The room was dead silent. He had been left in there by himself, he didn't know for how long. There were no windows, no clock, nothing to mark the passage of time. It felt like hours, but he couldn't be sure, it might have just been minutes stretched out in his mind by his anxiety.

Adam looked up to the flickering fluorescent light overhead. The bulb badly needed to be replaced, he wouldn't be surprised if it went out, and then he'd be in complete and total darkness.

That stray thought brought his mind back all those years ago. Those fleeting months he spent on the island of Patch with a girl who changed his life. Before he knew it, he had closed his eyes and settled into a sightless state. It was a habit of his, whenever he got too angry, stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. 'It makes me feel closer to her. It makes it easier to remember our time together.'

She had come to visit him a few times a year, but it was hardly easy on her. He appreciated it more than he could say, but it had been over six months since the last time he saw her face, and the time apart was killing him.

Their last night still played vividly in his mind. The feel of her skin, the gentleness of her touch, their shared love and pleasure and frantic desire to be as close as they could possibly get. Neither really expected the outcome, though maybe that was naive.

His focus shifted as he heard the faintest sound. It was footsteps, and they were coming closer. Then, the door opened.

"I haven't seen you since your intake," A rather normal and unassuming man with brown hair and brown eyes sat down across the metal table, flanked on either side by guard. "Never thought this day would come."

He laughed and leaned forward. Adam remembered him as Warden Grey. Despite his outward appearance that was underwhelming at best, he was put in charge for a reason.

"I just want to move things along." Adam replied in a tone teetering on annoyed while trying to sound neutral.

The warden nodded. "Fine, let's start with your name."

"Adam Taurus." He didn't understand why he had to do this little dance for the warden but he wasn't about to put up a fuss now.

"Good and can you state, for the record, the reason for detainment in my facility?"

"Terrorism, conspiracy against the Kingdom of Atlas, organized crime, racketeering, arson, murder, kidnapping, theft, assault, public endangerment, inciting violence, assault on an officer of the Atlesian Military, evading arrest, destruction of property, war crimes and arms trafficking. Off the top of my head." It was an extensive list, but he could guess there were probably more. His sentencing went on for days as they poured over his numerous crimes.

"Now, according to the deal you made, your lifetime sentence without the possibility of parole was commuted to a five year sentence and probation. Quite a sweet trade for turning on your old friends and brothers in arms. News is that the old White Fang has been gutted, of course your name was kept out of it but it's easy to see that you were instrumental in taking down your life's work. How do you feel about that?" Grey smiled and leaned forward, seemingly eager to antagonize the prisoner.

Adam hesitated. How did he feel? All I feel now is impatience at this charade.

His gaze hardened as he stared down his antagonizer. "I only want to go home to my woman and child. They've waited long enough."

The wardened seemed a bit disappointed but shuffled through his stack of papers nonetheless. Apparently releasing a prisoner from this place was quite the affair. Adam had spent days going through mountains of papers and signing so many documents he was starting to have dreams about paperwork.

"As you know, your deal was approved by an inter-kingdom commission formed specifically to oversee your case. Victims, criminologists, psychologists, law enforcement, headmasters from the academies and even General Ironwood all weighed in on your appeal for release pending the viability of your intel. The woman you mentioned, Ruby Rose, she even appeared before the panel in person and made quite the impression. Tell me, why didn't you ever get married? There are procedures to do that even from inside my prison."

He couldn't tell if the warden was trying to rattle him again or if he had some other angle, but Adam was sure this wasn't some innocent question.

"I'm not going to make her live with having to tell people her husband is in prison." He scowled, or at least, he tried to. However, the news that Ruby had personally attested to his reform in front of some of the most influential people in the world did push a smile over his lips, whether he wanted it to or not.

"Well, that should be enough to settle my curiosity," The warden stood up and took about one third of the papers with him, leaving the guards and the rest of the paper to the prisoner. "Once you finish the exit forms, you'll be escorted to the exit and have your effects returned to you along with a ride to your home, as was negotiated."

Before Adam could get in another word, the warden was gone. It was clear by the stoic expressions on the guards faces that they were in no mood to talk.

All he could do was try to burn through the mountain of papers.

