A/N: I have a lot to say in the end notes below; but for those of you who won't read the whole spiel, let me just say that it has been an honor and a privilege writing and sailing this ship.

Everybody, the conclusion to Picture Perfect.

xXxXx

Jaune's fingers drummed against the desk in front of him in a steady rhythm. Professor Peach was once again absent from her class, but a bored looking Peter Port was in place to ensure that no one left before the video presentation on fauna unique to Vacuo finished. It was honestly a wonder that no one in the student body had ever seen the alleged teacher in the flesh, and it crossed his mind, not for the first time, that she may be a figment of Ozpin's imagination.

While the boring presentation continued, Jaune spent a moment contemplating all that had transpired in the months following the confrontation with his father:

First, his family. After days (and days) of discussion, Nicholas and Juniper were still married to each other, though "happily" was no longer an applicable word. It was, surprisingly, a mutual decision; they still had four children living with them, and while Nick had shown himself to be the human equivalent of a flea, his younger sisters still deserved to have some type of father figure in their lives. All bets were off once the kids left home, however. A part of Jaune wanted the most obvious solution to happen, but he quickly squashed that thought; he would only harm himself by being vindictive.

The more positive side of that coin was that all of his sisters now fully supported him in his efforts to be a Huntsman. None of them had ever been truly against it, but they now understood that he actually had the potential to succeed. It felt good knowing he had their faith.

Second, his school life. He was able to keep a B average for his academic courses and, somehow, managing to stay middle-of-the-class in Goodwitch's combat lessons. According to Pyrrha and Velvet, this was due to both his dedication and improved confidence following him moving on from his childhood... well, not trauma, but issues with his father. None of that made Yang pummeling him into the floor easier to handle, mind you.

JNPR as a whole had completed multiple missions, and it was there that he truly felt his improvements; as long as he avoided developing tunnel vision in the larger-scale battles, he could lead his team well and bring them home happy, healthy, and with a mission complete. Team RWBY was also doing well, and had recently returned from a re-investigation of Mountain Glenn where they had been paired with Team CRDL.

Speaking of CRDL, there was the situation between Cardin and himself. They still weren't exactly 'friends,' but there was a shared, genuine respect between them when they happened to work with (or fight against) each other. This was helped by Cardin giving Velvet an honest apology for the way he had treated her at the beginning of the school year.

That brought the mental list to its final, and most important, person: Velvet herself. Their relationship was going strong, to the point that Jaune could comfortably say he was truly in love with her. They spent as much time around each other as they could: studying, taking pictures, and, yes, occasionally arguing with one another; but they had adopted a policy of never going to bed angry, and always made sure they had their disagreements settled before turning in for the night.

There was one thing on his mind these days, and that was that they had yet to actually say the words 'I love you' to each other. Jaune wanted to find the perfect moment to lay his heart wide open, but had thus far been unsuccessful at securing that special time.

So he was going to make that moment happen himself. There was an end-of-the-year party the following week, where RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY were going to celebrate getting one step closer to graduation. He was going to present his special 'hobby' to everybody at that time, and announce- okay, re-proclaim his love for his bunny girl.

The bell for dismissal rang throughout the school and Jaune shot like a rocket towards his dorm room. He needed as much practice as he could get, and his team (who were the only people who knew about his hobby and plan) had agreed to let him practice in peace after classes. The door unlocked and he marched in, intending to make every minute count.

To his surprise, the door reopened behind him almost immediately, and he turned to see Ren, his brother from another mother, walking in. "Hey, man, what's up? I'm surprised you aren't with Nora right now."

"Jaune, I... have a favor to ask of you." Ren was the quiet, serious type on a day-to-day basis, but there was something different in his tone that grabbed Jaune's attention.

"Anything you need, Ren. I'm all ears."

"It has to do with your plan for next weekend. Could you help me with doing the same thing?"

"Help you with...?" Ren produced two sheets of paper and handed them to Jaune, who read and re-read them until he got the full picture. "...I get it; you want to confess to Nora at the party."

Ren gave a noise of confirmation. "I was initially going to make it a more... private affair; but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, for Nora, it would be the type of moment that should be shared with everybody. If you help me, I would gladly settle for this happening after your plan with Velvet."

Jaune remained silent for a moment. His answer was already determined, but he wasn't sure how to say it for the best reaction.

"Ren, I will not put your dedication after my own." The ninja slumped his shoulders and opened his mouth to say he understood, but Jaune cut him off with, "Instead, your request shall be the main event. I'm making your confession front and center!"

It achieved the desired effect; Ren rarely, if ever, gets flustered, but at that moment he was practically panicking. "Wha- Jaune, no, I can't do that to you. You've been planning this for two weeks now, and I don't want to get in the way of that."

