Jaune Arc, Single Father 40
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AndrewJTalon
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The nightmare hit around 2:17 a.m.
Mia suddenly sat bolt upright in Jaune's bunk, a terrified scream tearing from her throat. Her little body shook violently as she sobbed, "The wolf! The wolf's got me-!"
Jaune was already moving, swinging his legs out of bed, but Pyrrha's hand shot out and caught his wrist.
"Jaune," she whispered, voice gentle but firm. "You need rest. You've barely slept all week. Let me take her."
He hesitated, eyes full of worry and exhaustion. Pyrrha gave him a small, reassuring smile and scooped Mia into her arms. The little girl immediately buried her face in Pyrrha's shoulder, still crying softly.
"I've got her," Pyrrha murmured. "Go back to sleep."
Jaune watched them go, jaw tight, before finally lying back down.
- - -
The RWBY dorm was still awake when Pyrrha gently knocked and slipped inside. All four girls were up - Ruby and Yang on one bed, Weiss and Blake on the other - clearly unable to sleep either.
Pyrrha explained quietly what had happened. Without a word, Yang got up and started making hot cocoa while Ruby fetched extra blankets.
A few minutes later, Mia was sitting in the middle of Yang's bed, wrapped in a big fluffy blanket and sipping warm cocoa from a mug that was almost too big for her hands. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but she had stopped crying.
Ruby sat beside her, stirring her own cocoa. "I… get nightmares too sometimes," she admitted quietly.
Mia looked up at her. "About what?"
Ruby hesitated, glancing at Yang.
Yang sighed and took over, voice unusually soft. "When we were really little… I took Ruby out in a wagon one night. I wanted to find our mom. We ended up in the woods and found this old shack. Grimm attacked us. Uncle Qrow showed up just in time, but… I've blamed myself ever since."
Ruby shook her head firmly. "You shouldn't, Yang. I never blamed you."
Mia stared at them both with big, serious eyes. Then she crawled across the bed and gave Yang a tight hug, then turned and hugged Ruby just as fiercely.
"Beowulves are super scary," she said solemnly.
Yang's voice cracked a little. "Yeah. They really are. That's why we got strong. So we can protect ourselves… and people like you."
Mia pulled back and smiled, tired but genuine. "You're all super great."
The girls all smiled at that.
Mia yawned hugely, then crawled back over and climbed into Yang's lap without asking. She rested her head against Yang's chest, clutching her shirt.
"…Mama…" she mumbled sleepily.
The room went completely silent.
Mia's breathing evened out within seconds, fast asleep and still clinging to Yang like a lifeline.
Yang stared down at the tiny girl in her arms, eyes wide.
Pyrrha reached out gently. "She was clearly asking for me."
Yang hissed back, careful not to raise her voice, "She was holding onto me!"
Ruby leaned in. "She could've meant me! I'm the one who brought her here!"
Weiss crossed her arms, whispering sharply, "We're going to wake her! Besides, I am clearly the closest thing she has to a proper surrogate mother!"
Blake snorted softly. "Please. I gave her new grandparents. That counts for something."
Yang glared at all of them, tightening her hold on Mia protectively. "She said 'Mama.' And she's sleeping on me. End of discussion."
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. "She was calling for me before she even came here."
Weiss's voice rose a fraction. "I've read her bedtime stories twice this week!"
Ruby pouted. "I let her ride on my shoulders yesterday!"
Blake smirked. "I taught her about Faunus history. That's bonding."
The four of them (plus Pyrrha) began whispering furiously at each other, leaning in close over the sleeping child like a very intense, very quiet argument.
Mia slept on, completely oblivious, one tiny hand still fisted in Yang's shirt and a peaceful little smile on her face.
Yang eventually sighed, rolling her eyes but smiling anyway as she gently stroked Mia's hair.
"…She's gonna be the death of all of us," she muttered.
Mia suddenly sat bolt upright in Jaune's bunk, a terrified scream tearing from her throat. Her little body shook violently as she sobbed, "The wolf! The wolf's got me-!"
Jaune was already moving, swinging his legs out of bed, but Pyrrha's hand shot out and caught his wrist.
"Jaune," she whispered, voice gentle but firm. "You need rest. You've barely slept all week. Let me take her."
He hesitated, eyes full of worry and exhaustion. Pyrrha gave him a small, reassuring smile and scooped Mia into her arms. The little girl immediately buried her face in Pyrrha's shoulder, still crying softly.
"I've got her," Pyrrha murmured. "Go back to sleep."
Jaune watched them go, jaw tight, before finally lying back down.
- - -
The RWBY dorm was still awake when Pyrrha gently knocked and slipped inside. All four girls were up - Ruby and Yang on one bed, Weiss and Blake on the other - clearly unable to sleep either.
Pyrrha explained quietly what had happened. Without a word, Yang got up and started making hot cocoa while Ruby fetched extra blankets.
A few minutes later, Mia was sitting in the middle of Yang's bed, wrapped in a big fluffy blanket and sipping warm cocoa from a mug that was almost too big for her hands. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but she had stopped crying.
Ruby sat beside her, stirring her own cocoa. "I… get nightmares too sometimes," she admitted quietly.
Mia looked up at her. "About what?"
Ruby hesitated, glancing at Yang.
Yang sighed and took over, voice unusually soft. "When we were really little… I took Ruby out in a wagon one night. I wanted to find our mom. We ended up in the woods and found this old shack. Grimm attacked us. Uncle Qrow showed up just in time, but… I've blamed myself ever since."
Ruby shook her head firmly. "You shouldn't, Yang. I never blamed you."
Mia stared at them both with big, serious eyes. Then she crawled across the bed and gave Yang a tight hug, then turned and hugged Ruby just as fiercely.
"Beowulves are super scary," she said solemnly.
Yang's voice cracked a little. "Yeah. They really are. That's why we got strong. So we can protect ourselves… and people like you."
Mia pulled back and smiled, tired but genuine. "You're all super great."
The girls all smiled at that.
Mia yawned hugely, then crawled back over and climbed into Yang's lap without asking. She rested her head against Yang's chest, clutching her shirt.
"…Mama…" she mumbled sleepily.
The room went completely silent.
Mia's breathing evened out within seconds, fast asleep and still clinging to Yang like a lifeline.
Yang stared down at the tiny girl in her arms, eyes wide.
Pyrrha reached out gently. "She was clearly asking for me."
Yang hissed back, careful not to raise her voice, "She was holding onto me!"
Ruby leaned in. "She could've meant me! I'm the one who brought her here!"
Weiss crossed her arms, whispering sharply, "We're going to wake her! Besides, I am clearly the closest thing she has to a proper surrogate mother!"
Blake snorted softly. "Please. I gave her new grandparents. That counts for something."
Yang glared at all of them, tightening her hold on Mia protectively. "She said 'Mama.' And she's sleeping on me. End of discussion."
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. "She was calling for me before she even came here."
Weiss's voice rose a fraction. "I've read her bedtime stories twice this week!"
Ruby pouted. "I let her ride on my shoulders yesterday!"
Blake smirked. "I taught her about Faunus history. That's bonding."
The four of them (plus Pyrrha) began whispering furiously at each other, leaning in close over the sleeping child like a very intense, very quiet argument.
Mia slept on, completely oblivious, one tiny hand still fisted in Yang's shirt and a peaceful little smile on her face.
Yang eventually sighed, rolling her eyes but smiling anyway as she gently stroked Mia's hair.
"…She's gonna be the death of all of us," she muttered.
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