Signature by signature he signed away all his freedoms. He'd wear an ankle monitor, he'd submit to random searches, he signed away his right to privacy as his communications would be closely monitored, he'd no longer have right to handle a weapon, he would be barred from travel by sea or air. His employment would be restricted and monitored, his mail would be opened by operatives of the Atlas Intelligence Agency. Basically, he was only free in the sense that he would be home… 'With Ruby.'

Hours must have passed because a new rotation of guards came to stand watch over him signing papers.

By the time he was almost done, a knock echoed against the heavy metal door. He looked up, hoping it wasn't the warden. However, as it opened, he found himself wishing for that annoying warden back.

"Adam." A familiar woman with long white hair. It was the first time they'd seen each other since his sentencing. Five years had made her features harsher, though maybe it was a lack of sleep as she clearly had bags under her eyes.

"Schnee."

Weiss stared him down with burning hatred in her ice cold eyes. Then, she ordered the guards to leave. They were hesitant to follow the order and leave her alone with him, but in the end, her rank and cold fury compelled them to leave.

Then, it was just the two of them.

Adam almost wanted to laugh. If it weren't for the woman who so obviously wanted him dead, the woman that put an icicle through his chest, his life would be dramatically different. Can I hate her when she's the reason Ruby found me? Yes, I can, but just a bit less.

"You must feel pretty happy." She scowled.

"I'd feel happier if I could finish this paperwork without interruption." With a sigh, he opted to ignore whatever she was there for and got back to signing his life away, document after document.

"TAURUS!" Weiss snapped and swept her arm over the table, scattering his long, hard work all over the floor.

Now she had his attention.

Their eyes locked and they stared each other down. Weiss was on the verge of tears but Adam just wanted this interaction over with. She was wasting his time, something he had spent five years waiting for was being delayed by her temper tantrum.

"You get to walk free when the only way you should be getting out of here is a body bag. So what, you're a father now. You managed to get that blind girl to delude herself into thinking you changed. None of that matters. You- you paralyzed my sister, she'll never be able to walk again thanks to you! Do you even feel bad!? Do you even know what you've taken from her!?" She was panting for breath and her pale skin was turning red as rage won out over exhaustion.

So many things came into Adam's mind in response, but he held his tongue. There was no way this wasn't some trick to get him to say something that undermined all the testimony that said he reformed. He could guess that she was probably wearing a wire. Do I feel bad for what I did to Winter Schnee? I've had so long to think about it. The answer I came to is simple… I don't feel bad at all. Combatants should be ready to lose their lives, I was ready to die for the cause every time I took up my sword. I feel bad for the civilians I killed or endangered, but not for those that came after me.

"I can't change the past." Was all he said. He wasn't going to ruin his chances of leaving this place, and he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him crack under her provocation.

She looked like she was going to break, to assault him while he was chained down. However, if she did that, it would be worse for her than him. She knew it too, he could see it in her expression as she bared her teeth at him and her knuckles turned white. She wanted to kill him so badly…

"I'll be watching you." She let go of her rage with a long exhale and then turned to leave, her hair flowing behind her like an avalanche.

"I'll read every report, I'll be personally involved in digging through every aspect of your life until the day you die. Nothing will stop me. One of these days, this act will falter and I'll be there to show the world what you really are."

With that cold warning, she slammed the door and left.

After collecting and finishing the scattered paperwork, Adam was put back in his cell to wait out the remaining hour of his stay. He got his last prison meal and strangely, felt a pang of anxiety alongside his excitement to leave.

When the guards came to get him, he was escorted out to the first floor. It was the same route they had taken every time Ruby visited over the years. It was the highlight of his imprisonment so he had memorized every step, to the point where he almost went towards the visitor's center on instinct until he was corrected by a guard and brought a different way.

He was given privacy for the first time since his arrest. Allowed to change in a small bathroom into the clothes he was wearing when he was arrested. However, he paused as he held the outfit in his hands.

It's been five years. This was the outfit I picked out with Ruby and Yang for the festival. It really brings back memories. He pressed his face into it, hoping to get just a hint of his lover's smell, but the years had left it only smelling like prison storage and nothing more. He laughed as he found a smudge from where the top had been discarded onto the forest floor when they were making love.

Still fits. He was glad that he was able to keep wearing it. I wonder what Ruby will think when she realizes I'm wearing this? Will it be like time stopped for us and we pick up where we left off, or a reminder of all the years we lost because of me?

