Author's Note:

This one took longer than I thought. But the more I began to write the more I wanted to emphasize on Glynda and Jaune's past relationship, of what could have been or might have been if things played out differently. So here's one for those people who love this pair. Don't know what the future holds but it's a pretty nice segment to say the least.

Also Crocea Mors is basically a white and gold recolor of Gypsy Danger. I got lazy. I'll try to be more creative with the other Jaegers.

Project Jaeger

Chapter 3: You Know Me, Like I Know Me

"How do you feel?"

She has to start with the most cliched line in her psychiatric career. The clueless, lanky blonde young man could only stare at her like she had just spoken an alien language.

"You serious?"

"Jaune. I know how it sounds, but it is a serious question." Glynda's eyes narrowed. She hated the cliches, but it was a cliche for a reason. It was a legitimate question to a legitimate concern. "How. Do. You. Feel?"

"...Uh… fine, I guess."

"Care to elaborate, Mr. Arc?"

The green eyed counselor was now incessantly clicking the button on her pen. She was as patient as they came but an old friend (fool) could always push her buttons. Jaune had been her junior for most of her tenure as a pilot, having been three years younger than her. He was everything she did not expect in a pilot and it took some time to earn her reluctant acceptance of him. Primarily what changed her opinion of him, was how his more heroic qualities often won out his buffoonery. She could see that their time apart had not changed Jaune much, at least on the surface. For his sake, Glynda hoped Jaune would take this a little bit more seriously.

"Okay, uh, I'm a little full from dinner. I think I'm tired?..."

"Well those are physical ailments but it's a start." Glynda sighed as she shook her head, slowly taking notes.

"I mean what else do you want me to say, Glyn? This is uh, this is a little too weird for me. Having you do the evaluation."

Finally he said what he was concerned about.

"Jaune." She took off her glasses. Her father had always said her eyes were the most human part of her, and she needed Jaune to believe she was capable of more than just empathy. "I assure you. Whatever you talk to me about, will remain confidential. You are my patient, and I am your mental doctor. Whatever we discuss within these four walls… will just be between you and me. Trust me."

She hoped that would be enough.

Jaune really needed to pass this examination. They needed him to be on the frontlines where he was more of a use as a veteran Jaeger Pilot, rather than be stuck in a classroom, teaching. She'd feel more at ease if Crocea Mors was once again out there, helping guard against whatever terrors the night chose to give out.

Jaune and Louise had an impeccable record. One that came close to beating hers and James. Thirty six confirmed Grimm kills. Thirty six victories.

But even that wasn't enough for her to fudge the papers on a good friend and put him in battle if he wasn't up for it. The Arcs had been through enough tragedies without her adding to them.

She looked at him deeply, willing him to sense how important this was, and how much she wanted him to do well, to trust her again.

He finally looked her with those wide blue eyes. "Okay. I'm listening. What do you need from me?"

Glynda took a deep breath. "Jaune, do you remember that night?" It was a bold move but she needed him to remember, because before the night was over Glynda knew she was going to do far worse than open old wounds.

There was a disease in Jaune, she could feel it. One that he never recovered from and unless he got better she could never give the okay for him to sit once again in a Jaeger.

"... Bits and pieces. I can barely remember how I got out, let alone how it all started." Jaune sat up from the patient couch, his form leaning forward as his fingers combed through his hair. His nervous tick, Glynda noted. Jaune wasn't comfortable and as sorry as she was she couldn't stop now. "It's… Well I don't think about it often. If I can help it."

She took hold of a remote and pressed a button which transformed her office white walls into still images, like a movie was playing around them. She loaded some rare footage, from the salvaged neural drive of that day. Glynda hoped it would help Jaune remember on his own. A gigantic white and gold titan was displayed proudly as it was being ferried by Atlesian airships.

"Do you remember this mission?" she asked.

"... It's been four years, Glyn. Not four decades. I remember that at least." He smiled goofily.

If he had time to joke than Glynda knew it was alright for her to push harder. "Than elaborate, Ranger Arc."

