The end of the day was approaching. A check on his scroll showed that it was nearly four in the afternoon. Professor Port's, or rather, Professor Branwen's class would be over and he would be free to go about the rest of his day.

It seemed surreal after the events of the dance that seemingly nothing had changed. Had they really gotten off that easily?

The bell rang and students all around Jaune stood up to leave. Surrounded by his own teammates, Jaune pressed his palms down onto the desk and forced himself up. Grabbing his belongings he and the girls shuffled toward the aisle that would lead to their escape.

"Mister Arc, I'd like to talk to you for a minute," came the gruff voice of his substitute professor.

So much for that plan. Jaune stopped in his tracks as soon as he'd reached the aisle steps, and chose to turn left to face his professor rather than right to ascend the stairs to the exit.

Qrow Branwen leaned casually against the front of his desk, fingers stuffed in his pants pockets as those small red eyes peered up at him. Jaune was used to staring into dangerous red eyes. It spoke volumes about what he'd endured that Qrow's own muted ones paled in comparison to deadly crimson orbs he'd stared down more times than he'd cared to remember.

With a wordless nod he told Qrow that they'd talk. His teammates stood around him, like a protective cocoon of bodies meant to shield him from harm. The sight made him smile warmly, and he turned to address the hybrids who stood at his side ready to fight with him should it come to that. Not that he thought it would come to that, of course. A fully-armed team of huntsmen would have likely come to apprehend them in the dead of night if Qrow's intent had been hostile.

"I'll be okay," he told the gathered girls, looking them over one by one. Ruby wore a concerned expression on her face, not entirely convinced even with his soothing words. Weiss' eyes were narrowed, suspicious of the human who sought to have alone time with the boy who she'd grown immeasurably closer to in recent days. And Yang… Yang looked angry. Not at all unusual for the blonde-haired girl, but Jaune could perhaps guess why she was upset when it came to Qrow in particular. She didn't exactly harbor fond feelings for the man who was her uncle…

"We'll be right outside," Ruby said softly. Jaune nodded appreciatively. If things went south they'd be able to sense the negativity. They'd burst through the door in a heartbeat to protect their pack mate.

"It shouldn't take long," he guessed. In reality Jaune had no idea what was going to happen or how long it would take, but he didn't want to worry the hybrids. Emotional hybrids were dangerous ones. He couldn't imagine what kind of reaction they'd have if Qrow actually did decide to attack him here and now.

The three hybrids turned right and moved up the stairs toward the door, while Jaune descended down to the classroom floor to stand before Qrow. As the last of the students left the room, the door shut with an audible click, leaving the two men standing in silence.

Silence that Jaune wanted all too much to be banished. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked, moving the ball into Qrow's court.

The man grunted a humorless laugh. "I think we both know why I asked you to see me today."

Jaune had a feeling that's what it was. Still, he wasn't about to show his cards before Qrow did. "Is it about the latest assignment?"

Qrow snorted a breath. Those beady red eyes bored into him. "I can appreciate your discretion." Pushing himself off of and away from his desk, Qrow began walking and motioned with his head for Jaune to follow. "Come on, kid. Let's go to my office where we'll have some actual privacy to talk about what we need to."

Jaune nodded without a word, and fell in line behind Qrow as they moved up the steps. Even while walking Qrow's hands were in his pockets, giving an air of casual indifference as they neared the door. Jaune knew better than that. He knew that Qrow knew. How couldn't he? It only made sense that he did. Winter knew. Winter was Weiss' sister. Qrow was Ruby and Yang's uncle. She would tell him, considering how close they seemed. It was in both their interests to help their long lost loved ones.

Stepping through the door, Qrow stopped ahead of him. When Jaune too left the classroom he saw why.

Like a pack of wolves, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all stood outside the halls. All in position to surround and isolate whoever came out of the classroom. Qrow just happened to be the one who did, and the man found himself surrounded on all sides by the members of Team AWRY. If he felt threatened by the display he didn't show it. Again, he merely laughed humorlessly.

"Why am I not surprised?" he asked himself. With a soft shake of his head he pushed through the blockade of bodies and moved down the hall. "Come on. All of you."

As they walked to their destination, Jaune was surprised by just how nonchalantly Qrow was acting right now. If he knew that Weiss was some sort of Grimm monster, he most certainly wasn't showing any signs of apprehension or fear. A smart man would guess that the other members of the team were similar beasts, but Qrow was willingly turning his back to them. Did he trust in his own abilities to the point where he didn't fear a sneak attack? Or did he just believe that not even a creature of destruction would be reckless enough to attack him in the middle of a huntsman academy in broad daylight?

