Things were surprisingly calm in the aftermath of Cinder's departure. Sure Winter had lead a quick yet efficient search of the school's grounds to confirm that Cinder had indeed left, but other than that not much exciting had happened before dinnertime rolled around. They decided as a group to eat in the infirmary in part to keep an eye on the slumbering Moses, and in part to avoid the rumor mill for just a little bit longer.
The dinner itself had been a somewhat tense affair at the start, but as the meal wore on things relaxed and the air was filled with more pleasant conversation that carried on long after the meal was finished. Jaune looked over his children and their present mothers and took it all in. Seeing everyone more or less getting along in spite of the big fight that started the day did a lot to put him at ease. Jaune closed his eyes and for a moment he let the murmur of the mixing conversations wash over him, picturing himself in the dinning room of a home he had imagined building one day. With his mind's eye he took in his dream home and did his best to place each of his possible wives within it, trying to see how it would change under each woman's feminine touch.
He could picture Ruby cleaning her beloved Crescent Rose right there at the dinner table, popping out of her chair as the timer buzzed signifying it was time to take the snickerdoodles out of the oven. The vision shifted and he could see Yang corralling a small heard of blonde kids into their seats. Another shift saw Pyrrha tutoring a pair of redheads with homework strewn about the table. Shifting again put Weiss at a piano in the far corner of the room, helping a platinum blond girl find perfect pitch. A shift, and a young cat faunus snuck up on Blake in an effort to ambush their mother, only for Blake to use her semblance and reverse the ambush at the last moment to the shrieking delight of the child.
It was a bit harder to envision the women he was less familiar with in that dream home, but as Jaune squinted his metaphorical eye he could see it. He could see Arslan with him at the head of the table, reading a story from The Good Book to a set of attentive children. He could picture May comforting a child who had scraped their knee. Winter congratulating a boy for a job well done. Glynda organizing a group of children for the post meal cleanup. Emerald cradling an infant in her arms.
Jaune was pulled from this reverie as he tried to envision Cinder in his dream home by a slight hiss of pain not far from his right. He opened his eyes and looked to see Xia rubbing at a bruise on her wrist.
"You got me good Petra," Xia admitted, "I'm kind of surprised you don't normally fight with hook swords."
"Well I can't exactly use my Chain Sickle when sparing against Aunt Pyrrha, so I decided to broaden my weaponry repertoire for those spars," Petra explained. "Those wooden hook swords are the alternatives that felt the most natural to me, so I always used them for my fights with Pyrrha."
"You must spar with her a lot if you're that good with a substitute weapon," Xia observed as she poked at another bruise on her tummy.
"Pyrrha's one of the few people who can keep up with my Mother and Father, so I spar with her every chance I get," Petra explained as she prodded a bruise on her neck. "Who taught you how to do the suplex you used on me? I'm going to be feeling this for weeks."
The protection granted by Aura could be a funny thing at times; it could keep you from getting crushed by a ton of bricks all day everyday so long as you had it active, yet it didn't always keep you from getting bruised. If you did get bruises it usually meant the natural healing provided by your Aura was dealing with more important injuries so there wasn't enough left over to deal with the bruise. In those cases there was nothing to do besides treating the bruise gently and waiting for things to heal naturally.
Jaune frowned. There was nothing to do...
...There was something he could do. Jaune shook his head ruefully as he got out of his seat and walked up to his daughters. He placed his hands on their shoulders and flexed his newfound semblance, pushing some of his aura into their aura reserves. Both Xia and Petra stopped talking as their father's soul embraced theirs. Within moments the bruises were gone as if they were never there in the first place.
"Thanks Dad," Xia beamed.
"Thank you Father," Petra smiled.
"You're welcome," Jaune smiled back. From the familiar happiness on their faces this was obviously something he normally did. Would do. Could do. Should do. He patted his daughter's shoulders and moved on to help everyone else with their bruises and sprains.
