95

Chapter 95: Handle With Care

Team RWBY Dorm

Blake's eyes snapped open.

Her vision quickly adjusted to the dim light. Even if it hadn't, the soft sheets and warm bodies beside her quickly clued her in. A flick of her cat ear registered whose heartbeats were at her back: Even in sleep, Ruby's always ran a little faster than normal, Weiss's always a little slow. Their breathing was calm and even, both clearly in deep sleep. That let Blake relax a little.

The empty space in front of her did not.

Stomping down her initial panic, Blake put a hand over the ruffled sheets. She breathed a little easier at the residual warmth. Wherever Yang had gone, she hadn't been gone long.

The sound of running water coming from the bathroom gave her a good idea.

"...gah! Oh, c'mon, dammit…"

…as did that.

Blake gave a tired sigh as she sat up, wincing at the faint pinch in her spine. Her Aura had healed the few injuries she'd gotten from the Mecha Gigas, but it did nothing for her aching muscles and general exhaustion. Despite the pleasant, sometimes hilarious dinner they'd had with Winter (the older girl's perplexion at the simple diner foods, as well as her aghast expression when Weiss unashamedly bit into a greasy cheeseburger, made for a meal the Faunus would not soon forget), the moment they stepped through their dorm door, nothing seemed more important than getting some well-deserved rest. Just a round of quick showers and haphazardly donned sleep clothes, and the four had passed out in a tangled pile under the covers.

Which is why it made little sense why Yang would be out of bed at…

Blake glanced at the clock on the wall… and groaned.

Two in the morning? Why in the world…?

Blake carefully maneuvered her way out of bed, mindful not to disturb Ruby or Weiss. She did pause briefly before she climbed over them, smiling gently as she saw Ruby curling protectively around Weiss, the Schnee's face tucked against her neck. She resisted the urge to move the hair that had fallen over Ruby's eyes. It was a testament to the little leader's exhaustion that she hadn't been awoken by whatever Yang was doing, and Blake wasn't going to ruin her chance for a good night's sleep.

Her own, on the other hand…

The cat Faunus soundlessly extracted herself from the covers, climbing over the slumbering duo and rolling off the bed. A brief chill reminded her that she hadn't bothered to tie closed her yukata, and in her annoyance/worry, she didn't slow down to do so. She padded softly to the bathroom door, quickly noting steam rising from under it. There was another muffled curse from behind the door.

"... stupid, useless, ridiculous…"

Blake's brow furrowed. Yang didn't just sound angry. She sounded on the verge of tears. Her Feelings cemented it, Frustration sinking into Desperation and Panic.

Dreading what she was about to find, Blake eased open the bathroom door. There was the slightest creak as it swung inward, just obnoxious enough to draw the attention of the room's only occupant.

Yang's head snapped towards the door, eyes wide and panicked. She stood nude in front of the bathroom mirror, soaking wet with a brush in each hand. Each brush was thoroughly tangled in the blonde nightmare that was once her hair. Two cans of detangling spray lay discarded on the ring of the sink, along with an empty bottle of her favored conditioner and a half-empty bottle of Weiss's. The shower pounded at full blast, the curtain wide open.

Blake blinked at the sight, dumbfounded. She and Yang locked eyes. A silent stare down ticked by, Yang frozen with her arms up. Blake scrambled for some kind of verbal reaction as Yang's face grew red… only for the blonde's eyes to quickly overflow.

Blake was already rushing forward as Yang let out a pitiful squeak.

"Heeelllp…"

"So… is there a reason you didn't just ask for help before we went to bed?"

"I knew everyone was tired and just wanted to get to bed. I thought I could power through tomorrow and deal with it after classes, but…" She winced as Blake pulled on a particularly stubborn snag. "I woke up and it just kept bugging me. It feels… wrong."

Blake hummed softly, methodically working her way up the sea of tangles, carefully coaxing her fingers through blonde strands to help rinse out the shampoo. Yang sat dutifully still on the shower floor, the warm water washing over them both.

