Chapter 57: Chapter-57:"The old Arc charm,Sharing surprises"
By the time they arrived at the CCT, it was a little after seven. They didn't have to travel far; like Vale and Mistral, the communications tower was located at their respective Huntsman Academy. Usually at this hour, things would be pretty deserted but not today. With global communications having just been reestablished, the place was packed with countless people hoping to place calls overseas to friends, family and loved ones, people they wouldn't have been able to speak to for years at this point, since the attack on Beacon.
It was going to be difficult to find a free terminal.
Blake peered around uncertainly as they took their place in queue, and it looked like there was going to be a bit of a wait. They were at the back of the line, though not for long. People continued to stream in behind them, the queue growing until they were lost in the throng.
"Well – this sucks," Weiss said bluntly, her expression bored. Jaune felt her fingers reach for his hand and lace with his own, and he returned her effortless gesture with a squeeze. "We're going to be waiting awhile."
Blake sighed. "We should have expected this. Though I thought at this time, it would be a lot slower..."
Like Weiss, she'd dressed in a similar manner; a pair of jeans and a woolen sweater, but while Weiss was a vision of light, Blake was dark. Weiss' jeans were a light blue denim while Blake's were pitch black, the material tight around her pert ass. Her sweater was a deep violet as opposed to Weiss' pure white, and she'd even dusted her eyelids with matching eyeshadow. She'd even painted her nails a glossy black, her lips shiny with lip gloss.
They were only going to call their parents but Blake had obviously wanted to look her best for the occasion. More than likely, she didn't want to be upstaged by Weiss who was already the picture of perfection, her sapphire earrings glittering as she glanced around.
But they weren't alone.
"Man, this is going to take forever," Yang groused, hand on hip as she tapped her foot against the floor. Fresh from a shower, her hair had been brushed and dried, and styled to highlight the sheer volume. A light application of blush and some mascara made her lilac eyes pop, and she was dressed in a simple orange tank top and leather jacket, her jeans torn tastefully to reveal small patches of skin. Along with her black leather boots, she looked like she was able to go for a joyride on her motorbike.
It suited her to a T.
"You didn't have to come," Ruby needled with a cheeky grin, bouncing up and down, heel, toe, heel, toe. Unlike the others, she hadn't bothered changing much about her outfit. Same combat skirt, same corset, though she'd dug up her old boots and torn stockings to replace the ones she'd been wearing recently. A little bit of eyeliner really brought out the unique hue of her eyes, and she'd changed the choker she usually wore for something a little more elaborate; instead of the simple black band, this one had a clasp in the front that resembled a rose in full bloom. "I could have passed on anything you wanted to say to dad."
"What, and miss his face when we introduce him to our boyfriend?" Yang asked incredulously. "Are you kidding? He's going to lose his shit and I'm here for it."
Jaune tried not to let his nerves show. "We don't want him to lose his shit... do we?"
Yang snickered. "I mean – you don't, but I think it'll be hilarious."
"Gee, thanks," he deadpanned. "I feel like I'm being thrown to the wolves."
"Don't worry, champ," she punched him on the shoulder with enough force to rock him back a step. "I know you can handle it. Because if you can't, then you aren't the man that I thought you were. I wouldn't let some wimp impregnate me, you know?"
"Don't worry," Ruby patted him on the back, grinning widely. "Yang is just being a boob. He'll be shocked at first, and maybe a little angry – and sure, he maaaaay want to kill you for a while but trust me, he'll get over it."
"Not helping, Ruby," Jaune wondered if he could just... take it all back. The sex, the pregnancies – just, you know, as if it never happened in the first place? Turn back time and – well, maybe they could all still have sex but this time, he'd wrap his tool. Practice safe sex, like most people did. "You don't want to raise these kids on your own, do you?"
"We won't be alone," Yang pointed at Ruby, then Weiss and then Blake. "Even if they don't have a dad, they'll have plenty of mom's."