He quietly moved through the throng topping off people's aura reserves as he went, starting with his children figuring they wouldn't need an explanation for what he was doing. As he went about his work he overheard a number of peculiar conversations.
"...So that's why I think no-bake oatmeal cookies are better than oatmeal raisin cookies," August shrugged.
Julian squinted at his paradox half sibling, "Blasphemer. How can you call it a cookie if you don't cook it?"
"...Pure gold doesn't go with your complexion," Amethyst advised Dorothy, "Silver or copper colored jewelry would be a much better bet."
"...I don't care how good your reflexes are," Nicholas objected to Theodore, "Blocking a guy who gets too close with a shield would be a lot safer than blocking with martial arts. Get a shield man."
"...You guys the only set of twins in your timeline?" Ash asked Leandra.
"Not even close," the catgirl grinned.
It didn't take long before he had topped off all of his children, and he turned his attention to his potential wives. Their conversations were just as varied.
"...Wait wait wait, you mean you're a legit nun?" Yang asked with confusion in her voice.
"I am," Arslan answered, "Why is this a surprise to you?"
"Well, you have a daughter over there," Yang waved in Petra's direction, "Are you going to quit?"
Arslan heaved the heavy sigh of someone who's had to explain something far too often for their liking. "Followers of the Broken Table don't practice celibacy, we practice chastity."
"There's a difference?" Yang tilted her head.
"Yes, there is," Arslan affirmed, "Chastity is the idea that carnal relations should only happen within the bounds of a divinely sanctioned marriage, and is built upon the commandment to not commit adultery. Celibacy is the idea that carnal relations shouldn't happen ever under any circumstances; it is a heresy practiced by monasteries of the Ash Bride. People who don't like the Church will frequently conflate our monastic traditions with theirs in the hopes that the confusion will make learning the teachings of the Table Breaker less appealing."
Blake butted in at that point, "So you're saying I can be a real sexy nun, wear a real sexy nun outfit, and still have sex?"
Arslan pinched the bridge of her nose, "The answer to that question is yes, but the way you asked it makes me want to say no."
"...Neither of us are princesses, but we both grew up in high society," Weiss gestured to Winter as she talked with May, "Both of us would be more than happy to coach you on proper etiquette before you find yourself in a situation where you'd need to use that etiquette."
"Right, right," May answered in a haunted tone, "Um... when movies show fancy dinner parties they always make jokes about the absurd amount of silverware... and how you can offend someone by grabbing the wrong fork or spoon... that's not real, is it?"
"It's real," Winter spoke this time, "Unfortunately. But a sniper of your caliber has the brains necessary to learn these things quickly. You'll be fine."
"...So if I'm dead in Julian's future," Pyrrha whispered to Ruby, "How did he know how to make an add on for Crescent Rose that would make it invisible to Polarity?"
"Apparently some tech-whizz bad guy is going to invent a magnetic sensor system for an army of evil robots," Ruby whispered back, "He showed me photos of the robots: It's going to be so cool fighting them together!"
It took him a little bit longer to slip into and out of those conversations as he sought to top off their aura reserves, he needed to explain what he was doing after all, but he did it. He felt a bit stretched out afterwords, yet knowing none of his present future family would be dealign with any aches or pains tomorrow made that stretched out feeling worth it.
Just before he could settle down again to let the rolling sounds of the disparate conversations wash over him again the doors to the infirmary were dramatically flung open by an invisible force, and Glynda Goodwitch strode in.
His combat instructor (and potential future wife) looked far less put together than she normally did; her cape was askew, her hair was popping out of her bun, and her stride was off tempo. In spite of this she looked over the crowd and announced with dignity:
"It. Is. Finished."
"Uhhh... what's finished?" Ruby asked for everyone.
"I've contacted everyone's parents," Glynda explained, "All of them should be arriving sometime tomorrow to help sort all of this out."
A new wave a murmuring washed over the room; some of it excited, most of it nervous. Yet before this din could grow much louder Ashley's voice cut through all of it as she heckled: "I bet you missed someone!"