It wasn't ideal, but sharing the shower while Blake worked through Yang's sea-soaked locks was the best they could come up with on such short notice. Blake had gotten the gist of what Yang had been trying to do, but there was just too much hair and too little time (and too little detangling spray) for the blonde to fix it all herself, no matter how hard or how desperately she tried.

Blake picked up Yang's hairbrush from the shower floor as the last bit of soap rinsed out. As she sat Yang's shampoo bottle up on the corner counter, she couldn't help but snort, catching sight of the label. "I still can't believe you actually bought that dog Faunus shampoo."

"It really works better than my old stuff!" Yang's face grew redder still as she kept her eyes down, glaring in embarrassment. "And it's cheaper."

"Alright, alright," Blake laughed lightly, dragging the brush carefully through Yang's hair bit by bit, starting from the bottom. It was slow going, but the salt-crusted rat's nest was finally starting to resemble the brawler's flowing mane, albeit drenched.

Frankly, Blake was just thankful Yang had finally relaxed. During the first 5 minutes of Blake handling of her hair, Yang had been so tense Blake was worried she'd snap if the brush snagged too hard. But within a few minutes of Blake's careful handling and gentle brushing, Yang slowly started to unwind, enough so that she'd started to lean into Blake's touch. It warmed Blake's heart knowing Yang trusted her enough to let her do this, considering how protective Yang was of her hair.

Which is what made Blake so hesitant to ruin the moment.

She let the peace last a few minutes more, long enough to reach Yang's shoulder blades. She ran the brush through blonde locks a few times, then spoke.

"So… you want to tell me what's got you so torn up at two in the morning?"

Yang stiffened, her spine going ramrod straight. Blake did her best to ignore this and kept brushing. "I… what?" Yang tried to laugh it off with an awkward giggle. "I told you, my hair-"

"Yang." Blake's firm tone stopped Yang dead. She let the silence sit for a moment, then let out a low sigh. "I won't force it out of you, sweetheart," she soothed, continuing to brush. "But I can Feel that something's eating at you. You're hurting." She hesitated, her voice growing softer. "You know I'm here, right?"

Yang stared at the shower wall, still wound tight. Then… her shoulders slumped. She let out a tired breath, hanging her head. "Yeah… I know." She absently pulled a clump of newly washed hair into her lap, fingers twirling through the slick strands. "Did you know your dad tried to call Raven tonight?" she asked bluntly.

Blake blinked, a little thrown. "No, but I'm not surprised. He and Mom were a little desperate to find me a ride instead of letting me speed across the city. He probably tried calling everyone from the White Fang fight before Roman picked up."

Yang's head snapped around, wet blonde locks whipping Blake across the face. "Roman!?"

Then she shrunk back under Blake's unimpressed glower, a strand of sopping blonde hair caught between the Faunus's pursed lips. She smiled sheepishly. "Hehe… sorry?"

Blake's eyes narrowed. She spat the hair out, continuing her glower for a moment. Then she went back to brushing Yang's hair like nothing had happened. "Yes, Roman. Dad burst back into the room and said there was a Bullhead waiting for me on the airfield. I sped down , and there was Roman holding the door open for me, Bullhead already powered up and waiting."

Yang shook her head in disbelief. "I bet that was a fun conversation."

"Actually… he was kind of all business." Blake frowned as she thought back. "I don't know what Dad told him, but Roman just told me to point which way and stepped on the gas. Last thing he said before I jumped out was to call him if I needed a ride back."

"...huh." Yang contemplated this for a second. "Well… I guess that explains… something, at least." Feeling Blake's Curiosity, Yang swallowed. She took a deep breath, her hands curling into loose fists. "Raven group-texted me and Ruby a few times tonight. That's what woke me up. First, it was her saying she and Uncle Qrow had just come back from some mission Ozpin sent them on, and asking if we knew why they had a dozen missed calls between them from your dad." She snorted lightly. "The second one was her saying she just noticed the time and was sorry if she woke us up. That one didn't, but… the last one did."

Yang fell silent. Blake let it sit for a few brush strokes, before prodding, "You going to leave me in suspense?"

