The sweet and smoky smell filled his nostrils, every drag of air strong and sharp on the back of his throat. The lump of Oak he'd been shaping for the last few hours was starting to resemble what he saw in his mind's eye. A lovely coffee table, rounded edges and ornate flower patterns carved into the legs.

He pushed the plane across the surface of the wood, peeling off high spots into satisfying curls of warm cream oak. Dusting his large hands off with several claps - maybe the occasional downward wipe on a trouser leg, he stepped back to admire the shape of the wood. A smile graced his face, when the shed door opened behind him.

"Daddy?"

Scratching a few shavings of wood from his beard, he turned to the sunlit doorway. There in the opening, holding the handle stood his daughter. His ten year old daughter Oriana.

"Hey, kiddo." He crouched before her, a smile on his face. "What's up, huh?"

She shrugged. "Wanted to find you."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Mommy's doing stuff in the office. I was bored." She pouted. "Can we play?"

Jaune's smile dropped. "Oh eh, weeeeeell... I was kinda..." He thumbed over his shoulder at the table. He cringed as she pouted harder, those big blue eyes swallowing him. His excuses soon died on the tip of his tongue. "I guess I can leave it a while. It's not gonna run away on those legs, is it now, huh?" He chuckled, picking his daughter up as she giggled. "Oh, you're getting heavy!"

"I'm ten now Daddy! I'm gonna be super heavy when I'm an adult!"

"Yeah well, don't be as heavy as your old man is." Jaune chuckled. "Daddy's been enjoying his own baking a bit too much lately."

"So has Mommy." Ori shrugged, making Jaune chuckle.

"Don't tell her that, she'll think she's fat. And Mommy is definitely not fat." Jaune booped his daughter's nose. She giggled.

"Nope! Mommy's not fat! She's perfect!"

Jaune grinned. "That she is kiddo." He paused. "Say. You said you were bored, right?" Oriana nodded brightly in response. "Well, how about I get changed out of these clothes, and we go and bake something for us and Mommy later tonight, huh?"

Oriana gasped in delight. "Yes! Yeah let's do that! Let's!"

"Perfect! Lemme just... put you down... oooooh I'm getting too old for that." He cricked his back. "Lemme check you haven't got any splinters... nnnnope, all good. I'll go get changed, and meet you in the kitchen, yeah?" Jaune smiled, holding his huge fist out.

"Yeah!" Oriana giggled, slapping his fist.

"Okay, yeah we gotta work on the bro fist." He ruffled her head of red-gold hair.

...

After a quick freshen up, Jaune trotted back downstairs, his shaggy hair and beard slightly damp still. He stopped at the office door, peaking inside. He sighed at Pyrrha with her head in her hands, on a conference call.

"No, I understand exactly what you're - can I finish what I was saying please? Thank you. I understand, but I don't think the board understands that those profits go to Beacon's homes for orphans program. I just said! Oh for..."

He slowly pulled the door shut again, worrying his lip before shooting towards the kitchen. Throwing on his favourite 'Don't do anything to the chef - except Mommy. Mommy can.' Apron, he tied the laces at the back and clapped his hands, rubbing them together.

"Okay kiddo! Ah I see you're all ready, huh?" He grinned as she bounced eagerly besides bowls, jugs, flour, icing, all sorts of different ingredients that all spelt 'Cake.'

"Yeah! Cake, we're making a cake! Mommy's favourite too!" She smiled widely. Jaune nodded brightly.

"Good call kiddo." He high fived her. "My famous orange soda cake coming up. So, we're gonna need a couple of measuring jugs, some eggs..." He listed out as Ori went to work tirelessly following his every command.

As he went about making the mixture, she was his shadow. She watched and followed his every move, grabbing utensils for him, bowls, whatever he needed. He'd pass her the mixture to taste test of course, and with a proud thumbs up they'd place it in the oven.

"Now what?" Ori shrugged. Jaune sat on his stool.

"Well, we wait for that to bake. But, I tell you what you can do. You can make the butter icing, yeah? I'll talk you through it." He got up, grabbing what he needed. Her eyes were alight at the prospect, hopping up onto the stool in front of him. He stood behind, guiding with his voice and the occasional helped movement of her wrists.

Eventually though, a finished cake was sat on the cooling rack, Ori meticulously sculpting the icing around the sponge with a spatula.

"There!" She sat back proudly. "Done!" She whipped around to her Dad, Jaune sat smiling while nursing a cup of coffee.

"Looks perfect kiddo. See? Look at that, all by yourself. You're a Baker in the making!" He grinned over his mug.

"Can we surprise Mommy yet?" Oriana bounced. Jaune sat forward with a sigh.

"When she's done in the office. Shouldn't be long now." He smiled, ruffling her hair. "Wanna go wash up?"

"Okay." Ori nodded, filing out the room. As she headed upstairs, the office door opened, Pyrrha stepping out with an exhausted sigh. She padded into the kitchen while massaging her temples.

Jaune smiled up at her, handing her a mug of coffee wordlessly. She accepted with a tired smile, dropping her hand onto his shoulder to squeeze her thanks. Words were draining right now. His hand sat atop hers, thumb smoothing circles into her skin.

"So." She huffed. "How's your day been?"

"Well... " Jaune smiled. "I got a lot further on the table that guy ordered last week. And... Ori made you a surprise with a little help from me."

Pyrrha's eyebrows furrowed with a bemused smile. "Surprise?"

"Yeah but... " He placed his finger over his lips. "She's dying to show you." He grinned as Pyrrha nodded with an "Oh" on her lips.

Soon their daughter padded back in. "I used soap and everything! Mommy! You're free!" She hugged her Mom, Pyrrha chuckling.

"Free for now, yes." She kissed her daughter's head. "I hear you've been busy?"

"Very! But it's a surprise and..." She whipped around to look at her Dad questioningly. He chuckled.

"You can show her now if you want." He smiled. Ori lit up, taking her Mom's free hand and dragging her over to the counter, before gesturing to the cake on the cooling rack.

"Ta-Da!" Ori beamed. "Your favourite!"

"Oh honey! You didn't have to do that. I was wondering why I could smell baked goods. This looks delicious." Pyrrha beamed brightly.

"I can confirm it is." Ori nodded, Pyrrha kissing her hair.

"Thank you my sweetheart, this is wonderfully thoughtful. We will definitely be having that for dessert tonight." She hugged her daughter and her husband as he stepped over. "Now. It sounds like Mommy has to go back to do battle."

"Bet you'd rather use spear and shield, huh?" Jaune smiled, giving her a languid kiss. "They'll listen to you eventually. It's your face that sells all their stuff and they'd be stupid to lose you."

"Mmm. Well, I just hope they let me get a word in." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Still. Knowing my little family did this for me means I'll be going in there with a big smile! Thank you my babies." She kisses Jaune and Ori.

"Always." Jaune smiled.

"Yeah!" Ori giggled. "Always!"

Author's Notes: Just a bit of family fluff! Hope you like! Sorry if I missed some spelling errors. It's late here haha! Enjoy my lovelies! - Dave