Author's Note:

And we have Pyrrha coming up on top by a landslide. Blake and Yang are pretty close. Not don't give up on you favorite pairing. The story is still quite early and it'll be awhile before the official ship sails. I'm kinda going with the flow of the story here. But thanks for all the votes guys! I really didn't think anyone was interested in this story. Glad I was proven wrong.

Project Jaeger

Chapter 1: Welcome Home, Pilot

At 2:28 AM you can bet Olivia Arc was pissed to be up. But she heard some foot scuffling and rummaging about in her kitchen and, considering tomorrow was a holiday, there was no way any member of her staff had decided to work a late shift.

Someone was definitely in her kitchen.

And if they thought they could intimidate or take whatever little she had, they had another think coming. Before becoming a baker Olivia had developed quited a reputation amongst her siblings as the wild one, always itching for the next fight. Whether it was fencing tournaments, martial Kumites, illegal street brawls (don't tell her parents) she had been through them all and come out the victor.

Scooping up an aluminum bat she quietly prowled the dark hallway, scouting for her potential intruder… or was it prey?

In a flash she had emerged into the kitchen and turned the lights on, illuminating the trespasser as she moved to attack.

"Ahh!" The familiar cry of her brother caught her off guard as she dropped the deadly weapon in hand.

"Jeezus Jaune!" She scowled at him. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"You? Scared? Scared women don't go walking around ready to whack anyone with a bat. What the hell, Sis?!"

Olivia had worked hard to maintain an prim and proper lady-like demeanor for the later half of her life. She was proud of that, but true enough, Jaune did have a point. Perhaps her actions were peculiar. But that didn't mean she had to hear it from her baby bro.

"Ahem. Are you implying that I'm acting… brutish, dear brother?"

She could see him gulp down something in his throat.

"...Nope. Never crossed my mind, dear sweet sister."

"Good."

She was going to ignore this. They both were.

Jaune was many things, but he was her beloved brother after all.

And her brother was definitely right there… sitting near the dining table with a familiar bomber jacket on top of his regular clothes. A gleaming medal was gripped in his hand.

"Jaune… what is that you're wearing?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Uh…"

"And is that…." She walked towards him and easily swiped the gold regalia from him.

"Hey!"

Olivia read the inscriptions out loud. "The highest distinguishing marks for Jaune Arc, Hero of Vale. Hearts as strong as steel..."

She knew those words well. Jaune and Louise often recited them together and often drove her nuts, but today the words felt lonelier than usual.

Hearts as strong as steel.

That was Beacon Academy's motto.

Jaune returned the favor by swiping it back just as quickly. "C'mon sis. Quit playing around. That's very valuable to me."

She could only look at him in awed wonder. Olivia was never known to interfere with her siblings' lives, preferring to live by the motto "you learn from your mistakes". But clearly she needed to say something to her twenty two year old brother, who was sitting down in her kitchen with his old pilot bomber jacket, having some milk and cookies.

"Okay…" She simply replied as she sat down next to him, Taking a swig from Jaune's own glass of milk and scoffing down a few cookies of her own. "Spill it, bro. What the hell is going on with you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. What's… what's with all this?" She gestured wildly at his getup. "And you burnt these cookies by the way. They're too crispy!"

"Did not. I just like em that way." He retorted with the ease of a veteran sibling.

An awkward silence fell between them before Olivia spoke up.

"... you don't do this every night, do you? With the get up and everything… because that would be freaky."

"Ollie." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

She sighed his fond nickname for her. Jaune and her sisters were the only ones who could call her that. It was a sign of their bonds, their trust.

Arcs always looked out for each other.

No matter what.

"Okay, okay. Just wanted to make sure my brother isn't into some new weird hobby or anything." She smiled slightly before seriously gazing at him. She had danced around the issue long enough. It was time to confront it.

"Seriously though… what gives little brother?"

And her younger sibling could only stare at her before sadly looking back at the medal he was casually playing with in his hand. "...Hey Ollie… I know it's kinda sad but I don't remember… do you remember who was it that wanted to be Jaeger pilots when we were younger? Me or Louise?"

