Well, here we are, my first Romeo fanfic. This was inspired by this fan art that originally surfaced on 4chan - i()imgur()com/g5HSenQ()png (just replace the parentheses with periods). I tried to get source for it but since it wasn't posted on an art site no one could find one. The most I got is that the 4chan user who made it had the username DrawFriend or DrawAnon, so credit for the artwork goes to them. Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the story. (Btw, italics are flashbacks, for those who are unfamiliar and do I really need a Disclaimer at this point, RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum).

Edit: Added a line to give a little more closure in regards to Cinder and made some minor fixes and updates. Special thanks to OldSchoolVinny and my friend Aneil for the feedback and critiques.

Unexpected

It was a bright morning in the Kingdom of Vacuo, the hot sun just starting to beat against the burning sand. The light served as a wakeup call to the various denizens of the desert, including a large town in the deepest part of the wasteland. The thriving suburb was called Oasis, named for the large oasis that it was built around. It was a paradise in the middle of the harsh landscape and a safe-haven for those seeking asylum from other parts of the world.

Criminals from far and wide usually found their way to Oasis at some point in their lives, whether they were retiring from that way of life or just looking for a place to hide for a while. Still, others found themselves settling down in the desert paradise for more…unexpected reasons. One such criminal had taken residence in a decent two-story home in one of the town's nicer neighborhoods.

A young woman with long brown hair was lying in bed, content to stay asleep as the curtains blocked out the morning sun. She turned over, revealing the right side of her hair to actually be pink with streaks of white. The sleeping beauty finally began to wake when she felt something stirring underneath the covers. Groggily, she opened her eyes, one pink and one brown, to notice a large lump moving its way up the bedding. When it reached the pillow next to the young woman, a small head of dark-green hair flecked with brown popped out.

"Good morning Mama." said the little girl, one brown eye and one green eye staring innocently at the now woken young mother.

"Morning Minnie." responded the mother with a smile. "Where's your sister?"

"Right here Mama." came a voice from behind.

The woman rolled over to find a slightly older little girl, this one with white-flecked brown hair and lavender eyes, looking up at her.

"There you are Roxy." said the mother in a teasing voice.

"It's morning!" said Minnie.

"We're hungry." said Roxy.

"Yeah, hungry!"

"Make us breakfast."

"Okay, okay." said the mother.

She rolled out of bed, scooping up Minnie in one arm and locking Roxy between her lower legs in one swift move. The two girls screamed before breaking into laughter, their mother joining them. She let the kids go and led them towards the kitchen.

Six years ago, Neopolitan Torchwick would have used her acrobatic skills to kill a man; yet, here she was using those same skills to amuse these two little girls she happily called her daughters. The last thing Neo ever expected was to become a mother, the master criminal had always thought it would be against her nature.

"So, what do you want to eat?" she called to her kids.

"Blueberry pancakes!" answered Roxy.

"No, chocolate-chip waffles!"

"Alright you sweet-tooths, how about both?"

"Yay!"

Neo shook her head and smiled at the children's antics. As she prepared breakfast, she couldn't help but look back at the events that had brought her life to this point.

A little over six years ago, the city of Vale was in complete chaos. Fires spread everywhere, buildings collapsed, and gunfire echoed through the streets. A woman named Cinder Fall had practically declared war on the Kingdom with the help of the Faunus terrorist group known as the White Fang. Cinder, a terrifying woman to be sure, was the employer at the time of Roman Torchwick and, by extension, his right-hand woman Neo.

The two professional criminals, however, wanted nothing to do with this battle. They weren't personally invested in Cinder's cause and had only signed up for the money, and because of the fear. They decided to use the chaos to their advantage and snag one last score before fleeing the city. Once the battle was in full swing, Roman and Neo hit every bank and store they could and then snuck on board an evac ship in the harbor.

"Finally," cheered Roman, "Vacuo-bound and away from this hellhole."

Neo simply smiled and nodded in response as they made themselves at home in the ship's cargo hold.

"Y'know, I'm actually gonna miss this town; dopey cops, decent clubs, and plenty of places to rob." said the orange-haired man.