That at least got another snort. Yang still took a moment before continuing. "It just said that she heard about the fight tonight. That she was sorry she hadn't been there to help… and she hoped we were okay."

"...I'm going to need a little more context, hun. That sounds like a good thing."

Yang groaned, rubbing her face with both hands. "I know! It is! I'm happy she actually reached out. I just…" She moaned into her hands, then took a deep breath. "Look… when Raven gave us her number, she told us we could call her anytime. That even if she couldn't answer, she'd call or message back as soon as she could. And… she did…"

Yang trailed off again. Blake fought down her irritation, focusing instead on Yang's Frustration, Disbelief, Amazement. Her brows slowly rose as something clicked. "You… didn't think she would?"

"... pretty stupid, huh?" Yang said in a small voice, giving a weak shrug. "I mean, we've been talking to her in person for weeks now. Of course she'd call, right? I… I don't know why I'm still doubting her."

Blake's hands stilled, staring at the back of Yang's head in concern. She carefully set the brush aside and turned off the water.

Yang looked up in surprise at the lack of water beating down on them. "Uh… Blake? Wha-oh!"

Yang squeaked when Blake's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back, landing her in the Faunus's lap. She felt Blake's forehead press against the back of her head, her breath tickling the back of her neck.

Redness started to fill Yang's cheeks, the blonde rapidly remembering the two's nakedness. "B-Blake? I wouldn't usually complain, but-"

"It's not stupid."

Yang's mouth clicked shut.

Blake hugged her Mate tighter, pushing every bit of Comfort she could toward her. "She hurt you, Yang. Whatever the reason, she disappeared on you for thirteen years. Even if she's trying to make amends, you are allowed to be upset about that."

Yang didn't respond at first. Blake winced as she felt the blonde start to tense up… then suddenly go limp in her hold. Yang hung her head, pressing her arms against Blake's. "I don't know why it keeps eating at me. Heck, Ruby's taking all this better than I am, and she found out she's a magic Dust baby!"

"Yang!" Blake hissed in reprimand.

Yang sent a cocked brow over her shoulder. "Blake, Ruby called herself that when we told the others about everything."

"...still."

Yang rolled her eyes at Blake's grumbling. Judging from the light purr building against her neck, Yang suspected Blake's outrage was partly an act… and it was working. "Seriously, though," she continued. "Ruby found out she has a completely different father… hell, that she doesn't have a father… but she can talk to Raven no problem. Yeah, she Feels…. Awkward and Nervous… but not angry. Or… frustrated."

Yang looked up at the ceiling, leaning back into Blake's hold. "I'll bet ya twenty Lien that when she reads that text tomorrow, she'll be, at minimum, happy that Raven cared to check in. Me, on the other hand…" A full-body shudder ran through Yang's form, her voice growing strained. "I read that… and I started trying to figure out her angle. 'Why'd she text us? Why'd she bother? What am I supposed to say back? What does she want from me?'" She shook her head, chuckling ruefully. "I was laying there, surrounded by all of you, as comfortable as I could be… and I was just getting more and more pissed that I couldn't figure out why my mother was asking if I was okay. How messed up is that?"

Blake chewed on her lip, searching for something she could say to make her Mate feel better. She cursed herself when she came up blank.

Evidently, Yang could Feel her struggle. The blonde sighed deeply. "There's nothing to say, Blake. I just… I've been so angry at Raven my whole life. And now it's like… I don't know how to not be angry at her." She huffed. "No matter how much I want to."

"Have you… thought about talking to Raven about this?" Blake asked hesitantly.

Yang barked out a humorless laugh. "Oh, that'd go great. 'Hey Mom, want to go get a drink so I can ask you a few questions? What's your favorite color? What's your sign? How'd it feel to ditch your 4-year-old?'"

Blake frowned. "Yang, I'm serious."

Yang clicked her tongue. "So am I, Kitty Cat." She took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff. "Blake, I'd like nothing more than to sit down and try to just… understand. But, you know me. I'll get a few minutes in, and then she'll say something, or I'll say something, and the next thing you know, I'll just be screaming at her. And as pissed as I am…" She closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping. "I don't want to do that."

