Against all odds, things worked themselves out. Never in a million years did Blake think that Weiss would ever accept her past, especially with the undeniable proof that the heiress had been right. The White Fang were now reduced to petty crime, robbing stores and targeting those most vulnerable on the supply chain; simple store owners trying to make an honest living. Not only that, they were working with Roman Torchwick, and from their brief encounter, Blake saw and heard what he thought of the faunus.

He was cut from the same cloth as Cardin Winchester but somehow worse. Not only did he believe faunus were inferior, that they were animals, but he was exploiting them for his own goals. Because that was the only way Blake could reasonably understand this strange, impossible alliance between her old comrades and the master criminal of Vale.

Despite all this, Weiss forgave her. Not only that, the white haired girl admitted fault and apologized for her harsh words. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, she said. Even though she hated the White Fang, she did not hate faunus. It was wrong of her to imply that all faunus were criminals, and she would never imply such a thing ever again.

Blake honestly couldn't believe how well things fell back into place.

She'd been devastated, thinking her new life was over before it even truly began. And now she was welcomed back into the fold, embraced by her team wholeheartedly, though with a condition.

"If you need anything, then come to us," Weiss told her sternly.

"We're here to help," Yang added seriously, ganging up on her. "You don't have to shoulder your burdens alone."

"There is no Team RWBY without the B," Ruby finished, silver eyes intense. "So don't you dare run off on us again."

They were with her, they said. If there was a problem, they would back her up. If she needed to vent, they would lend her an ear. All they demanded of her is that she include them, and to never leave them behind.

Blake promised them she wouldn't. It was true that she found it difficult to open up but she would try. She would try for them, and she would try for herself.

The White Fang may have been her family, once.

But now Team RWBY was her family.

And families stuck together.

Now if only she could apply that to her actual family, but Blake wasn't ready for that yet. Call her craven and you would be right. After the things she said to her mother and father… not enough time had passed, not yet. That wasn't something she could face.

Not yet.

Someday.

Ruby, Yang and Weiss weren't the only people looking out for her, though. Pyrrha, Nora, Ren – they'd all taken time out of their day to look for her, worried sick at her sudden disappearance. Blake had been worried about how Ren and Nora may take the revelation of her past, but just as Pyrrha had accepted it, they had as well.

They saw her as Blake. Faunus or human, it didn't matter to them. She was their friend. They'd fought together and their bond was iron.

It made her want to cry.

And then there was Jaune…

He'd come for her, just as he promised. He'd fought for her, protected her – and to think, she'd once thought he was in over his head, that he was nice but without true substance. That the life of a Huntsman was beyond him.

She'd been wrong – as she was with most things, these days. He was a man of conviction, and he was her friend. Friends didn't just cut and run when things got difficult, he said. They stood by you, and he did exactly that.

She didn't know how to repay him for such staunch loyalty. Jaune had shown her, time and time again, that he would keep her secrets, that he would stand with her, that he would literally jump in front of an attack meant for her…

The guilt almost crippled her. If something had happened to him because of her, she would have never forgiven herself.

Jaune Arc was a good friend. No, he was the best.

What did she do to deserve so many good people watching out for her?

The end of the semester came quickly, and Blake got her affairs in order. She had plenty of money left over from before she left the White Fang, so affording a place to stay for a couple of weeks wasn't difficult. But that money wouldn't last forever. It needed to last years, if need be.

She needed to get a job. Something part-time for just over the holiday period, enough to keep her funds level so she wasn't broke by the end of the year. There were plenty of places looking for staff but most of them wanted a permanent addition, not someone that would only be around for two weeks before heading back to school.

It reduced her viable options significantly – but she managed.

She just hoped that none of her friends saw her in this ridiculous outfit.

Thankfully, most of them had returned home. Ruby and Yang were with their father on Patch, while Pyrrha was in Argus. While Weiss was still in Vale, Blake was confident that the heiress would never be caught in such an establishment – or anywhere near it, for that matter. Ren and Nora – well, she wasn't sure where they'd gone. They were pretty secretive about it and Blake wasn't one to pry.

That only left Jaune – and Sun.

A new addition to her friend group but not an unwelcome one. Though he wasn't someone she could spend much time around before his extroverted personality clashed with her introverted one. Sun was a lot like Yang in that way; fun in short bursts.

She was also pretty sure he was a little sweet on her. Blake wasn't looking for romance. Her last relationship hadn't exactly gone well and she wasn't hurrying to repeat it.

If Sun saw her here, it would be bad enough. If Jaune saw her here… she would die. A girl couldn't survive that type of humiliation. She didn't want him to think less of her.

But it was a paying job and they were flexible, and they paid well. Blake couldn't turn it down.

Did their uniforms have to be so revealing, though?