And wasn't that the truth.
"Well – my father doesn't get a say in any of this. He is in prison and never getting out."
Blake peered at Weiss. "I don't think that is something to brag about."
Weiss shrugged. "I'm over feeling sorry for myself. I wouldn't want him anywhere near my kids, anyway. He did such a bang up job with his own, after all."
Jaune shared a look with the rest of the girls.
"Okaaay," Yang drawled. "How about we don't go there and keep things on a happier note."
"Like me dying?" Jaune snarked.
"Yep," Ruby said with a pop. "Yang getting knocked up randomly – well, dad probably expected that this might happen eventually but you also touched his little baby girl. But like I said, he'll get over it."
Yang gave her sister a dirty look. "Excuse me, what the hell does that mean?"
Ruby didn't bother answering other than poking out her tongue.
"I'm worried about my dad," Blake confessed, giving Jaune an apologetic look. "He can be a bit overprotective."
Jaune had met Taiyang briefly when he'd visited Ruby on Patch, days before they'd set out for Mistral. He felt like he'd made a decent impression on the man but the father of two had been rather stressed at the time. One daughter injured, forever missing an arm. His other younger daughter, having only just woken up from a coma. There was a good chance the man had completely forgotten him. However Ghira Belladonna was a complete unknown to him. He'd seen him from afar during the immediate aftermath of the attack on Haven, but they hadn't spoken. Blake reuniting with the rest of her team had taken precedence and Jaune hadn't wanted to get in the way, so while Ruby, Yang and Weiss had met the former leader and founder of the White Fang, Team JNPR had not.
He was regretting that a little, right about now.
If he'd made a good first impression, then maybe it would smooth over the news they were about to deliver and he wouldn't tear his spine out his ass. Ghira had been... big . Not just tall but broad, muscular and looked like a man that knew how to fight. A little feral? Though Jaune would never voice that around Blake. It wasn't meant to be an insult but it probably wasn't a wise word to use for a faunus.
"Right," he said because what else could he say?
"Mom will like you, though," and here she smiled at him prettily, her amber eyes lighting up. "She liked Sun when he visited and dad was giving him a rough time. If you win her over, that is ninety percent of the battle. Dad will fall in line eventually."
"Win over your mom, got it," Jaune nodded.
"You've already met my mom, of course," Weiss said blandly. "She thinks you are very handsome."
Jaune blinked, straightening up a little. "Uh – she does?"
Weiss arched an eyebrow at him wryly. "Oh – you like that, do you? That my mother thinks you're attractive?"
I mean, who wouldn't? Willow was an incredibly beautiful older woman, even as worn and downtrodden as she was. She was where Weiss and Winter got their incredible beauty from, after all. It was a bit of an ego stroker, though his ego received more than enough stroking these days.
"You've met my mom," Yang quipped bitterly. "Though I don't like to call her that. Egg provider? Nine month accommodation? Anyway, you don't need to impress her. I'd rather you didn't."
Raven was... intense, and a coward, and had abandoned her daughter for such stupid reasons. Jaune didn't want to impress her either, though she wasn't the type of woman he wanted to anger. Would she even care about a grandchild?
"Enough about our parents," Ruby peered up at Jaune with her lovely eyes, a sliver of uncertainty crossing her features. "What about yours? Do you think... they'll like me?"
"Us," Yang jabbed Ruby in the ribs, causing the younger girl to flinch. "Do you think they'll like us?"
Jaune opened his mouth and paused, noticing the trepidation etched on their faces. Even Weiss who tried to hide it behind her neutral expression couldn't erase it completely. Closing his mouth, he considered them carefully.
He'd been so worried about himself that he hadn't even thought about how they might be feeling. Just as he wanted to make a good impression on their families, they wanted to make a good one with his. But how did they go about that when they weren't alone? He was going to introduce each one of them as his girlfriend, and that in itself was not normal. What would his mom think about a group of girls that were willing to share him? What would his father think?