Struggling for an answer, Blake turned on the water and went back to brushing. Working through a few stubborn tangles gave her a moment to think. "...You're right, Yang. I do know you." She ran her free hand through a length of Yang's hair, smiling when her nails caught on nothing. "That's why I know that you and her dancing around each other is only going to work for so long."

"...How do you figure?" Yang asked, curious despite herself.

"Yang, you are the loudest, brashest, most passionate person I know." She paused her brushing long enough to lean forward and press her lips to Yang's cheek. "That's why I love you." She took pride in Yang's pinking cheeks and small bashful smile. She pulled back to resume Yang's hair care. "But that's also why I know that bottling yourself up like this is just going to hurt you down the line." A thought struck her. "It's… it's like your Semblance, hun. You've got all this frustration and anger with Raven, and you've been holding it in for so long. But you keep it bottled up forever, it's going to keep feeding on itself, growing stronger and stronger until…"

"...boom?" Yang answered sheepishly.

"Boom." She put a hand on Yang's shoulder, getting the blonde to meet her eye. "Now, which sounds better? A small 'boom' on your terms? Or a bigger one whenever and wherever you finally boil over?"

Yang held her gaze for a moment, several conflicting emotions reflected in her eyes. Blake just stared back patiently, the warm water raining down on them. Finally, Yang let out a groan, letting her forehead fall against Blake's. "Ugh… why'd I have to fall for someone so smart?"

Blake smiled brightly, going back to finish off any tangles near Yang's scalp. "You're just lucky, I guess."

"Mm-hmm," Yang hummed sarcastically, running her fingers through her limp but clean hair. "If I talk with Raven about this… there'll be fireworks, that's for sure," she admitted with a wry grin. Then she looked down, still smiling. "Thanks for not saying 'when I snap'. Makes me feel a little less crazy."

Blake sighed, slightly exasperated. "You're not crazy, Yang. You've just got a short temper and some issues you're working through."

"Yeah, mommy issues," Yang scoffed derisively. She giggled-yelped when Blake poked a finger at the small of her back.

"Yes, and they are valid," Blake stressed firmly. She let out a small groan when the brush caught again, having to yank hard one-handed as she held tightly to the base of Yang's hair. "Though, I would appreciate it if you found an outlet for them that didn't involve murdering your hair."

Yang cringed as the brush ripped through the knots, fingers twitching at the rough treatment. "I know, I know. I didn't exactly plan to be doing this tonight. I was just too ticked off to sleep… and my hair was driving me nuts once I woke up. That quick rinse when we got home did nothing. I thought it would give my mind something else to do instead of fighting itself."

Blake rose a brow. "And?"

"Mission failed."

Blake snorted. "Well, luckily I think we managed to salvage it." She turned the water off, running her hands through the sopping strands. "That's about as good as I can get it. It's not perfect, but…"

"It's a hell of a lot better than it was, Blakey." Now that her hair was tangle-free, Yang reached out of the shower curtain, feeling for the towels laid on the ground there that were miraculously still dry despite her earlier panicked efforts. She and Blake worked together to dab-dry as much as they could, ending with Yang wrapping her hair up in a massive towel. "Want me to work on yours while I wait for this to dry?" Yang asked as she turned to face the Faunus.

"No, but thanks. I'll just brush it out a bit," Blake said as she stretched her arm over her head, trying to work out a kink that had formed in her spine from sitting so long (and accidentally giving Yang a very interesting show as she arched her back… or not so accidentally, given the Amusement and Satisfaction that flashed through Blake as a wave of heat shot through Yang). Contemplation marred Blake's features for a moment, before she said, "Actually… can I ask you something?"

Yang gave her a wry grin. "Blake, you're one of three people who can make me spill my guts in an instant. Yeah, you can ask me something."

Blake snorted lightly. "It's nothing serious. Just… would it be okay with you if I cut my hair?"

Yang blinked. "I… well… it's your hair, Blake," she finally said, confusion in her voice. "You can do what you want with it." She looked at Blake closely, Feeling her Trepidation. "Can I ask why you want to?"

