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Chapter Text

“And so you chose us?” Aurora tried to understand what Ozpin just explained, the arms crossed in front of her small chest while she and the others were looking at the headmaster of Beacon who was just nodding as he put his mug back on the desk.
“Exactly, Aurora. I chose you and your husband to join Summer and Qrow on this mission as I know that I can trust the two of them” he explained again and Aurora sighed, rolling her eyes.
“I understood that but still… Glynda is right here in Beacon and you trust her as well. And there are multiple other huntsmen and huntresses who you could have chosen for this mission. And still you chose James and me, despite the fact that we had to travel here from Atlas” the small blonde summarized the situation while walking toward the headmaster when she suddenly felt the hand of her husband on her shoulder.
She turned around, her eyes locked with his and she already knew what he wanted to say, without him even opening his mouth.
“I think Ozpin had good reasons to choose us. Even if he is currently not able to share those reasons with us”

-

“I can’t believe you really defended him! James, as much as I love you… sometimes I wonder whose side you are on” Aurora said to her husband, her heart still beating faster than usual as the two entered the aircraft that was waiting for the team.
“I did not defend him, Aurora. I simply said what everyone was thinking and I am almost certain that you thought the same” James replied, his voice as calm as always.
Aurora sighed and sat down on one of the seats as she saw Qrow and Summer entering the aircraft as well.
“I am sorry for how I acted in front of Ozpin. It’s just that with everything going on right now I am a little short tempered” the blonde faunus admitted, even though she knew that neither Qrow nor Summer were mad at her as they both seemed to understand the reasoning behind the things she just said.
“It’s alright, Aurora. I get where you are coming from and if I am being honest, the same questions have crossed my mind as well when we received the message from Ozpin” Summer admitted and ran her pale fingers through the dark hair as a shy smile crossed her lips.

“Same here. But we all know that you two are the most capable people Ozpin fully trusts. So it’s not a total surprise” Qrow suddenly said, causing everyone to look at him as he had been completely quiet beforehand.
“And I trust you two as well. So I hope that everything goes smoothly today. My niece is waiting for me at home” he added before joining the other ones in the seats and looking at Summer, who was still playing with her hair.
“So, Pedal. Let’s go over the mission and our plan again” he said to the lead of his old team who could not help but blush a little as she put the map on the table between them.

“Ozpin said that there is some suspicious Grimm activity in these ruins. He is not really sure what is causing it and so it is our mission to get rid of them and figure out what’s going on there” Summer explained calmly while pointing at some old ruins on the map.
Aurora frowned a little while looking at the map as she had a feeling that she had seen this place before but she could not figure out where exactly. But something about it seemed eerily familiar to her.
“James will come with me. We will cover the ground floor which is a lot easier with my semblance and his guns. Aurora and Qrow, you will cover the upstairs as the stairs are broken and well… you two can fly in one way or another” Summer said, the tone of her voice serious while everyone noticed that she was also very insecure about all of this.
“Works for me” was all Qrow replied and Aurora pressed her lips together as she looked over to her husband who had gone quite stiff while looking at the other huntsman who was sitting across from his wife.

After all he knew what happened between Aurora and Qrow during the first and second Vytal festival and even though Aurora promised James time and time again that that fling meant nothing to either of them, James couldn’t completely believe her.
Even though he really wanted to.
But at the same time he saw the way Qrow looked at Aurora when he thought nobody would notice it.
He looked at her the same way James did.
And so it kind of rubbed him the wrong way that Summer paired them up for this mission even though he understood her reasoning behind doing so. And yet he decided to keep his mouth shut for the sake of everyone involved but the way he looked at her when Summer announced the pairing for the mission didn’t go unnoticed by Aurora.
The young huntress sighed as she leaned back in her seat and brushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, knowing all too well what James thought.