Words weren't exchanged on the walk, and in a couple of minutes they reached their professor's office. Turning around to finally regard the team again, Qrow's eyes passed over them all before resting on Jaune. "You're up, kid," he said as he opened the door, pushing it in before gesturing for Jaune to enter.

He'd expected the room to be empty, and was surprised to see an all too familiar face inside.

Winter Schnee's eyes met his, and in an instant drifted over to his right. They lit up when they saw her younger sister. "Weiss…"

Jaune heard the girl's breath hitch in her throat, and Weiss grabbed onto his arm for comfort and support. He didn't know what manner of complex emotions were going through her mind and her heart right now, but he could only imagine…

The two hadn't spoken to one another since the incident at the dance. Jaune hadn't even seen Winter since then, but from the looks of it she seemed to be in perfect health. At least that night hadn't ended in a tragedy. Though he knew that by being called down here by Qrow, the ramifications of that night had not all come to pass yet.

"Later," Qrow ordered, earning a soft scowl from the Atlesian woman inside. "Right now we just need to speak with your leader for a moment. Alone."

Jaune turned to Weiss, who still clutched at his arm protectively. He smiled down on her, his vision filled with a head of snowy white hair. "I'll be fine," he spoke softly to her. "And you'll get to talk to Winter soon."

When she didn't release his arm Jaune had to use his own left hand to forcibly pry her fingers off him. She got the hint soon enough, and reluctantly let go as Jaune stepped into the office. Qrow came behind, and the door shut to leave him standing with two fully-trained huntsmen who could kill him in a matter of seconds.

Ruby watched the door close behind Jaune. She didn't like this. Despite the fact that one of the humans in there was their professor, and the other was Weiss' sister, she didn't like Jaune being alone with them. She didn't like being out here, clueless as to what was transpiring inside. Without so much as being able to speak in her mate's defense.

At the very least, if there was a spike in negativity, she would know. Then she and the others would be able to act.

Speaking of the others, Ruby looked over to her two teammates. Yang leaned casually against the wall, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Though her eyes were closed, Ruby could tell her sister was not happy. However, something told the redhead that it wasn't about being separated from Jaune.

Weiss on the other hand stood pensively in front of the door, her hands clasped together in front of her as she stared at the door so intensely that Ruby might have believed she was able to see through it. Negativity radiated from the white-haired girl, but that wasn't the only kind of emotion. Weiss was a swirling mix of feelings that Ruby could only vaguely describe. Apprehension and hope. Anger and eagerness. Feelings Ruby could relate to all too well.

Moving over to the girl, Ruby placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder comfortingly. "It'll be okay, Weiss," she spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

The contact and words seemed to have broken the spell which held Weiss, and the girl's head lowered slightly, a slight smile on her face. "I know."

Ruby's lips twisted into a soft frown. "You do?" she asked with confusion. She wondered what Weiss had been so worried about then.

Weiss' mouth curled into a full-blown smile, nothing like the usual know-it-all grin she liked to display when spouting off knowledge about the human world like she did way back when. "Of course. Not only is Jaune strong, but… he's with my sister."

It was hardly the explanation Ruby had been expecting. It wasn't one she understood either. True, Winter was Weiss' sister, but she was still a woman they'd only just met. A human woman who knew their secret. A human woman who had connections with powerful authority figures from not only Vale, but Atlas as well. All it took was one false step, one wrong move, and their lives as they knew them would be over.

"Ruby. What's it like to have a sister?"

Weiss' words broke Ruby from her own thoughts, and saw how Weiss had turned to peer into her silver eyes. Pale blue ones, like melting chips of ice, stared into her, glistening with that annoying wetness that sometimes happened to her own eyes.

Sneaking a glance over to where Yang stood on her own, Ruby recounted all the times they'd shared together back in Salem's realm. Back in a time before Jaune. A time when Yang had been the only one to ever show an ounce of care for the damaged hybrid. The hybrid who felt positive emotions.

"Yang's the best," she smiled, keeping her voice low to keep the blonde hybrid from hearing. She would be embarrassed to have her sister hear how she gushed over her. "She never maimed me, she tolerated me touching her sometimes… oh, and she didn't even yell at me when I saved Zwei from Cardin."

For a hybrid to want to preserve a life rather than take one was considered an alien concept. But Ruby couldn't have just stood idly by when Cardin had produced the most adorable little dog in front of the whole class, bragging about how he was going to eat the poor thing. Ruby had sprang into action, challenging Cardin for the rights to the dog, and winning Zwei as her own. When she'd said she wasn't going to eat him, it sent shockwaves through the class. It had also started a long history of animosity between the two hybrids.

One which ultimately ended in Cardin's death at the hands of her scythe.

"Never maimed you…" Weiss whispered, a hand moving up to touch the scar which now marred the left side of her face.