And at once her eyes lit with solemn nostalgia, her sharp face softened remembering the memory.

"What kind of question is that?" She grinned slightly before flicking her brother's nose. "...Silly. You both did. Ever since I could remember."

"Really?"

"Are you calling your sister a liar?"

"I'm not calling my sister whose house and shop I live in anything but sweet, sweet things."

"Good boy. You did learn something from Charlotte."

"Actually learned it from Derick. Seriously you got a good pastry chef there, Sis. A good guy. Why you gotta keep turning the man down?"

"S-shut up!" Who she would potentially date or not date was no concern of her brother. "I'll date whenever I'm ready for it." She angrily flicked a cookie crumb right at his cheek.

"Alright, jeez. Sorry for bringing it up."

What were they talking about again? God, could the Arc siblings derail a conversation fast.

"...Oz came by to see me today."

And there it was. Jaune was at least on point. But she hadn't expected him to say that. She wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"Oz… Oz was here?"

"Yeah."

"At my bakery?"

"Yep."

Olivia took a deep breath, trying to decide how to respond. A man whose neck she wanted to wring had completely slipped through her fingers and what was worst he had somehow managed to talk to Jaune without her knowing.

That snake Ozpin…

"Ollie… are you okay?"

"...Yeah… I'm as calm as can be." She swallowed her pent up wrath. There was just no use venting out now. "...And what did Oz want?" She calmly asked with as much poise as she could.

"Well seeing as you caught me like this, I don't know what else to say exactly." Jaune gestured to all of him.

Olivia took a long hard look at her brother. For the longest time he had been scrawny Jaune, always been Louise's other half. But when he wore that jacket and stepped into a Jaeger, she could not have been more proud of him. He had become something more than the child she had known. Something he was always destined to be.

And it frightened her greatly when it almost took everything from him.

When he was almost taken from them… from her. She could still remember his bleeding unconscious face as he was wheeled into that hospital, barely gasping for air, his proud Crocea Mors devastated and broken.

No sister should ever see their brother in so much pain.

Now… she didn't know what to feel.

"The Jaeger program…. Of course he'd want you back," she whispered with clarity. "And?"

"I, I didn't give an answer. But he asked me to think about it."

"And have you?"

" Dunno… I mean I kinda do want to pilot again but… eh, I'm on my eleventh chocolate chip and honestly I can't tell you what I'm thinking. Thought the sugar would help get the blood going more, you know."

Olivia sighed. "Yeah I figured."

"Hey sis." His blue eyes came into contact with her own orbs. "What do you think I should do?"

"... Jaune… Rule twenty one of the Arc family," she quoted as she patted his cheek firmly. "Never ask a loaded question."

Olivia knew her brother well. She knew how it felt to him to be a Jaeger pilot. If he was willing to get back on the saddle she knew she couldn't be the one to stop him, as much as reason and logic dictated her to. A part of Jaune was always ingrained in that giant suit of armor he took to the battlefield. Even she knew that.

"You always wanted to be a hero, Jaune." She moved her hand up to ruffle his dirty blonde locks. "And you will always be our hero, little brother. But is this what you really want? Jaune… doing this won't bring Louise back. You know that right?"

She didn't mean to bring her up, she knew Jaune's twin was still a vulnerable spot for him. But she had to bring up what was important. Survivor's guilt. It had been consuming her brother for years now. He had to give her the right reason right now for her to believe in him going.

"No… it won't. But I know Lou. If it had been the other way around she wouldn't have stopped being a pilot just because of me. She'd continue to help people. She'd do it because she could. Not because she had to. I want to be able to say that about myself. I want to be a Jaune Arc Lou could be proud of."

As much as she hated to admit it, Jaune's words pulled at her heartstrings. Jaune had never truly been the same since the lost of their sibling. A spark here and there, a joke or two, but never the same life loving boy he had been with his twin. If he chose to go back then maybe… there was a chance he might finally come home whole.

Or dead.