Just a few minutes later the unlikely team arrived at their destination and upon landing right in front of the ruins they all noticed how quiet it was.
“It’s almost too quiet” James commented, knowing they all felt the same way about their current situation.
“I know but we have a mission. Finding out why there are so many Grimm in this area. Let’S just be careful, alright?” Summer responded, looking at her team members and everyone nodded in agreement even though it was quite obvious that none of them had a good feeling about this situation.
“James and I will go in first and make sure that the entrance is safe. Then you two can make your way upstairs while we look around the downstairs area. We will report to each other every five minutes or if something happens” the dark haired huntress explained, a stern look on her face and Ashe pressed her lips together, once again nodding in agreement.
“And what if we find something?” Qrow, who was leaning against one of the walls beside the entrance, wanted to know, causing everyone to look at him.
“That will depend on what we find. Eliminate any and all Grimm you come across. Everything else we will have to decide as it occurs”

-

“This place stinks like death” Qrow noticed as he and Aurora walked through the long hallway in the upstairs area. They had been in here for close to an hour now but despite a few Grimm they had found nothing so far.
Aurora tilted her head slightly and at first she wanted to ask him how he knew what death smelled like but then she remembered where he came from and what he told her about his upbringing. Of course he knew what death smelled like, she thought to herself and looked at him.
“And yet we haven’t found anything so far. No bodies, nothing despite a few Grimm. Something is terribly wrong” she replied and Qrw nodded in agreement before suddenly stopping in his tracks, causing Aurora to almost bump into him as she was walking slightly behind him.

“You know that you didn't have to accept this mission and yet you are here, acting like you were forced to”
Qrow’s words cut her like knives and Aurora felt herself stiffen up as she pressed her lips together, looking for the right words to say in her defense but she simply could not find them.
“I know. Maybe I just wanted to see Summer again” she replied, her voice equally sharp, despite her knowing that this is not the whole truth.
“Oh come on, Aurora. Really? That’s all you are gonna say about this?” he wanted to know, taking a few steps towards her and looking her straight in the eyes.
Qrow was a little taller than her but not by much and so Aurora looked back at him.
“Of course. What else is there to say? Don’t tell me that you honestly believe that I accepted this mission just so I could see you again!”

Just before the word left her mouth Aurora realized what she said, causing her to blush and look down at the floor, trying to understand why she just said that.
It was not that she wanted to but the words basically flooded out of her mouth.
Qrow raised his eyebrow with a smirk on his lips as Aurora could feel herself blushing while looking for the right words to say in this situation, but she felt like everything she could say would be wrong and so she chose to keep her mouth shut instead.
The huntsman stepped closer to her, their faces now barely inches apart and Aurora could feel a shiver running down her spine as she was still trying to say something - anything.
The tension between the two of them was undeniable and it only grew with every passing second that they stood there.
Both of them knew that they had a mission to fulfill and yet here they were, face to face.

“It meant something to you” was all Qrow said, his voice a lot quieter than before and Aurora still had no idea what she was supposed to say.
“Do you really think that I would have come back to you again if it meant nothing to me? For the first time in years I felt like there was someone who truly understood me and where I was coming from. Someone who saw more than just the weirdo with the wings” she finally admitted and looked into his red eyes.
“And yet you still married James. Someone who sees you as a trophy, something to show off to the others” Qrow replied and deep down Aurora felt herself getting angry at him.
“Don’t act like you know us. Or like you know him. Nobody is perfect. We all have our flaws” she gave back, her voice slightly shaking as she was still trying to process what Qrow just said to her.
“Maybe I don’t know him the way you do but I feel like there is no need to. You already made your choice when you decided to marry him and live that comfortable life in Atlas”
Those words cut Aurora like a knife and she took another step towards the dark haired man and looked him straight in the eye but he was still smirking.
“So Aurora, tell me. Are you truly happy in Atlas?”
But the moment Aurora opened her mouth to say something in her own defense she suddenly heard Summer’s frantic voice through the ear piece.

“We need help, quickly. Something went terribly wrong”

-

When Aurora and Qrow arrived a few minutes later, the first thing Aurora noticed was the smell of blood and rotting flesh. The smell was so overwhelming that she almost threw up but somehow she still kept going towards Summer who was kneeling on the ground beside James.
And even though it took her a moment to process what exactly she saw, when she did so it took everything in her to not scream as she fell down on the ground beside her husband.

