Pyrrha Nikos had faced many adversities in her life. From tournaments to actual combat, facing new and unknown situations with regards to a school on an entirely different continent than the one she'd grown up on. New friends, a new team…

Girlfriends.

Facing the initial conflict with regards to said relationship head-on as was her usual manner, she was able to come to an agreement that would result in the happiest state of being she'd ever experienced. Happier than she'd ever dreamed would be possible.

She was accepted and loved for who she was, not who she could be or what she was expected to be. No strings, no qualifications… Just her. Somehow, in someway or another, both Ruby and Blake saw her with nothing other than pure adoration and affection.

As the tall redhead gazed out of the window of the airship currently bound for Mistral, she felt her face blush as she reflected on just how affectionate they'd become while at Patch. Granted, they'd been pushing the boundaries of physical affection for some time now, but ever since they'd crossed that one final line together…

Pure bliss. So very exceeding any of her expectations, and only magnified by the fact that she had not one, but two lovers. As she reminisced upon the feeling of being in between both the energetic brunette and the quiet but intense raven-haired girl, she squirmed slightly in her seat.

All that attention focused on her by the two people on Remnant she trusted and loved the most… It was absolutely glorious.

"Lien for your thoughts?" a quiet voice intoned in her ear.

Pyrrha smiled softly and turned to regard her Cat Faunus girlfriend. Amber eyes glowed at her from only a few inches away, warm and inviting.

"Just… thinking about us," she replied somewhat hesitantly.

"Mmm," Blake hummed, leaning in and brushing her lips against hers. "And nothing to do with your nerves?"

Pyrrha sighed and closed her eyes briefly. Blake had indeed hit upon the crux of the situation right there, as she was incredibly nervous about returning home. And as she was bringing along her two girlfriends to meet her parents… Her, admittedly loving, but rather domineering and conservative parents, especially her father...

So, yes, she was a tight bundle of nerves.

"I don't know why I try to hide these things from you two," Pyrrha murmured as she reopened her emerald orbs. Glancing around the mane of black hair, she eyed the third member of their relationship with an affectionate smile. "Well, you, at least."

Blake snickered as she turned her head as well to regard the lightly snoring petite girl. Ruby had her head in Blake's lap, mouth parted slightly and a look of contentment that was all the more pronounced for being in physical contact with either of her girlfriends.

"She's not all that unobservant," Blake murmured in return, running her hand through the red-tipped brown hair in her lap. "Actually, she asked me to talk to you if it looked like you were getting too upset."

Pyrrha sighed and smiled widely. "That does sound like her, always looking out for us. If I may ask, though, why just you?"

Blake shifted around so that she might face her more fully without disturbing the slumbering girl. "She believed I might be a bit more understanding of your familial situation. Honestly, now that we've seen how Ruby grew up, her father and home, I can understand how she's so perplexed as to your concerns." The Cat Faunus offered her a small but empathetic smile. "But yes, I do understand a little better. Are you worried about how they might react to us, or about standing up to them in some fashion?"

"I suppose the both of those," Pyrrha mused, leaning her head against the seat as she gazed into Blake's warm amber orbs. "They both… They always pushed me to be the best I could be because of my natural talent. I didn't exactly have a normal childhood."

"I daresay none of us truly had one," Blake remarked dryly. "Do you believe they would want you to simply be happy?"

Pyrrha blinked her emerald eyes uncertainly. "I don't know," she whispered. "And that is what worries me the most."

The raven-haired girl reached up and rested a warm hand against her cheek, stroking softly with her thumb. "We will be with you," she stated levelly and with firm conviction. "All the way. You will not be facing this alone, alright?"

Nodding her head slightly, Pyrrha teared up a bit. "I love you so very much, kitty cat," she whispered once more.

"And I love you, my fluffy little fox," Blake replied with a small grin. She leaned in and pressed her lips against Pyrrha's. The redhead complied eagerly, pushing as much of her gratitude and affection for the usually reticent girl as she could into the kiss.

"You guys are so cute," a sleepy voice spoke up from Blake's lap.

Blake and Pyrrha separated, giggling against each other's lips.

"Eavesdropping, little rose?" Pyrrha asked humorously.

Shining silver orbs looked up at her solemnly. "Nah, not really. Just woke up from a nice dream to see an even nicer sight."