He reached into his white coat, pulled out a cigar and a dust-powered lighter, and started having a celebratory smoke. Neo grabbed the cigar for herself, sucking the smoke into her mouth and blowing it in Roman's face before putting it out.

"Hey?"

Neo gestured around her.

"Okay good point, probably not the best place for smoke and fire."

The short young woman handed the cigar back to Roman who promptly pocketed it. They spent a good three hours counting the money they had stolen, along with various other valuables. By the time they were done, both were getting tired.

"Should be another twelve hours or so before we make port." said Roman, checking his pocket watch; they had disposed of their scrolls back in Vale. "We should probably get some sleep."

Roman was suddenly knocked back and Neo knocked forward as the ship lurched around, probably from hitting rough seas. They both fell against the wall and down to the floor. Roman looked up to find his partner in crime lying down on top of him.

"Comfortable?"

Neo nodded against his chest and they fell asleep.

"That was yummy."

"Yeah, yummy!"

Neo was broken out of her reminiscence by the excited cheers of her kids.

"Alright, time to get dressed."

Neo certainly felt that motherhood had changed her. For starters, she was a lot more talkative now, she had to be to handle her hyperactive little girls. Gone were the days of the quiet thief who would just smile and nod and kill when needed. Now, she had a much more important responsibility.

"I don't wanna get dressed!" whined Minnie. "I wanna stay in my PJs all day!"

"You hafta get dressed." responded Roxy.

"Why!?"

"Cuz Mama said so."

"Why!?"

"Because, we're going into town today." said Neo. "Now come on, hurry along."

Neo quickly dressed her kids, a pink shirt-dress for Roxy and a brown one for Minnie with a mint-leaf hair accessory, before tending to herself. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about her, it was her sense of style. She tied the back of her recently dried hair in a low ponytail before putting on a brown corset and matching pants. The corset was topped by a short white tailcoat that went down below her waist in the back. A scrambled array of beads and necklaces covered her chest while a pair of white knee-high boots covered her lower legs. Lastly, she added a pair of black gloves, the left one covering her wedding band.

"Wow, so pretty Mama." she heard Roxy say as she looked herself over in the mirror.

"Stylish!" yelled Minnie, parroting a new word she recently learned.

Neo stifled a giggle. "You can thank Papa for that Min. Well, shall we?"

Neo grabbed the car keys and her parasol on their way out, she waved to the neighbors and got the kids in the car. The town was large, but not quite a city; most of the cars were small modest vehicles or off-roaders for going out into the desert. Neo rarely left Oasis, so she settled for a small four-door. Driving down the street reminded her of the first time she saw these streets.

The clunky truck came to a grinding halt, brake pads screeching against worn-out disks. Roman and Neo got out from under the canopy in the back and took in the bustling suburban streets. They had made it to Oasis, a haven for criminals with no interference from the government and, more importantly, no extradition.

"Thanks for the ride." said Roman, dropping some lien cards in the driver's hand.

The two criminals made their way through town, meeting with various fences and money launderers along the way. Once they had gotten rid of enough of their cash and stolen goods, they stopped at a decent looking hotel for the night.

"Well Neo, I think we're finally home-free."

"Good, let's loosen up a little." said Neo, brandishing a bottle of wine.

Roman and Neo spent the next few hours cuddled together with a blanket and that bottle. They watched some of the movies available in the hotel room for the guests. They never got drunk but were a bit tipsy by the time Neo started wearing Roman's bowler hat.

"Remember the good ol' days, Neo? We used to sit around watching crappy movies with whatever cheap wine we could find."

"That was when we were first starting out."

"Yeah. Well, we should probably get some sleep, busy day tomorrow."

Roman made his way over to his bed, completely missing the devilish smirk now on his partner's face. What he didn't expect when he turned around was Neo cart-wheeling into him, knocking him flat onto the bed. He looked up to find the Neapolitan-haired woman sitting on his chest, her legs over his shoulders, with a lusty glint in her eyes.

"Um…Neo?"

"We've hit the biggest score of our lives and we're home-free. I say we celebrate." she said, bringing her face down to his and inhaling the strong scent of cologne.

