Jaune was still sitting in the Belladonna's sitting room. He was just looking at Blake's parents as they still stared in shock at him. He slowly looked to his right to see that Blake was still next to him and gave her a look that said, 'What do I do now?' She just gave him a shrug as an answer, that didn't fill him with any more confidence.

Eventually his attention was pulled back to Ghira a she spoke, "You're the Elemental Swordsman?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sir." Jaune replied. "I am."

Before either man could say anything, Kali squealed from the other side of the table, causing everyone to jump. "Oh, my Oum! You're the hero that saved Beacon?! And Blake is dating you!? This just like out of one of my romance novels!"

They all just stared at her in shock before Ghira looked down with a sigh, "Kali." He said with a small grin. With that reaction, Blake and Jaune couldn't help but have a few chuckles between them.

"Although, I do have one question for you, Rien. Or should I say, Jaune." Ghira said with a serious tone as he looked back at him. "We were told you perished in the Fall of Beacon but you are clearly sitting in front of us. So, why was that the story that most of Remnant knows?"

Jaune sighed, "At first, I was very injured and was recovering somewhere recluse. I had no way of contacting anyone as I recovered, so many people believed I was dead when they couldn't find me. After I was back on my feet, I came back to Beacon but I found out that the people responsible for the Fall weren't working alone." That earned him another pair of shocked looks from the parents.

"Once I heard that, I couldn't let anyone know I was alive." He looked down at the table. "If they found out I was still alive, there would be a good chance they would target my family or Blake to draw me out. I couldn't take that chance… so I allowed the world to believe I was dead. To try to keep them safe."

There was an extended silence as the two parents looked at each other. Ghira raised an eyebrow as Kali nodded her head. That caused the man to take a deep breath, "I can't really be too angry at that. I can understand why you did it and you were trying to protect our daughter. But how did she find out you were alive?"

He looked back up to him with a smirk, "Well, I was on a long term mission to gather some crucial information. That is the same information I was sent to give to you. Ozpin couldn't send the usual Huntsman to reclaim the intel I had so he sent team RWBY. I was wearing a mask but I overexerted myself and blacked out. During that time, Blake's team removed my mask and they saw my face." His smirk became more teasing in nature and he looked to Blake, "I guess curiosity got the best of them."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I didn't take your mask off, that was Ruby. So, you can't do the whole 'curiosity killed the cat' joke."

He just shrugged, "You didn't stop her though, did you?"

She just pulled her hand away from his and crossed her arms over her chest. She then turned so her back was more towards him, "Fine. I wanted to know."

His smirk shifted into a grin and he reached up to slowly scratch one of her ears. Her whole body when ramrod straight and her other ear pointed straight up in the air. She tried to resist for a bit but eventually, she caved to the sensation and relaxed. Soon her purring was filling the room. "You know I'm just teasing, right, Blake?"

She slowly lent her back against him as she just got lost in the pleasure of his scratching. A tranquil smile coming to her lips as she spoke, "I know. You're so lucky I love you or I would hit you for it."

He gently kissed the back of her head as he smiled, "I know just how lucky I am." He told her seriously.

The married couple just looked at the two in shock. When Blake was younger, she had no problem with them touching her ears and acting similar to how she was now. But once she got older and started to get more involved in the White Fang, that became less so until she stopped all together. To see her trusting someone enough to do that with now, spoke volumes on how much she cared for the young man.

Kali turned to Ghira with a big smile, beyond happy to see her little girl find someone like that. Ghira gave her a reluctant look, still not entirely sure on Jaune… but he was willing to give him a chance. So he closed his eyes for a few seconds and gave his wife a small nod. Kali gave her husband a smile before she leant over and left a kiss on his cheek. She then turned her attention to the loving couple to tease her daughter, "Well if I didn't know any better, I would think you two were already married by this scene."

She got the reaction she was hoping for. Both of them froze for a second before Blake nearly jumped away from Jaune. Both had blushes on their cheeks and Blake turned to her, "Mom!" she said in annoyance. Kali just looked at her and giggled, not looking the least bit guilty.

Once the two had calmed down and he indulged his wife with her little teasing, Ghira decided to bring the conversation back where it was meant to be. "Anyways, what was this information you were tasked to give to me, Jaune?"

Jaune quickly shook himself from his embarrassment, "Right. Back to business." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll. "The long term mission I mentioned earlier was to study an anomaly that was happening to the Grimm in the badlands." He took a second before he dropped the bombshell. "The Grimm out there were becoming cannibalistic."

Again more shocks looks from the parents, "Cannibalistic? The Grimm were eating each other?" Ghira asked in shock.

