So, we've reached the end of Surrender. Now I know what you're thinking - I set up a lot of heavy stuff with the White Fang and now it's just over? Well, Surrender was only ever going to be about their fight with this monster on the island. That was the premise of the story, well that and bringing the Bees together.

However, the intention now is to take this sort of established team dynamic and do more with it. Instead of restarting the world and writing about White Rose or Bumbleby falling in love again, I want to simply build off of this and go on other adventures with them.

Meaning there will be more fics coming, set in this same universe (which is just canon but with my sort of future touches) and hopefully you'll all be interested in that. It might be a while before the next one comes out because I'm in the process of moving to another state (ugh) but I'm definitely wanting to write more fics like this.

I want to thank LightInside for all of the wonderful help she's given me throughout this story in helping keep things clean and flowing well and just...so many things. She has been a gift to my writing and taken away so much stress. I can't thank her enough.

Also you, all of you who read and like and comment. Thank you so much. Genuinely - I don't know if I could do as much as I do without all the support.

Blake looked up at the door of her room as she heard more ruckus out in the living room. She had every intention of joining in on the fun, but first she had to do her daily check of the news and any outlets she could find for information on the happenings in Menagerie.

When their first real mission ended, Blake had every intention of going to Menagerie to see what the state of her home was. Unfortunately, her parents had told her it would be best for her to wait. Atlas was still settling in with its military presence to try and help deter the White Fang from attacking and kidnapping. They weren't going to declare any kind of war, just extra security to help out.

Blake couldn't begin to imagine what her father had offered in return for this. Knowing Atlas, it would be a king's ransom.

Regardless, her father had asked her to wait before coming. She wasn't entirely sure why he was making her keep such a distance from her own home, but if that was what he wanted, then she'd listen and wait.

The choice to buy a home together was easier than Blake had expected. Being the one to think ahead more than the others (except maybe Weiss), Blake had wondered what they might do once they were out of school and didn't have dorms to live in. Weiss had some things she'd taken, jewels and heirlooms, that she was willing to sell to help make a down payment and their first mission was a success and came with a decent payoff, enough to get them started.

The place they chose was fairly simple, set on the outskirts of Haven. Close enough that they could easily return to Professor Ozpin if needed, but far enough away from things that it felt independent.

This place belonged to them and for Blake, it was a new home with her second family. It was a comfortable place where she genuinely felt safe – because of the people around her. There were times when she was deep in the cult that the White Fang had become, that Blake never thought she'd feel safe again.

Now she had a roof over her head, one she helped pay for. With a bedroom she shared with the girl of her dreams.

Yang called it their "beehive".

The sudden buzzing of her scroll drew Blake's attention, and she quickly checked her new message from Sun.

No news on Taurus' location, but we've got wind of White Fang activity in Vacuo so me and my team are going to check it out. You and your new girlfriend should join us. Neptune has been asking about a double date ;)

Blake rolled her eyes and quickly typed a response.

No, he hasn't

She sent it back before closing out all the tabs of news stories and reports she'd pulled up on her computer. As she tucked it away next to her bed, her scroll buzzed again.

Fine, he hasn't, but I want to see you guys again and give Yang the 'if you hurt her' speech

Blake rolled her eyes. As if Yang, the girl who lost an arm for her, needed that speech.

We'll meet up soon, just keep me posted on anything you hear and if you find Adam, remember – don't engage him, just contact me and I'll come

She stared at her scroll, her finger hovering hesitantly over the send button for a moment before she finally pressed it. It was true – if Sun told her anything about Adam's location, she would absolutely go there and do something about him. That was still her main objective, but the truth was that she was no longer one girl trying to stop a monster. She had a team now, a family and it was a family that had made her promise to keep them informed.

She wasn't exactly keeping them up to date on all the information she was gathering, or that she had Sun running around trying to find any clue about the White Fang leader's location – but she wasn't running off alone either. She was here, with them and the words Ruby had said to her, the words Yang had said to her, still rang true in her ears.

This wasn't her fight anymore – just like Ruby's fight with Salem wasn't hers alone either. Nor Weiss with her father.

Blake simply struggled because none of those fights were their fault. Ruby didn't ask for her silver eyes and the responsibility of the world on her shoulders. Just as Weiss didn't ask for a terrible father who hated her.