Silver eyes widened, and Ruby realized how her words might cause Weiss doubt. "N-no!" she stammered. She came in close to Weiss, wrapping an arm around the other girl's shoulder and pulling her close so she could speak softly in her ear. "That wasn't your fault, Weiss. You weren't yourself when you and your sister fought. You wouldn't have ever normally done that, and she wouldn't have ever had to fight back…"

Memories of Winter's bloody body lying in Beacon's courtyard filled Ruby's mind. She couldn't imagine what that must have been like for either of the sisters. The thought of having to face off against Yang in a battle of life or death terrified the youngest hybrid.

"Perhaps," Weiss finally said in soft agreement. Or maybe not so much agreement as it was trying to convince herself that Ruby was right and she was wrong.

Weiss admitting to being wrong… there really was a first time for everything.

"B-but me and Yang do all kinds of fun stuff together," Ruby continued, wanting to lighten Weiss' mood rather than have the opposite effect, which seemed to be the road she was travelling down. "When we ate she'd always break the bones for me so I could suck the marrow out. I always used to wind up splintering and ruining them."

Ruby smiled at the memory of sitting in the cafeteria in Salem's realm. One thing she missed about the place, and there were very few things indeed, was the bone marrow. Sucking the tasty treat out straight from the source was hardly something she could do openly here in the human world.

"Bone marrow," Weiss repeated to herself, pulling out a notebook she used for class and jotting something down on its pages. "I've heard tales that humans sometimes enjoy 'boning' with each other. Do you think this is what they meant?"

Ruby had never heard that turn of phrase before, but it made sense. What else could boning mean if not doing something with bones? And what else would you do with bones other than suck the delicious marrow from them? "I don't see why not."

"Ask Winter to bone together…" she said as she wrote. "What else?"

"Oh, every year on my spawnday Yang would measure my horns," she continued. Ruby smiled at the memory of how she'd impale her long keratin daggers on a hunk of raw, bloody meat and Yang would measure to see how much length was able to penetrate out to the other side. A testament to both her horn length and her growing strength. "She said that maybe one day mine might get as long as hers, but… at this point I don't think they ever will. I think I'm gonna be short forever," she griped, referring both to her horns and her height.

"Horn length…" Weiss muttered again as she wrote more down in the notebook. "Though I do not think Winter possesses horns herself."

Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "Well nothing's stopping her from measuring yours. You may only have one horn, but it's a nice one."

"One horn to rule them all," the other hybrid agreed proudly.

"Let's see… what else do me and Yang do…" Silver eyes lit up. "Oh! Grimm!"

"Grimm?" Weiss asked, suddenly looking around her in a panic. "Where!"

"No, not actual Grimm," Ruby amended. "Me and Yang would train together and kill a bunch of Grimm. You and Winter should totally go out and kill Grimm! That's like her job, right?"

Weiss' fingers came up to stroke her chin thoughtfully. "As a huntress, yes. Perhaps that would be a good bonding experience. As the old saying goes, the sisters who kill together chill together."

Ruby had no idea what that meant, but if Weiss said it was true then it probably was. Ruby stole another glance back at Yang, who was conspicuous in her lack of participation in the conversation. She clearly wasn't happy for some reason. Perhaps Ruby should take her own advice and go out Grimm-slaughtering with Yang. A good old sisterly hunt together.

Her focus snapped back to the door which separated them from Jaune. A spike in negativity earned Weiss' attention as well.

"I do not like that man," the white-haired hybrid growled. Ruby knew she was referring to Professor Branwen. "He's causing Jaune duress."

That made two of them. Yang clearly didn't either. Ruby wondered why she herself didn't feel any inherent disdain for him. Though if he continued to draw out negative emotions from Jaune, her opinion might soon change…

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ruby wondered.

"Us." Another guttural growl, more animal-like than human sounded in the back of Weiss' throat. "They're going to blame him for us…"

Ruby didn't know why. Jaune was completely innocent in all of this. He was just a human. An innocent human who had wound up at Salem's academy by mistake. The happiest mistake of Ruby's life, but a mistake all the same. Jaune had done nothing wrong. He'd done nothing but love her and her friends and sister unconditionally. Even Blake! If Professor Branwen and Weiss' sister so much as thought about harming a single hair on his head…

Not even Winter's blood-relation to Weiss would spare her from Ruby's wrath.

"Should we go in there?" Ruby wondered. She wanted to, but agreement from Weiss would help to strengthen her resolve. A pack should fight as one.

"If the negativity gets worse… yes."

Those were terms Ruby could abide by. Jaune may have said that things would be fine, but she didn't trust these humans around him. He may have been one of them, but he was also an ally to those they were sworn to hate.

Her pack, and her mate, must be protected.

