To say that Terra Cotta-Arc woke up uneasy would not be entirely accurate. Because, in order to wake up, that would imply that she had actually fallen asleep at some point. And how was she possibly supposed to get any sleep after a day like yesterday?

She spent half the night worried Mercury was going to sneak into their room and kill them for some stupid reason, and the other half constantly looking to her side to make sure that, yes, Saphron was still there.

Even now, she still wasn't sure this was a good idea. Yes, Saph had brought up some good points last night, and yes, she had ultimately agreed, but she had been running every possible way it could go wrong through her head, all night.

Like today. She had work. Which meant, Mercury and…Emerald? They would be here. With Saphron and Adrian. Alone. Sure, logically, there was absolutely no reason for them to actually try something. And yes, she knew that they were probably just glad to be in a real home. But still, she worried.

Terra ran her hand through her hair, groaning. Today is gonna be a long day. I already know it. She forced herself out of bed, every muscle in her body begging to slip back under the covers. The sooner I get it over with, the better. Avoiding their new roommates, while it would be nice, was also impossible. May as well rip the band aid off now. Saphron had already left to prepare breakfast.

She quickly slipped into her uniform with practiced precision, and gave herself one last glance in the mirror, to make sure she didn't miss anything. A half-hearted attempt at brushing her hair with her hand, and she deemed herself ready for the day.

Well, mostly ready, that is. Just get it over with, she repeated to herself. Once she got to work, she'd fall into her normal routine, and hopefully by the time she got home, her life would seem less like a horror movie.

Terra took a deep breath, and turned the doorknob, stepping out of their room. Sure enough, Saphron was laying plates down on the table, humming to herself. Four plates, she noticed, wincing. It's not like I expected anything different. Saphron was always going to be as welcoming as she could. It would be fine. It was just breakfast.

She forced a smile onto her face. "Good morning, Saph," She greeted.

Saphron looked up smiling, only for her to frown when she noticed Terra's expression. "It's not so much of a good morning for you, huh?"

Terra held back a wince. Was I really that bad? I thought I did a good job of faking a smile. "I didn't get any sleep last night," She admitted. "I'm sorry, honey, I just-"

"Don't apologize!" Saphron cut in. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's my fault, anyway. Look, I know I'm asking a lot by taking them in. I know you're…uncomfortable, to say the least. I'm uncomfortable. I just…couldn't let them go, and continue doing brothers know what, when we have a chance to get them back on their feet, you know?"

She nodded. "You don't have to convince me twice, Saph. We already went over this last night. I agree with you. I just don't like it." She shrugged. "I probably won't be comfortable with them in the house, not for a couple days at least. I'll get over it."

"For what it's worth, they don't seem that bad," Saphron offered. "It was really nice talking to Emerald last night."

Terra scoffed. "Yeah, you lucked out. I got to deal with Mercury. As soon as I get done with my day, and sit back in my car, he pops out from the back seat, shushing me and threatening you and Adrian if I didn't do what they wanted."

"I said they weren't that bad, not that they were perfect," Saphron reminded her. "Besides, in hindsight, it's not like we were ever in any real danger. I mean, they were Beacon students, it's not like they actually would have done anything."

"I didn't exactly know that at the time!" Terra defended. "I honestly thought he was going to kill me."

"Who was going to kill you?" Terra jumped as the very object of their conversation strolled lazily into the dining room, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.

"Oh, we're just talking about yesterday, is all." Saphron answered for her. "It was very scary, you know. We really thought you might hurt us."

Mercury grinned, placing his feet on the table. "Oh no, we'd never do anything like that. I couldn't dream of hurting a hair on your pretty little heads."

A chill ran up her spine at the way he spoke. She nearly took a step away from him, when something smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" Mercury whined, rubbing the sore spot and turning to look behind him. "What the hell was that for?"

"For being you, asshole," His partner scolded. She stooped down to pick up the apple she had thrown, taking her own seat beside him, and a bite out of the apple as well. "Ignore him. He'll take any chance he can to piss someone off, or make them uneasy. He always does this. And get your feet off the table!"

He rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked. "Sorry," He mumbled. "Still getting used to, uh, all of this." He gestured broadly around the room.

"No problem," Saphron told him smoothly, turning off the burner on the stove. "I mean, we're all kind of getting used to this, after all. Terra and I have never had roommates before, although, duh, you guys would have at Beacon. Isn't this so exciting?"

"Not sure if exciting is the word I'd use…" Mercury began dismissively…until Emerald glared at him, and he quickly tried to save it. "...But it's definitely something new, I'll give you that. Completely different from how we operated in Beacon."