She called him by title to invoke seriousness of the matter and to help recall the atmosphere of the day he was remembering. It seemed to work, because now Jaune was deep in concentration. "It was a summer day. No, night. I remember it because Louise was messing with me, something about trying to find a good place to cool off to bring her date to… not that she had a boyfriend at the time or else she'd have told me. She'd have told me, right?"

Green orbs eyed him suspiciously, but he corrected course without guidance. "Sorry, went on a tangent. Ahem… It was definitely a hot night. Because I remember the rain. I remembered saying something about reduced vision, that hopefully we wouldn't run into anything."

"What was the nature of your mission?"

"Uh…" Jaune closed his eyes hard, desperate to reach the memory. "I, uh… I think it was reconnaissance? Over the Frostback mountains of Vale. I… I can't really remember."

Glynda breathed a disappointing sigh. "I was afraid of this."

She would have to resort to her last option. The second lead instructor of Beacon stood up from her chair and went to pick up a device she was hiding from her office closet.

What she brought back was a sophisticated jet black helm that mimicked their pilot helms, only this one seemed larger and had more wirings than a mass computer.

"Put this on, if you would, Jaune." She requested.

"What's this?"

"It's going to help you get back on your Jaeger, trust me."

He looked at her. She knew that he did trust her, possible more than anyone here. But this was asking a lot.

Slowly, cautiously, Jaune took the device and placed it on his head, careful to strap it down properly over his eyes.

"Much has changed seen you've been gone, Jaune. We've adapted and used Drift technology in multiple fields. One of them is helping people like you get back on their feet," she explained.

"I feel ridiculous with this thing on," he said with a deadpan voice.

"You can't see me, but you made me smile," she told him honestly, considering he couldn't see her. Being able to make people laugh calmed him down. "Don't worry about it. We used to wear worse, remember?"

"Yeah. Mostly."

Glynda gave him one last look as she adjusted the settings for him. "You'll feel some tingling, and a little current run through your back. It's normal. Remember, this helmet is designed after Drift technology. You've experienced that. Keep everything in mind, and Don't. Chase. The. Rabbit."

She cupped his face between her hands as she gave him the grim reminder of Drifting's most fatal flaw.

"I got it." Jaune nodded solemnly.

"Are you ready to overcome this?"

A pause before he gave his answer. "... As ready as I will ever be."

She pressed the button one more time. "Then let's begin."

Jaune's vision behind the helm was dark and nothing, till he felt a surge of electricity crawl up his spine, a million tiny electrodes danced upon his vision. Then nothing again. A moment later came the images.

"Jaune! Yoo hoo! Silly! Hey!"

A familiar voice called from his right. A voice he had not heard in a long time.

There she was, in her primm, stark white pilot suit. Clear blue eyes that mirrored his and dirty blonde hair that could have been cut from the same cloth as his own.

"Yo! What's eating you tonight, Bro? You look like you've seen a ghost. We've got a mission to complete, you know. Focus."

"Louise…" His heart leapt. Everything in him wanted to reach for her. She'd been missing for so long… but there she was. Like she had never left.

Jaune!

Another voice snapped him out of the amazing fantasy playing before him. Glynda's.

Jaune! It's not real. Or it isn't any more. This is all in your memory.

"Right…" He gulped down hard.

Don't chase the rabbit.

"Right… It's a memory."

He had forgotten how real everything could be in the Drift, how easy it was to get lost in its illusions.

What do you see?

His body was going through the motions of that day while his vision was busy glancing all around. "I remember now. Yeah it was a reconnaissance mission through the frostbacks. Somebody had sent out a distress signal from the nearby mountain town, saying they spotted a category two Grimm nearby. We were sent to investigate."

Okay.

"Most likely a creep or a beowolf. Nothing we couldn't handle on our own. Besides most of the pilots had the night off, it was Beacon's formal dance that night. I didn't have a date so I volunteered for the watch. Louise had one… but …"

Jaune's vision turned to his imaginary sister once more who looked at him and smiled. "You owe me for this, Bro. I'm missing out on the grandest night of my life cause you wanted to play hero one more night! Why couldn't you have mustered the courage to ask Glynda?! She'd probably say yes!"