"Take a seat, Jaune," Qrow said, the earlier title of 'Mister Arc' gone in this more casual setting.

A pair of cushioned chairs sat in front of the desk, neither being occupied as Winter stood with her hands behind her back. Qrow moved around to sit behind the desk, the high-backed leather seat creaking as he sat down before rolling it back next into place.

As Jaune took his seat, he looked over to the man. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Are you stupid or just playing dumb?" Winter snapped, earning his attention.

The fact that she was the only one standing was probably deliberate, attempting to use a domineering position in order to intimidate the boy. It just made Jaune want to sigh, suddenly very tired. In another life this would have worried him. Cowed him into docile submission. He considered telling her that she looked more like an adorable kitten in comparison to the terror incarnate that was Salem.

"Winter," Qrow growled. "Calm down."

The Specialist looked as though she had more she wanted to say, but to her credit she held her tongue.

"So how much do you know?" Jaune asked the man across from him, choosing to deliberately stay vague.

"About what happened here? Only what Winter told me." Red eyes shifted to the woman in question for a moment before focusing back on Jaune. "About the situation as a whole? More than that. Tell me, Jaune. Does the name Salem mean anything to you?"

It was one thing to think about the woman. It was quite another to hear someone else, especially who Jaune had thought was uninitiated on such matters, to utter it. His chest ached where she once plunged her hand clean through, and even if he had wanted to deny it, he was sure his eyes had given away a reaction to the name.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It does." More than you could ever imagine… his mind continued.

Qrow hummed, nodding as he leaned back in his seat. Leather creaked in the silence. "You're human, aren't you? At the very least, not like whatever it is that Weiss turned into."

The question surprised Jaune. He would have thought that Qrow would have thought that he was just like Weiss. Jaune had no reason to lie about his true nature. "I am."

"You've got a nice paper trail which tells me you're not lying," the man continued, pulling out his scroll and opening it up. A transparent blue screen showed a lot of words, but Jaune couldn't read what they were. "Dad's a licensed huntsman. Established residence. Elementary school records. Seven sisters. Oh, how is Saphron doing with little Adrian? I've heard newborns can be a real pain."

The mention of his family, and particularly his newborn nephew, made his face burn. He glared at the older huntsman. If Qrow was trying to threaten him, it was working. He hadn't expected this kind of tactic from an actual huntsman. Tyrian, yes. Even Cinder. But Qrow?

"If you even think about hurting them…" he whispered dangerously.

"Relax, kid. I'm not threatening anyone." Qrow set the scroll down and held up a single hand in order to try to placate him. "I'm just telling you that I believe you. You've got way too much going on outside of this place for you to not be who you say you are. Okay?"

Jaune's face was still flushed with anger, but he at the very least did believe Qrow's words. He nodded firmly. "Fine. I'm human. So what?"

"The same can't be said for your teammates. Let's not pretend anymore, okay? Their names aren't Rosalyn Rouge, Yara Xanthic, and Wren Slate. They're Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Weiss Schnee. Are we in agreement?"

Jaune nodded. He couldn't and wouldn't deny that fact from the girl's own relatives. Even if he wanted to keep their identities a secret from them, he knew that they wouldn't have believed him. He didn't want Qrow or Winter to get the impression that he was untrustworthy. That would only make further progress with them all the more difficult.

Hands folded atop the desk, and Qrow's eyes settled in to focus on Jaune's once more. "So what I wanna know is, what's a human like you doing working for Salem? How does a kid like you go from a nice big family like yours to… whatever it is you and those girls are doing here?"

How? By being the biggest moron in the world. By forging transcripts, peddling them to any huntsman academy he could find, and then being unlucky enough to be accepted by the very incarnation of evil to join her academy and be her own personal experiment.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he wound up saying instead.

The veteran huntsman gave a slight nod, and even seemed to accept the answer by virtue of not pressing for details. A small trace of a smirk curled on his lips. "Bad luck?"

The simplicity of the question, and the underlying truth to it, forced Jaune to crack a smile as well. "Something like that."

"I can relate," Qrow commented casually. "Are you here by choice?"

Jaune pondered the question. In a way, yes. In a way, no. He could of course run away. Abandon this place and return home. Leave the girls to their fate. Leave Beacon to its fate. How long he would last, how long his family would remain safe from the agents of Salem, he couldn't say.

He knew he couldn't do any of that, however. He couldn't leave the girls he loved. Even if he could wash his hands of this mess, even if he and his family would be safe, he couldn't abandon the girls he had come to care for. So, no. It wasn't a choice. He was here to stay whether he liked it or not.

"No," he finally answered.

Qrow grunted, and nodded to accept his answer. "So you're human. You're not here by choice. And your teammates, or at least one of them, isn't exactly human." His eyes flicked up to regard the woman who still stood above them both. "Tell me, are Ruby and Yang the same as Weiss?"

