IWEYC, Haxler, Spangle Jenks, desdelor97, Unholy Prophet0060, Drangons and Breakfast Food, KingWykkyd57.

Thank you all for your support and reviews. Some of you wanted more details into Blake's past. I wasn't going to go into detail, but if you would like, I could write a bonus chapter of sorts about her past. If you think you would like that, please leave a review telling me.

Blake's POV

The combined sensation of the warm sunlight and cool breeze on my skin is so comforting, it almost clears my mind of all the scattered thoughts and feelings that've been consuming me. Yet, even the fresh air of a perfect day can't put my troubles to rest. I sigh deeply and lean back. I open my eyes and scan the area around me.

I'm sitting on a bench in an abandon corner of Beacon's immaculately kept courtyard. Classes are over for the day so there isn't many people around right now. I could sit here in the peace and quiet for hours, but there's somewhere I need to be. Or rather, somewhere I already should be. I was supposed to meet Jaune over twenty minutes ago.

I was on my way to see him when I spotted the bench and decided to sit for a moment, and now, I can't seem to move. I know I should just get up and go, but something inside me is keeping me in place. A thought. A memory. A moment. That moment when Jaune and I were kneeling face to face in the courtyard. The look in his eyes, and the feeling that fell over me. And I realized….. I could love him and he could love me.

"Blake!" I hear the familiar shout of my partner's voice. I watch as she jogs over to me. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh….Sorry" I say when I see the hint of worry on her face.

"You left the dorm room like an hour ago saying you were going to meet Jaune and then he calls us saying that you never showed up." Her voice grows louder as she speaks. "I thought something bad happened to you!" I feel guilt start to build up inside me.

"I'm really sorry." I look at the ground. "I just sat down to rest for a minute and…." I don't know how to finish my explanation. I don't want to lie to her, but I'm not sure I feel like revealing the truth. I hear her sigh and she sits down next to me. I glance over at her. She's typing away at her scroll. "What are you doing?"

"Calling off the search, and telling everyone we'll be back soon." She says as she sends her message and then puts her scroll away.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone so much." I tell her.

"I know." The frown that was on her face fades into a smile. "And, well….we might have overreacted."

"Even so, I should've just gone straight to Jaune like I said I was going to." I say.

"Why didn't you?" Yang asks. I look back down towards the ground. "Did something happen between you and Jaune?"

"No…..not really." I mumble.

"What do you mean 'not really'? If he hurt you I'll kick his…"

"He didn't hurt me Yang." I interrupt her before her eyes have a chance to turn red. "It's just…..it's complicated."

"Too complicated to talk about?" she asks. I look away. "You know, you've been acting different for the last few days. Ever since you and Jaune left in the middle of lunch."

"Really?" I thought I was doing a good job at hiding my concerns.

"Just some subtle things, but I hang around you enough to know when something isn't right." She says. "I'm not going to force you to tell me what's wrong, but it might help to talk about it." I look at Yang as she waits for my response, and I realize that Yang is pretty much the only person I can talk to about this. But something tells me I'm going to regret it.

"You were right." I say.

"I usually am, so you're going to have to be a bit more specific." I send Yang a halfhearted glare.

"When I was in the hospital you told me that… that you thought I might have…feelings for Jaune." I say. "And I think you could be right." A flurry of emotions run across Yang's face. She jumps up from the bench and points at me excitedly.

"I knew it! I so totally knew it! Wow! I mean I knew it, but I still feel surprised. You and Jaune! No one could have seen that coming! You two are so different, like really different. But when I watch you two together and you guys…"

"Yang!" I shout. She stops mid-sentence and stares at me. "Stop talking, and Sit. Down." I hiss. She immediately sits. I rub my hand over my face.

"Sorry." She says. "Just….you admitting you're in love with Jaune caught me off guard." I sigh.

"I didn't say I was in love with him." I say. "But I could be, if I let myself."

"Well why don't you? He obviously feels the same way about you." Yang says.

"I don't feel like this is a very good time to start a relationship with anyone." I say. "We're training to become huntresses. I should be focused on that."

"Okay. First, that's a stupid reason. You can't put your life on hold just because you want to be a Huntress. In fact, being a Huntress gives you a reason to never hold anything back. This job we do. It's dangerous, and you never know if today is going to be your last." Says Yang. "And second, that isn't the real reason you're holding back, so what is?"

"Why does it matter?" I ask.

"Because you're my best friend and I want you to be happy." She says sincerely. Her wide caring eyes break down my final defense.

"Have you ever been in love with someone before?" I ask her. I can tell my question catches her off guard, but she quickly bounces back.

"Well…..I've dated a few people, but nothing that serious." She say.

"I've been in love before." I say. "Loving someone…..It does something to you. It changes everything. It makes you want to sacrifice everything for that one person. It changes your goals, your dreams. Being in love with someone is…..terrifying."

"Not if it's the right person." Says Yang.

"You're right. If it's the right person, then it isn't terrifying. It's beautiful and empowering." I say. "But the person I loved before…He wasn't the right person."