The sight was horrible as the entirety of James’ right arm and even a part of his shoulder and chest were simply gone. And there was so much blood.
Summer somehow managed to compress the wounds with part of her cloak to stop the bleeding but it was still a horrible scene.
The arm was a few feet away from them next to…something. No one was really sure what exactly that thing was but it looked like something between a human and a Grimm.

“What the hell happened here?” Qrow wanted to know, visibly disturbed by the scene that presented itself in this room, causing Summer to look at him, her silver eyes filled with tears.
“I… I… I don’t know. We were cleaning out the room when this…thing suddenly attacked us out of the dark. My silver eyes had basically no effect on it and it stormed towards us so James threw himself in front of me to fend it off. But it was so much stronger than him…” Summer explained, her voice shaking before it finally broke as she sat there on the floor, covered in blood and crying.
“Next thing I remember is the sound of tearing flesh and James screaming. I have no idea how but I managed to save him…”
The young huntress was visibly shaken by what had happened mere minutes ago and Qrow knew better than to ask any more questions right now.

Instead the huntsman took a few steps towards the creature that was dead on the floor and looked at it, weapon in his hand in case that it wasn’t truly dead.
His eyes were now used to the dark and to his horror he started to realize something terrible.
“I think that used to be a person once”

-

The flight back to Beacon was quiet, only filled with the muffled cries of Aurora who was still holding the head of James in her lap as she was quietly talking to him, promising him that everything would be well.
She started to feel like everything was her fault.
If she had something about the pairs or if they didn’t accept this mission at all this would not have happened. James would still have all limbs.

“We need to tell Ozpin what we found. Especially about that…thing”

Chapter Text

1. The air outside the mansion was cold as Aurora Ironwood was standing on the balcony, looking out at the night sky while listening to the people talking inside of the ballroom which she had just left. A part of her still felt like she was still a stranger to this world even though she has been part of it for almost twenty years by now.
But it still felt weird to stand here in Atlas while she knew that just below the floating city there was a whole other town right below them where people were just struggling to survive. And once upon a time she used to be a part of that city. Back then she was just a girl, trying her hardest to somehow survive.
As fate would have it though she got accepted into the Atlas Academy and while training to become a huntress she met the man who would one day become her husband- James Ironwood, the son of the director of the academy. And even though the two of them butted heads at first the slowly but surely started to fall for each other.
And now here they were, the most powerful couple in Atlas and maybe even in all of Remnant and she has been the woman who had stayed by his side despite everything. Despite all the scandals and every hardship she and James had been through she stayed with him and at this point she was sure that nothing could come between the two of them.

The sudden sound of steps behind her caused Aurora to turn around but it was only her husband who was approaching her, holding two glasses of champagne in his hands with a soft smile on his lips.
There was a deep worry in his dark blue eyes as he walked towards her but as soon as he saw the smile on his wife’s lips he visibly relaxed as his steps became faster and he took place next to her, handing her a glass.
“Thank you, dear” Aurora smiled as she took the glass and toasted towards him as James smiled as well while looking out at the city.
“We will be leaving for Vale in a few days. I contacted Ozpin this morning” he explained to her, which caused Aurora to turn towards him and raise an eyebrow.
“But the festival will not be starting for a few more weeks. I thought that we would be accompanying the students” she commented as this was the last thing that James had told her regarding the Vytal Tournament.
“That was the original plan but things have changed, just like they always do. I need to talk to Ozpin” James informed his wife but before she could say anything he continued to speak, once again turning towards her, a sorry smile on his lips. “But I already talked to Winter and she will be accompanying the students instead” he finished off and Aurora could not help herself but sigh as she took a sip of her champagne.
This in turn caused James Ironwood to raise an eyebrow in question as he looked at his wife, waiting for her to say something.
“Don’t you think we put too much responsibility on Winter?” she asked him and now James was the one who sighed as he shook his head.
“Aurora, we talked about this” he sighed and Aurora nodded, knowing that right now was not the right time to talk about this.
“You are right” she agreed and the two of them looked back over the banister of the balcony, the silence between the two of them so thick that one could basically grab it.