At this moment Jaune wondered exactly what his rights were. Could anything he said here be used against him? The thought of asking for a lawyer amused him. He wondered if telling his advocate that his teammates were Grimm hybrids would qualify as privileged information.

It was pretty clear that Qrow and Winter knew a good deal about the truth. Qrow was even aware of who Salem was. Still, he didn't feel like he could just discuss these things openly with the two of them. Family or not, they didn't know what their loved ones had become. Jaune didn't know whether or not they would be able to accept the truth about what Salem had twisted them into.

"Kid, we don't have all day." Qrow was watching him intently, tension growing tighter.

"Your nieces," Jaune started, mouth feeling dry. "You love them, right?"

"What-?"

"You love them," Jaune interrupted, speaking up. "You would do anything for them. Right?"

Winter's hardened facade cracked, just a bit as Qrow lowered his eyes for a moment. "Anything in my power."

Jaune swallowed, trying to keep his throat clear. "They are. Just like Weiss, they've been transformed."

"Into monsters," said Winter.

Jaune shook his head. "No. You can't think of them like that." I can't, he thought to himself, think of them like that. "They're not monsters. They're victims. Victims of Salem."

Qrow seemed to deflate just a bit. Slouch a bit more, lose whatever strength he had to keep sitting upright as a proud and strong huntsman should. "They're alive..." he whispered to himself.

"Salem did something to them. Something about a pit of destruction, she said, and made them into… what they are. But they're still human. Their Aura is proof of that." Jaune struggled to think of how to describe it, how to explain to them. "That's their humanity, fighting back against the Grimm… stuff that they've been infested with."

"Why did Weiss... how could she..." Winter started, unable to articulate her feelings.

"When their Aura is unlocked, they have to try and reconcile their humanity with what they've been forced into." Jaune paused, looking behind him towards the door. "Most of them have had a hard time with that. But once they get a handle on it, it makes them more human. More like what they should be."

"Why are you here?" Qrow fixed Jaune with a critical stare. "Why are they here?"

Jaune blinked. "I don't know."

"Don't give me that-!" Winter started.

"I mean it!" Jaune shouted back. "I don't know! We were sent to infiltrate Beacon, but we weren't given anything to actually do. Just to blend in as best we could."

Winter eyed him with some suspicion. "If that is true, then there could be other..."

"Hybrids," he offered.

"Hybrids," she echoed. "Other hybrids, hiding within our ranks. Salem could be planning to use them for high level covert operations."

Qrow nodded. "Thinking like a Specialist."

"No," Jaune said. "There were more. But they've all died. Except Wesson, I guess. I wonder how he's doing..."

"What do you mean died!" Winter couldn't help the sharp turn in her voice.

Jaune winced. "Survival of the fittest. The hybrids were pitted against each other, often to the death. Until only the strongest and most reliable ones were left."

"That doesn't make sense. Why would she dwindle her own," Qrow stopped, eyes closing. "Because she could always make more. Their lives wouldn't matter to her. Why would they when she has all the time in the world? What else is there?"

Jaune thought of Cinder. He knew she was up to something, a totally human agent of Salem. Unlike with his own team, there was no evidence of foul play from hers. They'd even helped out with the dance. Jaune had no proof of any of their motives or actions. All he had to go on was Blake's word of Cinder doing something at the CCT tower. He couldn't have Cinder questioned, much less arrested on his word alone. Qrow and Winter would likely see it as him trying to deflect attention and blame off of himself and onto a third party.

Even if they did buy his story, even if Cinder and her team were detained, he believed that she was spiteful enough to bring him down with her and tell all the wrong people about what they truly were. Ozpin. Ironwood. Whoever else would listen. If Cinder were to hang from the gallows, she would do so with a smile on her face as long as he and his team hung next to her.

Like Cinder had told him days earlier, his life would be over. That was the simple reality of being caught here.

Like it or not, he needed to wait for more information. He needed Blake. For the first time since knowing the hybrid, he needed her. Wanted to speak with her. Cinder would be his responsibility to deal with, and Blake would be an ace up his sleeve that not even Qrow and Winter would know about.

The thought of needing Blake was an amusing one. One that apparently had a very physical reaction on his face.

"Is something amusing?" Winter snapped.

Jaune shook the thought from his mind. "Nothing at all," he admitted earnestly.

"Jaune," Qrow growled. "Why are you doing all of this? That's the one thing I don't understand. What's your goal here?"

Silver eyes burned in his mind. A know-it-all smile. The warm embrace of a fierce warrior. Even the chills of the horror beneath his bed.