An uncomfortable look passed Blake's features as she ran the brush through her black hair with simple strokes. "Honestly, I never meant for it to get this long. Running missions for the White Fang didn't leave a lot of time for hair care."

"...oh," Yang hummed, aware of the weight dropping on Blake's shoulders as she recalled her past. She sent her girlfriend a slight grin. "So… you just want a cut or a whole new hairdo? Got something in mind?"

Blake grinned back, setting the brush down. "Nothing too extreme. Before I left Menagerie, Mom always cut my hair shoulder length. I kind of want to go back to that, at least for a while."

Yang looked Blake over thoughtfully. "It'll be different… but I doubt there's any look you couldn't pull off." She chuckled mischievously. "Heck, you might want to keep it a secret from Weiss and Ruby just so we can see their jaws drop."

Blake giggled briefly with her, a relieved sigh passing her lips. "Good. Thank you. I was a little worried you'd be mad at me for wanting the change."

Yang stared at Blake, confused… then blinked. She let out an annoyed groan, rolling her eyes. "Because I'm so defensive over my hair?"

Blake shrunk slightly, smiling sheepishly.

Yang snorted. "Blake I get so pissed when my hair's messed with because I like it this way, and it's hard as hell to maintain." She pointed to the toweled beehive on her head, emphasizing her point "If you're not happy with it, that's when you're supposed to change it."

"Okay, okay," Blake laughed lightly. "Message received."

"Good." Yang undid her towel wrap, satisfied that, even if damp, her hair felt much closer to normal. She went about putting it in a simple braid as Blake finished up, a last ditch attempt to let it dry properly before classes. She then put her hand on Blake's head, gently running her fingers against the Faunus's cat ears. With her hair wetted down, they stood thinner and more pronounced, a rare look that made Yang's heart flutter. She smiled as Blake leaned into her touch, purring lightly. "Now, as much as I'm loving my view right now, it's probably, like, four A.M., and we need to get some sleep." Still scratching the base of Blake's ears, she leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together as she lowered her voice. "Unless you want to keep having a little… private time?"

She was joking… mostly… and judging from her purring-filled-chuckle, Blake knew it. "Tempting," Blake admitted. She leaned for a brief kiss, Yang feeling the tremble from her purrs against her lips. Blake soon pulled back, smiling softly. "But we'll have time for that later."

Light danced in Yang's eyes. "Oh, I'll hold you to that," she said as she stood up, careful not to slip on the wet shower floor. She helped Blake to her feet and the two stepped out into the cooler air of the bathroom. By the time they finished toweling off and drying their hair, Yang's four A.M. comment wasn't too far off. While the warm water had helped distract from their sore muscles a bit, there was still an ache that quickly reminded them how exhausted they still were.

Yang didn't even bother with her sleepshirt and pants, tiredly crawling back into their oversized bed in just her underclothes. She Felt Blake's Amusement as they found their place beside the slumbering Weiss and Ruby, Yang lying on her back beside Weiss. Blake cuddled up on her free side, draping an arm across Yang's middle and using her shoulder for a pillow. Yang put her arm around the Faunus without a thought, holding her close.

She looked over at Ruby and Weiss curled into each other. Seeing how everyone's squirming had dragged the covers down past the pair's hips, Yang reached with her free arm to pull the covers up over their shoulders. When she pulled her arm back, she gently ruffled Ruby's hair, coaxing a content sigh from her little sister. Yang grinned at the sight, finally putting her head on her pillow.

For a few minutes, Yang just lay there, soaking in the peace of their darkened dorm, filled only with the sound of Ruby and Weiss's soft snores and Blake's constant purrs. She closed her eyes, trying to fully relax… but a nagging thought kept running through her mind. She tried to ignore it, tried to tell herself not to bother, that it was a bad idea…

…but since when did she let that stop her?

With a loud huff, Yang reached up to the top of the headboard. She felt around until she found her closed scroll. She flipped it open one-handed, grimacing at the late, or rather, early hour, then flicked her thumb across the screen to her messages. The most recent one sat at the top of the list, Ruby and Raven's names sitting side by side. She tapped her thumb on it.