He picked up a slice of bacon from the plate in front of him, biting off a piece. "This is good," He mumbled appreciatively.

Saphron scratched the back of her head, laughing nervously. "I decided to just go with bacon and eggs today. I figured, you know, might as well go with something safe since I had no idea what you two would like. I wanted everyone to have a good breakfast today!"

Mercury scraped the rest of his scrambled eggs into his mouth, finishing off his plate. "Mmh, well, mission accomplished. This is a hell of a lot better than half eaten trash burgers, that's for damn sure."

Terra felt her stomach drop, as she was filled with guilt. There's no reason to be scared, She chastised herself. They're just students. Students who, ever since the fall, have been forced to do whatever they can to get by. Seriously, now that she paid attention to them, they were obviously younger than Saphron and herself. She almost laughed at herself, for thinking they would actually hurt her. They're practically kids. Mercury's a bit of a jerk, yeah, but that's pretty much it. They had probably spent their time in Beacon worrying about pop quizzes, or who liked who, or where the best make out spot was.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" Saphron asked, puzzled, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm really not hungry. I probably should have said something sooner, but I honestly thought I'd already be gone by-"

"It's okay," Saphron reassured her, laughing. "I'm not upset. It's just an extra plate, is all."

"I'll take it!" Mercury chimed in, already reaching across the table.

"See? Problem already solved." Saphron hugged her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I know you just want to get to work, sweetie. Adrian's sleeping, so you don't need to worry about saying goodbye."

Terra returned the kiss, quickly spilling her words out as she rushed for the door. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I love you!"

"I love you too!" Saphron called out after her. "Drive safe!"

"I will!" She yelled, and heard the door shut behind her. She breathed out a sigh of relief. She hated that she had to leave so soon, she normally enjoyed spending at least an hour in the morning with her wife.

But she was feeling suffocated in her own home, with Mercury and Emerald there. She just had to get out for a while. She knew it was irrational, but she still felt a little uneasy around them. She had no idea how Saphron was already so comfortable around those two.

She shook her head. It didn't matter. All she needed, was a nice, relaxing day at work, and when she came home, she'd immediately go right to sleep. Then, hopefully, when she woke up tomorrow morning she could actually start getting to know her new roommates. After all, they're going to be here for a while.

Yeah. Yeah, that's what she was going to do. Today was already a bust on account of her running off of no sleep whatsoever. Tomorrow, though? Tomorrow could be nice. And maybe, she could be a little nicer too. Those kids have been through a lot, after all, and they were just trying to make sure they had some food in their bellies.

She paled, getting into her car. First, though, I have to survive work. Work, with exactly zero hours of sleep.

Fuck.

Mercury burped as he finished the last of Terra's plate, rubbing his stomach in content. "That was good," He groaned.

"You're such a pig," Emerald insulted, shaking her head while hiding a smirk.

"What I am, is satisfied over a nice breakfast." He shot back. He wasn't going to feel bad about enjoying the first real meal he had had in…well, ever since they came to Argus, actually. He had spent a bit of their lien on a nice meal to cheer her up their first night in town, and ever since then they had been pinching pennies.

"I'm glad you liked it." Saphron told him, smiling as she grabbed both of the plates in front of him. "If I had known how much you'd have liked it, I may have made a bit of extra for you."

Mercury waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, don't worry about it. I've gone a lot longer eating a lot less before. Trust me, I think I'll live."

Saphron frowned. "I meant it more as I could do something nice for you. You know, if you liked something, I could make a little extra so you could have more."

It was Mercury's turn to frown. "Why? Wouldn't it make more sense to just make enough for breakfast? To make it last longer?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. But that's not really the point. We're not exactly going through a famine, and we can afford the food."

He felt Emerald kick his prosthetic underneath the table. He turned his head to give her a flat stare. "Seriously? What exactly were you trying to accomplish there-"

"Saphron was offering to do something nice for you, Mercury." She hissed. "Maybe be a little appreciative."

He blinked. Right. It was their house, they probably had plenty of weird ways of doing things. And he really shouldn't pissing them off on day one. He had made a promise to Emerald, and he was determined to at least try to see it through.

"Yeah," He mumbled lamely, trying not to meet Saphron's eyes. "Uh, Sorry. That'd be nice."

Saphron just laughed, grabbing Emerald's plate from the table just as she finished her breakfast. "Take it easy, you two! I was just offering, that's all. If you don't want extra, for whatever weird reason, then you don't have to have it. I'm not gonna get upset if you don't."

