SURPRISEEEEEE

'You just need to take the first step.'

Yang's words echoed in Coco's mind as she stood in front of her mother's office. She wasn't sure when she got there or why she felt like she had to talk to her now. But despite her uneasiness, Coco believed that this was all necessary, especially after the conversation she had with Yang.

When she listened to Viktoria speak about how she needed to find the courage to reconnect with Weiss and Winter, the brunette thought about her own mother too. Maybe... Juliette couldn't find the courage to start a connection with her. And if there was a chance that she could have a normal relationship with her mom then she was willing to, as Yang put it, 'take the first step.'

That's better said than done...

Coco mentally kicked herself for hesitating.

She wasn't even sure if Juliette was in her office.

Using that information to her advantage, Coco rashly opened the office door before she lost the nerve. There was a 50/50 chance that Juliette was there, and if she wasn't then she'd just be opening the door to an empty roo-

Nope she's there.

The young fashionista stiffened when she saw the back of her mother's frame. The woman was leaning against her desk, looking up at what appeared to be a number of setlists and clothing designs for an upcoming fashion event. She was so immersed in her work that she didn't even notice Coco walk in. Well, it was either that or she completely ignored her. Coco hoped it was the former.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then promptly closed it - mostly because her attention had drifted towards the designs on the walls. The theme of the fashion show seemed to be nature-based. Colour schemes from all four seasons were showcased throughout the designs and photos.

Before Coco knew it, she was analyzing the fashion/clothing designs too.

She strode across the office and stopped next to her mother's desk. She saw that the woman at least regarded her with a brief glance, but then promptly returned her gaze to the setlist's.

"You should incorporate some folklore of the four maidens into the fashion show," Coco thoughtlessly blurted out.

From her periphery, she could see that she fully caught her mother's attention. Coco kept her eyes on the wall, not meeting Juliette's gaze. She cleared her throat. "E-Especially if you're aiming for a 'nature' or 'season-based' theme. It kind of adds a bit of a story to it..."

"That's actually an excellent idea." Juliette mused out loud. "Thank you, Coco."

A sense of pride welled up in Coco when she received praise from the woman.

This is the first time I've ever helped her with planning a show.

Shortly after, silence quickly fell over them and they entered a standstill. The silence didn't suffocate the young fashionista like it usually did. In fact, she could sense that her mother was genuinely curious as to why she was in her office.

Thankfully, it was Juliette who took the initiative of breaking the silence between them.

"So I imagine that helping me out with my fashion show isn't the main reason why you're here in my office..."

A small smile couldn't help but make its way onto Coco's lips.

What an awkward way to ask me what I'm doing here...

Coco cleared her throat once more before any of her laughter could slip out. She then turned to Juliette, and offered her a smile - albeit an awkward one. "I just wanted to... talk."

"About?"

The young fashionista sighed. "Everything."

This time Juliette met her gaze. The woman's eyes were filled with apprehension, like she felt unnerved about what Coco was going bring up. Despite that, she could also see that her mother was somewhat relieved she started this conversation first.

I might as well jump into it.

Coco drew in a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

"I met Maxwell a couple of nights ago."

Juliette stiffened, and then audibly gulped after she mentioned her father. The older woman stared down to her desk, deep in thought. "I see..." Just as quickly, she lifted her eyes up once more and directed an uneasy grin at Coco. "I'm assuming you were at his Gala... How was it? I heard that he's very good at throwing parties."

"It was a beautiful event, really." Coco answered, indulging in her mother's attempt at delaying the main topic at hand. "I was only there because my girlfriend might be a prospective student at his institute."

Juliette quirked a curious brow at that. "You have a girlfriend?"

Right... I haven't told her about Velv yet.

"I-er, Yeah..." She awkwardly coughed into her hand. "Her name is Velvet."

"Velvet..."

"And she's a Faunus!" Coco blurted out. "Is... Is that okay?"