She repeated the same words she had said to him then, though they were meant to have a bite, her playful tone indicated otherwise. She was fine hanging out with him for the night.

But?...

"She chose to pilot with me instead."

The realization hit Jaune. Would she had lived if Jaune had just been a little bit more social and had gone to the dance instead? Would she be here now, with him smiling and laughing, reminiscing about a dance that they had never been to in this lifetime?

Easy, Jaune. It's not your fault. No one could have predicted what happened next.

"Right…" It didn't make the situation any easier, but he appreciated Glynda being there with him. "It began to rain… A drizzle, at first. Than a full on summer storm. I remember saying we should go back."

"Louise, let's go back! We can't see anything through this storm!" Memory and current Jaune echoed the words.

"But she was determined to see things though." In his memory he saw her face, set in the way that meant nothing he said would change her mind.

"Something spooked the town, Jaune. And I'm not going to go back without finding what it is."

Louise was never a quitter. Once she decided to do something, she was bound to continue until she met her goal.

A lightning bolt illuminated the sky and that was when Jaune felt it as a force came from the side.

"We were attacked. Crocea Mors had been sideswiped by a beowolf! "

The reality began to warp back as his senses shook him, adrenaline was kicking in much like it had when he was in real combat.

Jaune! Breathe! What happened next?

"Huh, huh, I uh, We both took it down relatively simply. It was a small one. Even by category two standards. " He was trying to calm his breathing. "We managed to pin it down and break it's neck with ease. But that was when… when we saw it."

His eyes widened as memory began to become reality.

Another bolt of lightning.

This time, they were surrounded. Red gigantic eyes continued to gaze at him from the darkness, against the howling rain.

What was it, Jaune?

"It wasn't alone." Two more larger beowolves began to encircle them, but it was the lone, heavily breathing behemoth in front of Crocea Mors that held his attention. "...Two more of the wolves… and a category three. An Ursa." He whispered the words like they were a live bomb. "Codename, Big Mama."

Big Mama was the name given to the outrageously huge Ursa Grimm that had taken out four of Beacon's Jaegers. It came and went like the wind and there was just no preparing to meet such a monster.

What did you do?

Jaune had to chuckle at the absurd question. As if he was given a choice. "...What else could we have done? We fought, like what we were trained to do. Like there was no tomorrow. Only, that time… there wasn't."

The grating of metal met with the turf of bone plating slicked with warm water as the lone steel giant fought on despite the overwhelming odds.

"Louise! To your right!"

"Got it!" She shouted as she brought down Crocea Mors' thunderous fist upon the Grimm's skull.

Jaune!

He couldn't hear Glynda's voice anymore. He was way too caught in the web of the memory. Too busy trying to defend his sister's life, and his own.

"Jaune, above!"

He noticed the lunging beowolf and instantly called up his secret weapon. A blade had sprung forth from his fists as he skewered the monstrous beast with ease.

Jaune! Can you hear me?!

"Got em!"

His victory cry was cut short as Big Mama tackled down their Jaeger. The ground shook with their battle. Time and time again they pounded against each other. But Jaune knew it couldn't last forever. Crocea Mors was buckling against the strength of the beast, and the armaments they had packed were light, meant only for light skirmishes. Not a full on brawl.

"Bro! We need to move the fighting away from the mountainside! We could cause a landslide here!" Louise shouted out the concern echoing in his own mind.

"Already ahead of you!"

He was baiting the monsters to fight them away from where they were. At least he was trying to.

The remaining beowolf had now been cautious after he had fell the first two, simply satisfied with letting the Ursa do all the work before going in for the kill.

He had never seen this before. Cooperation from two different types and classes. It was simply unheard of.

But here it was, right before his eyes. This was valuable intel. All he had to do now was make sure they survived long enough to be able to tell someone.

Whether it was due to circumstances he couldn't prepare for or maybe because he blinked, he lost focus on the Ursa for a moment before realizing they had been caught in it's death grip.

Normally it would have crushed them by now, with it's enormous strength.

But Crocea Mors was no ordinary Jaeger. It was a top of the line, Mark III. It didn't crush as easily as the beast expected.

And they were no ordinary pilots. They were the hero twins. They were Louise and Jaune Arc, God damn it!