That was the thing with the two of them. No matter how much they loved each other, there were still some differences between the two of them which were mostly stemming from their different upbringings.
Even though Aurora knew that Winter Schnee was an incredibly capable huntress, especially for her age, she still felt like James put way too much responsibility onto her shoulders. But since Winter did not seem to mind any of it, Aurora knew that it was not her place to argue with her husband.

Silence fell between the two of them and after what felt like an eternity it was Aurora who broke it as she turned towards her husband and sighed once again.
“I am sorry” she just said, her voice barely more than a whisper and James carefully put his hand onto hers that was still on the banister of the balcony as he smiled softly, shaking his head.
“No, I need to be sorry. I should have talked to you first. After all, you are the one who has stayed by my side for all those years no matter how bad things were. Part of me still thinks that it’s me against the rest of the world but…” he started, trying to explain himself but in the end his wife shut him down by placing a kiss on his lips.
That little display of affection took him by surprise but in the end he pulled her towards him by the waist, holding her close to him.

Suddenly the two of them were disturbed by the sound of someone clearing their throat and when they turned around to see who it was, it was none other than the host of the Gala himself, Jacques Schnee.
Aurora has always had a strong dislike regarding the patriarch of the Schnee family and all the things Winter has told her only made it worse. Something about that man had always seemed off to her and her dislike against him was an open secret at this point.
Still holding his wife’s hands, James Ironwood turned to face the slightly older man, a stern expression on his face.
“What do you want now, Jacques?” he wanted to know, the tone of his voice rather cold and annoyed which caused Jacques Schnee to roll his eyes as he took a few steps out of the door and towards the couple, eyeing Aurora with a fair amount of hatred in his snake-like eyes before he returned his attention towards her husband.
“I need to talk to you. Private matters” he explained, which immediately caused Aurora to stop in her tracks before sighing and looking at her husband who looked at her like he wanted to say sorry for the other man’s behavior.
“Just go with him. I will find a way to entertain myself” Aurora reassured her husband who pressed one last kiss onto her cheek before he left with Jacques.

Aurora on the other side decided to stay out here for just a little while longer and enjoy the cool night air when she suddenly heard yet another pair of steps walking towards her and when she turned around this time she saw Winter Schnee standing in the door.
Winter looked rather pale and like she was deeply worried about something but as far as Aurora knew the young woman, Winter would not tell her what bothered her, no matter for how long and how much she asked. She just knew that Winter would talk to her if things git too bad.
“I just wanted to make sure that everything is alright, Miss. I saw the General leave with my father” she explained herself as Aurora just smiled and nodded before pointing at the empty spot by her side.
“I am perfectly fine, dear. Would you mind joining me?” Aurora asked Winter who smiled a soft smile before she joined the General’s wife at the banister of the balcony and the two women looked down on the town of Atlas, the busy streets still bustling with life despite the fact that it was almost midnight.
“I know that you don’t like this place, Winter” Aurora broke the silence between the two women and before Winter said anything an awkward laugh escaped her lips, which caused her to cover her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened.
This in turn caused Aurora to laugh as she turned towards Winter, who was blushing but desperately trying to hide it.
Once again silence fell before Winter let out a loud sigh and turned towards Aurora, who noticed that the younger woman’s fingers were basically digging into the metal of the banister in front of them.
“I have fond memories of my childhood here as well as some that are rather unpleasant” was all Winter said, her voice once again rather cold and Aurora swallowed hard as she realized that even though she meant well, she probably awakened some memories Winter originally wanted to forget and she was deeply sorry for that.