Juliette stared back at her with a small frown. "That you're dating a girl? or that you're dating a Faunus?"

"Both?"

She watched as the woman slowly returned her gaze back to the designs on the walls. Again, she appeared to be deep in thought. She held a faraway expression on her face, and she stayed like that for some time. Coco wasn't sure if she should've said something to 'bring her back.' All she could do was curiously observe her mother in silence.

After a minute or so, she opened her mouth once more to speak.

"I... apologize if I've ever made it seem like it wouldn't be okay if you were to be involved with another woman... or a Faunus."

Coco continued to gaze at her mother, and held onto every word she said. For some reason, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. She never once thought her mother to be prejudiced towards people from marginalized communities. But with how little they interacted, she couldn't be so sure.

Juliette chuckled lowly. "Coco, it's fine that you're dating a Faunus girl. As long as your partner makes you happy, then I'm okay with whoever they are." She then sighed wearily. "To be honest, I'm a little hurt by the fact you'd think I would care about things like gender or race."

"I'm sorry!" Coco quickly apologized. She fiddled with the lone lock of caramel hair at the side of her face. "I didn't know where you stood on your views about those... topics."

She was met with silence yet again.

Coco then felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. She raised her gaze back to the woman's face and saw that she was grinning at her - albeit sadly.

"It seems that there's a lot we don't know about each other, isn't there?"

Coco stayed silent - not knowing how to reply to that.

Juliette simply kept the sad smile on her lips. In that moment, her mother seemed to let herself be completely vulnerable with Coco. It was almost unnerving for the young fashionista to see her like this. Normally, Juliette held herself with such poise and confidence. But the woman before her was hardly the same as the woman she had known Juliette to be. She honestly looked... tired.

"How is he?"

The young fashionista was immediately thrown for a loop at the question. She stared back at the woman to make sure she heard her right. When Juliette made no indication that she was mistaken, Coco awkwardly cleared her throat. She had no idea where to start with how she was going to answer her. Should she be generic?

"He's... fine."

That was too generic.

"I mean, he's doing well for himself." Coco elaborated slowly. Despite herself, she smiled. "He seemed to be very 'in his element' while he hosted the party, and his institute is remarkable..." She then trailed off, unsure of what else she should say about the man. She quickly decided to mention her first impression of him. "As a person... Maxwell is surprisingly simple, and kind. I honestly expected him to be a lot more flamboyant."

Juliette stayed silent, and continued to stare back at her as if she was urging her to go on. Like she knew Coco wasn't finished with what she had to say regarding her father.

"He just seems to be a little... fickle," Coco finally said. However, before she let her mother respond to that, she wanted to continue on with her point. "But I don't want to talk about him. I've already decided where I stand with Maxwell... at least for now."

Juliette furrowed her brows - no doubt concerned by her statement.

"I don't hate him." Coco quickly decided to clear the air by what she meant. "I'm mature enough to know that, despite the choices he's made, my father is a good man. But my relationship with him isn't the one that I want to 'work on' right now."

"I...see."

Coco took this moment to try and get a 'feel' of how Juliette was taking this all in. The other woman gazed back at her softly - like she was open to having this conversation. Like she'd accept whatever Coco had to say.

"You were right about us not knowing much about each other," she began, holding her mother's gaze. "And I want to change that."

Juliette's brows almost rose up to her hairline. "Oh."

"Oh?" Coco snorted. "That's all you have to say?"

Her mother appeared to snap out of it, and then chuckled. "I, uh... I'd love that, Coco." She grinned. "I'll have you know that I'm quite the interesting person."

"So I've heard." Coco quipped, returning her mother's grin. "Or should I say: 'So I've read?'"

"Oh Gods, please don't use those crazy tabloids as a point of reference," Juliette replied flatly. "Those things hardly tell the truth in them. I'm still rather offended by the one that claimed I had reconstructive surgery on my face."

That actually made Coco full on smile.