With renewed vigor, knowing that Louise's strength was his strength, they both fought back and broke free of the deadly hold and wrestled the bear Grimm to the ground. And that was when the beowolf chose to strike. It lunged at their right and managed to grab hold of Crocea Mor's right shoulder with it's teeth.

Jaune felt the pain and it was intense, it threatened to overcome his senses. One of the downsides of the Neural drift, to be able to move the machine the pilots were often likened to becoming the machine. He felt every bite mark that punctured through Crocea Mor's steel shell. And so did Louise, as she screamed out in pain.

They both took hold of the monster that bit them and with an angered determination grabbed hold of it's skull and began to squeeze as hard as they could. With the force and power that could level a mountain, the titanic mech crushed the wolf's skull like a man would crush paper in his palm.

They breathed a sigh of relief. Three monsters down. Only one left to go.

It was right there and then that he was reminded why mankind lived in fear of the Grimm.

With a roar that pierced through the night sky and rivaled the howling wind, the Ursa regained its feet and closed the distance between them. With speed that was unusual for a its size and girth, the Grimm took hold of their left shoulder and tore through it with ease.

Jaune felt his arm rip apart from him, he felt the intense pain and shock of such an injury. He was sure he would faint. He gazed to his right. Louise's face was as contorted in pain as his was, but he saw grim determination from it.

"Configuration: Arm cannon!" she cried out her furious plan.

Sure enough, their remaining arm had transformed into a massive pulse cannon, ready to dish out their commands.

She fired once and aimed true. It hit the Ursa square in the chest and it reeled backwards in pain.

And here it was. The moment he could never ever forget. On the cusp of their victory, destiny had pulled a fast one.

He remembered the loud piercing cry as metal bent from the power of the Grimm. How the cockpit had been exposed, suddenly, freezingly, terrifyingly open. How those giant red eyes scoured at the two defiant siblings, and with a swipe of its mighty claw severed them both apart.

"JAUNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Her words screamed and was forever ingrained in his memory, her hand outstretched to him, crying for help, as she was hurled far up into the black empty sky.

"LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!"

The images died down as he heard the helmet he had on finally hum and power down. His voice hoarse from screaming, his face dripping with sweat, and was… was that blood coming down from his nose?..

His breath was ragged, he had to take the helmet off.

His first vision was that of Glynda's worried some face as she knelt beside him, with towel in hand.

"Jaune!" She exclaimed as she helped him stop his nosebleed.

So shaken was he from the experience, he didn't even flinch at her touch.

"Hey Doc… Did… did I pass the test?" He asked her, in such a defeated manner.

He already knew the outcome of his fate. Only a fool would have passed him. He had chased the rabbit, and had fallen into the hellhole that was wonderland.

Glynda stared into Juane's eyes. The pupils were dilated, his gaze unfocused. A less experienced pilot might have suffered brain damage, been unable to break away once they got so deep into the Drift. That Jaune had managed to pull himself back from that brink was impressive, but terrifying. Whether it was because Zero Drift Compatible or just something about him, he just had more of an intuitive knack for these things. Maybe it was just his own instincts from years of being a pilot kicking in, she didn't care. Other than a nose bleed, he seemed to be alright.

"Jaune…" She quickly pressed tissue from the box on her desk up against his bloody nose.

"Hey Doc," he wheezed. "Did… Did I pass the test?"

She shook her head, feeling her curly bangs drift across her shoulders as she did. "Only you would be fool enough to joke at a time like this. Here, I've got more tissue." She turned her back on him for a second to grab a handful, and when she turned back around the door to her office was slamming closed. "Jaune!"

She scrambled to her feet, her high heel turning over as she did. Cursing slightly she regained her balance and charged after him.

That fool! Running off after experiencing something like that. He needs to be checked out!

But as her heels clicked down the hallways chasing his shadow, she knew she was cursing herself too. I knew that was risky, and I tried it right off the bat.

Chastising herself wouldn't help now. It may have been a risky play, but if he had managed to come through it intact, which it seemed like he had, it was a great start for him. He could recover, potentially. Assuming his brain doesn't fall out of his nose next.