"How are you so flexible?"

Neo giggled at his response as she moved to straddle his stomach, it had to be his stomach since she was so short. She untied Roman's scarf and tossed it aside before unbuttoning his coat, they hadn't changed since they were so tired from running around all day.

"You're pretty…aggressive today."

Neo laughed again as she undid the button on her own jacket. Now with only her corset as a top, her upper-chest and shoulders were bare for Roman to see.

"And generous too." he said.

She bared down on him and he responded, tongues already lashing into each other's mouths. Roman pulled her hair-tie loose before grabbing onto whatever part of her body his hands found pleasurable at the moment, from her shoulders to her breasts to her hips. They kept at this for a few minutes before pulling at each other's clothes, ready to spend the night indulging in one another.

This was nothing new to the criminal duo. They had been partners for so long that they had often had such 'celebrations' after many a job. It was to the point that their longer-known associates often joked that they should just make it official.

Of course, neither could have predicted the effect that that one night of passion would have on the rest of their lives. They had always been careful in their previous 'affairs,' they couldn't do their jobs if they weren't. That night, they decided to forego caution since they were fairly drunk, not so much on the alcohol as on the catharsis of an early retirement. Little did they know what they were in for.

"We're here, we're here! The store, the store!" came Minnie's excited yells.

They got out of the car, Neo keeping her parasol on hand. She always kept her trusty weapon close, especially when she was out with her daughters. Oasis was a fairly safe place to live. Most of its inhabitants may have been criminals, but they were either old dogs looking to retire or people looking for a fresh start. The local police were willing to overlook people's pasts as long as they didn't cause trouble. Creatures of Grimm were also a non-issue, having been taught long ago not to attack the city by the various mercenaries that live in it. Despite this safety, however, there were still certain unsavory inhabitants that hadn't quite let go of their criminal ways. Neo wasn't about to take the chance with her kids.

"Neeeyam! Wooosh!" yelled Minnie as she ran around with outstretched arms.

"What're you doing?" asked Roxy.

"I'm a plane!"

"That's not what a plane sounds like."

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not."

"Roxy, be nice. Minnie don't go too far."

Neo had found that as they got older, the more of a handful they became. Minnie had recently become fascinated with airplanes and imitated them whenever she could. Roxy, being the responsible sibling, often tried to calm her down, causing the two to argue. Even after five years, Neo was still learning what it took to care for these kids. She was far from helpless, however. She was no longer the confused young woman she was when this whole thing started.

Roman and Neo were busy every day after the night at the hotel room. They had a lot of things to sort out their early retirement. They spent much of their time getting to know the town; stores, hangouts, and potential business partners should anything turn up in the future. Lastly, they finalized the purchase of a nice one-story home. It was two weeks after their move to Oasis that they finally slowed, and things started taking a strange turn.

Neo didn't seem to be feeling too well lately. She started off feeling a lot more worn out than usual. After the fatigue came headaches and a lot more worn irritable days than usual. Roman brushed it off, thinking the new locale and busy work days were just getting to her. Then, one day Roman woke up to find her in the bathroom feeling nauseous. Roman was starting to worry about his longtime friend.

Roman left Neo in her bed the next morning, planning on consulting a doctor and probably picking up some medication. What he didn't know was that she slipped out during his daily routine, intent on picking up some things of her own. Roman was disappointed to find that the doctor had closed up shop early, pharmacy and all. He returned home later that day to find parts of the house in shambles. He looked around in a panic before finding Neo sitting on the bathroom floor. She was holding her head in her hands, her face was distraught, and she was sobbing. She hadn't so much as shed a tear since they were teenagers living in the street, this was serious.

"Neo, hey Neo." he said, rushing to her side. "Hey, what's wrong, what happened?"

She continued to cry before finally looking up at him. "I…I'm sorry. About the house I mean. I'm s-sorry about the house."

"You did that? Wh-"

"I was just so…frustrated!"

"What happened?" asked Roman, gripping her shoulders firmly in support.

"I-I…"

"Neo, c'mon, just tell me. It's okay, you can tell me."

"I…I'm pregnant, Roman."