Mostly because she remembered about that particular rumour... and how she may have briefly believed it.

"Oh my Gods... you actually believed it, didn't you!?"

"W-What!?" Coco broke eye contact with her. "No I didn't!"

"Coco, it's written all over your face!"

She couldn't help but laugh.

And, despite the topic at hand, Juliette joined her.

Coco then smiled warmly as the woman told her about certain tabloid articles/theories that she thought were entertaining. Juliette would also stop and inquire about random aspects of Coco's life too; asking about how she met Velvet. Coco gladly told her about that story, making sure to include all of the embarrassing details - like how she basically short-circuited when she saw the Rabbit-Faunus in a little black dress. In return, her mother poked a little fun at her and continued on to share her own stories about the early stages of her relationship with Maxwell.

Apparently, Coco also took after her father with regards to interacting with someone they liked.

Suddenly, a warm feeling began to spread through her entire being.

She was surprised at how natural it felt to be speaking with her mother like this. She liked it.

Yang's words crossed her mind once more.

'When things do start falling into place... you won't even know that it's happening.'

At first, Coco didn't really understand what Yang meant by what she said. But now... she got it.

"You can come visit me during your Winter break," Juliette suggested, snapping Coco out of her thoughts. "If your partner isn't too busy, then she can come too."

Coco grinned.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

Two Weeks Later...

Weiss did her best to calm her nerves as she readied herself to step onto the press conference stage. It had been roughly two weeks after they completed their exposé on Jacques. Now, the only thing they had left to do was the press conference; which she knew, for a fact, was going to be fairly difficult.

Especially considering the drastic changes they were going to be implementing in the SDC.

She briefly glanced to her right, where Blake stood next to her. The Faunus girl appeared to be mentally preparing herself for the impending conference too - judging from the deep breaths she was silently taking. She actually looked even more nervous than Weiss. Blake's Faunus ears would twitch a little in, what Weiss assumed to be, anxiousness.

Then there was Winter... who was a little tense, but ready to get this over with. In fact, her older sister seemed mildly inconvenienced by this whole thing.

To keep the mood light, she playfully nudged the Cat-Faunus.

"You nervous?"

Blake chuckled lowly, nudging her back. "Nervous would be an understatement."

"I never took you to be such a scaredy-cat," Weiss teased. She heard Winter snort in response to her pun.

At least three seconds of silence came between them before Blake decided to respond to her joke.

"Okay first: You've been hanging out with Yang and Ruby too much," the Faunus girl began. She then stared back at her flatly. "And Second: we're about to announce the complete reform and reconstruction of the SDC, which will include Faunus-Friendly terms and policies. Weiss, how are you not-!"

"Kali! How are you not freaking out right now?!"

The Belladonna-Schnee children immediately directed a curious gaze towards their mothers.

Viktoria straightened out Kali's tie, and was clearly irked by the Faunus woman's unfazed demeanour. Kali, on the other hand, smiled fondly as the other woman fussed over her appearance and overall attitude. She made it obvious that she was thoroughly enjoying herself at the moment.

"Vi, you're doing enough of the 'freaking out' for the both of us." Kali chuckled. "Besides, I feel more excited than scared."

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Honestly, that sounds just like you."

"You know you love it."

Vi smiled, "I do."

"Gross," Weiss couldn't help but interject.

Winter scrunched her nose in mock disgust. "Agreed."

"We can hear you, y'know..."

Blake stuck her tongue out. "Good."

Suddenly, someone awkwardly cleared their throat, effectively capturing all of their attention. Weiss saw that it was one of the stagehands, who most likely heard the majority of their conversation - judging by the slightly embarrassed expression plastered all over his face.

"Er... the press is ready for you, so..."

The young man briskly walked away without finishing his sentence.

They all stood backstage in varying levels of confusion and amusement after he left.

"Shall we get going, then?"