He felt his shoulders sag in relief. "Wasn't saying I didn't want it, I was just a little…confused, I guess. Didn't really see the point." He had never really been around enough food that he could go with having more than he needed. Except for Beacon, though. Beacon had been…strange, to say the least. Adjusting there had been hard, and it seemed like adjusting here would be even harder. Quit whining. Would you rather be out on the streets?

"It's fine, Mercury." She told him, smiling. "Really." She turned off the sink, drying her hands off on a towel. "So…" She began. "Now that breakfast's done, what are you guys planning for today?"

He and Emerald shared a look. They hadn't spoken much last night, and even less this morning, but he had personally planned on staying in. The less time they spent out in the open, especially during daylight hours, the less likely they'd be recognized. And sure, it wasn't a great chance they'd be recognized anyways, but it was just a matter of time. Emerald felt the same, he was sure.

"I was actually planning on going around the city, to see some of the sights," His partner piped up. He resisted the urge to let his head fall onto the table. Do you just exist to prove me wrong, Em? What was she thinking? "We haven't really had a chance to properly look around. It's a shame, Argus is such a beautiful city." She was really laying it on thick, huh?

Saphron nodded thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea, actually. Argus is a nice place, once you give it a chance. You know, if you wanted to, you could check out one of the bounty boards they have in town, for the huntsman. I'm sure there's all kinds of work you could find there."

Emerald paled, and began to sputter. "We-well I meant more, uhm, you know, going around town, and er-"

"What my dear friend here is trying to tell you, is that we can't exactly…do Huntsman work," He smoothly cut in, saving her. He hid a smirk. Honestly, Em, you're supposed to be the one who's good at talking. "See, we don't have our licenses, on account of, you know, not graduating Beacon. We couldn't legally do Huntsman work, even if we tried."

"A lot of the other students went to the other academies," Emerald chimed in, getting control of herself.

"But we don't really want to do that," Mercury finished. He put a little emotion into his voice to try and sound uncomfortable. "It wouldn't be the same as Beacon."

Saphron pouted, looking heartbroken. "I'm so sorry. That sounds awful. Of course you wouldn't want to just hop right back into an academy, right after…everything."

Emerald nodded in agreement. "I…I don't think we're ready for that. Not yet."

"Hmm…any other plans, then?" Saphron asked. "If you can't take on Huntress work, surely you can find something else? I'm pretty sure you two have Aura, and plenty of other skills picked up from your training."

"I think it's a good idea to find out," Emerald said quickly, getting up from the table. "I'll head out now, and try to see if I can't find any work we might be able to get. Mercury, I'm sure you'll want to-"

"I'll stay here, thanks." He laced his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair and smirking. Payback, Em. His mind hadn't changed one bit from earlier. There wasn't anything to be gained from going out more than they had to, and there was too much to risk. She was the one who wanted this in the first place.

"Really?" She growled.

Mercury pretended to think about it for a moment, before answering. "Yep."

"Fine! Suit yourself, sit on your ass all day! I don't care." She huffed, stomping away. "I'll be gone for a few hours, at least. Goodbye, Saphron!"

"Bye!" She waved, as Emerald left, not quite slamming the door. Saphron turned to him, crossing her arms and frowning.

"What?" He asked.

"Why didn't you go with her?" She pressed.

Mercury snorted. "Why would I?" And why would you care whether I would or not?

"She was obviously upset!" She was looking at him like it should have been obvious. "She might have wanted to spend time with you."

This time, he broke out laughing, slamming a hand on the table. "That would probably be the last reason she would want me to go with her." If anything, she likely wanted to go see Jadis so they could speak in person, and had wanted him to be there in case she needed backup. Now's a bad time for that, in broad daylight, right at the start of the day. Hopefully, she'd realize that, come back and get him after the sun had gone down, and the two of them could go meet with her.

But he had to give Saphron an excuse first. "She's probably just nervous," He told her. "She gets jittery when she's uncomfortable. The sooner she realizes there's nothing to worry about, the easier it'll be for her to act more comfortable around you and Terra. A walk around town by herself should do that."

She nodded. "I kinda noticed that she seemed weirdly nice, considering the circumstances. I'd hate for her to feel put off. Staying here is supposed to be a good thing for you two."

Once again, he had to hide a smirk at Emerald's expense. You've gotten sloppy, Em. "It definitely is," He reassured her. "She just needs a bit of time, is all."

"Sounds good to me!" She cheered. Man, this was way too easy. He almost felt bad for the blonde. She was practically giving them the excuses they needed. It made lying to her somehow seem too easy. He closed his eyes, hands still behind his head, as he relaxed in the kitchen chair. Today was gonna be a good day. He could feel it.

