"Stay calm, Ilia," Kali said. "Just focus on that one spot. Focus and push."

"Believe me, I'm trying," Ilia said between winces.

"Nurse Ginger, does it look okay to you?" Kali stood right next to the nurse, watching the events unfold in front of them. Ginger's face mask completely covered her toucan beak, and her curly dirty blonde hair nearly covered her face.

"Well, it certainly won't be crowning. Do you know the sex yet, or is that still a surprise?"

"It's a surprise," Ilia said.

"Blake, are you sure you don't want to come over here and see it?" her mother asked.

"Yes, Mom," Blake said, somehow leaning back and standing on her toes at the same time. "I'm at her side, and it's still too much. I'm not going down there." She held onto Ilia's left hand as the chameleon squeezed.

"And you, honey?" Kali asked. Ghira sat behind Ilia in the corner of the room. He kicked his cat feet and gave a scared laugh at the thought of being closer than he was.

"The baby is breeching," Nurse Ginger said. "Both feet are out."

"Well, no faunus trait yet," Kali said. "Sorry, honey, it doesn't have your paws."

"That's a shame," Ghira joked.

Ginger reached forward and said, "And it looks liiiike… just as I suspected. It's a baby boy. Keep working. We're almost there. It only gets easier."

"Really?" Kali said practically in Ginger's ear.

Ginger mouthed the words, "Heck, no. The head and shoulders still have to come out," but a sheet covered the words from Ilia. "He's really starting to vocalize," Ginger said. "If only we could get that big head out."

"I'm only getting split in half, no big deal," Ilia said.

"See, you're joking when you say that…" Blake said. A confused, frightened look popped onto Ilia's face. "I'm just kidding!"

"I'm already on a rollercoaster. You don't have to do that," Ilia whined.

"It was pretty disgusting. I'm sorry." It didn't stop Blake from laughing inwardly.

"Aaand the nipples are here," Kali said. Ilia screamed. "Ooh, make that the shoulders."

"Ilia, you're doing great, darling," Ginger said. More and more of the child came out, but there was still no sign of a faunus trait. "You're so strong. I hear you helped root out the terrorists on the island before Atlas happened. What Dust do you like to use?"

"ElectRIC, AAAGHH." The mental probe worked in favor as Ginger maneuvered the rest of the baby boy out. Ilia caught her breath, and slimy goop followed behind the baby.

"And that's it!" Ginger said, her voice barely audible over the crying and screaming. "He sounds pretty healthy to me!"

Kali put her hand over her smile and began to tear up. As Ginger lifted the red-haired baby into Ilia's arm, both her and Blake's mouths fell open.

"He's you, Blake," Ilia said. "Look, they're perfect." The two pressed foreheads together and shared a watery-eyed kiss.

"What's his name?" Ginger asked.

"Hello, Weiss. You're here early," Kali said. Weiss hugged the two cat-eared Faunus she'd come to know. "Everyone from Mistral is still at sea. And you must be Klein."

"Yes. Hello, Mrs. Belladonna. I'm here for the business part of her trip. It's nice to meet you." The two shook hands.

"Please, both of you. Come in, come in." Kali said as Klein tailed her and Weiss went off with Blake. "Are you all prepared for tomorrow, Klein?"

"Yes, of course. I'm proud of what we've pulled off with the Menagerian mine. For once, you can really see how the business bolsters local economy."

"And I heard you flew Weiss here personally? I'm glad she's always had you there for her. That was one of the biggest things when she first arrived."

Blake led Weiss through the house. As Weiss held onto a railing, she said, "It's been so long since I've been here. I already never want to leave."

"Seven months?" Blake asked herself. "Nobody else is here yet, but there is somebody I'd like you to meet." She opened the door to the guest room.

"Hello, Weiss," Ilia said, sitting up in the bed, arms folded under a child.

"Oh my gosh, you're kidding," Weiss said. "I'm so happy for you both. Why didn't you tell me?"

Blake smiled and said, "Surprise."

"Ssssshhhhh, he's sleeping. Meet Kieran Amitola," said the young mother. "He's two weeks old, and despite where he came from, he's a bundle of everything that can possibly be right with the world."

Weiss was about to walk up to him when she noticed his faunus trait. "Hold the door. Hold the door," she said. She physically went to hold the door for a second before saying, "Of all the possibilities, he has his mommy's kitty ears?" Though they were the color of Ilia's reddish brown hair, Kieran's cat ears twitched just the same as Blake's.