Weiss and the others redirected their attention back to the Faunus woman who spoke. Kali held a confident grin, and offered Viktoria her arm. She took it without hesitation. Whatever trepidation that her mother held a couple moments ago had all but disappeared - like Kali had somehow transferred some of her strength into her.

Viktoria smiled. "Together."

The older women disappeared behind the curtain, and stepped onto the stage. Weiss could hear the sounds of countless camera's flashing, followed by numerous voices talking over one another.

Weiss swallowed thickly.

She then flinched when Blake and Winter each placed a hand on her shoulders. Slowly, but surely, the tension eased off her body. They didn't even say anything. They didn't have to.

Their silent encouragement was all she needed to step onto the stage.

She couldn't help but squint at the crowd as she was bombarded with the flashing lights of the paparazzi. Dozens of voices were speaking at them, adding onto the disorientation she experienced in that moment. Again, she felt one of her sister's hands on her shoulder - steadying her. She grabbed onto Winter's hand and used her as leverage.

When she finally adjusted to the environment, Weiss could see her mother standing at the podium with Kali by her side. The two women stood tall before the crowd, unflinching - ready to take on whatever their audience had in store for them. Weiss fed off their confidence and straightened up her back too.

Slowly, the conference room hushed, save for the sounds of a stray camera 'clicking!' from a photo being taken. The loud voices quieted down to indecipherable murmurs - complying to Viktoria and Kali's silent request for their attention. Viktoria cleared her throat into the microphone, causing some feedback to reverberate throughout the entire facility.

She then chuckled.

"I'd like to begin this conference by thanking you all for coming." Viktoria started, "I know the events that transpired two weeks ago were unprecedented, to say the least... and that you all may want to know what the SDC's next steps are; considering the new ownership the company will be under-"

"So it's true that Jacques Schnee will no longer be the owner of the company?"

Weiss fought the urge to roll her eyes at that question.

How the hell would that man be able to manage the company if he's in prison?

Despite the question, her mother answered accordingly. "Yes, that is true. Jacques Gelé has forfeited his rights as the company's owner when he falsified the documents tying him to that role."

"Then who's going to run the company?"

Viktoria grinned. "I am."

That caused the entire room to go quiet. If it was from the press being taken aback from her mother's straightforward answer, Weiss didn't know.

She couldn't help but mimic Viktoria's smile.

This was a side of the woman that she had never seen before. Her head stood tall, and her back was straight. She exuded a quiet confidence that held everyone's attention; that demanded their respect. And they gave it to her.

"Well... actually that's not entirely true." Viktoria added coyly. "I'll be getting help from my fiancé, Kali Belladonna; who is here to explain some of the changes that we will be making to the company."

Taking that as her cue, Kali chuckled and leaned over the microphone to explain those very changes.

The rest of the conference went smoothly.

However, as it went on, a thought popped up in Weiss' mind. One that she couldn't help but verbalize.

"I think I want to take over the SDC."

Blake, who silently stood beside her, regarded her question with a glance. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Weiss affirmed. "I never wanted anything to do with the company in the past... but that was when my father ran it." She then furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "Now that my mother is in charge, I feel like we could take it into a different direction."

Blake returned her gaze back to the stage, but nevertheless smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

Weiss smiled widely, and redirected her gaze to their mothers too. She stared on at Viktoria's back, and thought about how she wanted to be like her in that moment. About how she wanted to exude her own confidence and strength just like her mom.

Now I can proudly say that I'm a Schnee.

Yang rolled her shoulders, and stretched her head from side to side in an attempt to loosen her muscles. For the past hour or so, Glynda had been drilling her gym class with a bunch of exercises to start off the new semester. Not that she was complaining, of course. Yang was pumped to finally be out of her cast, and ready to get back into her 'work out grind.'

She then took this brief moment to take a sip from her water bottle, and nonchalantly looked around the gym.