"Well, if you're staying here with me, I may as well put you to work!" A set of footsteps trailed off, and Mercury froze. Great. At this point, I should have just followed Em. What the hell did she think he could do? He wasn't exactly experienced with household chores.

He cracked open an eye, coming face to face with a smiling Saphron, who held a bleary eyed Adrian in her arms. "No." He told her immediately, before she had a chance to even open her mouth.

"Why not?" She whined. "You're gonna be here anyways. I have a lot of chores that haven't gotten done because this little stinkers kept me too busy. There's no way I'm just gonna pass up the opportunity if you're staying home today. Come on, you just have to watch him for a few hours!"

No. Absolutely not. This was beyond a bad idea. But…he couldn't exactly refuse, could he? It wasn't like she was technically asking all that much, and he couldn't risk pissing her off. He had promised Emerald. "I'm not really good with kids," He said weakly. He couldn't think of any other excuse that wouldn't end up with them getting kicked out.

Saying he was bad with kids would be a bit of an understatement. To be perfectly honest, he didn't really have any experience with kids. He had lived his whole life in his father's cabin, up in the mountains. His only basis for a childhood would be his own, and he was pretty damn sure Saphron wouldn't want him showing Adrian what that was like.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" She set Adrian down in front of a tower of blocks, which he promptly got to work on toppling. "I'm sure you'll manage. Really, you won't have to do much of anything. He's a sweetie, he'll probably be just fine playing with his own toys. Just watch him to make sure he doesn't stick something in his mouth he shouldn't, or stick his hands somewhere he shouldn't, or…well, you get the idea."

No, actually I don't. Watch your stupid kid yourself, you're the one who wanted him. Mercury bit his lip to stop himself from speaking. He wanted so badly to tell the woman to shove off and leave him alone, even if he did happen to find her nicer to be around than he originally thought. The last thing he needed was to be responsible for some brat.

He was kinda screwed, though. He had already tried declining politely, and he couldn't really offer her any good reason to refuse. "I guess I could keep an eye on him," He relented with a sigh.

Saphron pumped her fist in the air. "Awesome! Right, I have to get started on laundry. Like I said, you just have to keep an eye on him. If he starts crying, try holding him. If that doesn't work, come get me. I should be around, although I am going out in a little while to grab some groceries. Any questions?"

Is it too late to cut and run? "Nah, I'm good." He answered, trying to sound relaxed.

"Great!" She spun around, walking out of the dining room and leaving him alone with the toddler.

He stared at Adrian for a moment. The kid seemed content playing with his blocks, trying to fit as many of them together as he could, after he had just toppled a large stack of them. He seems pretty clever, Mercury reasoned. He was quiet, and didn't seem like he was gonna get bored anytime soon.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could just relax, looking over at the kid every now and again to make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid.

He could do this. He survived the hell that was his father, he survived working with Cinder. He had helped bring a kingdom to its knees, and survived crossing the most powerful people in the world.

Watching a kid was nothing.

Argh, that ASSHOLE! What, did he want her to hold up a giant glowing sign saying, "Hey, maybe I want to talk to you in private?" Seriously, what was he thinking? He couldn't put two and two together and consider that maybe there was a reason she was trying to get them out of the house?

They needed to go talk with Jadis. They had agreed on it last night. Hell, he was the one who suggested it! And then he just decides "You know, actually, I think I wanna stay in today," just to piss her off. That had to be why he did it, to screw with her. Nothing else made any sense.

Fine! Go ahead! It didn't really matter anyway. She was just going to have a chat with Jadis, it wasn't like she would need any backup. Might have enjoyed the company though. She shivered, rubbing her arms as she weaved through the back alleys of Argus.

He's probably just too thick headed to take a hint, she reasoned. He could be the most observant person she had ever met whenever it came to looking for danger, but anything else he just kind of tuned out. At least, that's what it seemed like to her. There was a reason Cinder usually had her handle relations with the students back at Beacon, after all.

Emerald frowned. Why was she getting so worked up over this? It really wasn't that big of a deal, to be honest. It wasn't like she hadn't met with Jadis on her own before. That was kind of the reason they were in this mess to begin with. But for some reason, she couldn't get over the disappointment that he wasn't with her.

She…she wasn't really sure how to feel about that. Emerald had always been alone. Always. When she met Cinder, she thought she had a chance to change that. But try as she might, she never did get close to her. Just desperately trying to trail after her like a lost puppy.