She stared at the text, reading through her mother's words again. When she reached the end, her eyes lingered on the blinking cursor at the bottom of the screen. She breathed a heavy sigh… and started typing.

When she finished, she hit send before she could think not to. She snapped her scroll closed and put it back on top of the headboard. She stared at the ceiling, taking a few deeper-than-normal breaths as she tried to lose herself in her dorm's calm. Once she felt semi-normal, her eyes flicked to her side.

She found amber eyes glowing back in the darkness, just as she knew she would.

"If this goes badly," she whispered, smirking. "I'm blaming you."

Blake just smiled softly. "If it goes badly…" She tilted her head forward, leaning into Yang's hold. "We'll be here for you."

At that, Yang turned her head, hiding her smile in Blake's hair. Within minutes her eyes slid shut, Yang wrapping herself in Blake's Warmth, Protectiveness, Love, as they both drifted into a brief-but-peaceful slumber.

Yang - Were doin OK. usual bumps and bruises, already healed. Just tired

RUby found a new crazy pwr. Gonna be dealling with that later.

can we talk later?

Thanks for checking in.

Ozpin's Office

Raven stared at the simple text message. It was… surprising. She hadn't expected the girls to actually respond, let alone at 4 A.M… or that it'd be Yang who did.

It was a great distraction from the absolute cluster happening in front of her.

"I still don't know what the big deal is, Goody."

"The 'big deal' is that we now have a Bullhead down for repairs thanks to you, Roman!" Glynda glared over her tablet. "And do not call me Goody."

Roman rolled his eyes, leaning carelessly against the massive windows facing the Vale skyline. "Oh, what was I supposed to do? The kid needed a ride, I gave her a ride!"

Glynda's eye twitched. "You should have contacted a pilot and gotten her permission, as is your right as a Hunter. Not break into one and then hotwire it!"

"It was faster! I was by the airfield anyway and the Bullhead was right there! You don't want someone doing that? Get better locks!"

"And that's another thing! Why were you already at the airfield when you knew Raven needed you as an anchorpoint?"

"I was getting dinner! And it's not like I would have cost her and Bird Brain time getting here. They can fly!"

Raven tuned them out as the endless argument continued, mildly amused. Goodwitch had yet to learn that Roman didn't argue to win. He did it to see how long it took for you to break. It was infuriating when on the receiving end… but admittedly fun to watch.

Her eyes drifted over to Ozpin's desk, where a much more dire conversation was going on.

"I cannot believe he's fallen so far," Ozpin said quietly, hand to his chin as he looked over the detailed-if brief reports spread out over his desk.

Qrow leaned over the desk from the opposite side, frowning at the papers. "I'm sorry, Oz, but it is that bad." He dragged his finger across a map laid across the far side of the desk, the aerial view of a city seemingly built on top of itself, man-made cliffs of architecture climbing into the sky. "I double-checked the clan's records. Aside from one or two traveling for personal reasons, there hasn't been a single Hunter leaving Mistral's capital for official business in over two years. They are there, Raven and I saw plenty of them during our flybys, they're just… milling around the city like they're on permanent guard duty. If the Branwen Clan wasn't picking up the slack… I don't want to know what kind of shape the kingdom would be in."

"It'd be a wasteland," Raven chimed in, stowing her scroll as she checked back into the conversation. The two turned to her, and while she'd come to expect Ozpin's everpresent patience to her caustic comments, it said a lot to the situation that Qrow barely reacted. He just looked exhausted.

She could relate.

"It's not like they have nothing to do," Raven went on, crossing her arms. "There's still thriving towns and small communities all over Mistral, and the Grimm try to pick them off constantly. Lionheart just turns a blind eye to it."

Ozpin took a deep breath. "Well… you and your clan have my thanks, Raven. Without your stepping in… the casualties…"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "We didn't 'step in' for people's approval, Ozpin… let alone yours."