"Yep," Blake said. "Genetics meant he could have been anything. Could've had a tail, tusks, wings even, but here he is. He'll feel at home in this house with that trait."

"And I'm sure," Weiss began, "after so long of thinking of the troubles he'd face in his upbringing, it all just-" everyone said 'vanished' at the same time.

"He'll want to know who his father is," Ilia said. "But at the same time, he'll know where he belongs."

"I'm sorry, Blake, but his ears are cuter than yours," Weiss said. "As a matter of fact, it's just not a contest."

"To think that he's a boy and looks so much like Adam, yet somehow, I don't care," Ilia said. "Kieran's red hair… I wracked my brain for nine months wondering how much of my life is mine and how much of himself he would have to come to terms with to be happy. I know I never stopped needing to change to fit my world. My father was a bat faunus and my mother had a rat tail. Of course, I got neither side, and all my friends were born to same-animal parents. I'd see them together, and I'd always swear mine weren't my real parents. It's a baseless worry now, but you know how much life is different as a kid- feeling like you were wise only if you were defiant."

Weiss shook her head affirmatively throughout Ilia's words, realizing how much she shared with the teenage parent. Their orientation in the room reminded her of when she met Ilia for the first time on the open water, back when Ilia's defiance would eventually cost her her autonomy. Ilia was on the bed as Weiss and Blake stood at the foot and pretended Sun wasn't there, though this time they would not have to. Weiss compared these two moments and gave the mother a short embrace before looking at her child. Kieran opened his eyes, but he didn't become conscious of Weiss staring him in the face. "Oooh, hello there… His eyes are a strangely vibrant purple," she said and looked into Ilia's to compare.

"Mine are purple too, but nowhere near his," Ilia said. "Adam's were this crazy teal. You'd never know with his mask on so often. Ki got the best of both worlds there- my color, his brightness."

The house vibrated a low hum. "They're here," Blake said.

"I'll go let them in," Weiss said, almost having closed the door behind her. "I'm so happy for you two."

"Do you want to come down, Ilia? I'm sure they'd love to see you."

"I can't with my baby to watch," Ilia said. With that, Kieran decided it would be a good time to kick and scream. "Oh, hush, you." She put him over her shoulder and began to rock sideways.

"Get my mom to do it."

"She has tried to steal him away for solo time before."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Ruby," Weiss said. "The three of us are just going to sunbathe. I'll join you later though." Weiss and Ilia had beach towels, and Blake had a chair as they lay outside. While Weiss and Ilia had their backs to the sun, Blake took shelter under an umbrella for reading. The waves slid in and out repeatedly, easing everyone into the day's pace.

Ruby had trouble computing Weiss' logic. "You've never even been in this water. Isn't that the point of the beach?"

"If you're going to say it like that, the beach is the sand part. I'm using the beach well, and you're using the ocean." Ruby stuck her tongue out. "I said I'll be there soon." Ruby splashed away toward Yang, who swore her arm was waterproof.

Weiss' head plopped back down, but she kept her eyes open. Blake was now in her field of view. "What are you reading? … Blake?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's a slower one," Blake said, folding her book. "I've been getting into more of the epic melodrama genre recently. Not epic in terms of fighting at least in this one, but it's more about characters and journeys and time. This author understands how to juxtapose characters to their environments well. It's the best method to bring out a poetic understanding in my opinion." Blake's jutting eyes and minor hand motions indicated the nuance to Weiss even more than the words being said.

"If I were half the connoisseur you are, I'm sure I could appreciate what you just said."

"Don't you read often?"

"I stick to nonfiction. I'd rather learn about our world than escape into another one."

"I guess we all have our ways to cope," Blake said, burying her face in her book again.

"It's why I'm here," Weiss said. "I can't believe it took us seven months to get together. You wouldn't believe the level of paperwork my father made other people do. Then with all the reparation, everyone had to stay in Atlas for a couple weeks. Between the SDC and the White Fang, you know I had to get Flynt to fill my spot. At least that way it's still one human and one faunus at the lead."

"Of course, he's been a great partner for it," Blake said.

Weiss lifted her head and looked to the water. Yang brought a ball and started some made-up game of four-on-four knee deep. Neptune sat out and acted as referee on the shore, lifting his feet when the tide rolled in. "How many times do you think we crossed this beach before?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe eight?"

"And we never stopped by for a swim. It was always getting to Mistral, to Atlas, to the boat, to here. It's wonderful we get to lie in the sand for once."