"I want to save them," he declared. "I want to break them from all ties with Salem. I want Ruby to be able to enjoy cookies and sweets in the light of day. I want Weiss to be able to learn to her heart's content. I don't care if she gets it all wrong. Yang... Yang I just want her to be able to live. Find some purpose in life other than fighting." He didn't mention Blake to them. It never hurt to have an ace up his sleeve… "I love them. I love them, and I just want them to live the lives that were stolen from them."

Love was truly an amazing thing. Love gave you the ability to make the impossible possible. To move mountains.

"Then let us help you," the Specialist said, her tone softening. "If you know how to save them, then you don't have to do it alone. It's obvious you trust us, since you saved my life rather than letting Weiss finish me off when she was out of control. And I think it's clear that we trust you, since we haven't had you arrested. So let us work with you to help our loved ones."

It wasn't that he didn't want them to help, but rather he wondered how they could. Weiss had already broken down once upon learning that she had a human sister. The hybrid seemed to be receptive to the idea, and that would go a long way in making things work. However, what would Winter think when she learned who her sister had become? Would she be able to accept the beast that lived within her?

Yang was the exact opposite of her hybrid kin. Jaune knew that she not only hated her mother for abandoning her, but she hated her uncle as well. Yang would sooner fight and even kill Qrow than spend time with him of her own free will. Leaving those two together in a room by themselves was asking for trouble.

And then there was Ruby. Unlike her sister, Ruby didn't recognize Qrow. Ruby didn't even recognize her own mother who was held captive in Salem's dungeons. Once she had asked Jaune if she had a father. For all intents and purposes, Yang and himself were all that the girl had in her life. To introduce her to her uncle, to potentially reunite her with her mother and father, he didn't know how she would react to that. It would have to be dealt with delicately and slowly. She would have to be eased into it. And sadly, it would have to be done without Yang until her own issues could be worked out.

"Jaune. Say something," Qrow said softly.

A hand came up to rub his face. The uncertainty of knowing how his friends would react, the indecision he faced, was difficult. Things had been much easier when he'd been on his own. Ironically, having allies now made life harder. Less black and white. He really didn't know what he should do or who he should trust. Or to what extent.

"I don't know," he admitted. "This isn't as easy as you think it'll be…"

"Are you really that arrogant?" Winter snarled, her softer, pleading tone gone in an instant. "Do you think you're the only one who cares for them? What happens to Weiss? She's my sister! How dare you think that you love her more than I do!"

Jaune knew his logic was selfish. Arrogant, as she'd just stated. Even flawed. He knew he was willingly putting the weight of the world on his shoulders, and his alone. But after everything he'd been through with those girls, knowing what they truly were and what they'd been through, unlike the two huntsmen who shared the room with him… he didn't want to take any risks that he could avoid.

His head sunk, eyes gazing down at his hands folded atop his lap. "It's not that I think you didn't love them," he began softly. "I just wonder if you still can."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

What he meant was difficult to even think about, much less say. He couldn't meet either of their gazes as he continued. "What if they're so far gone from the family you once knew that you don't even recognize them anymore? What if what they've become is so terrible that putting them down would be a mercy in your eyes?"

No sooner than the words left his mouth did Jaune feel a pair of hands grip him by the front of his hoodie and pick him up from the chair. Winter Schnee may have been shorter and lither than he was, but she was a powerhouse of a huntress. She slammed him up against the wall with enough force to shake it.

"Is that what you think of us?" she hissed. "You think I would kill my own sister after thinking she was dead for years? How dare you…"

"Winter!" Qrow shouted, standing up from his own seat and pressing his palms down flat on the desk's surface.

Jaune didn't struggle. He didn't try to fight back. Reflecting on what he'd just said, he deserved the wrath of the Specialist. He couldn't imagine how he would have felt had someone made the same claim about himself and any of his sisters. Jaune knew he'd never been the smoothest of talkers, but what he'd just said might have taken the cake for the dumbest question ever.

Still, it wasn't a line of thought he could just ignore. What if Qrow or Winter simply couldn't cope with what the girls truly were? What if they couldn't accept Weiss' horn? Ruby's gnarled black arm? Yang's own monstrous one?

What if they could never get their girls back to how they used to be? At what point would putting them down like a sickly pet be considered a mercy?

Slowly Winter released her hold on him, and after a deep breath took a step away from him. Jaune held no grudge.

"If you want to try to help, Weiss would be the easiest. She accepts that you're her sister. A human sister." Jaune's attention turned to Qrow. "But the others? Yang hates you, Professor Branwen. She despises you. And Ruby… Ruby doesn't even know who you are. She doesn't remember you or anyone else. Even her own mom."

"Her mom?"

Jaune nodded grimly. "Yeah. Her mom…"

Qrow's eyes widened. "Summer? She's… alive?"