As she glanced around the room, Yang could spot a couple of familiar faces. Most were people she already knew from the athletics department. Some of them actually met her gaze, and she'd send back a friendly grin. However, she was temporarily thrown in for a loop when her eyes connected with a certain Chameleon-Faunus'. At first, Yang was surprised to see her standing there. Then she remembered Blake saying something about the girl re-enrolling into Beacon as a non-scholarship student.

It's Ilia...

Yang sent a grin her way too.

She actually was about to go and say hi to her, but soon the Faunus girl was surrounded by a bunch of vaguely familiar students. The majority of which were gymnastics kids.

Another Faunus girl, who's name Yang believed was Tock, obnoxiously approached the girl.

"Well look at what we 'ave here!"

Ilia rolled her eyes. "Tock."

"Oh don't be so cold, Ilia..." Tock drawled with a wide grin. Yang rose a brow at the sight of the Alligator-Faunus' razor sharp teeth. She thought it'd probably hurt like hell getting bit by her. Tock then chuckled mockingly, "Although I don't blame you for being all cranky... seeing as you got kicked out of the program."

Yang heard some students snicker at that last part.

Ilia, on the other hand, seemed like she wasn't going to dignify Tock's remark with a response. She just walked away, and tried not to fall into the other girl's pace. Unsurprisingly, Tock made it very clear that she was unsatisfied with Ilia's reaction (or lack thereof). That was when the alligator-Faunus did a bunch of intricate flips to block Ilia's path, which caused both of Yang's brows to rise in a weird mixture of confusion and awe.

Tock landed right in front of the Chameleon-Faunus.

"Trying to prove a point here?" Ilia asked flatly.

"Just reminding you that I'm team captain now." Tock leaned in, grinning once more. However this time, the girl's smile was a lot more menacing than her previous one. "And you're in for a world of hell if you manage to make the cut for the team."

Again, the peanut gallery that was the entirety of their gym class let out a couple of low whistles, and 'oooh's' at Tock's dramatic statement.

But when Tock and the others left Ilia, everyone went back to minding their own business.

Yang simply stood there and watched the Faunus girl for a moment. Sure, Ilia was putting on a brave face but she wouldn't be surprised if her pride had been bruised from being called out like that. Especially in front of everybody.

And now that she truly thought about it... Ilia didn't seem to have many friends from her own sports department. The Faunus girl enrolled at an awkward time last semester when everyone had already gotten to know each other. It also didn't help that she was immediately made into co-captain of the gymnastics team - a position that Tock had been bearing on her own before the Chameleon-Faunus showed up.

Before Yang knew it, she was already walking towards the girl.

"What is it about this school that makes all of the students so dramatic?!"

Yang snorted, and tossed her water bottle at the irked Faunus girl. The said Faunus girl grunted and fumbled with the item, but eventually caught it in her hands. Yang smiled. "Y'know, that's a question that I find myself asking too."

"Y-Yang!" Ilia straightened up and gawked at her.

"Yeesh! Relax, I won't bite." Yang raised her hands up in defence. "But speaking of biting... I'm surprised that Tock chick didn't try to chomp at ya herself, especially since she has-" she playfully bared her teeth "-sharpth asth teef."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about Tock, " The Faunus girl scoffed. "She has more bark than bite. I can handle her."

Yang hummed. "Glad to hear it." She paused - scratching the back of her neck. "But, uh even with what happened between us... if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be around."

In response, Ilia gazed back at her with an blank expression - no doubt wondering if her intentions were genuine. Yang firmly stood her ground, and continued to offer the girl a reassuring grin. She meant every word she said. She also thought they had the potential to be good friends! They already had the same taste in SO's. Although, it seemed like Ilia had a 'type.'

And apparently, the Chameleon-Faunus' type was tall girls with dark hair and amber eyes.

But Yang had plenty of time to tease her about that later.

"Y'know, this would be a lot more easier if you were a bitch."

Yang snapped out of her thoughts, and quirked a brow at the other girl.

"Excuse me?"

