Orr quickly placed a comforting hand on his back.
Then there was the woods.
When he stepped off the elevator, the world seemed to shift as he had ears only for the sound of the wind coiling through trees he knew. He could smell the plants, the soil, the lake and faintly, barely a wisp compared to all the other encroaching scents, but still present… his family.
Despite his eagerness to be with them, he did not break into a sprint. He and Orr continued their walk through the woods. Orr was with him in companionable silence, and Jaune mused how fitting that was.
She was that and more, companion and perhaps even friend.
Jaune would have to ask her if she thought of him as such.
Such thoughts were cast aside, though, when he heard them.
It was to his shame that he was unsure of which one of his sisters it was, but when he heard a girlish giggle, he felt his tired body swapped for another. He walked closer to the edge of the woods, thinking about how it would be the start of the weekend and, thus, his sisters would be home.
When he saw his house, he felt his chest grow warm as his first thought filled him with belonging.
His home… that was his home.
Jaune pulled his gaze to Orr, who was looking up at him, her blood-red eyes full of her usual chaotic giddiness, her teeth bared in a beaming grin that promised mischief.
"Welcome home Sprout," she announced quietly so as not to give them away.
Jaune hugged her.
Her startled yelp was muffled as he pulled her to his bare chest, courtesy of his shirt having long been destroyed. Jaune held her. Part of him, a part that had been wounded one too many times, revolted, but he stuffed it down.
He decided right then and there that Orr was his friend regardless of what she thought of him.
And Orr, his friend, liked hugs.
"Thank you, Orr," Jaune spoke, his voice dripping with genuine gratitude and care.
"Wha-"
"Thank you… for being my friend," Jaune continued cutting her off as he rested his chin atop her head. He wasn't sure how long he was supposed to hold her, but the matter was taken out of his hands when her own encircled him.
When she finally pulled back, her face was somewhat red, and he could see hints of tears in her eyes, but she was still smiling.
"I am definitely gonna kidnap you later… my Sprout," Orr promised, giving Jaune one last squeeze.
Jaune nodded his head in acceptance, "watch out for my mother," he warned seriously.
"Oh, she can just try and stop me," Orr sniffed. "Now come on, I think I need to give those girls back their brother."
Jaune straightened up, and with Orr, he walked out of the woods and into the ample open space that was the Arc's backyard. Upon seeing them, he was not ashamed of the tears that filled his eyes because now he knew exactly what he had felt when he first returned.
Without the echoes of Yharnam or the rush of combat, he could focus instead on what he felt…
Now he knew what it felt like to come home.
They were all there. Scarlett was in the hammock, on leg hanging off to the side while she read in the shade of the trees. Saphron was at the other side of the yard with his mother, the two ladies talking guns of all things, Hella showing off a particular model to her daughter.
Sky was in the sandbox with her two baby sisters; Cloud lay on his side, watching them as they played together happily. Sky was showing the twins how to fill a bucket with sand. The twins, little Lapis and Lazuli, were so big now and were copying her quite well.
Jaune worried for a second about how much he had missed.
Then his eyes settled on the last Arc of the bunch.
Jade sat on the steps with a pencil in hand as she drew something, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. When she looked up, Jaune was stunned at the sight of those blue Orbs so much like his own.
Arc blue eyes and blonde hair. It seemed she had decided not to colour it again for the moment.
She looked back down after a moment, her pencil blurring across the paper again.
Then she stopped.
When she looked back up, it was slow and laced with uncertainty, her expression a confused frown.
But then her eyes met his, and whatever she was working on fell to the floor in a ruffle of paper and the clatter of a pencil. Her eyes widened, and Jaune watched emotions wash over her face in waves before tears built in her eyes.
Then he heard it—a whisper through trembling, worried lips. Jaune felt a stab of worry again at her strong reaction.
"J-jaune?"
He wasted no more time; he began to walk closer, his hands coming up to his chest to unhook the leather holster he made to hold his axe.
Jade lunged to her feet.
"Jaune!"
He was quick to untie his belt, letting his knife and a half broke spear fall to the wayside.
She was sprinting at him now; Jaune was worried; he was flooded with concern as she cried and ran at him. His little sister looked to be in pain, and it was as if he was struck from within.
He picked up the pace, his long legs quickly carrying him across the lawn and away from Orr, who sent him off with a slap to the back. The distance between them disappeared as the rest of his family realised he had arrived.
When she threw herself at him, he did not so much as stagger, quickly hefting her up in his arms and holding her against him. She was sobbing, and Jaune held her all the tighter for it.
Soon his body was struck by more bodies as Sky rammed into his leg, holding to him tightly. Saphron was even worse, her arms coming around his shoulders, nearly pulling him over. Scarlett was at least kind enough to settle for just hugging him from behind gently.
Jaune was about to move his head back when he felt a fifth body embrace him, his mother resting her head on his shoulder; he had not even heard her move.
"Room for three more!" the Cloud laughed, holding the twins as he approached. Soon the two little girls were pawing at Jaunes face curiously. They took a particular interest in the bandages about his right eye, but he didn't mind, paying both of his youngest sisters an adoring smile.