Jaune breathed a heavy sigh. Summer was one issue he had no idea how to deal with. He had no idea how to help her. "She is. She's a prisoner of Salem. I don't know why she's been kept alive all this time. But I've seen Ruby peddled in front of her, almost like some sort of test. No matter how much Summer begged Ruby to remember her… she just couldn't."

The memory broke his heart.

Qrow's composure had evaporated, and his jaw was slack as he sunk back into his leather seat. He looked just as heartbroken as Jaune felt. "My gods… she's alive. After all this time…"

"I don't know how to save her. I just know she's there."

The man nodded. "I understand. And I think I have an idea…"

Before Jaune could question it, a pounding on the door earned all their attentions, and for that Jaune was glad. Any distraction from the faux pas he had just committed would be a welcome one. Winter turned to look at Qrow, who nodded wordlessly back to her.

The Specialist moved over and opened the door, only for it to be shoved open forcefully as soon as she'd opened it a crack.

Weiss came stomping inside, icy-blue eyes glaring at both instructors. "What in the world is going on in here!"

Behind her a familiar head of red and black hair peeked through, not fully committing to stepping inside. However, her silver eyes locked with Jaune's blue ones, and he could tell from Ruby's expression that she was concerned.

Jaune offered her a soft smile of reassurance. He mouthed the words 'I'm okay' to her.

Winter, for all her earlier aggression, was immediately put on her back foot. "I…"

"Negativity is simply radiating from this room," the hybrid continued, unwilling to give her sister an opportunity to explain herself. "And then shouting? Loud banging noises? If either of you dare lay a finger on my mate I'll make you regret it!"

Though she said either of them, Weiss' attention had honed in squarely on Qrow. Perhaps Weiss believed that her sister was incapable of being responsible for the ruckus despite the fact that she alone had caused it. Jaune couldn't ignore the irony, nor could he stop the small smirk from curling on his lips.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruby slowly pulling the door closed once more so that random passersby couldn't hear the conversation taking place. It squeaked as it moved, and the fact that Ruby was trying to be sly and sneaky in shutting the door only made more noise than if it was pulled closed in one swift motion.

Jaune stole a glance over to Winter, wondering how she would react to Weiss calling him her mate. Thankfully there was no look of shock or anger, other than the shock of her long lost sibling barging in on them.

"We were just talking, Weiss," Jaune said, omitting the fact that her sister had just assaulted him. The last thing he wanted was to drive a wedge between the two reunited sisters.

"Talking," she echoed. "Are you sure?"

No, but he wasn't about to stir things up any more than they already were. A little white lie to keep the peace between Weiss and Winter wouldn't hurt. "I'm sure."

Weiss nodded before whirling around to face both him and Winter, and her eyes looked over both. Marching over on her high heels, Weiss came to stand in front of her sister, and was forced to crane her neck up in order to look her in the eyes.

"Winter," she stated firmly, her trembling arms and legs betraying the confident tone in which she spoke.

"Y-yes, Weiss?" the professional huntress replied, astoundingly just as nervous as her hybrid sister.

"I request that we do all of the sister things together." Weiss' hands were folded politely in front of her, resting just below her torso as her head craned up to stare into Winter's eyes. "Please, allow me to make up for impaling you on my horn."

Winter Schnee. The Atlesian Specialist. The woman with a heart of iron and eyes of ice, stood paralyzed and utterly terrified. "I…"

"Please do not deny me this request. I have tried to come to terms with the fact that I have… a human sister." Weiss' eyes came to focus on Jaune. "And Jaune…he has helped me to see how much you love and care for me. I wish to get to know you better and learn about both you and our… family."

Jaune took a step away from the older Schnee sibling, wanting to give them as much space as possible in the small room. With a couple feet of distance between them he saw that Winter's hands were shaking. She appeared to be on the verge of tears. It probably took all the training and discipline in the world not to break down from her long lost sister's loving request.

"Weiss…" she barely managed to whisper out. She nodded. Slowly for the first time, but her pace quickened almost immediately. "Yes. Yes, Weiss. Of course. We will! We'll do everything together! Anything you want!"

Weiss seemed pleased with herself, and the girl wore an all too familiar smug smile on her face. The confidence she had lacked earlier suddenly flowed through her as freely as blood through her veins. "Splendid. I look forward to doing all of the things that Ruby has told me about when it comes to sisterly affection." Her gaze once more fell on Jaune. "Have you concluded your business with our instructors yet, Jaune?"

The boy looked to Qrow, who gave a halfhearted shrug. "Sure, why not. We can always talk later." Qrow's red eyes moved to Winter. "I think we got a lot more out of this than we thought we would."