Only Blake had actually brought on her own misfortune – so asking anyone to help her brought with it a certain sense of guilt.

Bringing her team into this fight scared her, especially after Yang was hurt – because if anything happened to any of them, Blake would never forgive herself.

Yet, as she lingered by her door to go join them, she knew that she couldn't run away from them again. She may not know what the future held, but she knew that when she was with her team, she was home.

As she stepped out of her room, she glanced towards the couch in the living room where Ruby and Yang were in a very animated session of video gaming.

"Stop spamming the same move!" Yang shouted as she threw her arms in the air.

Ruby threw her hips into Yang's side and knocked her back into the couch. "You're the one who keeps jump kicking! This is the only way I can stop it!"

"They've had this conversation four times now." Weiss was suddenly next to her and Blake jumped, which made Weiss jump and nearly drop her bowl of popcorn. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Blake waved her off, but found herself staring at Weiss' head. Something Weiss quickly picked up on. "Is it terrible? Ruby said it looked good and I just…kinda lost my head and went for it."

Reaching up, Blake ran her hand over the now-shaved left side of Weiss' hair. It was fuzzy but very short and felt nice on Blake's fingertips. "I think it's cool." She said but Weiss still seemed unsure. "Really, it's a new look for you but it works. You look good – plus your girlfriend seems to like it."

Weiss blushed and replaced Blake's hand on her head with her own. "It makes this side of my head rather cold on the pillow at night."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it. Just think of what your sister will say when she sees it."

"Winter has a tattoo of her favorite rock and roll band across her back so she cannot say anything to me about irrational decisions." Weiss said with her best arrogant voice that used to drive Blake crazy but now only made her laugh. "I'm surprised Yang did such a good job with it though, she was quite nervous about it."

This made Blake smile, if only because Yang had lamented to her, multiple times, how scared she was. She knew this haircut was important to Weiss, who was still trying to find her identity beyond being a Schnee. A good, rebellious haircut could do wonders for a person in search of themselves and Yang didn't want to ruin that.

Because Yang had a heart as golden and special as her hair.

Geez, Belladonna, you need to stop reading bad romance novels.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out and Blake couldn't help but laugh at how quickly Weiss turned at her girlfriend calling her name. "It's your turn!" She said, while holding up the controller and waving it in the air.

Rolling her eyes, Weiss stomped over towards the couch and sat her tea down before taking a seat next to Ruby. Blake watched Ruby hand over the controller before reaching out as Blake had before and running her fingers over Weiss' newly shaved area.

"You cannot do that while I play, Ruby. It's distracting!" Ruby gave her a kiss on the cheek before pulling her hand away. Weiss was already flustered and more than distracted.

"It wouldn't matter if her head was between your legs, Weiss. You'll never beat me at this game."

"Yang!" Ruby cried and Weiss looked like she wanted to jump out the nearest window.

Yang simply shrugged. "Look, you wanted me to be comfortable with you and my sister sleeping together – this is how I do it. All or nothing, bad jokes included."

"I wanted you to be comfortable with us sharing a room! I never said anything about –"

"Weiss," Yang cut her off by placing a metal finger over her lips. "I was the first one up this morning and when I saw you come out of your room you were wearing my sister's shirt and doing ballerina twirls on your way to the bathroom."

Blake approached the couch to see Weiss open her mouth to argue (face as red as Ruby's cape) only to close it again and glare at Yang with every bit of vigor she had.

Sitting on the couch beside Yang, with her legs hanging over the side, Blake rested her back on her girlfriend's shoulder. "Don't mind Yang," she said as she cracked open the book in her hand. "She's just mad because we're not having sex."

"Blake!" Both Yang and Ruby cried out. Blake looked back to see the smuggest of looks on Weiss' face.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to take it slow." She was stared at by a set of pleading, violet eyes and Blake smiled. "Love you," she said to hopefully ease the pout and in return, she earned a nice nuzzling as Yang pressed her head against Blake's.

"Alright," Yang said, already recovered from the fake drama. "You ready to get your butt handed to you, princess?"