Blake picked at the short black skirt she was wearing before adjusting her top. It hugged her bust a little too tightly, and cut a little too low, but that was the whole point. A maid cafe was all about drawing in clientele with fan service, after all; the delicious food was just extra.

...as long as she just thought about it as if it were cosplay, then it was easy enough to deal with. If a few guys leered at her tits and thighs, so be it.

The other maids were really supportive, which also helped a lot.

"Look~! That guy is back to see you again," one of them whispered, peering out into the store and waving over her friend.

Her friend rolled her eyes good naturedly. "He isn't just here for me."

"Bullshit! He always tips you waaaay more than everyone else."

"That's because I provide better service."

The first girl scoffed. "It's because he wants to bury his face in your cleavage. I'm so jelly~!"

Yep. Really supportive.

Blake carefully adjusted her bow, ensuring that her ears were well and truly hidden. A part of her wondered if she should still be wearing it, considering that all of her friends now knew the truth. What was the point? And yet it stubbornly remained atop her head, shielding her truth from the world.

She'd become so used to putting it on that it was almost second nature now. It wasn't the type of thing she wanted to become a habit, but it had.

In many ways, she was still hiding.

Blake wasn't proud of it.

"Ah, Blake," turning, she saw the owner in the doorway. She was a woman in her forties, carrying with her an ageless beauty. "How have you been adjusting?"

"Good," she replied.

"Excellent," she said before handing her a stack of fliers. The name of the cafe was printed on them in bold, colorful letters along with some… provocative photos of the staff. Nothing too risque but enough to raise some eyebrows. "Can you hand these out?"

Blake felt a bolt of trepidation. "Outside?"

"Mainly just on this street and down on the corner," the owner said, nodding. "You don't have to stray too far. Best if you don't. Some people might not take too kindly to it."

Blake grimaced. "Right. Sure."

As she was the newest addition, she was struck with all the little jobs the others didn't want to do. Handing out fliers wasn't difficult but dressing up in a maid costume and serving customers inside the cafe was much more comfortable than being out on the street where anyone could see you.

"You've got spunk, and guys like that," the owner continued, smiling. "Sometimes they want to be glared at."

Did they? She wasn't so sure about that. And it wasn't like she glared at the customers. It was just that sometimes, they said things that left her unsure on how to react.

It was more likely that the owner was taking advantage of the fact that she was a Huntress-in-training. The other girls were all very pretty, but none of them were Huntress fit. Her body was peak performance in terms of athleticism and aesthetic. Slender but not skinny, toned, with a well developed chest and hips, and long, sculpted legs enhanced by her black stockings. Couple that with her sharp features and exotic, honey-colored eyes, she was a certifiable draw. Blake knew how she looked in the maid costume. She was the best advertisement they had.

And if anyone got a little handsy? Well, she could more than handle herself. Blake was perfect for the job. Alluring, but capable of weeding out the bad eggs.

The street was bustling with the afternoon commute and Blake quickly got to work, plastering a fake but believable smile on her face as she handed out fliers. Men of all ages appreciated a pretty face, and so it wasn't long at all until she'd handed out over half of the pile the owner had given her. Even some women had approached, complimenting her on her outfit.

If that wasn't a bit of an ego stroker, she didn't know what was.

Remembering the owner's words, she only went as far as the corner. Being outside in the sun, and without customers to serve, it gave her time to think. Too much time.

She should have been content. Happy, even. Blake was still enrolled at Beacon, she still had her new friends, she even had a job. This is what normal people did, right?

The thing was, she wasn't normal – and when she had too much time on her hands, her thoughts always spiraled in one direction.

The White Fang were still out there. Roman Torchwick was still out there. It wasn't something she could simply forget, nor ignore. They were once her comrades in arms, her brothers and sisters. Watching them being exploited by some bigoted piece of work like Torchwick infuriated her, but that wasn't all.

There had to be a reason for all of this. The Dust they were stealing – why did they need so much of it? It went beyond self supply. It went beyond harming the Schnee Dust Company's bottom line. There was more to it, Blake knew it. She just didn't know what.

This alliance was bad news, and Blake had little faith that the police could handle it.

So didn't that leave it up to her to do something about it?

"Blake?"

She wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there, lost in thought – but when that familiar voice called out to her, she tensed.

"Blake, is that you?"

It was everything she had been dreading.

Turning around, she came face to face with Jaune Arc.

He was dressed casually but nicely, a pair of jeans with a white shirt and a dark jacket thrown over top, and a pair of new boots. In fact, everything looked brand new, as if he'd just walked out of a store with an entire new wardrobe.

Blue eyes blinked at her, as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Blake watched as his eyes slowly dipped lower before quickly darting back up, meeting her eyes. She felt a brief spark of amusement, having caught him about to check her out, but also… annoyance, that he'd stopped.