Jaune just nodding, "It is acting as a sort of 'survival of the fittest' form of evolution to them. Grimm that devour enough of their own kind can have power that can rival that of some of their oldest counterparts. But the worst part is that this is creating two immensely powerful and extremely dangerous new Grimm. I've called them Drakes and Dracos."

Jaune started to look through his scroll for what he needed as he spoke. "These Grimm have also been popping up across the globe recently. Headmaster Ozpin was able to get this information to the other Headmasters to help prepare the other Kingdoms. But he was having difficulties sending it to you." When he found the files on his scroll he held it up, "I have all the information on my scroll and that is what I was tasked with giving to you." Ghira quickly pulled his own out and Jaune sent him the files.

"Along with that, he asked me to stay here for a few weeks. That way I can see if there is any chance of them showing up on Menagerie and if so, take care of it before it would become an issue. That is, if you will allow me to, Mr. Belladonna." Ghira looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, "I know my presence here will cause a bit of a disturbance to the people here. A human on Menagerie and all. So, if you prefer, I can leave immediately."

Ghira was deep in thought for a few seconds, "That won't be necessary, Jaune. Like my daughter, I wish for Faunus and humans to live equally. Me sending you off the island when your intent is to help my people would not be an example of that. Besides, you are clearly the person that can handle the situation the best, so you are the man for this job."

Jaune smiled at him, "Thank you, sir." He started to stand. "Well, I should get to work then."

Kali had a different thought in mind, "Jaune, you and Blake just got here. Why don't you take today to rest and you can begin fresh in the morning."

"I appreciate that Mrs. Belladonna but I'm fine. Besides, I plan on camping out where I'll be searching anyway. So, finding somewhere out there would be better to do when the sun is still up."

"Nonsense." She argued. "Even if you are a Huntsman, it is too dangerous to stay out there for the weeks you'll be here. We have extra room here. You will stay here and I won't hear another word on the subject." She crossed her arms and gave him a glare. A glare he remember both his mother and Gin giving him many times in his youth. It was a motherly glare that just said, 'don't argue'.

He looked over to Blake for some sort of support. But she was just giving him a catty grin. With his only ally not bothering to help him, Jaune sighed in defeat. He then gave Kali a gentle smile, "Looks like I have no choice. I appreciate the over, Mrs. Belladonna."

She smiled up at him, "It is no trouble, Jaune. And please, call me Kali." Her smile then shifted back to her teasing one, "Or maybe you would prefer to call me Mom?"

"Mom/Kali!" Her daughter and husband shouted at her in tandem. That just caused the mother to giggle. Jaune gently covered his burning face with his hand as he sighed to himself. Was it possible that his girlfriend's mother would be more problematic than an island of Faunus not wanting him here or the possible Grimm abomination on the island?

A few hours had passed since Jaune had his meeting with Blake's parent's. After the 'mom' comment from Kali, Blake had needed to get some space from her mother before the blood vessels in her cheeks would burst. So, she grabbed Jaune by the hand and dragged him out of the house to give him a tour of her hometown. Luckily, Jaune was able to disguise his eyes and hair color before she pulled him completely from the house.

Similar to when he first arrived, many of the Faunus were looking at him. Still probably shocked that a human was actually on Menagerie and not trusting his intentions for being here. Or maybe they were staring because he was still holding hands with Blake as she showed him around. He wasn't really sure. But he was only glad no one was trying to start problems with him or Blake like the drunken Faunus from the morning. It was also nice to be able to see just how beautiful Menagerie really was. And Blake seemed genuinely happy to finally be back.

The sun was just beginning to set when Blake was about to escort him back home. But as they were doing that, Kali sent her a message, asking her to pick up a few things for dinner. Luckily, they hadn't passed by where they needed to go to get what Kali had asked for. As Blake purchased what they needed, Jaune elected to carry them back for her. It was a simple chore but Jaune was slightly on edge. He just had a feeling someone was following them but he just couldn't place where it was coming from. He would've ignored it but his months in the badlands had ingrained it into him. He was just hoping it was just an overly curious Faunus and nothing more.

When they arrived, Kali instantly took the groceries they had gotten and made her way to the kitchen. About an hour later, she came out with dinner and they all sat down to eat. Kali mentioning that she made all of Blake's favorites from when she was younger. A gesture that made Blake incredibly happy.

While they ate, Kali told Jaune a few stories of Blake when she was younger. Jaune found them adorable but Blake just found them embarrassing. To try and minimize that, Jaune started to tell Kali and Ghira stories of when he was younger and was traveling with Gin. They all enjoyed the shenanigans that he and his adopted siblings had gotten into. Even making sure to supply a couple that were more embarrassing for him, that way he could be even with Blake. Overall, it was very pleasant dinner and Jaune was glad that the Belladonna family was reunited.