...actually, he had a pretty good idea what his father was going to think about all of this. They wouldn't have to do much at all to win him over. It was his mom they were going to have to charm, and she wasn't the type of person that was easily swayed when he mind was set on something.
"I'm not sure," he said truthfully, knowing that wasn't going to alleviate their concerns. "This whole thing is a mess and... well, my mom is pretty traditional. She is a standard stay at home mom and popped out eight kids, so I'm sure you can picture the type of woman she is."
When Saphron had come out as gay, it had been his mother that had struggled more with it than his father. She hadn't been against it, it was just that she'd never had an inkling of Saphron's preferences until she'd been slapped in the face with it. Growing up, Saphron had dated boys – and not a single girl. The only reason Jaune had known about his sister's orientation was because he'd accidentally caught her kissing a girl in her senior year behind the bleachers, something that Saphron still didn't know he'd witnessed. His mom had been expecting a traditional marriage and a ton of grandchildren, so when his elder sister had revealed that she had a girlfriend, and soon after a wife, it had been a huge shock to her.
She still got her grandchild, though. It didn't matter if Adrian wasn't technically blood related to them.
"As people, she'll love you," he assured them, reaching for Blake's hand and bringing it over to join Weiss'. "She'll see how amazing you all are, how loving and intelligent and – frankly, how far out of my league you all are, and she'll be over the moon that I have such great friends," he smiled at them, and they smiled back. "But it may take a little bit for her to get used to the idea that I'm dating all of you... and that you are all pregnant..."
Maybe the promise of several grandchildren will completely win her over.
"My dad will think this is hilarious," he continued, shaking his head ruefully. "Women love confidence, son – I'm sure he'll try take credit for this as a result of his great wisdom."
Weiss scowled suddenly. "Wait a minute – all that horrible drivel from Beacon was his fault?"
"Aha – I guess you could say he set me on that path," Jaune chuckled awkwardly.
"Looks like Weiss has a new target for her ire," Yang laughed. "Papa Arc better watch out."
"As for my sisters... well," Jaune pulled a face. "I can't even begin to figure out how they'll take all this. Saphron will be cool with it, though I'm never going to hear the end of the teasing until the day I die. I'm sure the others will be very dramatic about it, as well."
They were going to roast him, especially for getting them all pregnant the way he did. He will never live that down, he was sure of it.
In the end, though – Jaune was fairly confident that he could get this to work. He just needed to break it to them in batches. Team RWBY first, and then Cerise, Neon and Fiona. Once the foot was in the door for a polyamorous relationship, it didn't matter if the number expanded a little... right?
That's what he was choosing to believe.
"Oh look, the line is moving," Weiss exclaimed suddenly. She stepped forward and Jaune moved with her. "One spot."
Yeah, this was going to take awhile.
Jaune wasn't sure how long they waited but it must have been over an hour before they began to glimpse the end. When they did finally secure one of the terminals, they all crowded around the screen. They looked a little ridiculous, crammed into a small booth.
"Who's going first?" Ruby asked.
They all looked at him.
"Fine," he sighed.
Might as well get it over with.
It was already late in the evening in Atlas, so it would be late afternoon or so in Vale, approaching dinner time. Typing in the regional code and his parents number, he steeled his resolve as he heard it begin to ring. Around him, he felt Team RWBY tense as the screen flickered and a familiar face appeared, one he hadn't seen since he'd left for Beacon with nothing but hopes and dreams, an old relic strapped to his hip.
"Hello, Arc residence..." the woman trailed off, her crystal blue eyes blinking rapidly as her face slackened in shock. Jaune felt his throat constrict as a sudden wave of emotion rolled through him, drinking in his mother with greedy eyes. Even though a couple of years had passed by, she appeared the same as always, her blonde wavy hair tumbling down her shoulders and back, her appearance impeccable, looking much younger than she actually was.