Jaune was easily outpacing Glynda, which wasn't surprising given the shoes she was wearing. She considered slipping them off, but Jaune took a turn into the student dorms, as if he already knew where he was going. Which, of course, made no sense at all. Why on earth would he be going to the student dorms? They hadn't even walked through them on the tour, just acknowledged that they were still in the same building they had been at years ago when he came to school-

Oh. Maybe he wasn't as okay as she had hoped. What if he was trying to go back to his room, but was heading for his old dorm instead of his new residence?

When he belted up three flights of stairs, then took off onto the fourth floor, Glynda was sure that she was right. Clutching a stitch in her side, she clambered up after him - didn't he know they added an elevator when they remolded? - and crashed out the fourth floor door.

Jaune was too far ahead now for her to see him, but she knew she couldn't be far behind. Most of the students were pressed to one side of the hall or the other, glancing around in confusion or staring down the hall as if something, or someone, very strange had just passed through their midsts.

Not giving them time to close ranks, Glynda rushed right down the open hallway. A few surprised students attempted belated salutes, but most just stared in surprise as their second in command, usually so reserved and elite, galloped down their dorm room hallways, with her bun coming loose.

"Stop staring and make way," Glynda called primly to a few students gathered in the hall.

They stepped aside, giggling to each other as they parted. But just around the next corner there was a much larger crowd blocking the way. It didn't matter. She knew this was her end goal. Sure enough, she could see the sandy blonde locks just above the crowd that meant Jaune was already here, at his old dorm room that he used to share with Louise.

"Move aside." She tried to control her heavy breathing and speak as calmly as she could.

Students looked back over their shoulders and many jumped aside as they recognized her. She forced her way easily through the crowd by sheer power of her position, and found herself at its center very quickly.

She had to have been only a few second behind Jaune afterall, because both he and the students who currently resided in the remodeled dorm were both still staring at one another in shock. Blood was dripping freely down Jaune's nose, and he had clearly ripped the door open aggressively, then frozen on the spot. Not only was his old room newly occupied, but it was also larger and much different from how he would have remembered it.

Glynda raised her hands for the students' attention. "Everyone, please, clear out. This is just a misunderstanding. Move along." For a moment no one moved. "Do not make me repeat myself."

There. Now they were all jumping. As the hall was clearing itself she turned to the room. "I'm sorry," Jaune was saying, but his voice was mostly drowned out by the crowd. "I thought… I mean this used to be…"

"His room," Glynda finished for him, stepping forward. "Our apologies, Mister Lie. A simple misunderstanding." She raised her eyebrow at the two students lolling about on the bed. "Miss Valkyrie, however…" The girl went scarlet. "I think perhaps you should return to your own rooms. Immediately."

The red-headed girl leapt up, her face flaming, and giggled as she brushed past them in the doorway. Glynda shook her head, feeling her curls brush across her shoulders. More of her hair was coming down. The boy, Ren, seemed unmoved by any of this. "You are welcome to spend time with your Drift partner, Mister Lie, but not inside the dormitories. I will overlook it - this once - but I expect school rules to be obeyed."

The dark haired young man sporting a pink streak across his bangs shrugged nonchalantly and Glynda closed the door on him.

She turned back to Jaune, but a few lingerers still lined the hallways. "I said move along, Mister Vasilias. Now you've made me repeat myself. Would you like a demerit before classes even start?"

"My bad, Miss!" A hand quickly saluted against sky-blue hair and the teen darted off.

Glynda turned to Jaune. This was not the place to talk about anything. "Follow me," she told him simply, and began to head down the hall.

After about ten steps later it came to her attention that he was not following. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she spun about and went back for him. "Jaune, can you hear me?"

His face was sweaty and there was blood still running from his nose. His eyes too were unfocused, and his breathing rapid and shallow. Maybe he isn't alright...

Stealing herself, Glynda reached forward and firmly and held out her open hand. "Jaune. Come with me. I'll take you home."

Slowly, his eyes came to hers. After another heartbeat, they seemed to focus on her. His breathing slowed to a more normal pace. "Come on," she encouraged him, shaking her hand so it got his attention.