"Quite so," Winter smiled. "Weiss. When… would be a good time for you?"

"Would tomorrow evening suffice? I confess that there are still questions I have which I must consult my friends about. And I simply must find something appropriate to wear for the occasion."

"Yes. Tomorrow would be wonderful, Weiss. I look forward to being able to speak to you alone. This time the real you."

"As do I. Now, if you would excuse us," Weiss said, latching onto Jaune's hand and pulling him after her. "I believe you have both had enough time alone with Jaune, though I understand why you would wish to get to know him better. However, we are sisters, and I do believe it would be a societal taboo for us to share the same mate. Despite what Professor Callows' documentaries would have me believe."

As Jaune was pulled from the room, the last glimpse he had from Winter was one of horrified confusion. He couldn't blame her. Not when Weiss had just suggested that her sister should hook up with him.

Ruby and Yang were outside. Jaune knew that their time would come eventually. Weiss and Winter were reconnecting, but things weren't as simple when it came to Qrow. One of the girls wanted nothing to do with him, while the other didn't know he meant anything to her.

He just had to figure out how best to drop such a bombshell on Ruby, and how to heal Yang's wounded heart.

When the door shut, Qrow was left alone with Winter, who was apparently still trying to process the many things Weiss had just heaped on her. From spending time alone as sisters, to believing the Specialist was romantically interested in Jaune, she had a lot to unpack.

Qrow did as well.

Summer… Summer was alive. Held captive by Salem. The only question was, why?

Jaune had mentioned that Salem brought Ruby down to see her from time to time. He'd mentioned it was like some sort of test, and that each time Summer had tried to make Ruby remember who she was. Ruby of course hadn't. She'd been young when Summer went missing. And then there was the whole pit of destruction thing Jaune had mentioned. Qrow didn't know what that meant, but Ozpin might.

He'd just have to figure out a way to casually bring it up in conversation.

Until then, however, he had a far more important issue that required addressing. One that may very well require his full attention. Though it pained him to have to take his focus away from his nieces, he knew that the path before him would be an arduous one that required everything he had.

"Winter," he said, breaking the silence. He stared down at his hands which rested on his desk.

"Yes?"

"I need you to run point on this for a while," he said grimly. "There's something I gotta do. Someone… I have to talk to."

He wasn't looking at her, but Qrow could tell by Winter's tone that she was confused. Frustratingly so. "What could possibly be more important to you than what's right in front of us?"

Truthfully, the fact that Yang, Ruby, and Weiss were right in front of him was comforting. They were here at Beacon Academy. With Jaune by their side and Winter watching them, they were for all intents and purposes, safe.

The same couldn't be said for Summer.

"Another piece of the puzzle," he stated vaguely. His eyes came up to regard Winter. "An old friend of mine, Summer Rose."

"Ruby's mother," Winter said, her voice lowering in realization to what Qrow was talking about. A grim frown remained on her lips. "I understand. What do you plan to do?"

Qrow thought about what he had to do. Who he had to talk to. Now, more than ever. Before this call was able to be put on the backburner. He hadn't wanted to disrupt their perfect little family life until it was absolutely necessary.

The addition of Summer to the equation changed everything. There wasn't a moment to waste.

"Unfortunately, what I have to," he said cryptically.

"Then you can count on me here," Winter stated firmly. Frankly, Qrow was surprised by the camaraderie that had developed between the two of them. A mutual interest had forced oil and water to swirl together like they never had before.

"I know I can," he agreed. "When it comes to our girls, there's no one I trust more than you."

It saddened him that the woman he was going to be forced to see couldn't be counted on in the same way. Not anymore. Not after everything he'd learned.

His twin sister Raven never really appreciated when he showed up in her life. This time would be no exception.

Author's Note: New cover art! This gorgeous piece was done by the amazing Seshirukun, and I strongly encourage you to go check out their Deviantart page for not only this picture, but more incredible RWBY art.

Who's ready for some incoming family drama! The Branwens, Xiao Longs and Roses are about to get turned upside down.

Despite the bombshells that were dropped here, this was kind of a transition chapter. Coming up we're going to get some spicy moments with Qrow and Raven, some wholesome stuff with Weiss and Winter, and much more! Honestly there's so much going on and so many different character interactions to cover that I sometimes wonder if I can stuff them all into the story without it becoming too bloated. Like, I really want to include more stuff with secondary and tertiary characters like Penny, Velvet, Sun, etc. But there never seems to be enough time!

So I'm just curious as to what you all think. Do you want more moments with the minor characters? Or would you prefer things stay tighter with just the main cast of the story?

Anyway, as always I want to thank all of your for continuing to read and support this fic. My thanks go out to Burkion and Lightningstrxu for their awesome input and help as well.

I hope you enjoyed it.