What…?

"Blake," he said. "What are you wearing?"

She scowled. "Shut up."

He opened his mouth and then shut it, confused.

Her scowl deepened. "This isn't what it looks like."

Jaune found his words. "I don't even know what this looks like."

Pursing her lips, she thrust one of the fliers into his hands. He peered down at it, reading it, his eyes widening the further along he got.

"A maid cafe?" he questioned. "Are you working here?"

She nodded shortly, fighting the rising flush of her cheeks. "What of it?"

Jaune held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not judging. I'm just surprised, that's all."

Of course Jaune wouldn't judge her. He wasn't that type of person, Blake knew. It didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed that he'd caught her in the act, so to speak.

"It suits you," he said, complimenting her much like those earlier women had.

Blake glared at him. "What does that mean?"

"Er – that it suits you?" he asked slowly, unsure why she was angry. "Black and white are your colors, after all."

Jaune Arc was annoyingly honest, at times. Blake felt her cheeks turn hot, her battle lost.

"Don't you think it's a little… revealing?"

He shrugged. "It isn't so bad. You've seen what Yang and Pyrrha wear when they fight, right?"

Jaune had a good point. Blake frowned. It wasn't like she was a prude and above showing a little skin, she just thought that a work uniform should be more professional. When your entire business model was to attract guys with a bit of fan service, then maybe this was on the more conservative side of things.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Nothing much. I was bored so I decided to go for a walk. You can only spend so many hours at the arcade before the lights start to get on your nerves."

"So that's what you've been doing, then?" she smirked. "Playing games?"

"And training," he added. "I go to central park in the evenings and – well, Pyrrha made me some videos to help with my training, so I know what to do when she isn't around. It keeps me sharp."

Blake wondered if Jaune understood just how lucky he was to have someone of Pyrrha's calibre overseeing his training, and then banished the thought. Of course he did. He wouldn't take it for granted.

"I was just looking for somewhere to have lunch when I spotted you," he continued. "At first, I thought I was hallucinating. I'm glad I wasn't."

Blake scoffed lightly. "Shut up."

He laughed.

It was nice, how easy it was to just speak with him. Things just effortlessly flowed between them, almost like they'd known each other much longer than they actually had. In some ways, Blake found it much easier to be herself around Jaune than she did her own team, though that was beginning to change after what happened at the docks.

It was nice to have friends. She'd almost forgotten.

His stomach growled loudly and he rubbed his neck, grinning. "As you can hear, I'm starving. Say – how's the food here?" he waved the flier she gave him.

"Oh, no you don't," she dismissed instantly.

"Why not?"

"You can eat anywhere else but there," she told him – but much to her frustration, he ignored her.

"I don't know. It seems like a nice place."

Blake changed tactics. "Pervert."

"What?"

"You just want to leer at all the girls there."

"I do not!"

"Then go somewhere else!"

She wasn't really sure why she was trying to steer him away from that place. They served good food and if he came back with her, they could spend a little time together. The thought of Jaune around those other maids made her uneasy, though. Jaune was an innocent, easy going guy. Some of those girls were… a bit intense.

They were drawing a bit of attention, a girl dressed as a maid and a guy on a street corner, arguing about where he can and can't eat. A few teenagers had even pulled out their scrolls, recording the encounter. Though maybe they were less interested in their argument and more interested in how she looked.

In the end, Jaune ended up exactly where she didn't want him.

"Welcome, Master~ " the maid on the door greeted him, bowing as he stepped inside. Blake followed him in, annoyed. "Are you here alone today?"

Jaune hesitated, taken aback by the greeting but quickly recovered. "Uh – yeah, I guess? Blake doesn't count, right?"

The maid – Coral – giggled, finding his question hilarious.

"Just get inside," Blake muttered, shoving him towards a table while Coral continued to titter. "I'm working, remember?"

"I know, she just – I don't know," Jaune looked flustered. "Do they always greet customers like that?"

Blake nodded.

"Do you greet customers like that?"

Amber eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying that to you."

"I didn't ask you to!" he returned quickly. "I was just curious, that's all."

"You're too curious," Blake nudged him into a chair. "So stop."

Jaune looked around, taking the place in. It wasn't a large store, Blake knew – but it was well furnished and decorated, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Besides Jaune, there were five other customers, seated at tables and awaiting their orders. All of them were men.

"What do you serve here?" he asked, and Blake grabbed a menu and shoved it into his hands. She heard Coral giggling again, and even some laughter from the back. They were all watching her. Her hands balled into fists, self-conscious.

"Food," Blake said shortly.

Jaune snorted. "That's a big help. Thanks a lot."

"Just hurry up and order something," Blake tapped her foot against the floor, crossing her arms.