"So how is the Menagerie mine doing?" Blake asked. "Isn't it a couple months old?"

"Yes. I directed them toward the cave-in we had. They've already found enough to get the mineshaft as far down as most others around the world. There's even still more people constructing it than digging it, which is rare this far into development."

"I've seen the prices. It's selling well in the market," Blake said, resting her head back and letting the wind take her hair.

Weiss propped herself on her elbow and said, "I've gotten pictures from White Fang contacts telling me how much it's gone down locally for them- record lows some places. To think that the mine saved the company from going bankrupt. And of course, it's expanded Menagerie with a few mining towns. Have you been out there?"

"A couple times for defense missions, but it's a very different culture. I'll go back when the soil is better for farming and their diet is less dependent on vultures and whatnot. The heat I can stand."

"Aren't Auroch and Sandy out there with their cattle?"

"They only have so much."

The teams- RNJR vs. SSSY- took a break after Yang led her team to victory. "Weiss!" Ruby whined, grabbing the girl's arm. "Get your butt over here. Jaune isn't cut out for this game."

Weiss yanked her hand free. "I'll come on my own power. You don't have to coerce me." She got up and headed to the water.

Sun approached Blake in her shade. "Hey, Blake," he said. She put her book down. "Can we talk privately…?" They looked at Ilia, who fell asleep on her beach towel.

"I guess she's been woken up a lot lately.. We should probably turn her over for her skin's sake," Blake said. "Shoot."

"I just wanted to let you know I… heard about the kid, and… wanted to say I'm happy for you."Blake looked down and exhaled a laugh, having been the one to announce it to the group. She stood up and hugged him. "Thank you. It means a lot." They broke off. "I liked our semi-romantic fun, but I never could get on your mindset. You're a great guy, but there's a girl out there not too trapped in herself to appreciate you before you're gone."

"Kieran…" Sun said. He held his hand behind his neck and talked at the sky. "When you think about it, it sounds perfect for a Menagerie child. Ghira, Kali, Ilia, Kieran. The same sounds are in all four of those names."

"I guess you're right. Don't dwell on this, Sun. We still have the whole night to relax and enjoy coming together for once." Sun rejoined the pick-up game, and Blake sat down to read. "Since when did he become so observant?" she thought.

The sun set, letting Sun and Blake own the pickup game with their night vision. Ren borrowed the Belladonna grill and cooked everyone fish. Further and further into the night, they traded meals for snacks as Blake passed around skewers and marshmallows.

"Thanks, Yang," Nora said. "It was getting way too cold out here." Yang started a campfire with her Semblance, shielding the group from the night's heavy oceanfront winds.

"Are we going to tell ghost stories or something?" Jaune asked.

Nora stood up, the fire now lighting her face from below, and said, "So, there we were in the middle of the forest."

"It was the desert," Ren corrected."Surrounded by thin cave systems."

"That part is actually true."

"A swarm of King Taijitu came down from the treetops."

"Creeps, and from below us."

"But in the end, Team RNJR and I took them down and made a boatload of lien selling fine crystals of Dust."

"Again, true," Ren said.

Neptune's marshmallow melted and fell into the fire after he was too scared to pay attention. "That's some freaky stuff," he said.

"Don't you mean… 'Creepy'!?" Yang joked. Nora threw a fresh marshmallow at Yang's face, and her Semblance melted it before it hit the ground.

"If you ask me," Sun said, "Ren's version was better."

"For starters, it was true," Weiss said. "RNJR followed me to the outback here and we came out with some Dust."

"No kidding."

"The real horror story is the grind we're all gonna be in soon," Jaune said.

"I told you to stop thinking of it that way," Ruby said, hitting his cheek with a torched marshmallow. "There are more Vale missions popping up every day. It's really starting to come together at Beacon. Team CFVY is there too. We gotta head back."

"Ghost story or true story," Weiss said, "there's so much to say about everything we've all done since we left Beacon. The more we come together for nights like this to tell them, the more stories we can create from doing so. Ruby, I can't wait to hear how it goes. Say hi to Zwei for me. These are the kind of nights I signed up for- that no matter what may be going on around us, we're better prepared because we know what everyone else has been through. These will have us fighting better too."

Weiss put on another marshmallow and began roasting. She continued, "We came out on the other side of people's greed, arrogance, and ambition. Sure, the militants will never be what they used to be with Adam and the rest gone, but Watts, Hazel, Cinder, and Tyrian are still out there. There hasn't been a sign of any of them since Atlas was in trouble. Our work is never over, but neither are we."