Mercury, though…She never thought she'd even be able to stand him, let alone think of him as a friend. But now, for the first time in her life, she wasn't alone anymore. And It wasn't because of Cinder, it was because of the sarcastic asshole she wanted to get rid of as soon as she met him.

The very same asshole who got her away from Cinder, and Evernight, when she would have stayed with her until she inevitably snapped. The same asshole who promised to stay with her, and to at least give staying with the Cotta-Arc's a shot.

It was stupid. She knew it was stupid. But…she was still annoyed that he decided to stay. Emerald had wanted him to come. She enjoyed being around him, despite him getting on her nerves sometimes.

Get over it, she told herself. It's not like he's leaving, he doesn't have to follow you every waking minute. And right now, you have work to do. She had finally reached the old warehouse that served as Jadis' base of operations.

Emerald narrowed her eyes, squinting to try and get a good look at who was manning the entrance today. If I'm lucky I might get someone who'll actually let me in. She hadn't exactly left on the best of terms the last time she had come here.

Thankfully, she spotted a tall man in a familiar green parka leaning against the side door to the warehouse. This time, at least, Clive had managed to stay awake on the job. He'll let me in. Probably. At the very least, he'll hear me out.

She could worry about Mercury, and everything else later. She looked over herself one last time, took a deep breath, and began walking towards the warehouse. She could see Clive turn pale the moment he saw her, even from this distance.

"You really shouldn't be here, Emerald." He said, nervously looking around him as she drew closer.

"Well, I am." She replied, placing a hand on her hip. "And I have something Jadis will want to hear."

"I don't think you realize how pissed she was the last time you left." He crossed his arms. "I believe her exact orders were to shoot you and your annoying friend if anyone laid eyes on you again."

"Are you going to?" Emerald challenged.

He snorted. "No chance. I happen to enjoy living, thank you very much."

"Smart man," She nodded appreciatively. "And you'll be smarter if you hurry up and let me in already. I told you, she'll really want to hear me out."

Clive seemed skeptical, frowning at her, but finally he relented. "I still have to search you," He sighed.

Emerald raised her hands up with a victorious smirk on her face. "Fine with me."

He stepped forwards, quickly patting her down. "For what it's worth, I doubt she's still that pissed," He told her. "The whole "Kill you two on sight" order seemed like a spur of the moment thing. If you're telling the truth and you actually have something for her, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Oh believe me, I am. For all that she was still probably annoyed with Emerald, Jadis would have to see this was a rare opportunity she was being brought. It wasn't like she was entirely pleased with having to deal with the fence herself.

Clive backed away from her with a sigh. "You're good to go. Are you sure you want to, though?"

Of course I am, she almost said, but she stopped herself. What she wanted…she wanted to forget the train ever existed, and live a normal life for as long as she could. That's what she wanted.

But she couldn't. As much as she wanted it to last, it never would. She was lucky she would have even a few weeks to pretend, but it wouldn't last. Which was why they needed the dust from this train. For after. Because no matter what, they would at least have some kind of life they can be happy with.

"I'm sure," Emerald answered firmly.

Clive nodded, stepping away from the entrance.

Emerald strode forwards before she had a chance to argue with herself, opening the door and marching at a steady pace to the ragged sofa lazily placed near the center of the warehouse.

"Well," Jadis called out, taking her feet off the table and sitting up straight. "I can't say I expected to see you back, and so soon at that. Change your mind about the cane? Sorry to say, I don't seem to have it on hand at the moment. What was it you said? Oh right, you told me I could take the cane and shove it up my ass." She was scowling now.

Emerald resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "No, actually. I'm here to give you a chance to make quite a bit of money. Unless, you'd prefer working out of a shitty run down warehouse for the rest of your life?"

"Oooh, when'd you get snarky?" Jadis crooned. "And what chance? You find another 'ancient crown'?"

Emerald smirked, leaning forwards and placing her hands on the table. "I have a complete manifest for the time the Argus Limited rolls into town. I know exactly how much dust is in exactly which train car, and I know exactly when it'll arrive in town."

Jadis' eyes grew wide with hunger. "When?" She asked quickly.

"Slow down, there," Emerald backed away, crossing her arms. "That's not how this is gonna go. Mercury and I will be the ones who take the dust. That isn't gonna change, so get any thoughts of snatching this chance away from us out of your head. You're the one we're going to sell to, so be satisfied with that."

Jadis bit her lip, before leaning back. "Alright. I'm a reasonable woman. You're the one with all the information, I can't really do anything without you. That's it then? You grab the dust, and sell it to us?"