Glynda blinked owlishly in response to that, and the sight of that was so unusual it ground all of the murmuring to a halt. The deputy headmistress then pointed into the crowd and to everyone's surprise started a headcount.
"I called Isabel Arc," Glynda pointed to Jaune, who nodded in resined acceptance. "I called Taiyang," Glynda pointed to Ruby and Yang, with Ruby squeaking while Yang blanched. "I called Willow," she pointed to Weiss and Winter, who shared a surprised look with each other. "I called Athena," she pointed to Pyrrha, who put on a strained smile. "I called Kali and Ghira," she pointed to Blake, who suddenly looked like she wanted to hide behind something. "I called Logos and Basara," she pointed to Arslan, who nodded in acceptance like Jaune albeit slightly less resined. "Everyone else is listed as an orphan so yes I contacted everyone."
"May here isn't actually an orphan," Leandra supplied with a grin in her voice, "She was kidnapped as a baby and presumed dead, so everyone just thought she was an orphan!"
Glynda looked at May Zedong like a cow looks at an oncoming train, "Who are your parents?"
May sputtered from being put on the spot like that, so Jaune stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before answering in her stead, "Her parents are the other half of my parents' Beacon team; Arjun and Saia."
Glynda took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes with her free hand, "Of course they are. I'll be back after I've called them-"
"WAIT! Don't Call Them Yet!" May shouted to her own surprise. Glynda looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, and May found it within herself to keep going, "I only found out about them a few hours ago. I'd kind of like some more time to adjust to the idea before I have to meet them. Would, would that be alright?"
Glynda stared at the young sniper, who fidgeted a bit under the deputy headmistress' gaze. Glynda then closed her eyes and sighed, "I'll call them tomorrow."
"Thank you," May sagged a bit as tension left her body. Jaune smiled at May before turning to Glynda and frowning at the frazzled state she was in.
"Ms. Goodwitch? Are you okay?" Jaune asked as he approached his teacher.
"I'm fine," Glynda replied in a tone that wasn't a perfect facsimile of fine, "Today's just been one of those days."
"Yeah, it's been one of those days all around," Jaune agreed. "You looked kind of drained, let me help." He put his hand on her shoulder and flexed his semblance.
"Mr. Arc, what are you-?" Glynda started before the rush of Jaune's aura flowed into her body, rejuvenating her and pushing away the stress of the day.
"My semblance lets me share my aura with other people," Jaune explained. "I'm still figuring out how it works, but I've used it enough over the last hour to know how to top off someone else's reserves and... ...oh," Jaune suddenly felt light headed, and the stretched out feeling stretched beyond a point it probably shouldn't, "...I guess... I was... closer to empty... than I... thought..."
Jaune's eyes closed as he fell forward face first into Glynda's bosom.
--------------------
Silence hung in the air as everyone stared. Soft snoring escaped Jaune's lips as he slept half-standing with the support of Glynda, who's face blushed a deep crimson as the sleeping young man nuzzled closer to the soft things he had landed against.
Winter slowly approached the two of them and gently pulled Jaune away from the frozen Professor. Jaune remained asleep, even as Winter moved him into a chair. She let a nurse give him a quick one over: simple aura exhaustion, he'd sleep it off.
"It's a bit early to turn in for the night," Winter observed after the nurse's prognosis, "But it isn't too early to do so at any rate. I'll take him to my quarters so he can rest up."
"YOUR Quarters!" Glynda sputtered. "Why would you take him to your quarters?"
"Cinder Fall has a proven capability to sneak onto and out of school grounds undetected," Winter explained as she pulled out her scroll and started typing orders into it. "As long as she's free the two central figures of this temporal paradox are at risk. I'll organize a security detail to make this location as safe as possible for Moses, and I'll take Jaune to the most secure location I know on campus; my quarters." Winter looked up from her scroll and came to the sudden realization that she was surrounded.
"Why are your quarters the safest place on campus?" Pyrrha asked with a frighteningly polite smile.