Roman's face fell. "Oh…are you sure?"

Neo pouted and narrowed her eyes before holding up three positive pregnancy tests.

"Okay, you're sure."

"What am I going to do Roman?"

"I'm…not sure. W-wait, you're…you're not thinking of getting rid of it are you?"

"I don't know!"

"C'mon, take it easy Neo. You're just scared and confused."

"Exactly! I don't know what to do! I'm a criminal, a murderer! I can't…I can't be a mother!" she said, burying her face in her arms. She sounded defeated.

"And you won't be." Roman took her hand. "Not alone."

Neo stared at him blankly. "W-what?"

"I-I'll be right here with you. I mean, it's my kid too, right?"

"I-I guess you're right." she responded, slowly forming a smile. "Heh. Heh heh."

"What's so funny, aren't you in emotional turmoil or something?" he asked jokingly.

"Sorry, just never thought I'd see the day; Roman Torchwick, a father."

"Hey, I did a pretty good job taking care of us didn't I?"

Neo laughed. "I think this is a little different."

"I could always learn."

Neo smiled and snuggled against her longtime mentor. He smiled back and wrapped his arms around the slightly younger woman. They stayed like that for a while before Roman spoke up.

"Hey, I've been thinking."

Neo looked up at him.

"Whaddya say we make this whole thing a little more…official?"

Neo quirked an eyebrow.

"What I mean is…we've been together for a long time and…well, I it's pretty obvious we have feelings for each other, probably. L-look, what I'm trying to say is…I-I love you, Neo…and, um, y'wanna get married?"

Neo's jaw dropped. This was Roman Torchwick, master thief and poster-child of charisma, reduced to stuttering nervously like a schoolboy as he proposed to her.

"I-I always thought; didn't you say we could never be in love, that it would be too dangerous, that people could use that against us?"

"I know what I said, but we're not on the run anymore. So, whaddya say?"

Neo smiled wider that he had ever seen. "I say yes, of course." she said, breaking into tears of joy. "Because, I've always loved you."

"Mama, Mama, look at this!" called Minnie. "Look at the funny doll!"

Neo looked over and was surprised to see a somewhat familiar face. On the shelf was a disgruntled looking plushy of her former enemy, Yang Xiao Long. Apparently, Team RWBY had graduated from Beacon Academy a few years ago and was quite famous now; stopping a war by taking down Cinder Fall and most of the White Fang probably had something to do with it. It wasn't out of the ordinary to find RWBY and JNPR memorabilia in stores around the world.

"Can we get it Mama, can we!?"

Neo looked at the frowning doll and its angry red eyes. It was actually kind of funny seeing her old adversary as a goofy plush toy.

"Please Mama, I like it too." added Roxy.

"Oh, alright then."

They added the doll to the cart and headed for the checkout. The cashier greeted the family with a smile, having seen them there in the past.

"Have your hands full today?" asked the teenage girl.

"You have no idea-Minnie don't touch that."

They got out of the store and started loading their thing into the car.

"Neeeyam! Neeeyam!" yelled Minnie, acting like a plane again.

"Minnie, don't go far."

The green-haired girl made her way to the edge of the parking lot. A disheveled looking man sat in an alleyway on the side, not an uncommon sight in Oasis. He spotted the child and walked over to her.

"Hey kid, whatcha doin'?" he said in a low voice.

Minnie froze in place, unsure of how to react to the frightening man.

"What's up kid?"

Still no response.

"Hey, whaddya doin' kid? Y'like candy kid? I got some candy. Y'want some?" the man said, walking closer and pulling a knife out of his pocket.

Minnie started to back away as the man slowly unfolded the knife. He sneered at the little girl as he walked forward, picking up his pace. He didn't get very far before getting hit by a devastating kick to the head and having his legs swept from under him. When he recovered from the fall he opened his eyes to find Neo kneeling on his chest, a thin rapier blade pointed just inches from his throat. When he looked into her eyes he saw pure rage, he saw murderous intent, he saw the remnants of a killer long buried by the sands of time. The bloodlust in the air was so palpable, the man actually soiled himself in fear.