Jaune waited for her to say something but when she continued to stare stupidly at him, he cleared his throat.
"Hey mom," he smiled brightly. "It's good to see you."
"Jaune?" she muttered in disbelief. "Jaune~!?"
"Yeah, mom – it's me—"
" Jaune! " she screamed before leaning out of shot. "Jasper! Jaune is on the phone!"
They heard a bang like the sound of something heavy striking a wooden floor and then suddenly his father was there, leaning into the screen like an excited teenager. Just like his mother, he looked the exact same as in his memories, though his blond beard was a little fuller and there was a small dusting of gray in his hair by his temples. Bright green eyes roamed over his face, taking him in.
"Jaune?" he paused when he caught sight of his son, a look of extreme relief flooding his features.
"Yeah," Jaune said quietly. "It's me."
"Where have you been?" his mother scolded. "Do you have any idea... you don't call, you don't write... we thought..."
Jaune grit his teeth as he heard his mom's voice break, his chest hurting as if he'd been physically struck. Her eyes watered as she attempted to compose herself, looking away briefly to wipe at her face.
"Sorry," he apologized because there really wasn't anything else to say. "I – uh, couldn't call but I should have sent a letter. I – that's my bad."
With how hectic everything had been, traveling across two continents and then the mess at Haven, then traveling from Mistal to Argus, and then Atlas... it had completely slipped his mind. It was no excuse but his mind had been a little preoccupied.
His father sighed. "It's – It's fine, son. We were just worried. Saphron sent us a letter telling us that you'd passed through Argus. She mentioned that you were on your way to Atlas but it didn't make much sense since Atlas had closed their borders."
Jaune laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck. He wasn't about to tell them that they'd tried to hijack an Atlesian military airship – and that the entire plan had been his idea. He didn't feel like being yelled at right now. "Uh – well, we found a way. That's where I am right now. Atlas. I've been working here as a Huntsman. Oh! I – um, I've got my full Huntsman license now. Pretty cool, huh?"
His father looked surprised. "Oh? I thought it took four years to earn your license."
"Normally. But things aren't really normal these days, right?" Jaune met his dad's eyes. "It's great to see you again, dad."
Jasper smiled. "It's great to see you, Jaune. You have no idea how happy I am right now."
He watched as his father reached for his mother and pulled her in. "Come on, Jasmine."
His mom sniffled. "Sorry, I'm just – you're in big trouble, mister. Making your mother cry... you better make it up to me."
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
"Jaune," the sudden seriousness in his father's voice caused him to take immediate note. "You said you're in Atlas?"
"Yeah. I'm staying at the academy."
"We saw the broadcast earlier today. What General Ironwood said... do you know if it's true or not?"
He could tell that his father was trying to appear unaffected but the worry was clear in his eyes, in the sudden furrowing of his brow. Something must have shown on his face because Jaune saw his eyes tighten as his mother's mouth pursed.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, it's true. Every word."
It wasn't every day that you found out there was a Queen of the Grimm. That there was intelligent life overseeing the mindless, malicious horde known as the creatures of Grimm. That perhaps all the pain and death and eons of suffering were down to a single being. It wasn't quite that clearcut and simple; the Grimm existed before Salem took control, and even without her, they would still be a menace, a clear danger to humanity and faunus-kind. But how many events of the past could be attributed to her actions? The destruction of Mountain Glenn? The countless acres of land lost and never reclaimed during the Great War? And of course, the recent attacks on Vale and Mistral?
It was a scary thought.
Jaune waited for a moment as this sunk in, the pair taking strength from one another. Seeing the obvious love and care they held for each other always made Jaune feel incredibly lucky for having such amazing parents. Not everyone was so fortunate.
His mother suddenly perked up, shifting to a less depressing topic. She was always good at steering a conversation away from disaster. "Oh, where are my manners – Jaune, who are your friends?" she glanced over his shoulder, side to side. "My~! They're so pretty. Please, introduce us."