"Was it Adam?" Yang asks, she eyes darkening.

"Yes." I say. "At one time I loved him more than anything. And it was painful, exhausting, and heartbreaking."

"So you're afraid of letting yourself fall for Jaune because you don't want to get hurt again?" she asks.

"No. I afraid of hurting Jaune." I say.

"What do you mean?" a puzzled look crosses Yang's face.

"Adam had a dark soul. And he wanted to carry the world on his shoulders and loving him forced all that onto me. " I say. "Like you said, Jaune and I are so different. He's light and pure, and I'm lost in the shadows. I don't want to stain him with my darkness."

"I don't think that would happen." Says Yang.

"It could." I say. "A few days ago, watching Jaune getting so angry at people for my sake…..I've never seen him act like that. It wasn't like him. I just….I don't want to crush him with my burdens the same way Adam crushed me. He deserves to be with someone better."

"He deserves to be with the person he chooses to be with. Someone he has feeling for." Says Yang. "Like you."

"But…"

"But nothing." She says. "Blake…..Jaune isn't you and you're not Adam. Jaune will never be burdened by you because he has too big a heart. And you will never crush Jaune because you are not nearly as dark as you think you are."

"What if you're wrong." I ask.

"That rarely happens." I glare, she smiles. "But if I am, then I promise I'll be there to fix things."

"You make it all sound so simple." I sigh.

"It is. You just got to be brave enough to take a chance." She says. "Now let's get going, you're already super late for your hot date."

"I wouldn't call a doctor's appointment a date." I say.

"Jaune's taking you to get that cast off and the last of your stiches taken out." She says. "Sounds like a hot date to me." I shake my head and hide a smile as I follow Yang back to our dorm. As we walk I think about what she said. The thought that I could hurt Jaune is…unthinkable. But what if he is the right person? Do I take a chance? Should I be brave?

Jaune's POV

Blake and I sit together in a small cold room in the Beacon infirmary, waiting for the doctor to arrive. Neither of us say anything. I can tell by the look on Blake's face that she's thinking deeply about something, and I've learned it's best to let her sit in silence when she's like this. I don't mind. The silence isn't uncomfortable. At least it isn't for me. I always seem to feel more at peace when I'm around Blake.

"Sorry for the wait." Says the doctor as he quickly enters the room. "I had some other things I had to take care of."

"It's my fault for being so late." Blake says apologetically.

"It's fine, though I thought you would be anxious to get this cast off."

"I am. I just….got caught up with a few things." she says. Blake didn't explain to me why she was so late. She just told me she was sorry and that we could talk about it later.

"Well let's not waste any more time." He says. "Would you like the young man to wait outside?"

"No. He can stay." Blake answers quickly. The doctor smiles and gets to work.

He removes her cast first, it takes longer than I thought it would. He has Blake move her now free arm around in different directions. She seems to have trouble doing it, but the doctor tells her that it will take time to get her strength back and then he gives her a list of exercises to do every day.

Next, he takes out her stitches. He pulls a curtain around the bed, blocking my view of Blake as he works on her chest and back. I can't see Blake, and she doesn't make a sound, but I can sense her discomfort. I can hardly sit still and it feels like it takes forever for the doctor to finish. When the curtain is finally pulled away, Blake is sitting tensely on the bed. She looks at me. I automatically smile. The tension in her shoulders seem to dissipate and she smiles back.

"Okay, now all that's left is to take this bandage off your face." the doctor steps in front of Blake once again obstructing my view of her. I hear the bandage being pulled away. "Everything healed up better than I expected, but there's still some scarring, and like we talked about before, you won't regain sight in the eye."

"I understand." Blake's voice is steady, but cold.

"Alright. I'm going to give you the go ahead to start your training again. But you should start off slow." He says.

"I will." She answers.

"Okay Miss Belladonna, you're free to go." The doctor steps out of my line of sight and leaves the room. My eyes land on Blake. My breath catches in my chest as I stare at her.

A burn scar stretches from underneath the corner of her eye, passed her temple, and fades into her hairline. Several other scars line and dot the skin around her eye, most likely caused by the shrapnel from the gun shot. And then, there's the eye itself. It no longer shimmers with that sharp yellow color it used to. Instead, it's a soft foggy blue. The contrast between her now duel colored eyes is intense. I haven't seen her whole face since that ill-fated mission. And while it pains me intensely to see the scars marring her porcelain skin, only one word comes to mind when I see her face uncovered.

"Beautiful." The word falls quietly from my lips. I don't even realize that I've said it until I see a blush fall over Blake's face. I then feel my own face start to heat up, but I can't say I regret saying it.

"I…..I guess we should go." Blake says quickly as she stands, pretending to have not heard what I said. I should be grateful that she's letting me off the hook so I don't embarrass myself further, but I'm not.

"I meant what I said." I tell her before she can leave the room. She turns around slowly, looking me straight in the eye instead of shying away. "You are beautiful."