"Do you recommend anything?"

He was trying to piss her off, wasn't he? Blake wasn't going to fall for his innocent blue eyes, blinking up at her.

"One omelette and rice," she snatched the menu from his hands, storming away.

"Who's the cutie?" another of the maids asked. Her name was Cherry – and she was a faunus, two small antlers protruding from her hairline. "Do you know him?"

Blake made a sour face as she placed Jaune's order with the kitchen. "I go to school with him."

Cherry clapped, excited. "So he's a Huntsman?"

"Huntsman-in-training," Blake corrected. "And yeah – he is."

Another of the maids – Cerulean – grinned, and Blake didn't much like the look of it. Not at all. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No," Blake denied instantly, glaring. "He isn't."

"Is he looking?" Cerulean asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear for effect. "I'm available if he is."

"He's taken," Blake lied – and she wasn't sure why. "He already has a girlfriend."

"Bummer," Cerulean rolled her eyes. "Why are all the hot guys taken?"

Blake had never heard anyone call Jaune hot before. At Beacon, he was known as a bit of a goofball; a goofball that was absolutely smitten with Weiss Schnee. Yang sometimes liked to rope them into 'girl talk' and Jaune was never a subject of conversation.

Even so, Blake supposed that Jaune was handsome in his own way. He just wasn't her type. Blake liked someone that had a little edge to them, a dangerous streak. Not a delinquent or something like that, no. She just liked that hint of a darker nature. Though thinking about it, maybe that wasn't exactly a good thing.

That fit Adam to a tee, and she knew how that turned out.

She frowned.

"Are all the guys at Beacon good looking?" Cerulean asked. "Hook a girl up, would'ja? It's been awhile since I've had any action and a Huntsman must be a beast in the sack."

Blake didn't bother correcting her.

Cherry tilted her head. "Didn't you dump your ex a few weeks ago?"

Cerulean clucked her tongue. "A few weeks is a long time for some girls. You've gotta keep the engine hot or what's the point in living?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have dumped him, then," a voice said from behind them. Her name was Lime, her hair bright green in color. She was just returning from her break, a hair tie pinched between her lips as she gathered her hair.

"He was checking other women out, what was I supposed to do?"

"You check guys out all the time," Lime reminded her, shaking her head as Cerulean shrugged. "Whatever."

"Table four is ready," the chef called, and Cerulean pranced off to deliver the order to her table, leaving her alone with Cherry and Lime.

"You weren't lying, were you?" Cherry asked. "He isn't actually your boyfriend or something, right?"

Lime perked up. "Who?"

Cherry waved her over and pointed out at Jaune, Lime leaning around the corner to sneak a peek.

"Oh," Lime exclaimed. "He's cute!"

Blake shook her head. "No, he isn't my boyfriend. I wasn't lying."

"Should he be visiting you here if he already has a girlfriend?"

It was an innocent question but this line of thought was beginning to get on her nerves.

"We're just friends – and he didn't come to visit me, we just bumped into each other on the sidewalk, that's all. He didn't even know I worked here."

By the time his food was ready, Blake felt exhausted and she hadn't even done anything.

"That looks good," he said when she set down his plate in front of him. "Though it's missing something."

When she'd ordered it, Blake hadn't even thought about what usually accompanied the dish. There were options to have the maids draw or write something in ketchup, usually something sappy or cute. Even though Jaune had barely had the menu in his hands for a few moments, he'd clearly read that part.

Blake pointed at him. "No."

"I'm a paying customer."

"I don't care."

"Could you write something nice on it?" he asked, ignoring her. "Something like 'you're the best'?"

When did he get so cheeky?

Blake didn't take too kindly to the amusement she could see brewing in his eyes, so she snatched up the bottle of ketchup on the table and wrote a short three lettered word.

Die.

Jaune laughed, finding it hilarious and Blake left him to eat it on his own, fighting a smile as she walked away. Cherry watched her with curious eyes as she entered the back but didn't say anything, for which she was grateful. Blake remained there until Jaune was ready to pay for his food, and met him at the counter.

"That was actually pretty good," he complimented.

"The food here is… surprisingly good," she admitted.

"Listen – I was thinking, maybe when you have some time off, we could hang out," Jaune said casually, paying his bill. "It'd be nice to do something with a friend instead of just chilling alone, you know?"

Blake smiled. "I'd love that."

"Great. I'll give you a call, then."

It would be nice to just hang out and be friends, though Blake felt a little guilty because that wasn't the only reason she agreed. She had an ulterior motive. If she was with Jaune, then maybe he could distract her from her thoughts about the White Fang. If she was on her own, it would only eat away at her, and she'd end up letting it consume her.

When he left, she was rushed by her co-workers, demanding answers.

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