As she turned to the younger, white haired woman she had already turned around and was walking back inside but for a short moment she stopped in her tracks and once again turned around before looking back at Aurora.
“I need to go back inside in case the general needs my assistance”

-

As the party started to die down, James told Jacques Schnee that he and his wife would now return home before he turned his attention to Winter, who was just standing a few feet away, her arms crossed behind her back and her eyes on the general.
“Aurora and I will be walking home. You are off for the night” he explained to the young woman, who nodded with a rather confused look on her face before answering to him.
“Understood, General. I will see you tomorrow then” she replied and James nodded.
“Of course, Schnee. Good night” he said before turning around and walking to his wife who was already waiting by the door, his coat around her shoulders and a soft smile on her lips as he approached her.
As he reached her, he presented her his hand, which she immediately took before the two of them stepped out of the manor and out into the cool air of the night that was still filled with the sounds of the city as the two of them started to make their way back to the academy.
The silence between the two of them was in no way unpleasant, but there was something within that silence that needed to be said. But since neither of them knew how to say it, it was left unspoken- at least for now.
Just walking through the streets of Atlas made Aurora thankful for the things she has achieved by now and realize how far she has come from that young girl that used to steal from the markets of Mantle, somehow trying to get by.
Now she was the wife of the most powerful man in all of Remnant and a huntress that was more than just capable of defending herself- even though a lot of people still seemed to doubt that.
After all, she knew what the people called her behind her back. They claimed that she was a whore, a golddigger who was only after the money of the Ironwood family and that she was actually a fraud that actually never unlocked her semblance.
By now she had learned not to listen to what the others had to say but back when she and James first started dating she did not have this level of confidence, which caused her to develop serious self doubts and part of her just wanted to break things off back then in order to escape all of that.
Today she was glad that she stayed and fought against those accusations.

“You seem lost in thought” James suddenly noticed and stopped in his tracks, tilting his head slightly as he looked at his wife, wanting to make sure that she was alright.
He knew that she had issues with the Schnee family and little to no respect for their patriarch, so the parties that were held at their estate were always extra hard for her. And yet she still managed to play her role perfectly fine in public.
Of course he respected his wife and her opinions deeply as he knew that she was the one to make the right calls whenever he could not see clearly due to his semblance. She was the one who was closer to the people of Mantle and understood them so much better than he would ever do, due to his own upbringing here in Atlas.
But that was something that was between the two of them, Because out in the public Aurora played a role that was rather different when compared to her actual personality. Out here she was the quiet wife, the one who one spoke when spoken to but also knew how to charm people to make things easier for Atlas- and for him.
“I know that this sounds silly but something is going on out in the world. I can feel it” she finally admitted after a few more minutes of silence as the two of them stood under a streetlight and looked at each other, James understanding what she meant.
“That is one of the reasons why I will be leaving for Vale earlier than originally planned, dear. Because believe it or not, you are not the first person to tell me” he admitted, which in turn caused Aurora to raise an eyebrow as she looked at her husband, waiting for him to explain himself further.
“Qrow thinks the same.”

Qrow. That name alone caused Aurora’s heart to skip a beat as she was still looking at her husband, whose relaxed expression had turned into a stern look.
The thing was that she and Qrow shared a rather interesting past that led back to their school days as they had a romance going on during both of the Vytal Festivals they attended as students back in the day. And even though both of them always swore that there were no feelings between them, they knew better.
There were feelings but neither of them knew how to act on them as they were rather different and from rival schools. Now, their student days were twenty years behind them but still, the tension between Aurora and Qrow was still there and everyone around them noticed it as well.
That of course included James Ironwood.
He knew about the past his wife and the fellow huntsman shared but he also knew that his wife only loved him because that’s what she promised him when he asked her about her and Qrow. And yet he knew that it would be stupid to deny the bond that the two of them shared, even all those years later.

But right now they had to focus on the present and the threat that was dawning on the horizon of Remnant, creeping closer with every passing day.
As part of Ozpin’s inner circle both James and Aurora knew the truth and the fact that the threat that was approaching them, had a name.
Her name was Salem.
But up until now no one except Ozpin knew what her ultimate goal was.

Chapter Text

As Aurora awoke the next morning she found the other side of the bed to be empty- something that she had gotten used to but that did not mean that it annoyed her any less even after all those years.