She nodded. "You won't have to do anything else." Not that I would trust you too, anyways. "I came here today to give you a heads up, see if you were interested."

"Oh, I am definitely interested," Jadis grinned.

"Then I'm done here," Emerald abruptly turned to leave. It was good that things were going smoothly, but she didn't want to spend any longer here than she needed to. Jadis would buy the dust, and that was all she had come for.

"Wait a sec, geez!" Jadis called.

Emerald winced. Just get me out of here. She turned around just in time to catch something Jadis had thrown at her. She frowned, looking in her hands. A scroll?

"The only number on there is mine," Jadis told her. "Keep me posted, and I'll do the same. We have a chance for everyone here to come away very rich from this, so don't screw it up."

She nodded slowly, and began walking towards the door again. "I'll be sure to keep in touch," She called back as she left the building.

Emerald passed Clive without a word, smiling as she made her way through the alleys she had taken to get here.

Mercury would be happy, she thought. We have a buyer, now, once we actually get our hands on the dust. Now all we have to do is wait for the train to roll in, then rake in the money once it comes.

And then…Emerald frowned. And then what?

It was fine, at the start. Adrian was quiet, content to play with his blocks. He started whining a little, and Mercury thought he started to smell, so he called Saphron in and she changed his diaper. No big deal.

He did eventually get bored though, so Mercury brought the little brat into the living room, where he began doing pretty much the same thing as he had done in the kitchen. The kid was quiet, way more than he expected. He was fairly sure toddlers were supposed to be pretty loud. He wasn't going to complain though, it just made his life easier. He was honestly having a pretty good day.

Until Saphron had to leave for groceries. He should have suspected something, he should have seen the danger coming. His entire life he had been taught repeatedly to watch for any threat. Saphron had even warned him she would leave earlier!

But no, he didn't think anything of it. The kid had been behaving himself all day, why would he stop now? Stupid Mercury, he cursed himself. Stupid, naive, Mercury. That…that thing wasn't a kid, and it sure as hell wasn't behaved.

Oh it could pretend alright. Mercury should have seen it. After all, meeting the Cotta-Arc's had been one long game of fake it till they made it. Between now, and Beacon, he considered himself pretty good when it came to deception. Maybe not as good as, say, Emerald or Cinder, but he was okay with that. It was never his specialty.

Adrian, though? Cinder had nothing on that evil little thing. He didn't start right after his mother left the door. No, the little monster was much too smart for that. It was, what, four or five solid minutes after she had left when he started bawling? That sounded about right.

Even then, Mercury thought he could handle it. Toddlers cry, he had thought. It wasn't a big deal. He would just wait it out. Adrian had to get tired eventually, right? How long could something that small cry for?

A long fucking time, he thought bitterly, listening to Adrian cry. Only, crying didn't really do the awful sound justice. Adrian howled, screaming at the top of his lungs, far louder than anything his size should be able to. It sounded like someone was torturing the damn kid.

He winced as Adrian redoubled his efforts, piercing his eardrums. It seemed like every time the kid would get a little quieter, and it seemed like maybe he would finally wear himself out, he would start up again somehow even louder than before.

Adrian started up again, and Mercury stood up, unable to handle it anymore. "What? What the hell is it?"

He bent down to scoop the toddler up in his arms, checking his diaper. "No, your diaper's fine." He frowned.

Mercury held him a little longer, rocking back and forth to see if he just wanted to be held. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, setting Adrian down when he wouldn't stop trying to squirm his way out of his grasp.

He grabbed one of the snack pouches Saphron had given him to feed the brat, but Adrian just smacked it away. Mercury sighed, opening the pouch. "Screw it. You won't shut up, and you're not gonna eat it." He grabbed one of the gummies, and almost tossed it into his mouth, when he stopped himself.

The house was silent. Dead silent. Adrian had stopped.

Slowly, Mercury looked down. The little demon thing was sitting nice and calm, staring up at the gummy in his hand. "But you didn't…whatever." He wasn't gonna question it. He'd do just about anything if it shut the kid up.

He stretched out his arm to give it to Adrian, but he just started crying again. "What now?" He hissed. "Are you hungry or not?"

Mercury drew his arm back, and Adrian immediately shut up, staring at the gummy. What…what is going on? He was somehow more confused now than when he was working for Cinder. Magic made more sense than this stupid kid.

A thought popped into his head. Maybe he's hungry, he just doesn't want to eat the gummies? He didn't have any better ideas, so it might be worth a shot. Honestly, anything was better than just sitting here listening to Adrian.

He made his way to the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets and drawers, looking for anything he could feed Adrian. He pulled out a cup of orange slices, and peeled off the seal on the top.