The redhead gave Blake another quick peck before she leaned across her lap to kiss Ruby upside down. The brunette let out a soft moan as she opened her mouth to accept Pyrrha. Their tongues moved against each other's languidly in tune with their hands that roamed along their faces.

Blake curled inwards with her innate Faunus agility and nibbled lightly on Pyrrha's ear. "Keep it civil, ladies, we are on a public transport, after all."

"Well, shoot," Ruby snickered as the three of them separated. "And here I was hoping to join the mile-high club."

Pyrrha blinked her eyes uncertainly. "Er… pardon? The what now?"

Her raven-haired girlfriend leaned over and whispered a quick explanation in her ear, causing a bright flush to color her cheeks.

"Ruby!" she exclaimed in a scolding tone.

The brunette in question just giggled unrepentantly. "But you're thinking about it now, aren't you?"

Pyrrha crossed her arms with a huff, though she was unable to hide the upward curl of the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps."

"Mmm," Blake replied with a slight blush as well.

"Well," Ruby murmured as she sat up and stretched. "The restrooms here are rather roomy."

Both Pyrrha and Blake stared at her incredulously.

"Just sayin'," the brunette stated nonchalantly. She stood up from her seat and flashed them her trademark smirk, the one that she only gave her girlfriends and that they both found incredibly sexy.

"I feel the need to freshen up," Ruby murmured over her shoulder as she sauntered off, her hips swaying.

Pyrrha licked her lips as she stared off after the shorts-clad girl. "We shouldn't," she whispered hesitantly.

"True," Blake grinned. "But I'm sure you want to as much as I do."

"Oh, gods, yes," Pyrrha replied with relish as she surged to her feet, clasping Blake's hand while dragging the giggling Cat Faunus in Ruby's wake.

o o o

"Is it weird that I miss Yang?" Ruby mused as the three of them waited in line to disembark from the docked airship. "I mean, Weiss too, but…"

"I believe I can understand it," Pyrrha replied with a sympathetic smile. "This will be the longest the two of you have been separated, yes?"

"Yeah, pretty much…"

"Well, then," Blake murmured. "We shall have to do our best to distract you."

Ruby snickered softly. "I'd say you guys were off to a very nice start…"

Pyrrha knew her cheeks were as crimson-colored as Blake's now were. "And somehow you still manage to make us blush," she commented lightly.

"Yep, still got it," Ruby giggled, earning her a light smack on her arm by the raven-haired girl on her other side.

The line began moving, and the three girls shuffled forward with the occasional light touch or shared smile between them. They exited the airship in single-file, Pyrrha leading the way with Ruby behind her and Blake trailing behind.

The line stopped once more at the security checkpoint, and Ruby slipped her strong arms around the redhead's middle.

"Still holding up?" she whispered against the back of her shoulder.

Pyrrha nodded, stroking a hand along Ruby's arm. "I am. Thank you, love."

The brunette gave her a gentle squeeze. "We're here with you, don't forget that, okay?"

She could only nod once more as Ruby's arms disappeared and they began to move forward again. They had to sign a few extra forms as huntresses-in-training, allowing them to bring their weapons along so long as they were held liable for their actions while in Mistral. Pyrrha smiled to herself ruefully at the enhanced security measures in place since the last time she visited.

The world keeps changing… But I suppose that's why we're training to do what we do, isn't it?

And then they were past the congested areas and moving along to fetch their baggage. Suitcases and duffel bags in hand, the three of them exited the terminal and arrived at the main lobby.

Pyrrha felt her heart lurch into her throat as she immediately spied the smiling visages of her parents. Right. Here we go...

One look at her parents and it was easy to tell where her genes came from. She got her height and leggy build from her father, who wore his neatly-trimmed dark beard, matching the short hair on his head, with his usual suave style. Her mother, red shoulder-length hair still as brilliant as when she was Pyrrha's age, also passed along her startlingly bright green eyes.

"Hello mother, father," she said with a somewhat forced smile, waving to them as she approached.

Her father immediately stepped forward and wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Pyrrha, my girl, it's been too long." He stepped back and held her at arm's distance while eyeing her body critically with his dark blue orbs. "Did you lose some muscle tone?"

"No, father," she replied somewhat meekly before turning to accept her mother's hug.

"I have missed you, sweetie," the elder Nikos woman murmured.

Pyrrha smiled softly before stepping back. She took a deep breath and turned slightly to include the other pair who had traveled with her.

"Mother, father… These are my girlfriends. Ruby Rose and Blake Belladonna."