That last notion made him too anxious to want to keep, so he quickly shoved it deep into the back of his mind and stepped out of the bathroom. One of the guards said something surprisingly nice about the outfit and then he was guided to the exit.

"Here," A man at the very last door handed Adam a fabric bag with a strap. "I hardly ever see anyone leave this way. I got permission to give you a parting gift. Stay out of trouble out there and don't let me ever see you in here again."

It was an older man, someone who had probably been at this prison a long time. Despite that, he seemed pretty cheerful. Adam figured in a maximum security place like this, most prisoners were in for life and very few were ever exonerated or commuted down to lower sentences or nicer prisons.

With a nod, Adam took the bag that mostly comprised of toiletries, a bottle of water and a pair of shoes. He was ushered out and, for the first time in five years… he saw the sun. His eyes recoiled and he blocked the blinding light with his arm.

There, waiting for him outside the prison… was an airship. He figured he wouldn't be allowed on public transit, but he didn't expect this. He was brought onboard and within minutes, his flight took off.

Geographically speaking, the prison was located on an island between kingdoms but was under the jurisdiction of Atlas. His flight home, then, would be a long one. He watched the world drift by beneath him, sprawling oceans dotted with small land masses until they passed over the mainland, where he saw farms and fortifications and wilderness.

At some point, he had fallen asleep.

"Hey, wake up." A voice shook Adam from his sleep. One of the men who accompanied him onto the plane from the prison.

"I'm sure you read through all your release papers but just in case, I'll give you the cliffnotes. You are not allowed to travel. That's for life. When we drop you off, you'll be stuck there. Next, your name has been changed to protect your identity and that of your family. I heard you wanted to wait until you were released to be married but we had this set up ahead of time."

Adam could only assume this man was an intelligence operative with one of the kingdoms, but he didn't have anything on that would signify who he reported to. Nonetheless, the probable spy handed him a wallet and inside was a fresh new ID card.

The card read; Adam Rose.

"It would be inconvenient for too many people to know who you are and where you are. In the interest of that, we'll also be restricting your access to the internet as well as mail services and phone communication. Your bank account, both personal and shared, will be monitored at all times and all transactions will be vetted."

Adam did skim through the list of restrictions, but it was apparently not exhaustive. He worried how this would impact Ruby and their child.

"Thanks." Adam grunted, his arms folded over his chest as he tucked the wallet into his pocket.

"We're about to land. We'll be watching you, Mr. Rose. Closely." That was the final word from the operative before he left to go to the front of the aircraft. Adam craned his aching neck to look out the window and sure enough…

"Menagerie." The glistening waters and picturesque beaches brought him a wave of nostalgia he hadn't felt in a long time. Echoes of his childhood played in his mind and as they descended, he noticed some things had changed since the last time he had been home.

The craft came to a somewhat rough landing but Adam's eagerness to get off the plane made him nearly lose balance as he got up from his seat the moment the wheels touched the ground. The door opened and a bright light flowed in with the tropical air. The smell of the sea, the scent of food, the sound of children playing. Between all of that and his excitement, he felt just like a little boy again.

As he stepped off the plane and onto the beach he took in the scene around him. Yes, some things had changed. While there were mostly fuanus still, some humans could be seen on the island as well. Bitterness welled up inside his throat but he swallowed it down, remembering that the human he loved was amongst them.

"Look who finally decided to show up, took you long enough." A very familiar voice pulled his attention towards the interior of the island. There, standing just a few steps away, was a woman with long blonde hair and a cocky smile.

"Yang, I thought-"

"You thought you'd be seeing a different beautiful girl? Well, can't always get what you want. Ruby's at home, I'll show you the way." Yang's smile softened as she extended her hand out to Adam and waited patiently for him to take it.

Stifling his disappointment that his lover wasn't there to greet him, he reached out and went to take Yang's hand.

BAM!

Yang fist slammed into his chest, crumpling him down into the sand. She glared at him, her eyes scathing red for a moment before cooling back to a soft lilac purple.

"That's for knocking up my little sister and then going to prison. I hate deadbeat parents." Yang huffed and then pulled her soon-to-be inlaw up from the ground where she put him.

As soon as the air got back into his lungs, he coughed and groaned in pain. "You're the one that told me to turn myself in."