"How about some of this?" He asked, holding out a slice. "Oranges are good!"

Adrian's lower lip quivered, threatening to burst into tears. "Okay, okay, just wait a minute!" He opened the fridge, grabbing the first thing he touched.

"Maybe you're thirsty?" He asked, almost begging as he held out a juice pouch. But Adrian had left the kitchen, and was trying in vain to reach the top of an end table in the living room that was just too tall for him. And at the top of the table…

"Candy?" Mercury said in disbelief. "You declare war on my ears and scream bloody murder for Candy?" Resting at the top of the table was a small bowl filled with little wrapped chocolates. This is ridiculous. Then again…

"Your mother would kill me…" He mused. "But I'm about ready to kill her for saddling me with you, so go crazy."

Mercury snatched a piece out of the bowl, swiftly unwrapping it and tossing it into the toddler's lap. Adrian giggled, picking it up and almost shoving it right into his mouth, before Mercury placed a hand over both of his, preventing him.

"Listen up, jerk," He began, staring the toddler dead in the eye. "Here's how this is gonna work. I give you a few pieces of the good stuff while your mom isn't around, and you keep your mouth shut around me. I just want some peace and quiet. When your mom's home, do whatever you want, I don't care. But if you start up again, I'll tell her all about our little arrangement, don't think I won't! You ruin this for me, and I will bring you down with me, understand?"

Adrian didn't answer, shoving the candy in his mouth as soon as he took his hand away, but Mercury knew he understood. He had to. That thing was far more clever than anyone in this house realized. Mercury wouldn't underestimate him again.

And sure enough, a couple pieces later, and Adrian was back to playing with his blocks, happy as can be.

"Finally," He groaned, laying on the couch. "Beautiful silence."

Saphron should be home soon, and he'd be free from this madness. At least I know it can be reasoned with. It can be bribed.

He had felt a bit of respect grow towards Adrian. So young, and already learning how to get what he wants. So long as he's quiet, I'd give him the whole damn bowl.

He hoped Emerald would get back soon. He wasn't sure he could last much longer, even once Saphron turned up.

Watching Adrian calmly set up his blocks, giggling and smiling, he felt a bit of his anger fade.

I guess he's a little cute, when he's not screaming himself to death.

Emerald wasn't entirely sure what she expected to see, coming back to the Cotta-Arc's residence. She was hoping to brag to Mercury about how well things went, and maybe make him feel like he missed out by staying home. Not that it would have worked, but she had hoped.

What she didn't expect was to come home to Mercury swaying back and forth in the living room, gently holding Adrian in his arms. She opened the door, and Adrian lifted his head, yawning to see who walked in.

"Get out," He whispered, hissing. "He's almost asleep, and if you wake him up because you distracted him, I will kill you!"

Emerald shielded herself from the toddler with her semblance before she fully registered what was happening. Adrian murmured, before laying his head back down on Mercury's shoulder. She quickly but quietly stepped out of the room, her mind still processing what she just saw. Mercury…putting Adrian to sleep? She had to be missing something. I mean, I can see him killing a kid, but literally putting one to sleep?

"He kick you out too?" A voice beside her asked quietly, and Emerald jumped.

Saphron was sitting at the kitchen table, smirking, leaning against her hand. "As soon as I came in, he was hissing at me, shooing me out of the room." Saphron stifled a laugh. "I still have groceries in the car."

Emerald shook her head. "What…what happened?"

Saphron shrugged. "I honestly don't know. When I left him alone, He was just watching Adrian from a distance, making sure he was safe like I asked. I have no idea what could have changed."

"You left him alone with Adrian?" Emerald asked before she could stop herself. "I mean…I thought you would still be a little…worried, around us. It's only been one day, after all."

"Oh, Mercury still terrifies me," Saphron admitted with a smile. "Don't get me wrong. I know it's silly, but he can be very intimidating. Honestly, I had hoped that having him watch Adrian would mellow him out a little. He tends to have a very calming effect around people."

Well, she wouldn't call him mellow, but seeing him put Adrian to sleep was definitely outside the norm. "I'm surprised it worked," Emerald told her honestly. "At least, I think it did."

"I'm glad," Saphron rested both of her hands on the table. "I want both of you to be comfortable here."

Emerald froze, not sure what to say. Thankfully, she was spared having to answer, by the opening of a door, from the living room.

Wait. A door opening, from the living room. Her eyes widened at the same time as Saphron's, and they both quietly peeked into the living room.