"I know every possible avenue of approach," Winter tried to justify her idea, "And Theodore will be with us, meaning we can rapidly relocate Jaune if Cinder shows up. We can stand guard over him as he recovers."
"If it's a question of keeping Jaune protected he should be with Team RWBY," Yang cracked her knuckles. "Us plus our kids equals nine huntresses and huntsmen to keep watch. Can't get much safer than that."
"The security systems we brought from Atlas more than make up the numbers difference," Winter looked to her sister for support. "You've seen what I've done to my room, tell them."
"That would leave you alone with him," Weiss narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"Theodore would be with us!" Winter pointed out as she began to comprehend the real objection.
"Theodore could step out," Weiss' eyes narrowed further.
"And it's better with all of you?" Emerald glared at the girls of RWBY as she stepped up besides Pyrrha, "Team JNPR's dorm is right across the hall from yours; you don't need to have him in your room to help keep him safe. Unless you have some kind of team plan involving him."
The girls of Team RWBY made scandalized noises at that accusation. But before they could fire back Arslan stepped forward with her hands outstretched in a placating manner.
"Hold on a moment," Arslan began in a beseeching manner, "If trust is a primary concern here then I should watch over him. My vows as a Warrior-Nun of the Broken Table forbid any promiscuous behavior outside of marriage, and with Reese here," Reese waved, "To keep me honest you can be certain nothing with happen tonight."
Blake fixed Arslan with a wild eyed expression, "You'll just sneak off with him to a drive through chapel and elope!"
Arslan's eyes became unfocused as shock overtook her features, "Drive through chapels are a thing in Vale? That's an option?" Most of the women present eyed Arslan with suspicion. Blake's teammates eyed her with the same suspicion.
"Alright that's enough," Glynda blustered, "As deputy headmistress I'll watch over him. My reputation as a rule keeper is ironclad, you can trust me with him."
"That's exactly what somebody about to abuse their power would say!" Emerald accused, and everyone's glare shifted to Glynda in solidarity with that accusation.
"Well he's My best friend-" Ruby started.
"I've loved him since the day we met!" Pyrrha objected over her.
"We know," Team RWBY and Glynda replied as one, before splitting off to accuse each other of trying to weasel out an advantage over the others.
The argument circled about for several minutes like this, with nobody willing to give ground and the volume of their voices slowly getting louder and louder.
Eventually Reese rolled her eyes and pulled out her Hoverboard, switching it into its' gun formation of twin revolvers with bayonets. She fired two shots into the air. Instantly all of Jaune's potential wives had their weapons out and pointed at Reese, except for Arslan who was staring at her teammate in confusion.
"Now that I have your attention let me just say as someone with very little skin in this game that this is pointless," Reese began, "Considering the fact that Ren, Nora and all the kids took Jaune to JNPR's dorm room while you've been arguing."
They all looked to the chair that Jaune had been in when the argument started. He wasn't there.
It wasn't exactly a mad dash. It was a little more organized than that. That being said the group made good time from the infirmary to the dorms.
The door was ajar, and they crowded around to look in. Ren and Nora fixed the lot of them with a glare and Nora held a finger to her lips in the near universal shushing gesture. Jaune was in his bed, the children gathered round.
"Goodnight Dad," Julian whispered.
"Night Dad," Xia also whispered.
"Sleep tight Dad," Leander and Leandra murmured in tandem.
And so it went down the line, each child wishing Jaune a good night's rest in a hushed tone before shuffling out of the room.
The potential future wives looked at one another with embarrassment in their eyes.
"Umm... we... we'll be across the hall if you need us," Ruby whispered to Nora who was still giving everyone the skink eye.
"We'll, we'll sleep somewhere else," Pyrrha whispered as she and Emerald made their way into the room and grabbed their pillows and blankets, not wanting to be under Nora's suspicious glare longer than they had to be, "I think there's an empty room down the hall."
A few more awkward farewells were exchanged, and everyone separated to turn in early for the night.