Neo leaned down, her voice came low and quiet. "I'm going to let you live today, but if I ever see you near my daughters again, you'll die slowly."

Neo got up, blade still pointed at the man. He sprinted as fast as he could in the other direction, stumbling along the way. Neo sheathed the blade in her parasol while Roxy checked up on her little sister.

"Mama?" called the brown-haired girl.

Neo turned around and dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around both of the girls. Her eyes began tearing up as she held them tight.

"Minnie Torchwick, don't you ever scare me like that again."

Minnie also began tearing up. "I-I'm sorry Mama! I was so scared Mama!"

"I know, I know. It's okay now."

The family stayed like that for a while before heading back to the car. They were more than ready to go home after what just happened.

Neo couldn't remember when she had developed such strong maternal instincts, but she was thankful for them. Her daughters were the most important thing in the world to her now. Even though the idea of motherhood had scared her at first, she quickly warmed up to it.

After Roman's proposal, the two quickly got married. It was nothing fancy, just a small ceremony. They got a cheap suit and a simple dress, found someone qualified to marry them, grabbed a couple of witnesses, and bought a pair of rings. It was short, sweet, and they couldn't have been happier with it. They didn't even feel the need to consummate their marriage, not that there was a need to in the first place.

Nine months of breast pain, having a belly far larger than normal, and strange appetite changes later, it was finally time. Years of combat experience could not prepare Neo for the pain of giving birth. She was happy she had her aura to rely on as it made the experience much more manageable. She was even happier to have Roman beside her through the whole ordeal. When it was all over, the couple was presented with a beautiful baby girl. Neo marveled at the white-flecked brown hair her daughter had, it reminded her of her own multi-colored hair.

"Well, we have to come up with a name for her." said Roman.

The couple had decided to leave naming their child for after she was born, feeling they would have a better idea once they saw what she looked like.

"Her hair reminds me of rocky-road ice cream." said Neo.

"Of course it does." replied Roman, not surprised his wife's love of ice cream came up. "Alright, how about…Roxy?"

"Roxy? I love it." Neo looked at the baby. "You hear that? Your name's Roxy."

The baby looked up at her mother and giggled as her father tickled her face.

Once they brought the newborn home, things started off fairly simple; Roman and Neo had spent the past nine months buying all of the necessities and learning how to be parents. They even converted Neo's old bedroom into a room for the baby, since marriage meant sleeping together was now a more permanent arrangement. They were determined to give their daughter a good life, a better life than what they had.

The simplicity ended a few days in, however, when the couple found out just how demanding raising a child really was. While waking up at ungodly hours was nothing new to them, changing a diaper certainly was. That's not to say there weren't good times; Neo found a certain emotional satisfaction in breast-feeding Roxy with her husband by her side, and both parents enjoyed the inherent silliness that came with keeping a baby entertained.

Eight months into their parenthood, Roman started to notice just how different their lives. He noticed that Neo seemed a lot happier recently; if anything, she was a lot more talkative now. Even though he was the one she had always talked to the most, it never really meant much. She was still extremely quiet in the past, even around him, to the point where the two of them were eventually able to communicate completely non-verbally just from how used to it they were. Now, though, Neo never seemed to want to stop talking about everything to do with Roxy.

"And now she crawls so much." she mused. "Just wait, Roxy will start walking all on her own soon, I just know it."

"That'll be something. Y'know, you've really taken to this whole motherhood thing." said Roman, joining her in the bed.

"And what about you," responded Neo with a laugh, "I thought you hated kids."

"Well, what can I say, having a kid of your own can really change your…perspective."

"I'm just glad this turned out so well. Thank you Roman, for everything."

"Oh sure, no problem. I mean, all I did was get you pregnant."

Neo laughed at his sarcasm. "All the same, I mean…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"It's nothing. You'll think I'm crazy."

Roman choked back a laugh and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Neo pouted. "Fine, I'll tell you. I was wondering if you'd…like to have another baby."

Roman flinched. "Another one? That's a…big responsibility."

"You said I took to motherhood really well, I think I can handle it. So, what do you think?" she said, pulling Roman on top of her.