Mercury was laying on the couch, quietly snoring with an arm and a leg hanging off the couch. Laying on his chest, also snoring, was the sleeping form of Adrian, held securely by Mercury's other hand.

Terra stood at the front door, staring blankly at the two, heavy bags under eyes. "The man who kidnapped me yesterday, is sleeping on my couch, with my son in his arms." She rubbed her eyes. "And it doesn't even really bother me. You know what? Screw it. I need sleep."

Terra pushed her way past them, heading straight for her and Saphron's room without saying a word.

"Well," Saphron began, whispering. "I should get the rest of the groceries, and make sure Terra doesn't fall asleep in her work clothes again."

Emerald frowned. "What about Adrian? Don't you need to put him in a crib or something?" Don't you want to get him away from Mercury?

Saphron shook her head, smiling at the two on the couch. "I think he'll be just fine where he is." She made her way to the still open front door.

"Thank you," Emerald called out, surprising herself. "For…for letting us stay." She didn't understand how someone could just…let them stay in their home, especially after what they did. It didn't make any sense to Emerald.

"Don't thank me," Saphron told her. "Just…don't waste your chance. Not everyone gets one, you know." She closed the door, leaving her alone in the room, except for the two sleeping on the couch.

Emerald sighed, heading for the room she and Mercury had been staying in. This is hardly a chance for anything. You have no idea who we are, no idea how impossible it is, what you're asking of me.

She almost slammed the door to their room out of frustration, but managed to stop herself. There wasn't any point in getting upset. She had resigned herself to the fact that whatever she and Merc had here, would be temporary. She had accepted that.

Honestly, it's probably better off this way, she told herself, laying down on her bed. I wouldn't want to stay here anyways. Mercury and I are better off by ourselves, we always have been and we always will be.

And if she told herself that enough times, maybe she would begin to believe it.

Qrow leaned up against the broken wall, panting. Ruby and Jaune were already running to check on their friend, still kneeling on the ground. The kid had done pretty well, he admitted. As soon as Qrow realized it was a nuckelavee in the area, he wanted to push for Haven as fast as possible. They were close, now, they could go without a little sleep.

But then Nora's wound had reopened at some point, and got infected, and the girl herself fell unconscious. They found a side route leading to Haven, going through a ghost town called Kuroyuri. Ren was initially opposed, until Ruby brought up the fact that they might find medical supplies for Nora, and she managed to win him over. Chances were slim, but Qrow made a judgment call, and they changed course for Kuroyuri carrying Nora in his arms.

Should have listened to greenie, He thought grimly. Not long after reaching the ruined town, they ran into the Nuckelavee. Qrow was a very good Huntsman, one of the best, and he had been for a long time. He had killed Nuckelavee before, if not ones so old. Problem was, he had four kids to watch out for this time, and one of them was injured and unconscious.

He had immediately handed Nora off to Ruby, and had her get the girl to safety with her semblance. After that, he had handled the Nuckelavee for the most part, darting in to strike at its arms or legs, before pulling back out.

It was working, for the most part, but it was slow, and they were running out of time for Nora. And from what Greenie had told him, this was the same Grimm that destroyed his and Nora's town, killed their parents. And the kid was already hurting, worried about his friend.

So he changed strategies. He told Jaune to check on Nora, and guard her, while he and Ruby ran forward, baiting out an attack from the Grimm's hands, using their scythes to pin it down. Once he was sure they had a hold on it, he gave Ren the go ahead to finish it off.

And…it worked. When he stood back up he seemed a lot more…content. Qrow knew what it was like, having to carry something heavy with you. That kid didn't deserve to go through that. None of them did. If letting him finish off the Nuckelavee would help him, even a little, then more power to him.

Jaune had run up to check on Ren, and placed Nora down against a wall as well. Qrow picked her up, gingerly. He grimaced. For all that trouble, still no medicine. They were further from Haven, and a lot more worn out than they were, with nothing to show for it.

No helping it. We'll just have to press on, and hope they make it in time. He almost turned around, to break the bad news, when something caught his eye in the distance. He smiled. Airships. From Haven, no doubt investigating. They had made a bit of a mess, killing the Nuckelavee.

He looked down at the young girl in his arms. You're gonna be fine, kid, He thought to himself. Won't be long now, We'll be in Haven, and you'll get the best help you can. Qrow had made a lot of mistakes in his life. He'd seen a lot of good people die, young and old.

He was glad this kid wouldn't be one of them.

Not much to say this week. I did reach a thousand hits over on Ao3 though, which is pretty cool! I'm glad so many people seem to like this fic!

Please leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Next chapter: Tuesday, April 23rd