Jaune reached for it. She caught his hand in her own, and turned, pulling him gently after her.

His feet dragged, but she was okay with a slower pace. She was tired from the strange chase too. Slowly, they made their way down the elevator, out of the student dorms, and to the teacher's rooms. Glynda simply walked, hand in hand, and Jaune trailed behind her as they both cooled off. They stepped off the elevator on the third floor, his floor. She walked him down the hall to his room and turned back to look at him.

His head was hung, his cheeks red beneath his bangs. His shoulders slumped in defeat. She cleared her throat gently. "Jaune… the key?"

He flushed redder and moved forward quickly to unlock the unfamiliar door. "Thanks," he muttered, clearly intending to close it on her.

"Ah-uh!" she exclaimed, sticking the toe of her shoe into the open doorframe. "Jaune, you came out of a rough drift. I have to check you out."

"I'm fine, really."

"It's here or my offices." Her tone gave him no choice on the matter.

"Fine." He let go of the door, and she opened it and stepped in.

After closing it behind them then reached up to touch her hair. It was practically loose now, the bun completely destroyed. Sighing, she pulled the pin out of it and felt her locks fall down about her shoulders. She started to twist it back up, then glanced at the pin. There were supposed to be two pins.

She patted her head, but… nothing. It must have come out when I was running. Cursing slightly, she gave it up as a bad job, and let go of her golden tresses. Her hair rolled down and fell in loose curls half way down her back. She stuffed the pin she had in the waist of her skirt and turned to face Jaune.

He was on the couch, head still hanging dejectedly. Gently, she came over and sat beside him. His nose seemed to have stopped bleeding, but there was still red across his upper lip. "Are you ready to talk again?" she asked in her best therapy voice, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Ah, I'm an idiot!" he confessed. "It's this place! It's so familiar, but so different! I keep getting turned around. I'm making a fool of myself already."

"It is natural to be disoriented after a Drift. Please don't blame yourself. Very few people could have handled that particular Drift the way you did-"

"It wasn't the Drift," Jaune groaned, his hands swinging violently away from his face. "I was lost before that. I mean, did you really have to change so much, Glyn? I liked this place the way it was before."

His eyes finally turned up to hers, and she felt her breath catch. There was so much pain and sadness in them. The way Jaune acted the rest of the day was so chipper and carefree, but now she was seeing into the heart of him. And he was hurting.

"I changed things," she admitted. "We needed to change to grow and… Well, to be perfectly honest, I tried to make things here, um… perfect. I wanted everything about this place to work perfectly, be in the perfect place to make life easy for everyone… I wanted it all just right. So it took a lot of work, but… Here we are."

"Why?" he asked, his face puzzled.

"We've grown, a lot," she admitted. "Many more students meant we had to change accommodations to fit. Classes too. And advancements in technology meant changes to engineering…" She trailed off. He wasn't listening. She went for a new track. Honesty. "Mostly, Jaune, I wanted things to be perfect for you… when you came back."

He jerked. She had his attention again. "For me?"

"Yes." She crossed her heals primly. "Do you remember what it was like, back when we were in school?"

He frowned. "I remember lots from back then. What exactly…?"

"For us, I meant," she clarified. "I came here because Oz wanted to utilize you and Louise more. He felt that, since you were both Zero Drift compatible, having you two paired with each other was a waste. He wanted you to expand your horizons, and to try melding with other pilots." Despite all of this being simple fact, she still felt a touch of red come to her cheek as she said it. "I was supposed to be that pilot for you. But… things never quite worked out, huh?"

Jaune snorted, and then winced. He rubbed at the blood on his face, smearing it across his cheek. After a moment, he spoke. "You always tried to be perfect back then too." He shrugged. "I didn't like it. I don't… I mean I can't wear a mask like you always do. I'm just the same idiot everywhere I go. I could never win money from people, or make them think I was worthwhile just by smiling at them. But, lately, I've felt a bit like I did have a mask on. I felt like… maybe if I could just pretend that everything was okay, then it would be. Looks like it's not working. I couldn't fool you, Glyn."