The sun was still rising, which told her that it was still rather early in the morning and deep down she knew that James had once again barely slept before he decided to get up and check on everything.

A deep sigh left her throat as she knew that her husband was a busy man but still she felt like he was putting too much weight on his own shoulders, especially in times like these when the world was getting darker with each passing day but they were still trying like everything was alright.
Because that was the way it has always been- keeping face in order to distract the public from the threat that was looming right over their heads.

Aurora got herself dressed before she decided to head to her husband's office in order to check on him as she was worried about him after the conversation the two of them had last night.

She had barely opened the door when she noticed none other than Clover Ebi standing in front of her, getting ready to knock on that very door that she had just opened. With a soft smile on her lips she eyed the slightly younger huntsman, who only smiled back.

“Good morning, Clover. You wanted to talk to me?” she questioned him to which Clover ran his fingers through his light brown hair, an awkward laugh escaping his throat as he looked down at the ground.

“Yes but also no. The General sent me here. He wanted to talk to you but since he is currently busy and could not get you himself he asked me if I could get you” he explained and continued to smile at her, as Aurora closed the bedroom door behind herself and nodded before she decided to join him on the way to her husband’s office.

Even though all members of the Ace-Ops acted like they respected her, she knew that this was not actually the case.
She Knew that Clover had a deep respect for her, stemming from that one time she managed to beat him while sparring when he was younger. Ever since that day he knew that she was not a fraud but instead some knew exactly what they were doing.

—

The two of them continued to walk down the corridors of the school where Aurora was greeted by a fair amount of students, all of which she greeted back. Not only was she the wife of the general but she also was a teacher at this very school, teaching history in all grades.

Even though she grew up extremely poor, history had always been a passions of hers and when she was a child she had a bad habit of stealing books to satisfy her need for knowledge- even when her mother forced her to go back to the stores and give those books back once she was done reading them.

Nowadays she was surrounded by all the books she could ever ask for and yet there was still a part of her that told her that she didn't deserve any of this- that she was unworthy to stand by James' side despite everything the two of them had been through.
Part of her was still that young girl who stole to get by, who counted every last penny to afford what she needed to afford the school uniform she needed to attend the academy.

When they finally reached her husband's office at the end of the corridor Clover turned to Aurora and smiled before bowing slightly.

"Here we are", the huntsman announced, causing her to giggle softly while shaking her head.

"Thank you, Clover", was all she replied before she watched as he left and she knocked on the door, already hearing voices from inside the office- although she couldn't quite make out who was there alongside her husband.

Mere seconds later the door was opened and she stood face to face with Winter Schnee.
Despite only being in her mid twenties Winter already had a high rank in the military and was one of the people James and Aurora trusted the most.
If Aurora was being honest she though of Winter as the daughter she never had and thus she had grown rather protective of the young woman.

"Mrs. Ironwood", Winter greeted Aurora, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as she did so before stepping aside so that Aurora could cross the room until she reached her husband's desk.

"Winter", she greeted back while passing before standing in front of the big wooden desk, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she looked at her husband in anticipation.

"Clover said you wanted to talk to me"

"Indeed" he replied and although he tried to sound as calm as usual Aurora noticed that there was something brewing beneath the surface as there was a certain nervousness to her husband that usually wasn't there.
And so she crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him, waiting for an answer while he was seemingly looking for the right words to say.

"I'll be leaving for Vale today"

Aurora blinked in confusion as she tried to process his words, wondering if he was being serious- but his expression said everything. He was more than just serious.

"But why? We are supposed to leave with the students in a month and…just yesterday you said that you will be leaving in a few days. Not today. Why…"

He didn't let her finish, instead he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

"Things have changed. Ozpin wants me there"

His voice was cold as he spoke and yet there was still that nervousness which gave Aurora the impression that there was something he wasn't telling her- maybe he was unsure of how to say it or because he wasn't sure how she would react to it.

For a moment there was silence between the two of them- then Aurora spoke up, her arms crossed in front of her chest and a determined look on her face as she looked at her husband.