After dinner, Ghira excused himself to return to his his study to deal with a few things and finish going over the intel that Jaune had given him. Kali took the dishes and went to wash them. When Jaune offered to help him, she shot him down by telling him that he was her guest. That just caused him to sigh, he just couldn't win against the mother. That just left Blake and Jaune to relax in the sitting room for a while. After the emotional day they had so far, it was nice to just sit there and unwind.

Maybe about an hour or so later, Blake finally sighed and pulled herself away from Jaune's arms. She stood up and looked down at him nervously, "I think I should go see my dad. There's a lot I need to talk to him about and I don't think I should push it off any longer."

Jaune just looked at her and nodded slightly, "Alright. If you need me, just yell and I'll come rushing in to save you." He said with a smirk. That just caused her to roll her eyes playfully with a grin on her face. She then walked towards where her father's study was but Jaune was relieved to see she was just a bit less tense than she was a second ago.

Blake made her way up the stairs and outside to right outside her father's study. She reached out towards the door before her hand started to shake. She just looked down at it for a few seconds before she clenched her fist with a sigh. She took a few steps back until she was leant against the railing as she looked at the door again. She stood there for a couple of minutes, trying to calm herself down enough to walk in. She looked down with an annoyed growl, "Grimm I can fight. A conversation with my dad and I'm like this."

"Well, I think those are two very different scenarios." Blake jumped and saw her mother walk up with a tray with a teapot, bowl of sugar and two cups. She just smiled at her daughter, "You know, if you aren't ready yet, your father would understand."

She took a breath, "I know. But I don't want to keep delaying this. I'll just keep looking for excuses. I don't want to keep running away from this." Shw kooked ot teh side and muttered to herself, "I swore I'd stop running away."

"Well, maybe you just need a good reason to walk in there." Kali leant over to lay a kiss on her cheek before she handed her the tray. "Here. You know how your father gets if he doesn't have tea while he works." She said with a smile and Blake took the tray.

Blake gave her a small smile, "Thanks, Mom."

"Oh, it's no problem, honey." Her smile widened. "Besides, with you talking to your father, that gives me time with your boyfriend. I wanna hear more about the adventures of team RWBY." And with that she started to make her way downstairs.

Blake was about to stop her when she heard her father call from inside his study, "Kali? Is that you, dear?" Blake shook slightly before took a deep breath and gave a shaky exhale. When she was as ready as she could be, she opened the door and walked in.

As she walked in, she saw her dad with his glasses on and going over several sheets on his desk. "H-hi, Dad." She said slightly nervous.

Ghira looked up and was stunned to see her. He gently took his glasses off his face as he placed them down on his desk, "Blake, well, this is certainly a surprise. I honestly thought you'd be spending some time with Jaune." The tone he had when he mentioned her boyfriend was filled with uncertainty but he quickly moved on with the conversation. Before she could try to answer, he was already stood up and was motioning to the sofas in the center of the room, "Please, come sit."

She just smiled at her father and followed him over. She was placing the tray down as Ghira walked up beside her, "Don't worry, I've got it. You just sit." He said excitedly as he picked up the teapot and started to fill the teacups.

"You sure you have time for this?" Blake asked as she watched him pour. "I know how busy you can get and we did just add more to your plate."

"Nonsense, I've been cooped up all day, even before you came home. I need a break from the usual paperwork and the new information that was presented to me." He then picked up the sugar bowl, "Do you still take sugar with your tea?"

She shook her head, "No, not anymore. And I think Mom would be upset if I did. She was always annoyed when I did that."

"Well, good thing I asked then." He chuckled slightly as he placed the bowl back down and picked up his teacup. Blake took her own and raised it to her lips to take a sip before pulling it away with a shake of her head. "Might wanna let it cool, honey." Ghira said with a small smile.

Blake sheepishly but it to the side as put her cup down, "Right."

They settled into an awkward silence until Ghira tried to break it, "So… is it… warm… in Vale?" Blake just looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, "It just… seems like your outfit doesn't cover very much."

Blake quickly looked down before she crossed her arms over her chest, "It covers plenty. You should see what some people where out in the Kingdoms. I mean, my best friend used to show much more skin." She said defensively.

"I mean, a little armor might help. Don't you think?" Ghira tried to add.

She could see he was trying, "I don't really need armor, Dad. I focus on speed and avoiding attacks. Trying to take them head on, really doesn't work for me."

"I see." Ghira said before he was silent and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Blake. I'm just trying to reconnect with you."

Blake just looked at him in disbelief before she looked down at the ground, her arms falling to her sides. "Why?" she asked quietly. "Why would you say that?" she asked in a shaky tone.