"I think…we might need a bigger house."

Neo and the kids spent the rest of the day at home. They stopped by a fast-food place for lunch, a treat the girls enjoyed. Once they got back, Neo started working around the house while Roxy and Minnie played with their new toy.

"I wanna play with the funny blonde lady." said Roxy.

"No, it's still my turn!" retorted Minnie as she pulled on the doll.

"You've had it all day."

"Mine!" *rip*

The girls looked in shock at the now torn hand of the plushy.

"Now look what you did, Minnie!"

Minnie was on the verge of tears.

"What's going on in here?"

"The funny doll got ripped!" yelled Minnie, now crying.

"Oh, that's a shame. And why did it get ripped?" asked Neo, putting her hand gently on her youngest daughter's head.

"I was fighting over it with Roxy." she replied, lowering her head.

"Minnie, you have to share with your sister."

"Yes Mama."

"I'll fix this up later, okay, so cheer up Sweetie." said Neo, taking the doll. Stitching up a doll would be no problem for her, she and Roman both knew how to mend fabric to maintain their expensive wardrobes.

"Mama, are you done being busy?" asked Roxy.

"Yes, for now."

"Read me a story."

"Okay, join me on the little couch. Coming Minnie?"

"No, I'm gonna draw a picture!"

"Okay, show me when you're done."

"Okay Mama!"

Neo made herself comfortable on the sofa-chair, lying down on the large angry-looking doll. Roxy came up to her shortly after, holding a large picture book in her arms. It was called 'I Want my Hat Back,' Roman had bought it one day thinking the girls would find it funny. Neo read the book, pausing to show the pictures to Roxy who was sitting on the floor and listening intently.

Just as Neo finished the book, Minnie climbed onto the back of the chair with paper and crayon in hand.

"Mama, Mama, I finished my picture!"

"Oh, let me see." said Neo, handing the book back to Roxy.

It was a drawing of Neo, Minnie, and Roxy standing under an umbrella. They were labeled 'MAMA,' 'Me,' and 'SIS,' and the umbrella had a heart on it. Off to the side was Roman under a gray rain.

Neo raised an eyebrow. "Why is Papa under the rain?"

Minnie pouted. "He's under the rain cuz he's never home!"

"Minnie."

"Well he's not!"

"Minnie, your Papa works hard for us, he's busy."

Minnie's face saddened. "I know, I just wish Papa was home more."

"I know." Neo said, patting Minnie on the head.

Roman had been away often since Minnie was born. While Neo was perfectly content spending her days with her kids, Roman started a little enterprise to keep them covered for life.

Five months after Roxy's first birthday, she was presented with a green-haired little sister. The flecks of brown in her hair immediately reminded Neo of mint chocolate-chip ice cream. Roman once again took it upon himself to come up with something a little more sensible, and so they named their second-born Minnie.

They were quickly reminded of the rigors of having a newborn in the house, but Neo was more than up to the challenge this time. The family had moved into a larger home so they would have more space for the kids. Quiet moments were few and far between in the Torchwick house, so when one finally came around, Roman decided to get something serious off his chest.

"So, what's on your mind?" asked Neo.

Roman sighed. "How could you tell?"

"Well, we've been married over a year, we have two kids, and we've been 'thick as thieves' since childhood. Just tell me what's up."

"It's our…financial situation."

"Ah, the money."

"Yeah, problem is…our early retirement fund was really only meant for the two of us."

"So, what're you saying?"

"I'm saying, while we're well off now, I don't think we can support two kids forever on what we have."

Neo looked crestfallen. "Well…what're you gonna do?"

"Actually, I've already been putting a solution together."

Neo perked up at this, interested in hearing what her husband came up with.

"See, it's come to my attention that there are quite a lot of old ruins out in the desert, even ruins that haven't been discovered yet. Ruins that may or may not be filled with ancient treasures. Ancient treasures that could probably be sold for a high price."

"Hmm, sounds dangerous. The desert is also filled with Grimm if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh, I hire some competent mercenaries and I think we'll be alright."