Unsurprisingly, Ozpin brushed her hostility aside with a mere benign gesture. "You have it regardless. Gods, I don't even know how to start explaining this to James." He heaved a heavy sigh, then shifted gears. "What of the vault? Did you find the entrance?"

Qrow nodded. "We found the statue just fine. There's a Hunter standing guard that rotates shifts every four hours." He then looked over at the bickering duo, raising his voice. "You hear that, Roman? You're missing your favorite part, o'Master Criminal!"

Roman looked over while Goodwitch was mid-word, his anger dropping for an almost bored look. "Yeah, I heard." He walked over without a backward glance, Goodwitch floundering for a moment at being so nonchalantly dismissed before rushing to join him at the desk. Roman looked down at the map. "Four hours is overkill, but it matches with how much of a paranoid nut Lionheart sounds like."

Qrow grimaced. "That's not counting the patrolling guards. They pass by the entrance every thirty minutes. Our window for getting past them all is tight."

"Assuming you have a way in." Roman met Ozpin's eyes. "You sure you can get us in? Cause I'm good, but my lockpicking skills fall a bit short of 'ancient godlike magic.'"

Ozpin merely gave a tired nod, reaching for his steaming mug. "I gifted Lionheart with his key in the first place. Creating a second will be difficult, but I will manage in a timely fashion."

Roman nodded. "Okay, in that case, Qrow, the guards won't be that hard to get passed. They're expecting either ambitious thieves or rampaging Grimm. One distraction, even a minor one; they won't notice a couple of wayward corvids." He looked over to Raven, expression grim. "Passed that point, though, you're out of my wheelhouse."

At his look, Raven scowled. She turned to Ozpin, meeting his expectant gaze.

The Headmaster gave her that infuriating patient look, though it seemed a tad more strained. "We will need the Spring Maiden if we've any hope of opening the Vault. There is no other way to open the path."

Raven inhaled sharply, eyes bright. "I've already named my terms for you getting Spring."

Ozpin sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And I've agreed to them, Raven. Fria will be here within the week. You'll have your proof then."

Raven drummed her fingers on her arms. "I know she'll be safe… and you'll have your missing Maiden."

"Sir…" Glynda cut in, drawing the attention of all. A trace of nervousness bled through the Deputy-Headmaster's gaze. "I must ask: are you sure this is the correct way to go about this? Lionheart is our ally, as far as we know."

"'As far as we know'," Ozpin echoed back, sounding pained. "His recent actions make me question that, Glynda. I'll confer with James for his view on the subject, but… Leonardo is not acting like the man I knew. And as much as I'd like to sit down and ask what's going through his mind right now, time is of the essence. We have the chance to get the answers we all seek-"

He sent a significant look Raven's way, the dark woman holding his gaze evenly.

"-and in doing so, remove a potential weapon from reaching Salem's hands. If we're careful, we could accomplish our goal without Lionheart becoming any the wiser. If he does… I will bear that responsibility."

The room fell silent after that. Goodwitch held Ozpin's stare for a moment, before giving a determined nod, tapping something down on her tablet. Qrow and Raven shared a look, Qrow quirking a questioning brow at his sister. Raven rolled her eyes, giving him a nod. Qrow gave a lazy grin, turning to Roman. "Well, little brother. That's all the pieces we've got. What do you think?"

Roman looked up from the various reports and maps littering the desk, looking startled by the nickname. He glanced back down at the papers, his bright eyes scouring every loose detail before him. "I think…" He gave Qrow a crooked grin. "I can work with this."

He clapped his hands together, wringing them excitedly. "Okay! Buckle up, boys and girls!" His grin gained a mad edge as he met the eyes of all around. "We're gonna heist us a magic lamp!"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

A/n: …Oh, right, there's a plot in this crazy story!

Here's a bit of fluff, a bit of plot progression, and a whole bunch of my obsession with increasingly dysfunctional families attempting to make shit work in spite of their own BS.

Any resemblance to actual hair care in this chapter can be attributed to my ever-faithful Beta reader Covert Weapon. In this regard, they are the master and I but their humble student.

Hope you like it and I'll see ya at the next one!