But maybe that was a risk worth taking.

"Whatever you want to do… I'll support it."

"Ollie… thanks." He smiled sweetly. "...You were always the best sister."

"Yeah, yeah. You've said that plenty of times already about Marie and Joan too. Don't think I don't notice."

He laughed slightly before scratching his head. "I guess… I'll do it… No, I need to do it. I've been hiding here with you for far too long, Sis. I think it's time I confront that part of my life. Because I want it back. I… I want to be able to help people. And I do it best in-"

"-A Jaeger, I know."

Olivia's lips pursed slightly. She couldn't help it. Jaune was getting revved up. Something he hadn't been in a long time.

"Man… Mom and Dad are going to be pissed once they hear about this. What will Joan say? Charlotte? Marie? The girls?"

She grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and pulled him into a tight but friendly headlock. "You let me worry about Mom and Dad. As for the rest… well you gotta do that yourself, bro. Because honestly, I don't even know how much I really believe in this decision of yours. I trust you - like I said - and I'll support you. But that doesn't mean I'll fully understand it."

"I take that back, Marie is always the better sister."

Olivia didn't know how or when but she had transitioned the friendly head-lock into her signature dragon sleeper hold.

"K-kidding… J-just kidding, Sis!"

"Yeah I thought as much."

Jaune Arc had never been more nauseous than he was in these moments. Put him in a train, he was fine. In a Jaeger, even better. But there was just something about how airships moved that made all his senses go haywire.

He couldn't tell where up was down or down was up and every turbulence they hit rocked him harder than a sailor in a storm.

He placed his hands in the sleeve of the comfortable bomber jacket and prayed that the air sickness medicine he took would eventually kick in. He was pretty sure he went over the regular amount and still no effect.

He hoped that the aviator glasses he wore at least could mask his sickly look from the other passengers. Bad enough that he had to fly coach but he didn't really want to be recognized by anyone. Sure it might have been four years since than but how embarrassing would it be to find a hero of Vale perturbed by a little air sickness?

Oh no… Here we go…

Jaune could feel it. Could feel his face turn green. He had no time to lose. He rushed to the bathroom with all speed he could muster.

After minutes of intense bathroom time Jaune emerged from the lavatory weary, worn, but victorious. He had conquered the porcelain throne with ease. And he felt better to boot. Luckily Jaune always carried breath mints in situations like this. He popped one in with ease.

That was when he noticed a missing piece on his person.

His glasses.

He left his glasses in the lavatory.

Jaune sighed. They weren't a sentimental piece like his medal nor a memorable one like his jacket but those were one of first things he had bought on his own with his own money after he had come to work for Olivia. They weren't expensive but they weren't cheap either.

He made the slow trek backwards hoping to find they were still in there. What he found was a girl exiting the lavatory.

No. Not a girl. A woman.

And what a woman. Long luscious golden locks cascaded behind her slender back, ample hip and fit waist accentuated by her denim short pants, and a glorious bosom kept all in a nice little package of a tight black shirt that said too hot to handle.

He would have kept staring had he not spotted something.

On her pretty little face sat his aviator glasses.

"Something I could do for you, chief?" She smirked at him in confidence.

"Huh?" he responded like a gullible idiot.

Jaune thanked the heavens his sisters weren't here to make fun of him.

"I mean you are blocking my way." She tilted the shades down in a playful manner. Lilac eyes. How pretty. "Gotta say this is a new thing. Ambushing a girl after she freshened up. Has that really worked?"

"Ambush- No, no. Dear God no." Jaune waved his hand to mimic his head. "I mean, what I mean is… Miss, those sunglasses are mine and I'd appreciate having them back."

She took off the glasses and looked at them casually. "These little things?"

"Yes."

Her chin perked up in a thoughtful expression. The next thing Jaune knew was the alluring blonde had closed the gap between them and was placing the glasses on his face. He could feel the tenderness of her fingers and could vividly smell her perfume. She smelled of honey and lilacs.

"Uh…"

"Hmmm… Still missing something." She puzzled as she placed her finger over her mouth in thoughtful manner.