Glynda tapped her knee for a moment before continuing. "Do you know why I asked to do your evaluation?" Jaune shook his head. "Because I thought you would need a friend in all this, not just someone clinical. I had hoped… to be that friend. But I see now that I can't expect you to be honest with me if I'm not with you. I suppose things were always that way with us. You can't fool me, but.. I can't fool you either."

He grinned slightly. "Things tend to work out like that once you've Drifted together."

She smiled back. "True. You alone have seen the disordered, emotional chaos that goes on inside my skull, Jaune Arc. So my 'perfect mask' is wasted on you now."

"Yeah - to be honest, I like that Glynda much better. You always keep the best parts of you hidden from the world."

"I still don't get what you mean by that."

He leaned back in the seat as he chuckled. "Okay then, you said you wanted to be honest. About what?"

She nodded. "I… Okay, um… For example, when I said I wanted this place to be perfect for you I really meant that. After you left… I kept thinking that you'd come back, you know? But eventually Oz started trying to find me another partner who I was compatible with. But… no one came along. We looked for a long time, and eventually, I just stopped really looking. Instead I busied myself with other things, to fill the time. Things like managing the school, drafting new students, seeking out funding… I was really good at it. But somewhere along the line, I stopped believing I would find anyone else I was Drift compatible with. However, I never stopped believing that one day you would come back. I think I always knew you better than anyone else, except Louise. I knew you would need to be here again, to pilot a Jaeger, to fight. So I kept working so that when you came back, everything would be ready."

"I bet you didn't expect that I wouldn't be," Jaune muttered.

Glynda shook her head and the full weight of her curls tickled her chin. "I am fully prepared for whatever you throw at me, Jaune. I know you, unlike anyone else. Maybe even better than you know yourself." She reached out and turned his chin towards her, so their eyes met. Then she started to gently wipe the smeared blood from his cheek. "You see today as a failure, that you didn't pass. But I never expected you to. I see today as a beginning. You are still amazing at Drift. You controlled something that would have completely ruined anyone else. Yes, you have some baggage. But trust me, we can work through that. Now that I know what we're dealing with, I can assure you, you will pilot a Jaeger again. Before this school year is up."

Jaune's eyes had gone wide. "But I… I was a mess in there!"

Glynda smiled. "An honest mess. If you keep being honest with me, I'll be honest with you too. You will pilot again. We just have some spring cleaning to do - and I'm great at cleaning."

Jaune chuckled.

"Will you trust me, and work with me? Not just try and convince me you're okay, but to talk to me until you really are?" Glynda asked him, still holding his chin so he couldn't look away.

The silly grin came back to his face, and he saluted. "I'm all yours, Miss."

She smiled grimly. "Then prepare for some intense work. I'll see you in my offices tomorrow night, after classes. Agreed?"

"On my honor," he promised. "And Glyn? You should let your hair down more often. You look younger."

She flushed bright red and stood straight up off the couch, letting his chin go. She spun about so he couldn't see her face.

"Tomorrow night!" she ordered as she marched to the door. "No excuses."

He must have followed her because as she pulled the door open, his hand reached over her shoulder and caught it, holding it firmly so she couldn't escape. She felt her skin tingle with his breath on the back of her neck. "Glynda," he said, quietly, and her hand shook. "Thank you. For everything."

She felt her shoulders relax a little. "You're welcome."

He released the door and she stepped out, heading down the hall to the elevator. Not until its doors closed behind her, carrying her up to the fourth floor, did she completely relax.

Even after all these years, he could still get under her skin in a way no one else could. She was counting on her ability to do that to him, but she knew she had to be careful not to let him get the upper hand. She had to open up and expose her vulnerabilities to him so that he would do the same to her, but somehow she had to maintain control. It was going to be one of the hardest challenges she had ever undertaken, but she couldn't give up on him. She had been preparing herself for this day for a long time, and she was going to get him back in a Jaeger if it killed her.

The elevator dinged. She crossed the hall and opened the door to her own private quarters. The plush carpet and gentle pink walls immediately helped put her at ease. She glanced out the window across the school she had built, but all she could see was Jaune's goofy grin.

This is going to be a bumpy ride.