Her father nodded cordially enough to them, though his eyes flickered up briefly towards the bow on Blake's head. The Cat Faunus was once again covering up her heritage now that they were off of Patch, but Pyrrha had made no qualms regarding her girlfriends' characteristics when she'd messaged them during the past semester.

"Epirus Nikos," he said with a short bow. "And this is my wife, Helena. Welcome to Mistral."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Nikos," Ruby smiled with a nod of her head. "And you too, Mrs Nikos."

"Thank you both very much for hosting us," Blake added quietly.

"Oh, it's our pleasure, dears," Pyrrha's mother smiled. She stepped forward and gave each girl a quick but warm hug. "Now, come along and we'll get ourselves out of this weather and back home."

The weather she spoke of hit them as soon as they stepped out of the terminal like a wet, hot sponge. The summer humidity was the one thing she missed the least about Mistral, caused by the numerous swamps surrounding the city, as well as the reclamation of many areas from the wetlands for usable housing.

Without further ado, they were loaded into the family Dust-powered vehicle, all three girls crammed into the rear seat and with the air conditioning blowing hard.

"I think my shoes melted a little on the sidewalk," Ruby joked. "You weren't kidding about the heat here, Pyrrha."

"Makes for excellent workout conditions, though," the redhead's father spoke up from where he was driving. "I understand Vale has much a milder climate. That means you've been pushing yourself all the harder, right Pyrrha?"

"Of course, father," she replied neutrally. She started slightly from her seat on the far right as Ruby reached over and clasped her hand tightly. Silver eyes looked at her with warm reassurance, matched by amber orbs on the other side of the brunette.

"Epi, enough with the questions on her training," her mother chided gently. "She just got home!"

"Yes, Lena," he replied genially. He looked up into the rear view mirror at the trio briefly. "So… Pyrrha has told us a bit about your… relationship. The three of you are actually dating each other?"

"Yes, sir, we are," Ruby replied firmly. "And we love each other very much."

"I… see."

He didn't make further conversation, just kept his eyes on the road as they finished the short trip home. Pyrrha swallowed nervously, unsure as how to take the sudden reticence, but a glance at her girlfriends immediately bolstered her confidence, just as they always did.

Ruby was still holding her hand but was looking out the windows with interest. Blake, however, kept her eyes on the redhead. When Pyrrha looked her way, the raven-haired girl gave her another reassuring smile.

"You okay?" she mouthed.

"I am," she murmured back, just loud enough for her Faunus senses to pick up. "I have the two of you."

Blake gave her a wink, her smile widening in pleasure at the comment.

This will be fine… Together the three of us can handle anything...

o o o

Once inside her rather modest two-story adobe home, Pyrrha let out a soft sigh. So many memories, both good and bad, flooded through her.

"Should we bring our bags upstairs, Mrs Nikos?" Blake asked gently, breaking Pyrrha out of her sudden reverie.

"Oh, please dear, call me Helena," her mother smiled, causing Pyrrha to sigh once more but in relief. At least her mother seemed to be accepting of things as they now were. "And yes, Epi should be done parking in just a moment and will show you upstairs. I'll go get dinner started."

No sooner had she finished than her father entered through the garage door, nodding towards the three girls. "This way," he said quietly, turning to head up the stairs.

Pyrrha opened her mouth to protest that she knew perfectly well how to get to her own room, but he was already out of sight. Shrugging, Ruby headed up after him, followed by Blake. Pyrrha brought up the rear, determinedly not staring at her very favorite anatomical feature of her Cat Faunus girlfriend.

Honestly, I should know better by now than to follow her up stairs...

As they reached the landing above, Blake turned to grace her with a small but knowing smirk that caused her to blush lightly.

Dammit.

Her attention was quickly diverted to her father who stood in the middle of the hallway, his arms crossed.

"So, we have two guest rooms here. This is yours, Ruby, and this one is Blake's."

Both the brunette and raven-haired girl immediately shot her a questioning look.

Pyrrha sighed and clenched her jaw slightly. "Father… we can share my room."

"But that's unnecessary, we have the extra rooms…"

"Father. The three of us share a bed."

He stared at her, ignoring the other's presence as his dark blue orbs glittered intently. "Pyrrha... I understand you have felt the need for this… romantic frivolity. But isn't it time to return to your training once more, not be focused on… this?"

At the word frivolity, something sparked within Pyrrha. A long-suppressed bit of rebellion against her father, a man who had always tried to keep her best interests at heart, whether she agreed with those interests of not.