High tide rolled in, but it parted around the campfire gathering. Weiss lifted her treat from the fire and touched it with her friends'. "Cheers."

The Final Author's Note:
Statistics of I'm the White and You're the Fang:
60,000+ words (not including author's notes and openers)
587 average views per chapter, 61 favorites, 72 followers, and 56 reviews as of before the Epilogue was posted.

Times a character's name is written:

Weiss: 801
Blake: 652
Ilia: 375
Yang: 245
Jacques: 237
Ruby: 211
Sun: 135
Kali: 74
Ironwood: 71
Watts: 54
Whitley: 46
Chapter 1 posted on February 28, 2017. Epilogue posted on July 28, 2017. (exactly 5 months later)

Portions of this were written after Volume 5 released.

Thank you so much for your continued readership. When I posted the first chapter, I didn't expect for people to think I was committed to the whole story. Weiss' farewell video was just an idea I had in passing thoughts, and I decided to upload it with open ends.

Special thanks to Emiliano733, Frisky Arctic Fox, NyanDiamond, SimplyRV, Anon User "Alex," and Celestia's Paladin for reviewing Chapter 1. They've been here since the beginning. They are what made me think "Huh, I actually could write more about this, and now I have people I don't want to disappoint."

Of course, thank you to everyone else who's reviewed for your words, especially if you said something you'd believe could be in the story given what you read. At the beginning, I was still scrapping for ideas to a degree. Even if your review was a short summary of the chapter you just read, thank you. You're still engaged enough to show me.

About halfway through writing this story, I ordered two RWBY Blind Box Figures from the RT Store. That's the one where you don't know which RWBY character, out of twelve, you will get a mini figure of. I hadn't bought any before. By some random, lucky chance, they happened to be Weiss and Blake. I can't look at them without thinking about this story.

When I was developing the story's plot, I realized that as a writer, this story was giving me a lot of experience compared to the other fanfics I've done (a few of which were one-offs I've since deleted from my page). I'm a lot prouder of myself for writing this, considering all the pieces I put in play than the other full story I wrote. It was a Hunger Games parody fic, a sort of "my version of the first book with my own set of characters." If you read through it, the sequence of events is basically the exact same as HG Book 1, even though I tried to deviate. In White and Fang, however, I had no prior work to model the story arc after, just the characters and universe. This was wholly organic for me, and I love how it turned out.

I knew that when Volume 5 and beyond were released, a lot of the assumptions and character traits I put in place are going to be disproven. I'm alright with that. I believe I fit what is known well into the story. I wanted to play with Ilia most of all and show how three dimensional I believed she is.

I can see what I predicted correctly and incorrectly. First, I thought Sienna would be male simply because men tend to be more militant. I was wrong about that. Second, I was correct that Yang could shoot her arm as a projectile. Third, I was correct that Ilia would have feelings for Blake. Fourth, I was correct that she would seek redemption and live to fully get it. Fourth, a Faunus named policeman occurred in Saber Rodentia, not Captain Ivory.

Part of this story was me wanting to expand the things I write about. I've never written anything about romance, so the Blake and Ilia part was my way of expanding that. I wanted to continue even further with that than what this story presents, so I wrote a single chapter sex scene for Blake and Ilia as a separate story that fits into this one. I have uploaded it already as "Catmeleon" if you are interested.

The whisperings of the romantic subplot began with Ilia being raped and even a little bit when she boarded Weiss, Blake, and Sun's voyage out of Menagerie. I realized how hard it was to write a violent sex scene without being so graphic about parts of the body or what Adam was exactly doing. I had to heavily revise that scene after the initial upload to get rid of confusion.

If anything, this story proved to me that I'm not a perfect writer. There are a few things I would have put in the beginning to foreshadow or begin subplots had I known where the story was going. If you asked me what was going to happen after I wrote Chapter 2, which some of you did, I'd say I had no idea. But I'm very proud of how it turned out given the circumstances.

I can't thank you enough for reading. I have no idea what other long story I'd write and post on this website. I'd have to get inspiration just like I did for this one. My inspiration always comes from "canon, except what if this happened instead?". Because I like canon and wanted to stay close to it, I wasn't comfortable with having a "good character" die. I only write when something speaks to me. I only wrote the first chapter because I was fantasizing about Weiss telling her father off. I don't actively search for things to write about.

I'm so proud of how this turned out. One last time, thank you for caring and being patient enough to read it.