Neo smirked and placed a hand on her taller companion's chest. "Just promise you'll come back safe, that you won't do anything reckless, or stupid. After all, I'm not gonna be there to bail you out."

"Hey, I'm not completely helpless-wait, you're not gonna try and stop me?"

"You're doing this for me, for us; of course I won't stop you. Besides, you're a thief to the core, I couldn't stop you from stealing buried treasure if I wanted to."

"Aw c'mon, I'm not that much of a thief…anymore."

"Well, you certainly did a good job stealing my heart." Neo said with a wink, changing her brown eye to silver.

"Really, 'cause I think you got me back for that already."

The couple's flirting was interrupted by the sound of the babies crying in the other room. They rolled their eyes, had a laugh, and went to tend to their kids. Roman spent the next week chatting up all manner of archaeologists, mercenaries, and other essential personnel to get them on board with his newly budding enterprise. By the time he was done, he had a fairly sizable number of would-be treasure hunters under his wing. With all of the preparations complete, Roman and company set out into the desert.

It was eight o'clock when a bullhead flew into Oasis after dark, stopping on one of the landing pads dotted throughout the large town. An orange-haired man wearing a white t-shirt, brown pants, gray scarf, and a bowler hat stepped off. He lit up a cigar, letting the smoke swirl in his mouth before blowing it out. He started to walk, weaponized cane and beige cloak in hand, as he was followed by a glasses-wearing Faunus.

"Taking the weekend off, Boss?"

"Sure am, Perry. You're in charge 'til I get back, try to make sure everyone gets along."

"Will do, see you in a few days." he replied as they parted ways.

Perry, now there was a reliable worker. He had left the White Fang about a year after Roman fled Vale, eventually he ended up in Oasis and joined the expedition. Roman had taken a liking to the young Faunus and gladly made him his second in command.

Roman took his time getting home, making sure he could enjoy his cigar. Neo had made him stop smoking at home because of the kids. He went over the day's findings in his head; they had made good progress digging into this ruin, the fourth new one that no one previously knew about. People would pay top dollar for the discovery alone. His reverie was broken as he noticed he was approaching his door. He let himself in, with keys rather than a lock-pick, and headed towards the living room where a light was still on.

"Y'know, you didn't need to wait up for me." he said, walking into the room.

Neo looked up from the book she was reading. "Did you expect me not to?"

Roman smiled and joined her on the loveseat, noticing a large doll with a stitched hand. "What's this thing's story?"

"Just a new toy for the girls, had to fix it up after they fought over it."

"Sounds about right."

"So, how was work?"

"Made some good progress, killed some Grimm, nothing major. How 'bout things here in town?"

"Well, we had a run-in with some low-life today, but…I don't think he'll be a problem anymore."

"You're scary, y'know that?"

Neo laughed a little. "You should spend more time with Minnie too, she really misses you."

"I've been away too long, huh? Good thing I have the weekend to myself."

Roman got up and went to check on the kids, they were fast asleep. He gave each of them a pat on the head, causing Minnie to wake up.

"Papa?"

"Hey Kiddo, heard you been missing me." he said softly.

"You're home Papa."

"Sure am. You up for a fun day tomorrow?"

Minnie smiled and nodded vigorously.

"That's my girl, now c'mon, back to sleep."

"Papa, I'm happy you're home."

"Me too, Kiddo." said Roman as he left the room.

Roman got ready to go to sleep for the night and joined his wife in bed. He slept soundly that night, knowing he was with his family. They did the same, knowing he was home. While it was true that life sometimes took unexpected turns, sometimes they led to the most wonderful things people didn't even know they were looking for.

"Good night, my King of Thieves."

"Good night, my Ice Cream Queen."

Well, what'd you guys think. This is the first time I've written a story using flashbacks, let alone such heavy use of them. Please leave a review, I'd like to hear you're feedback and any criticism that I can use to improve my writing. Some future chapters of The Marvelous Misadventures of Ozpin and Glynda are going to use flashbacks, so it's important that I learn what I can from writing this. Next on the list is a Kingdom Hearts fic or two, so if you're a fan of that series, keep an eye out for that. After that it's back to Marvelous Misadventures. Stay Tuned.