"I don't need you to say things like that to Me." she says with a frown. "I honestly don't care how I look. The scars on my face don't bother me. I don't need you're pity." I take a step closer to her, my own face now sporting a frown.

"Why would you say that?" I ask, my tone almost sounds hurt. "You know I wouldn't pity you, and I certainly would never lie to you. If I say something to you it will always be the truth. And I know the scars and your looks don't bother you, but the fact is, Blake Belladonna, you're beautiful. And anyone that says otherwise is a liar." I don't know what's gotten into me. But as I stand just a few inches from Blake and stare at her, I don't feel like the awkward goof I usually am. I feel bold and steady.

I reach my hand out gently move her hair behind her ear. Her hand reaches up and grabs onto mine. She closes her eyes slowly steps forward, resting her head against my chest. Her hand still holds onto mine. My heart is pounding. I do the only thing that feels right. I lean down and kiss the top of her head. I feel her hold tighten on me.

"Jaune?" she whispers into my chest.

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me something?" she asks.

"Anything." I say with no hesitation. She finally looks up at me, her eyes shine, like she might cry.

"Promise me that you won't ever change. That at your core, you will always be the person you are now."

"You actually like who I am?" I ask with a small laugh. She takes a step back so she can look me in the eye.

"More than you realize." She says.

"But I could be so much better. I'm always messing things up, I'm not strong, and I'm weird, and….Why would you possibly want me to stay like this?" I ask.

"Jaune, you are brave, honest, and noble. In all my life, I've never met a person as kind as you. And anyone who says otherwise is a liar." She smiles slightly. "You are a true hero Jaune, and I never want that to change."

Her hand is still in mine. My heart aches, but I feel happy. I'm at peace, yet I feel excited. I want to cry and laugh all at the same time. And I realize that this is what it must feel like when you fall in love with someone.

I love Blake. I love her. I suddenly don't know what to do. I want to tell her. It seems important that she knows. But I feel something holding me back, or maybe something between us that stops me from moving forward. So instead of telling her how I feel, I say the next best thing.

"I promise. I won't change." She smiles.

"You don't know how much that means to Me." she says, and I remember something. Something that makes me understand why she would have me promise her something like that.

"Actually, I think I do." I say. She raises an eyebrow at my solemn tone. "Blake, remember when I told you I had a surprise for you?"

"Yes."

"If you're up for a walk, I'd like to show you." I say.

"I'd like that." She says. I lead her out of the infirmary and into the cool afternoon air, our hands still locked together.

Blake's POV

"I don't think Yang would approve of this." I say as Jaune and I walk deeper into the woods.

"Why not?" asks Jaune.

"She's been rather protective of me lately. I'm lucky if she lets me leave our room. If she found out I was walking in the woods outside the safety of Beacon without a weapon, she would kill me." I say as I continue to follow his lead.

"Technically, we're still in Beacon. The woods we're in are protected by the barrier so the chance of running into a Grimm is super low, and I have my weapon just in case." Jaune says with confidence.

"So you won't mind telling Yang about this?" I smile as a fearful look flashes across his face.

"Maybe we could keep this just between us."

"I think that would be for the best." I say. We fall into a comfortable silence as we continue to walk down a small path through the trees. The tension I felt between us at the infirmary is no longer there. I'm not sure if I'm saddened or relieved by that. I do know one thing. If I continue to spend more time with Jaune, there will be no going back for me.

I glance up at him. I smile as I notice that he keeps purposefully putting himself in my line of sight. I didn't even have to say anything to him, he just instinctually knew that having anyone walk in my blind spot makes me uncomfortable.

I reach up and touch my face, my fingers trace the scars up to my eye. It feels odd not having the bandage there. To have nothing covering my eye and yet still not seeing anything. It will take a lot of getting used to. I just hope I'll be able to fight. The doctor said not to worry, but it's still a thought that keeps crossing my mind.

For now, I push thoughts of myself away and focus instead on what's right in front of me. Jaune. He said he had a surprise for me, but the longer we walk the less happy he seems. I can easily sense his tension, his hesitation. I keep my eye on him as we walk. After a few minutes, he comes to a stop.

"What's wrong?" I ask. He looks at me and tries to force a smile.

"You said you didn't like surprises most of the time. And I'm not sure you'll like this one." He says. "It's not a happy surprise. It's just…..it's something that I thought needed to be done. And I hope I didn't cross any lines in doing it." his tension starts to transfer into me as I wonder what this surprise could be.

"What is it?" I ask. He points straight ahead.

"It's just behind that tree." He says. I look up at the huge tree looming in front of us. I look back at Jaune. He gives me a reassuring look. I turn back towards the tree and slowly start to move forward. I cautiously make my way around the tree. I immediately notice a large polished stone sitting at the base of the tree. As I face the stone, I see an inscription engraved onto it. My body goes numb and I fall to my knees as I read the face of the stone.

Adam Taurus

The Man Who Saved a Hero

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, and if you would or wouldn't like the next chapter to be about Blake's past.

-Echo Artemis