She might have been honestly thinking, but all Jaune could focus on was how provocative this woman was being. How sexy could a person be in a normal situation like this?

Finally her lips lifted to a smirk as she began to comb his hair backwards with her fingers.

Not that Jaune was complaining (it felt good) but this woman clearly has no respect for personal boundaries.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"Better." She smiled.

"Better?"

"You look better with your hair slicked back like that if you're going to wear aviator glasses, silly. It shows off your good facial symmetry."

Oh, that's what that was.

"Um, thank you?"

"You're welcome, handsome." She gave him that warm smile once again. "Still think they looks better on me though." She winked confidently.

"I'm not going to disagree on that." She really had pulled off the aviator glasses well.

"Well, I'll c'ya around fly boy." She patted his shoulder in such a way that made Jaune felt all tingly as she made her way past him and all he could do was stare in awe as she walked away from him, her hips swaying to and fro with an enticing rotation.

Only after she had vanished from sight did the spell on Jaune break.

Damn it, Jaune! You could have asked her her name, girls like that only come once in a lifetime!

He stood there solemnly contemplating his lonely future.

"...I need a girlfriend." He sighed with as much exasperation a single twenty two year old man could.

"Yang, where were you? You said you needed to go to the bathroom like twenty minutes ago."

"Sorry, Sis. You know me. Gotta have me some 'me' time. We're not getting any yang-er you, know."

Ruby's face contorted in pain. "Oh God, it's happening again. You promised me you wouldn't do that."

Yang laughed as she sat down next to her beloved little sister. "Oh, c'mon. Live a little. Grow up. Fall in love. Do some puns. It's what Dad would want."

"...I'm pretty sure Dad doesn't want any of that for us. Except for the puns." Ruby snickered. "He still thinks of us as his sweet little girls."

"We'll I won't tell if you won't." Yang winked as she playfully hugged her petite partner. "Besides, you are a sweet little girl."

"Yeah, right." Ruby retorted back with a grin of her own. "A sweet little girl going off to pilot school to be flying the best darn thing we humans ever invented!"

Yang shook his head in reluctant acceptance. For as long as she's known her half-sister, Ruby had always been a fangirl when it came to the Jaegers. She knew them by name, by type, and by class.

For Ruby, being a Jaeger Pilot was everything. And Yang Xiao Long would move heaven and earth to make her sister's dream come true. And today was that day.

"Hey, Rubes. This whole ship is going to Beacon, right? Meaning that everyone is like a pilot candidate or something?"

Ruby shrugged. "It's quite possible. I mean who else needs to go to Beacon besides people in the Jaeger program?"

A mischievous smile crept up on Yang's face as she recalled the slack jawed young man she had left behind as she walk away. Normally he wasn't her type but something about him seemed to draw her in.

Something in those blue eyes hid something stronger, something sterner. Yang knew fighters when she saw them. And tall, blonde, and awkward was definitely one.

Perhaps she'd see him again soon.

"Rubes… I think you're going to like it here. I know I am."

"This can't be right." Jaune scratched the back of his head as he glanced around and back once more to his map.

How could one Academy change so much in the span of the four years he had been absent?

It was official.

Jaune was lost.

He thought he was at the courtyard, but after numerous backtracking he'd managed to lose sight of where he originally was and was now in some kind of public garden. "Why didn't I charge my scroll over night?"

His scroll would have fixed everything. At the very least he would be able to contact Oz that he was on the premises but the damn old thing had shut down during the flight and Jaune had no way of charging it currently.

He blamed his over excited eagerness for such a careless mistake. Still it was easily rectified. He spotted a lone figure sitting down on a nearby bench, reading.

He could probably ask for directions. His folks always said that strangers were just friends you haven't met yet.

As he got closer he found himself fixated on the quiet reader more and more. Her long wavy black hair was accentuated by a big black ribbon twisted up into a bow atop her locks. He wasn't up to date with women's clothing but he could tell what she wore was definitely fashionable. But what drew him in most was definitely those golden ample eyes of hers.