"Well, then I will be coming with you", she declared, which caused Ironwood to look at his wife in disbelief, wondering if he heard her right.

"And the students?"

Aurora let out a laugh, her arms still crossed in front of her chest while she looked at him, her expression turning serious as well before she rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"They know that we sometimes have to leave to attend other kinds of business, James", she reminded him, now using her hands to support her weight as she leaned over the desk, something dangerous flashing in her eyes.
"Just say if you don't want me there"

The general swallowed hard as he shook his head.
It wasn't like that and Aurora knew that as well as he did.

"I don't want you to be dragged into this"

Another bitter laugh left her lips as she looked at him.

"James, let's be real. It's far too late for such concerns. I have been part of this for as long as you and we both know that. We are both part of Ozpin's inner circle", she reminded him as she walked around his desk, gently placing a hand on his cheek, her expression softening.

"And I promised to stay by your side, remember? So please don't shut me out. I just wanna be there for you"
Her voice was now soft as she spoke and James sighed, knowing that his wife was right- she always was.
It was dumb of him for fearing that he might drag her into this when she has been part of this for as long as he was, when she saw all the things that he saw- when she was the one who stayed by his side despite everything.

"You are right", he eventually replied as his hand found hers, his voice barely above a whisper as he closed his eyes and hoped that Ozpin's concerns were unfounded- even though he doubted that.
He knew his old friend after all.

And then there were also the concerns that Qrow Branwen voiced when the two men last met.

—

There was a certain tension among them as they packed for Vale even though both of them said what they wanted to say. And yet neither of them said it, scared that it might destroy that fragile illusion of peace which they had currently going on. And yet one could just feel the tension.

"Things must have gotten a lot worse if Ozpin wants us there so quickly", Aurora eventually noted, looking over at her husband who was staring out of the window and nodded.

"Yes, I suspect so to. He didn't want to tell me what was going on over the call but.. he was nervous. I haven't experienced him being so nervous in all those years in which we have known him"

James' voice was laced with concern as he spoke which caused his wife to sigh and walks towards the window where he was standing, watching as the soldiers got ready to leave Atlas within the next hour.

"We will know what's going on when we get there. And then we will figure it out- just like we have always done", she calmly reminded her husband, her hand on his shoulder where she could feel the ridged line that marked the transition between his flesh and the prosthetic which he had been wearing since that incident all those years ago.

He sighed before turning around so that he could look at his wife.

He knew that she was right, that he was thinking too much about it but at the same time he just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on than Ozpin let them know and that this wouldn't be as easy as it was all those other times before.
Jame's mind wandered back to the words that his wife said last night after they left the Schnee manor, that there was something changing in the world- and how her words had basically confirmed what Qrow had told him as well.

"I just hope we can figure this out"

With those words he pulled Aurora against his chest, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent that had essentially become home for him over the last twenty years.
After all, she was always there for him. She was his safe haven- something that he would never take for granted.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed when they suddenly heard a knock on the door.
Aurora wanted to pull away from her husband to retain a professional image but James kept her close to him as if he was scared to fall apart if he let go of her and so the two of them stood there, in front of the window, his arms still wrapped around her when Winter stepped into the room, her eyes slightly widening at the rather intimate display in front of her.

Although it took her a few seconds she eventually caught herself again and cleared her throat before she started to speak, her voice as neutral as ever.

"I just wanted to inform you that the carriers are ready, General"

"Thank you, Winter. We will be down in a minute"

Winter nodded before turning around and leaving the room again, leaving James and Aurora behind.

Much to her surprise a smirk appeared on her husband's face as he put his arm around her waist, her body still pressed against his.

"Duty might be calling but at least it's calling both of us"

His words caused Aurora to laugh before she rolled her eyes, trying her hardest to hide a smile.

"You're cheesy"

—

As they approached Vale and therefore the Beacon Academy Aurora couldn't help herself but feel like she was coming back to a home she didn't know she was missing for so long.
Because Beacon Academy was basically where it all began all those years ago.

Little did she know that it would also be the place where the pages turned once again and a new chapter would start.