Weiss harrumphed. "Never underestimate a true Schnee!" She said with all the confidence of a queen. "Ruby…show me how to jump."

Yang's laughter filled the room as the match started and with Ruby coaching and screaming out buttons for Weiss to press, Weiss was soundly defeated. Even when Yang stopped really trying and was only attempting the special moves.

Blake didn't play, she wasn't much for video games, but she loved being around her team as they played.

She felt like she was floating. Her body moving but she carried no weight. She was warm and comfortable and as her eyes opened, she was met with Yang's face above her, staring forward as she moved. Blake was being carried. The world reanimated around her and she adjusted slightly in Yang's arms – amazed at the ease she was being held.

Violet eyes stared down at her. "Hey you, I tried not to wake you."

Blake shook her head but didn't attempt to remove herself from Yang's arms. "S'okay," she said, her voice groggy and thick. Yang gave her a smile. The one she always had when she thought Blake was being cute. "Did you win all your games?"

This earned a laugh. "All of them."

"Good," she nestled into Yang's arms as they moved through a door and into a darker room – their room. "Don't put me in bed." She said and Yang stopped.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Blake shook her head. "Hold me."

"Now, you know I want to do anything for you, but I think it'd be better if I held you while we were in bed."

"But your arms are so comfy," Blake whined, purposefully trying to see how far Yang would go.

"Well I have to pee, so I can carry you in there or put you in bed and come back to you pee free?"

Her nose crinkled. "I don't think we've been together long enough for that."

"I would agree," Yang began moving again. "Though you've seen me throw up so I'm not sure peeing would be worse than that."

She made a good point, but Blake was too tired to agree. She just wanted cuddles and sleep and these arms.

Unfortunately, Yang reached the bed and gently placed Blake in it and the stupid blankets tried to act like they could be as warm as Yang was but they failed miserably.

Instead, Blake laid awake and waited for Yang to go to the bathroom. She saw the light coming from the slightly ajar door, smiling as Yang turned on the faucet to cover the sound. This room was such a shelter for her, for the both of them. They'd slowly started to fill it up with little things that mattered to them. Pictures from their time together at Beacon and then at Haven. Gifts from Taiyang that he'd sent Yang and boxes of old childhood things of Blake's that Yang was dying to dig through.

So much of this room was filled with the past, but everything about it meant the future to both of them.

There was a time when Blake wasn't sure she had a future. At least not one beyond the suffocation of the White Fang. Even when she ended up at Beacon, she just wanted to learn to hunt and isolate herself. She had a mission and she had hopes of helping people, but never did she imagine meeting anyone worth her time.

Instead she found family and a team that loved her, and that she loved back with all her heart. Their love helped her go back home and reconnect with her true family, the one she never should have ran away from in the first place.

Then there was Yang.

"Good thing you didn't come in there with me," Yang said as she turned off the light and sauntered towards the bed – discarding her shirt in the process. "I foo foo'd a little."

Blake, somehow both disgusted by Yang's words and turned on by Yang's suddenly exposed stomach, stammered for words. "I—I am so glad you decided to share that with me." She said as dryly as she could.

However, any sense of sarcasm or false disgust was lost when Yang crawled in next to her. Blake's senses were filled with the smell of vanilla shampoo and the feel of warm skin that her hands immediately sought out.

Leaning forward, Blake kissed the first place she could find and it happened to be Yang's collarbone. This elicited a soft giggle as she heard the sound of Yang detaching her arm. "Hang on," she said as she jostled and rolled back to put the arm on the table by the bed. "There," she rolled back and Blake kissed her again. "Someone's clingy tonight."

"I love you," Blake said – too tired to care about being cool.

Yang's hand found her cheek. Her soft fingertips dancing along her jawline. "I love you too," she said in turn, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. "I'm glad I didn't leave you on the couch."

"Was it considered?" Blake closed her eyes and nestled in closer.

Yang exhaled and her warm breath touched Blake's face. "For a second. You looked really cute all curled up."

"Hmmm," Blake's hum extended longer than she intended and suddenly she was purring with delight. She heard Yang say something about the sound but she couldn't quite make it out.

Yang was too good, too safe and sweet and warm. Blake had no choice but to surrender to her in every single way.

Thank you again, see you soon :)