She was the very definition of a beauty.

The raven haired wonder didn't seem to notice him one bit, lost in her own little world as she read, so he coughed a bit to signify his presence.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

"... Yes?" She finally noticed and glanced upwards at him.

Her voice was quaint, low and had an allure by in it's own. He could probably listen to her for hours if she'd let him.

"I, uh, I hate to be a bother and everything, but do you think you could help me? I haven't been to Beacon in a while and I'm kinda… well, I'm kinda lost." Jaune smiled nervously.

She gave him a thorough look before giving a small smile. "It happens a lot more than you think. Where do you need to go?"

"The headmaster's office. I need to see the Professor."

"Sure thing. Head down here. Past the hedges make a right, then at the ridge make a left and another left, and you should see a giant building. That's where you wanna go."

"Right, left, left. Got it."

"Right."

The two shared a little laugh.

"Well thanks for that. I owe ya."

"Don't mention it. Please. Enjoy your stay at Beacon." And the cool beauty continued to read her book.

Jaune had to say something.

"That's a pretty good book, by the way."

That must have brought her attention because she looked up at him again. "Hmm?"

"The book. That's Jekyll and Hyde right? The man with two souls. It's always a good read. One of my mom's favorites."

"How did you-" She paused before nodding. 'Yes… yes it is."

"First edition, I take? I could tell from the leather bindings and the cover. That's a pretty neat thing you have there."

Once more she gave him a curious glance. "My mom's sort of a book nut." Jaune clarified. "We have a small little library back home. I remember seeing that exact same book."

She smiled at him. "Must be nice. I'd love to have a collection myself someday."

"Hey, dream big, right?" Jaune laughed. "Well, don't let me keep ya. Please enjoy your book and thanks."

As Jaune was about to walk away he heard that lovely voice once more.

"Hey."

He turned around.

"...I like your jacket." She stated simply.

He smiled gently at her. "Thanks. It was my sister's idea."

"Well your sister has good taste."

The two exchanged brief glances and Jaune suddenly felt determined not to make the same mistake he did on the airship.

"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." He walked backed casually and offered his hand.

The golden eyed book lover before him cautiously looked at him before accepting his hand in return.

Jaune didn't know a girl's hands could be that soft.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna."

He smirked. What a lovely name, "You a pilot, Blake?"

"... Sort of. You?"

"Sort of," he answered back.

With that obscurity, the two of them couldn't help but share an easy laugh.

Jaune already felt better about coming back to this place.

After meeting his new friend, Jaune had followed her directions and had easily made his way out of the garden maze. Now he was directly where he needed to be. What Jaune didn't expect was the familiar face of his past directly in front of him, blocking his way. Her long curvy legs, her stern but fetching attire, those intelligent green eyes mirrored by the cutest pair of glasses... It was a face he'd never thought to see again.

She must have felt the same too, judging by the look of shock on her face.

Shock was never a common expression on Glynda Goodwitch.

"Hey," he stated feebly, not really knowing how else to continue.

What do you say to a colleague (whom you secretly had a crush on) you haven't seen in four years?

She obviously knew the answer as she walked towards him a brisque manner.

"Glynda..." And as soon as those words left his mouth he felt her hands come across his cheek hard as a resounding slap echoed in the hallway.

"Ow! What the hell, woman?!"

"That was for leaving."

"What?!"

"And this…" As quickly as he felt the sting it had subsided because the next thing Jaune knew he was in her warm embrace. "Is for coming back." He could smell the scent of her, a familiar loving scent. Glynda always smelled of peaches and summer rain.

Two of his favorite things.

"Welcome home… Archangel…" She whispered his old call sign fondly.

He could never stay mad at Glynda for far too long. He returned the embrace, meant for two long lost friends. "... Good to be back, Goodwitch."

And so we've met Yang, Blake, Ruby, and Glynda all in one chapter. And as you might have guessed it in this timeline because Jaune is older he and Glynda used to work together in the Jaeger program. As to the nature of their relationship I'll let the story write itself out.