"Ren, what does Nora mean to you?" The ninja took a moment before answering to make sure he had heard the question right.

"After we lost our hometown, Kuroyuri, Nora was the only thing that kept me moving forward. She's my rock, my foundation." Ren tapered off on the last sentence, but he couldn't fight the small smile that appeared on his face. Jaune offered a smile in return.

"Then put your faith in me and in your feelings for her. We're gonna make this a moment she'll never forget, okay?" Jaune stuck his fist out, and Ren bumped it with his own. "Just make sure she doesn't find out about this."

"I'll make sure she's occupied every minute of every day if I have to. Thank you, Jaune."

They shared a bro hug and Ren departed to find his beloved. Jaune reached under his bed and pulled out a heavy case. It was time to practice. "He sure did pick a sappy song, though. That's a little surprising."

xXxXx

Velvet and Coco were together in the library, preparing for the end-of-year exams that were coming up. The latter had her head down in her textbook, but the former was a little distracted. "Coco, do you have any idea what Jaune's been up to?"

"For the third time, Velv, no. Yang hasn't found out anything new about his supposed 'hobby', and we've been pushing his team for information this whole time. When he's ready to tell you about it he will, okay?" Coco loved her teammate, but one can only hear the same question so many times before they lose their patience.

Jaune was still the same great man Velvet had come to adore, but every time she asked about this mystery of his, he would start to blabber or change the topic. He was sweet, but a very bad liar. The rabbit started mumbling, "It's just peculiar that he's willing to share so much about himself except that. He helps me with my photography so much, and I just really want to return the favor if what he's doing is really a hobby."

Coco rolled her eyes and tried a different tactic. "Maybe it's a kinky hobby and he's trying to figure out the right time to introduce you to it."

Shw knew it was effective when she felt the rabbit freeze in place, mouth slightly agape at the thought of Jaune in a rather... inappropriate leather outfit. Coco took the opportunity to finish reading the last few pages of her book on Mistral's history. Setting it back in her bag, she decided to release her friend from her torment. "I was kidding, Velvet. He doesn't strike me as the type to have one of those set-ups."

"R-right, I'm just worried over nothing. Well, I'm just gonna... swing by his dorm room for a minute and say hi." Velvet gave an awkward cough and rose from her chair while putting her supplies away. The trip to JNPR's room was uneventful, which gave her mind a chance to wander.

'Just what could he doing?' Jaune had done the occasional small surprise before, such as giving her flowers or a spare part for her cameras, but never had he kept a secret from her for such a long period of time. Whether it was a good secret or a bad one, it was clearly important to him.

Velvet gave a firm nod to herself. She was going to trust him, just like she always had.

xXxXx

-A week and a half later-

The three friendly teams were sitting in the courtyard of the school, music blaring from a playlist on Yang's scroll. The year-end party had turned into something of a potluck, with each person bringing whatever food or snacks they felt appropriate; as a result, the designated 'picnic blanket' was covered in a variety of sweets, sodas, and a conspicuously large bowl of tuna salad. Some of their fellow students would pass by and talk with them for a little bit, but by-and-large they were mostly partying by themselves.

Velvet was sitting near Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha, having a good time and taking the occasional candid shot with her camera. It was all fun, but she sometimes caught one of the two girls glancing at her with some secretive, knowing look.

An hour into the festivities, Jaune stood up and excused himself from the group. When he did so, Ren, who had been talking with Fox across the lawn, met his eyes and wound up leaving with him. They were gone for a few minutes, and while they were out Nora gave a strange, enthusiastic squee. "Oooh, it's happening! He's been preparing so much for this."

"Preparing for what?" Velvet tilted her head in confusion, and Pyrrha sent Nora a silencing look. It was too late to stop the leak, however. "What is going on, you two?"

Pyrrha gave a sigh, but she had the same smile on face that Nora did. "Sorry for being secretive all this time, but Jaune's been wanting to surprise you with something. He'll be back to show you what we mean."

Sure enough, Jaune came back shortly afterwards carrying a guitar case, Ren following right behind him with a small stool. Yang, sensing the atmosphere change, shut off her music and leaned forward in anticipation. The two boys set the stool just at the edge of the group, Jaune sitting down with his acoustic guitar and using a small device to tune it. As the puzzle pieces clicked into place, Velvet felt herself flashback to what Jaune told her before the dance.

"I could demonstrate the vocals I came up with, though it loses the effect without the guitar." Velvet's face nearly split in two from grinning. Nora was practically bouncing and Pyrrha leaned over saying, "I know you'll love this, Velvet. He's been practicing day in and day out."