It was time to make a stand. And right here was as good a place as any.

"Ruby, Blake," she murmured, not taking her eyes off of her father. "My room is to the left here. Can you please take my bags inside and give us a moment?"

Silently, her girlfriends complied, though they both gave her hand a squeeze before relieving her of her luggage. They slipped inside her room and closed the door behind them.

"Now, look here Pyrrha," her father began. "I expect you to-"

"Enough, father," she interrupted him. His eyes widened slightly at her uncharacteristically rude assertiveness, but she plowed on nonetheless.

"I need to ask you a question," she stated firmly, her earlier nervousness vanished as if it had never been there.

Her father nodded warily. "Go ahead."

The smiling image of her girlfriends set into the forefront of her mind, Pyrrha crossed her arms before continuing. "Is it more important to you for me to be successful or happy?"

He blinked his eyes uncertainly. "Happiness follows from success."

"That does not answer my question."

"I believe it does."

Pyrrha let out an irritated huff and decided to take a different tack. "When you saw me off at the beginning of the year, you said you accepted me as an adult. Do you still?"

"Of course…"

"And as an adult, I am free to make my own decisions?"

"Well… yes…"

"Then I will tell you this, unequivocally. I choose happiness over success."

Her father almost took a step back in shock. "Pyrrha…"

"Because this," Pyrrha stated firmly and with conviction, rolling over his response, "what I have right now, makes me the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. And I will choose this relationship over anything else."

She watched the man at the other end of the hall carefully, judging his reaction to her open defiance. He seemed to struggle somewhat before uncrossing his arms and tucking them into his pockets.

"Pyrrha… Yes, I accept you are an adult, and… certainly free to make this choice." Taken aback as he was, it was clear that his acceptance was only given grudgingly. "But still, you should not throw away your gifts. Do you no longer wish for your life to mean something?"

The redhead smiled softly at her father. "If all I were to accomplish for the rest of my life was to love both Ruby and Blake to best of my ability," she assured him quietly, "then my life would mean more than I could have ever expected."

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats before her father finally nodded his head slowly.

"I think I understand. I will… respect your decision, Pyrrha." He offered her a small smile. "After all, you inherited my stubbornness. Far be it from me to change your mind."

She returned the smile wanly. "There would be no way on Remnant I would change my mind on this. I love them both, more than anything."

"Alright then." He stepped forward, and she met him halfway as he wrapped her up in a comforting hug.

"You know I only want what's best for you," he murmured.

"I know," she replied quietly. "And that's exactly what this is."

He nodded as he let her go and headed down the steps. "We'll call you down for dinner in a bit."

"Thank you, father," she smiled before turning towards her door. As soon as she let herself into her room, she was tackled by her girlfriends in a tight hug.

"Oh," she gasped as the air was suddenly squeezed out of her lungs. "Er… you overheard?"

Blake nodded, her bow brushing against Pyrrha's ear. "We did," she replied simply.

Ruby sniffled from where her face was buried in the redhead's bosom. "You know that you give our lives meaning, right, fluffy fox?"

"I do, little rose," she replied warmly, pressing a kiss first onto Blake's forehead and then onto Ruby's. "And so do the two of you."

They stood like that in each other's arms for some time, content in their love for each other.

"Sooo…" the brunette eventually murmured. "Am I the only one excited to break in Pyrrha's childhood bed?"

"Ruby!" her girlfriends scolded over her unrepentant giggles.

A/N: I'm baaack, and with a long chapter! The girls are in Mistral! Some actual contention here (not plot!) for them to deal with as well. While Epirus is struggling to come to terms with the relationship, I think the crux of his dilemma has more to do with Pyrrha herself. Sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world to accept the fact that your child is an adult.

So, I'm working on the other chapters now, building a bit of a buffer back up again. We'll have about five chapters or so within Mistral, and then a Freezerburn-specific on in Atlas, before we begin second year back at Beacon.

Much love for your patience as I get back into the swing of things, as well as for reading, following, favoriting or reviewing! Just gonna do a general shout-out here: Jack Inqu, SirAlcain, NobleMETA, ILikeHotDogs, MakaS0ul, THB4, kaiju62, Boombox94, LE Whisper, Jazzatron, DschingisKhan, Marauderby, RealTerminal, growlscout, Gorsouul, FelipeCH98. Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Stay shiny!