Jaune's family pulled away bit by bit until only Jade remained latched about his torso like a lamprey. Jaune didn't mind; she wasn't all that heavy for him.
"Jade… Jade, my sister, why are you crying?" Jaune worried for her.
This was evidently the wrong thing to say.
Jade pulled back, her nails digging into his shoulder as she pouted at him. Jaune was a bit taken aback by her reaction, but then she quickly clarified the source of her anger.
"Why am I upset? Of course, I am upset! Look at you!" Jade accused.
Jaune looked down at himself and was reminded of the numerous bandages and wraps covering many wounds on his body. Dr Kaiser had been worried about infection and thus had left not even the slightest injury uncovered.
Jaune still thought this was the man's revenge against him for refusing to take the Bullhead home—insidious bloody doctor.
"Oh… I am all right," Jaune answered.
"LIAR!"
"I am not, I promise, Jade," Jaune reassured, pulling her back into a hug. Jade did not want to hear it, so Jaune settled for holding his younger sister. "I'm home, Jade.
She said something muffled by the fact that her head was buried in his chest.
"Pardon?"
She pulled back, her face a little puffy as she looked up at him, still pouting, "I said welcome home… big dumb idiot," she finished lamely before returning to hugging him.
This was what broke the dam.
Sky began dancing around him, singing and twirling, shouting for everyone to hear, "Jaunes home! Jaunes home!"
The twins began to reach for him again. Cloud just holding their tiny, but so much bigger than he remembered, bodies up so they could grab at him.
Saphron, beside him, just leaned on him, "Welcome back, Jaune; we missed you."
Scarlett had other things on her mind and let him know by slapping him on his back in a spot that wasn't bandaged. "I told you not to grow taller, jerk!" She jokingly reprimanded him, collapsing on him in a fit of laughter. "Welcome home, little bro," she said, her head pressed to his spine.
Jaune remained there standing, his hand holding Jade aloft, who was still clinging to him while his head bounced between his siblings.
This… this was it. All he would ever need, all he would ever protect. His body might long only for blood and prey, but his soul would always crave only this.
"I'm home," he said again, glancing at his mother and father. He would repeat it many times, and it didn't matter whether he meant simply from his Rite or… if he was trying to catch up from back when he was five, it didn't matter.
He was home.
And while this was happening, Orr stood back and watched gleefully. Happy to see her Sprout return home to the family he loved so much. It was enough to make her want to contact her gramps.
But her happiness wasn't just empathetic, no, because now she knew the error of her ways.
It seemed she had been wrong to call Jaune a siscon a few months ago. It went the other way.
Like that, her plans to kidnap Jaune just got infinitely better.
'Welcome home Sprout… we are gonna have so much fun!' Orr thought happily before she walked up to Cloud to report that her mission was officially complete.
YVYVYVYVY
Qrow Branwen did not remain in Reach for even a day after he returned from the Elder hunt.
After a very enlightening conversation between himself and Jaune Arc's parents, he decided to make himself scarce. But he did not leave empty-handed. Sitting in the transport, his flask half empty, his mind toiled over the mysterious Arc clan.
It seemed they had another monster in their ranks.
Qrow had not lied when he said he was heading to Patch, and he still had every intention of heading there.
He would train his niece.
He would be there for his family.
He wouldn't be like her.
Just the thought was enough for him to take another swig.
But just because he wasn't heading to Patch didn't mean he couldn't flick Ozpin a message. The old man might be interested in the ancient traditions the Arcs held to. If nothing else, the story of the young man surviving an Elder encounter would be a curiosity to the man.
Such feats were all but unheard of.
Qrow thought back to that young man. He had only seen him after the Elder Grimm was already wounded so heavily that he was confident he could have handled it alone. He was a mess, of course, face drenched in blood, his body shaking as it tried to stay upright.
But he had seen the fire in him when he held aloft Orr's War Pick, ready to brain the Grimm as it dragged its dying body towards him.
The kid was something else.
Soon his thoughts ended up going to his own nieces. With a snort, he took another swig.
Then and there, he decided the Arcs could keep their ancient traditions. His thoughts went back to when he had rescued Yang after she had taken her sister out searching for her mother. He couldn't even think of doing such a thing again.
Qrow went to take another swig of his flask but stopped.
He would be in Patch soon. Sealing his flask and tucking it away, Qrow resolved to train Yang and Ruby so they would never need to be saved again.
He also reminded himself to activate their Auras.
"… Crazy damn Arcs."
A.N.
Do not fret, for the ending of the arc comes with news, the Patrons, democratic and beautiful, have decided on what the next path of the story shall be! Do note the next chapter will be somewhat of an intermission, but there are still important canon events in it.
The journey continues!
There are two major things I want to point out from this chapter. 1 Jaune now has a friend. 2 Our boy is opening up to people, aint that sweet?
Anyway ONWARDS!
And remember, if you find yourself really, really, really liking my writing and want to show some financial support, I'm AceReaper on Pat re on, the same icon as my FF account.
Also, you can find the next chapter already posted there if you wanna jump on ahead and, you know, vote in Polls and stuff.
*Cue's season finale music*
And as always.
Until next time.