Ilia let out a long, and (playfully?) dramatic sigh. "Like... if you could hold a grudge and be justifiably rude to me, that'd be great!" Yang then watched as she nonchalantly stretched her back. "But nooo, Blake just had to date you: the kindest, most understanding person I have ever met. And you're also hot! It's not fair, really."

Yang... had no idea how to respond to that.

Is she mad at me? Or trying to hit on me?

"Uhh, I'm sorry to disappoint?"

Suddenly, the Chameleon-Faunus laughed - startling Yang a little bit. "I'm just playin' with you, Yang." Wiping a tear from her eye, Ilia finally returned her smile. "But I want you to know that I mean it when I say: I'm sorry."

Yang frowned. "What for?"

Ilia stared back at her flatly.

Soon, the reason behind her apology clicked, and she awkwardly let at a low 'ohhh...'

Right... she trashed my moms' store and got a sociopath to break my arm.

Yang grinned. "S'okay."

"W-Wait, that's all you have to sa-?!"

Before Ilia could properly question the ridiculousness of Yang's forgiveness, the sound of Glynda's whistle blared throughout the gym. They both jumped in surprise, but then directed their attention to the teacher. Slowly, but surely, the rest of the students settled down. Glynda continued on to explain their next exercise.

It was kick boxing.

"Alright, pair up and grab a boxing pad," Glynda hollered at the class. "You're just going to be spotting for your partners. So I don't want to see anyone actually sparring with each other, got it?!"

The students gave the woman various sounds of affirmation in response. Some students, namely the ones who were already on Beacon's kickboxing team, sounded more excited than the others.

Yang took that time to glance towards Ilia. The Faunus girl looked like she was indifferent to the exercise. In fact, she was already staring around the room to see who could be her partner.

That was when Yang got an idea.

She wordlessly went up to the pile of boxing pads stacked in the middle of the gym, and grabbed one. Yang then turned around, and made it a point to stare Ilia squarely in the eye. The girl met her gaze immediately - although with curiosity. She then walked right back to the Chameleon-Faunus, who was no doubt getting increasingly confused by her actions.

Ilia narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What are yo-OOF!"

Without warning, Yang all but whipped the boxing pad right into Ilia's chest - causing the girl to stumble back a few steps. Once she regained her balance, Ilia gave Yang a baleful look.

"What the hell-"

"If you really want me to forgive you, then spot me for the next hour."

Ilia let out a sound between a laugh and a scoff. "What? That's it?"

Yang grinned. "Yup!"

"You're seriously going to let me off this easy?"

"Oh she's not letting you off easy, trust me." A familiar voice sang from across the gym.

Yang's grin widened when Pyrrha stated that fact. Of course, her fellow kickboxing team mate would know - considering she spotted for Yang before. Ilia, on the other hand, started to look a little uneasy from what Yang had in store for her.

And she had no intentions of holding back.

"Fine."

Yang quirked a curious brow at the Faunus girl.

The said Faunus girl simply squared her stance and held up the boxing pad in determination. There was still some weariness rolling off Ilia's demeanour, but for the most part, she looked like she was up for the challenge.

"Hit me with your best shot, Xiao Long!"

Yang couldn't help but smile like a maniac.

Oh yeah... we're definitely going to be great friends!

She charged at Ilia with all she had.

Woooooow it has been a HOT MINUTE since I've updated, eh?

LOL dw, I'm not dead or anything. Life just got super busy for a bit there (A good kinda busy!) I've been finding less time to write, but I HAVE been writing! I'm super intent on finishing this story if it's the last thing I do! I just wanted to try and tie up some loose ends with some of the characters and their storylines with this chapter (i.e. Coco and her mom + Ilia and Yang).

How have you guys been? Lemme know in the comments/review or send me a DM! It's been a while!

Oh and a Heads up: This fic will end on either be the next chap or the chap after that one!

Until Next Time (and there WILL be one!),

MediocreWriter.