"At what point in that conversation did I tell you to get her pregnant? You coulda just kissed or something." Not having the patience to deal with this anymore, Yang dragged the once wanted terrorist through the streets of the city.

It was more than just the presence of humans that was different. It was the city. It had shops and buildings and infrastructure it hadn't had before. There were more power lines and taller buildings of glass and steel that didn't fit the island's more natural and efficient architecture. Lastly, there was a very large building looking over the entire city some distance away.

When he asked what had happened, Yang was happy to fill him in on the last five years.

"Well, Blake is the head of the New White Fang and an island Administrator. She decided that coexisting was better than separation and while things didn't go perfectly, there were some major developments. Not everyone is happy, but Blake made sure that this was still a place where faunus are respected as a top priority. You won't find a hint of the SDC's influence here." She began listing how Blake had vetted every establishment, business and migrant on the island to make sure they wouldn't cause trouble.

"As for me, I got offered a job as the new Assistant headmaster of a Huntsman academy that was opened up on the island. Blake's dad is currently the true headmaster." She went on and on about her new position and how they were training the youth on the island to be huntsmen and huntresses.

I guess a lot can change in five years. Adam was still struggling to take it all in. The island he knew had changed fundamentally and deeply. He remembered one of his long ago conversations with Ruby about how it wasn't an island meant for humans. He was furious when she said she merely wanted to visit. Now human influence was all over the island he called home, but he couldn't summon up that rage. All he felt was disappointment.

They moved through the city and soon enough, came upon a beautiful house. It was a single story but wasn't small, it could have easily had four bedrooms. Yang's pace slowed and he knew, this was where Ruby lived.

His heart began to beat faster and faster. His anxiety and fears weighed on him. What if she didn't feel the way he did after all these years? What if their child didn't like him? What if Ruby resented him? 'I told Ruby to keep our child home when she came to visit me, my heart couldn't take it if I saw my child when I was behind bars. I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake in that.'

knock knock

His thoughts were interrupted by Yang announcing their arrival. She didn't even give him a moment to think or prepare himself.

He could hear something behind the door, but it was too muffled. The doorknob began to shake as it unlocked and then, the door opened.

All at once, he lost his breath and time seemed to grind to a halt.

The woman standing in the doorway wore a white dress with flowers embroidered along its flowing length. Her silver eyes, still sightless, looked at nothing in particular and she tilted her head just a little, so her ear was facing out the doorway. Her hair had grown out and was tied in a ponytail. She looked so beautiful he forgot how words worked.

"Are- are you there?" She whispered meekly to the wind as her hand outstretched. He could see her eyes shimmering as tears pooled in them, making them look like liquid metal.

Without any thought, his legs carried him towards her and he reached out and tenderly took her hand.

"I'm here." He spoke so gently even he thought it hardly sounded like himself.

Just like that, the dam broke. She gripped his hand tight and then fell against him. Her face rested on his chest as she cried into his shirt. He could feel her hot tears soaking through the fabric but he didn't care. Adam wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

Just like that, five years in prison evaporated into mist, atomized and scattered on the ocean winds.

"Momma? What's going on?" A small voice spoke up from within the house.

It was a little girl. She had silver eyes like her mother but red hair and had a cow-like tail from her father's faunus trait. She was perfect and the instant he saw her, he fell to his knees, with Ruby going down gently with him.

"Cherry, this is- this is your father. He's home now. He's finally home." Ruby smiled and tried to reach out for her child but missed at first and, having seemingly been used to helping her blind mom, reached out and found her hand with ease. Ruby had expressed her gratitude on one of her prison visits that their daughter could see, unlike Ruby who herself was born blind.

"Pappa?" Cherry Rose tilted her head and seemed to be internally debating something before slowly being pulled closer by her mother.

"That's right. Say hello, he's waited a long time to see you." She lovingly patted her daughter's back.

"H-hi." She muttered shyly.

Adam didn't care. It didn't matter if she didn't see him as a father right away. She was his daughter and every fiber of his being wanted to protect her. He wanted to be there for her every step of the way for the rest of her life. Whatever bad feelings he may have held onto, whatever guilt he felt for betraying his cause and comrades… It's all gone now.

Ruby and Adam got to their feet and they and Yang went inside the house. Whatever sacrifices both lovers had made to get to that point, neither felt anything but happiness in the moment.

The end.