Right.
He felt Weiss squeeze his hand.
"Okay, um – here," reaching out, he pulled Ruby in front of him, causing her to give out a cute little squeak. "This is Ruby. Ruby Rose. Ruby, this is my mom, Jasmine, and my dad, Jasper."
"H-Hello," Ruby greeted nervously, giving an awkward wave.
"Hello dear~! Aren't you just the cutest little thing," his mom cooed. Ruby blushed.
"And this is her older sister, Yang," shifting Ruby aside as she stammered out a thanks, Yang took her place.
Much to his surprise, Yang appeared shell shocked and couldn't even manage a greeting, tripping over her tongue. Her entire body was tense and dare he say it, she seemed completely thrown by meeting his folks. None of her usual bombastic confidence was present, leaving behind a cowed, socially inept teenager.
Ruby and Yang really were sisters. Moments like these reinforced just how alike they were sometimes.
"Er – and this is Blake. Blake Belladonna," the cat faunus nudged Yang aside, taking center stage. "She's a... um, faunus," he said needlessly, her ears in full view.
"Yes, we can see that," his father said dryly. "Hello, Blake. I'm Jasper and this is my wife, Jasmine."
"Oh my god, she is so cute," Jasmine gushed behind clasped hands. Jaune felt his ears blaze with embarrassment and he wasn't the only one. Blake's cheeks exploded with color.
"Uh – pleased to meet you," she bowed quickly, hands clasped across her belly.
"And – this is Weiss," Jaune ushered her forward, taking Blake's spot. "Weiss Schnee."
The pair stared as if spellbound.
"Greetings," Weiss dipped in a perfect curtsy. "A pleasure to finally meet you."
His dad found his voice first. "Schnee – as in Schnee Dust Company?"
Weiss nodded happily. "The very same. I am pleased to see you recognise me. Upon our first meeting, your son did not."
Jaune groaned. "Did you really have to mention that?"
Jasmine gave Weiss an apologetic look. "I'm very sorry for our son. He can be very absentminded."
Weiss grinned evilly. "Yes, I have noticed that."
"And how did you all come to meet our son?" Jasper asked the group at large.
"We met at Beacon," Blake spoke up. "We're all on the same team – Team RWBY. Jaune's team was very close with ours."
Jaune saw his mother give them a sly once over and knew what was coming immediately. He didn't bother trying to stop it.
"So – you're all such pretty girls. Are any of you dating my son?"
They all shared worried looks.
"About that," Jaune cleared his throat. "I have some news."
His mother was already clapping, her face filled with joy. "No – really?"
His father just looked proud, chest puffed up as he said, "Ah, the old Arc charm finally won out, did it?"
Yeah – that is what happened. The old Arc charm.
"I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriends," he said nervously, trying to keep a straight face. "Uh – and here they are!"
There was a moment of silence as his words registered. In the meantime, Jaune spread his arms needlessly as if he was presenting a prize, gesturing to Team RWBY as a whole. Ruby covered her face in mortification while Blake turned to the side, her face well and truly on fire. Yang seemed almost zoned out, her hands curled into fists by her side while Weiss rolled her eyes at him, unimpressed.
"Jaune, that was horrible," she scolded him.
"What? No it wasn't," he said defensively.
"It really was," she sighed. "Couldn't you show a little more tact?"
"As you already know, I'm not good at this type of thing!"
"But you're all smooth whenever you want to get into our—" she cut herself off at the last moment, her cheeks pinking cutely. She cleared her throat. "You sure pick your moments, don't you?"
"Girlfriends?" Jasmine finally uttered, a look of confusion on her face. "Jaune, what do you mean by...?"
Taking a deep breath, he faced his mother head on. "I – now don't be alarmed, it's just that I may be dating... more than one girl."
"What?"