All his paternal instincts kicked in and Ghira quickly stood up and sat down beside his daughter. He looked at her in concern as his hand gently laid on the top of her head, "Sweetheart, what's wrong. What did I say?"

Blake was still looking down as her eyes were filled with tears. She then asked the question that was bothering her since she arrived, "How can you love me after what I did?" The tear started to fall down her cheeks, "You were right. I shouted at you and yelled at you. But you were right. I called you cowards!" She finally buried her face in her hands and started to cry.

Ghira at that point, wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close, "It's okay, Blake. It's okay now." Blake quickly buried her face into her father's shoulder as she cried, her arms wrapping around him in turn.

"I should've left the Fang with you and Mom. I should've listened but I'm sorry." She cried. She looked away from her dad as she continued, "But even after all the terrible things I did, a part of me is glad I stayed. If I didn't… I wouldn't have met Jaune and my team and my friends… I don't know if I should be ashamed of that or not."

Ghira gently shushed his daughter, "Sweetheart, it's fine. You never have to be ashamed of finding people yo ucan trust and love. No matter the circumstances that they come about." He said gently as he guided her to look at him again. Seeing the tears she had, he gently wiped them away. "We never held anything against you and I never feared that you would fail. The only thing I did fear was that you would fall down the wrong path… And I am so proud to see you haven't."

"But I did!" she said as she lowered her head. "I was so close to not being able to come back…"

"And you pulled yourself out." Ghira said gently but with a finality behind it. "You came back. There aren't many who possess that kind of strength and even fewer that have the courage to face their demons again. Vale, Mountain Glenn, Beacon. You confronted the White Fang time after time."

She looked back up to him, "I didn't do it alone."

"No, you didn't. But that is only natural." He spoke calmly as he rubbed her shoulder, "Some things are just too big for just one person to deal with. Even if they are their own problems. It's not a weakness to ask for help. And to answer your first question: Your mother and I will always love you. Never worry about that." He gave her a large and genuine smile.

She just looked back up to him before an equally large smile came to her own lips. She then hugged him again, "I love you, Dad. Thank you."

"I love you too." He said as he returned it. "Now, can we talk about Jaune? I would honestly like to know more about the young man that you clearly cherish before I make my decision of him." That made Blake giggle nervously. She quickly came to the decision that it would probably be best to not tell her dad about the others involved in their love life yet. Not until he was more warmed up to Jaune. Otherwise, he may just kill Jaune out of instinct.

Jaune just grinned as he was leant against the wall just to the right of the door. He didn't want to do this but he was nervous with how tense Blake was when she went to go talk to her father. So, he quietly followed her up after Kali had come back down. His intent was to try and get Blake out with some excuse if the conversation with her dad went south. Luckily, he had nothing to worry about. He only heard the end of their conversation but it seemed to be going the way she wanted. And needed.

With him sure everything would be alright between the two of them, he quietly walked away from the wall and back down into the house properly. Once he was back in the Belladonna residents, he released a sigh before he decided to head to the room that Kali had set up for him. "So, are you done eavesdropping?"

Jaune froze and slowly turned around to see that Kali was standing against the wall with that same teasing smirk on her face, "Oh, Kali. Hi. Um, I wasn't really eavesdropping… I was…"

She raised an eyebrow as the smirk didn't leave her face, "Yes?" she asked expectantly.

He just stared at the mother before he eventually sighed, "Alright, you caught me." He started to rub the back of his head nervously, "I was just worried about Blake. She was nervous about seeing you and her father again. I just wanted to be sure everything was going okay up there."

Kali just grinned at her and started to walk closer to him, "That is very thoughtful of you, Jaune. And I'm grateful for you watching out for my daughter and trying to be there for her. So, in exchange…" She grinned at him again, "I won't tell Blake or Ghira you were eavesdropping if you tell me a few adventures of Team RWBY."

He raised his eyebrows at her request before he chuckled, "I think I can do that. And thank you for understanding, Kali."

"It's no trouble at all, Jaune. I can just tell by looking at you two that you both love each other very much." She gave him a warm and motherly smile. "It is relieving to see my daughter this happy." She then walked past him, "Now, let's go back to the sitting room. I'll prepare another pot of tea and we can talk until Blake and Ghira are done."

"Sounds like a plan." He said with a smile as he followed the older Faunus back down into the house. "I"ll start with the time RWBY and my old team, JNPR, caused a massive food fight in the cafeteria." Kali looked at him in disbelief before she saw how serious he was and began to giggle. The only problem he still had was he had that feeling still that someone was watching them. The questions were: was it him, Blake or the Belladonnas? And what intent was behind it?