Jaune, finally finished with the tuning, raised his voice so that everyone could hear him. "I hope you all don't mind me interrupting a bit, but I have a song that I'd like to share. Sometimes, we all have trouble saying the things we want to say to the people we care about; but I feel music is something that connects all of us together, so here's to hoping that the message gets across. Nora?"

Said ginger-haired girl stopped mid-bounce. "Huh?"

"This is to you, from Ren." Jaune smiled and put the guitar in position. His fingers began to softly pick at the strings, playing a gentle, loving tune.

Forever can never be long enough for me/ To feel like I've had long enough with you

Forget the world now, we won't let them see/ But there's one thing left to do

Ren made his way over to Nora and offered her a hand up, which she accepted with an almost star-struck expression. Gently, they began to rock back and forth in a two-step dance, completely ignoring the cheers of those looking at them.

Now that the weight has lifted/ Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me/ Today and every day

Marry me/ If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

Velvet was taking picture after picture, her camera clicking furiously as she strove to get the best shot. Some had the couple alone, others included Jaune playing in the background, still more captured the gazes of their friends. This was something special, and as Nora's expression shifted into something more natural and relaxed she felt the urge to jump for joy. Those two deserved this; that much had always been clear.

Together can never be close enough for me/ To feel like I am close enough to you

You wear white and I'll wear out the words "I love you"/ And you're beautiful

Now that the wait is over/ And love has finally shown her my way

Marry me/ Today and every day

Marry me/ If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

As Jaune sang, his eyes met with Velvet's and they shared a private smile. He mentally apologized to the song that he had written just for this occasion; if he played it after this, it would take away from the new couple's moment. Promising it that it would soon see the light of day, he finished the current song as best he could.

Promise me/ You'll always be/ Happy by my side

I promise to/ Sing to you/ When all the music dies

And marry me/ Today and everyday

Marry me/ If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

Say you will/ Mm-hmm

Marry me

As the music came to an end, Nora brought Ren's head down to meet hers. It was an energetic, if clumsy, first kiss, and when they separated they were nearly out of breath. Absolutely red-in-the-face, they both sat down and accepted everyone's warm wishes, hands still held tightly together.

Velvet walked over to Jaune and gave him a broad smile and a kiss on the cheek. "How did you know that I love men that can be romantic?"

"I just had a feeling." He laughed as he put the guitar back into the case. "Ren asked me to dedicate that song to her, and there was no way I was going to say no. Now they can officially say they're 'together-together.'"

They chuckled and Velvet leaned her face into his neck in an embrace. "They told me that you were supposed to be singing for me, but you passed that up to let something even more special occur. I love you, Jaune."

"I promise you, it wasn't a hard decision... and I love you too, Velvet." They stayed just like that for several minutes, basking in the glow of their own love. Planting a kiss on her forehead, he leaned back and asked, "By the way, did you get any good pictures? I saw you snapping away over there."

"Oh, yes, and I think I know which one is my favorite." She brought her camera up and began clicking through the images, eventually settling on one and showing it to him. The displayed image was a more distant shot that captured not only Ren and Nora, but everyone present barring herself. Their eyes were locked in a loving gaze, and all of their friends were smiling as they sat and looked upon the duo in the center. Jaune had one leg slightly higher than the other on his stool, mouth open just a little as he sang.

Jaune smiled as he took it in. "It's perfect, Velvet."

xXxXx

Oh goodness, where do I start?

Picture Perfect started as just the dance scene from chapter one. There was no real plan to continue it, so I just crafted a narrative and shipped out the package. Easy peasy. As the reviews came rolling in and people kept saying they loved it, I started forming a more comprehensive storyline but... I was extremely scared to try it.

I'm notorious for starting big projects and never finishing them; case in point, Tales of Neo. I don't plan to fail but I do fail to plan, and when the true scope of my undertakings hit me I tend to panic and shut down. So before I started on chapter two I said to myself, 'Panda, if you start this, you're finishing it damnit.'

It has warmed me to my core seeing the love and appreciation you all have for my work. Over 200 follows, almost 150 favorites... Those aren't small numbers. That's pressure, that's expectations. Expectations that I will not let them down, because we all feel the occasional need to escape to a fictional world. To take a journey into a world of fantasy and magic, of romance and guns.

So for every favorite, every follow, every review, and every one of you that clicked that link to read this story: thank you, thank you, and thrice thank you.

This particular journey is over. The S.S. Moonbunny has been cast into the open sea, where it will drift until it finds a new home; but this captain is in the process of building a new ship, grander than this one and, hopefully, no less sweet.

This is Random 'O' Panda signing off, and may I see you all in the story of 'Jaune, the Charismatic Gamer!'