"I'm dating Ruby," he clarified. "And Yang, and Blake, and Weiss..." and maybe Neon, Cerise and Fiona? He wasn't sure yet but it seemed like things might be heading in that direction. "We're... uh, all together."
His mother's mouth flapped as she tried to articulate her words but nothing came out. His father, on the other hand...
"Jaune," he said gravely. "Is this true?"
"Er... yes?"
He nodded solemnly before wiping at his eyes; wait, were those tears!? "It appears you've surpassed your old man. I'm so proud of you."
"Daaaad..."
"But... but..." his mom appeared broken, shaking her head. "How...? People... do this?"
"I guess?" Jaune shrugged.
"Am I just getting too old?" she muttered in distress. "Four girls dating one boy – Jasper, is this what young people are into these days?"
"Mrs. Arc," Weiss spoke up, drawing her attention and that of everyone else. "I assure you, this is far from normal. Your son is a special man. You raised an incredible person, and we are all glad to have met him. He won our hearts with his selflessness, his loyalty and kind nature, and he continues to hold them with the clear passion and love he holds for each one of us. Trust me when I say this; we think the world of him, and he means everything to us."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby straightened her shoulders. "Jaune is my best friend and we've been through so much together, and he has always been by my side whenever I've needed him. He has my back and I have his, no matter what – and that will never change! It doesn't matter if he loves other people because it doesn't change what he feels for me, and what I feel about him."
"Jaune accepted me for who I was and who I am, and accepts me for who I can be in the future," Blake gazed at Jaune with adoration before facing the screen. "He has always welcomed me with open arms and been a steady influence, even when I didn't realize it. An ear to listen, or a voice to offer advice – there are few people I trust as much as I trust him, and they are here in this room. I never thought I'd find someone I could open myself up to in this way but I have, and your son is this person."
"...I always thought he was a giant dork," Yang finally said, tongue unglued from the roof of her mouth at last . "He was so hopeless when he first came to Beacon, you should have seen him. Completely out of his depth and I thought he would drown, I won't lie. But I quickly found out that he is made of sterner stuff than that. He wouldn't give up, no matter how hard things were. He trained hard, he buckled down, and I saw a man who was willing to go the extra mile if needed. I saw how he was with my sister, and when she needed him most, he was right there when I couldn't be," she frowned before shrugging off her leather jacket and holding up her prosthetic arm. "When I lost my arm, I lost more than just a limb. My confidence was lost as well. In my ability to fight, in my ability to protect..."
Yang then reached out and placed her metal hand on his shoulder.
"In my worth as a woman," she said softly. "He showed me that even with this injury, I was still beautiful, still desirable. That it wasn't repulsive. Perhaps from someone else, I might have doubted their sincerity but from the man who stood by my sister, who looked after her, from the man I had grown to respect so much ... it meant everything to me..."
Weiss, Ruby and Blake all stared at Yang in surprise. Jaune reached out as he saw her eyes begin to fill with tears and she entered his embrace gladly. He hugged her against his chest firmly, breathing her in.
"Jaune..." his mother said, voice filled with awe. "I... my baby boy," her emotions were clear, and Jaune felt a swell of affection fill him to bursting as he heard the pride in her voice.
"There is no one else I'd rather have as the father of my children," Yang continued, causing him to tense. "He will be an amazing father to my son or daughter, to all of our children. They'll never want for love."
The silence was deafening.
"Thanks Yang," Jaune deadpanned.
"Wait a minute," his dad peered at them all, head moving back and forth. "What did she mean by that?"
"...well," Jaune tried to think of a good way to phrase it. "You could say that... you have some grandchildren on the way," he paused for a second. "At least four of them," he added, though it was more like at least seven but that would wait for another time.
A moment of calm descended, of tranquil silence – the seconds before disaster.
"Jaune Arc!" his mother thundered, and he cringed. "I raised you better than that!"
Thanks Yang , he thought as his father erupted into hysterical laughter as Jasmine Arc looked on in outrage.
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