Jaune and the Real Girl.

Chapter 40

Bonnie looked out at the sun rising over the ocean. When was the last time she had enjoyed a simple sunrise? She wondered.

It looked inviting and welcoming. The ship beneath her rocked with the gentle waves as the crew made ready to set sail. Smugglers, working to send illicit goods out of the country and towards Vacuo, she had booked passage for her and Vasily and finding herself alone for the journey had felt strange, freedom had become quite a foreign sensation to her after all these years.

She wondered exactly where she would go after Vacuo. Years of her life had stripped away and she felt raw, it was as if she had been dead and found herself suddenly resurrected. She had access to Vasily's accounts, he had given her so much control in the belief that she would never turn against him.

With all that money she could go anywhere, perhaps to Menagerie.

She touched her belly, among other faunus seemed to be the wisest option for her child. Many came to Menagerie seeking to find peace among their own kind and escape their past. She doubted that many would question her apparent wealth, she wondered if many would even care that it was blood money.

"We're taking off," one of the smugglers told her, "You should probably be below deck and out of sight," he explained to her.

She nodded and gave the rising sun another glance before giving him a nod and moving to disappear below the deck.

So much uncertainty seemed to stretch before her and too many sins and regrets hovered just behind. She didn't know it putting distance to it all was possible but she was determined to try and to move forward on this uncertain road wherever it led her. Stepping down the ladder into the bowels of the ship she decided that she would start by watching the sun rise every morning.

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One week later.

General James Ironwood blinked at his terminal screen. He had zoned out after trying to get another report about damages. He checked the time and regretted his decision. Midnight had passed him by long ago and knowing the truth only increased his weariness.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He had not believed that one assassin could do so much damage but here he was losing sleep to become intimately aware of the extent of his destruction.

"I'm sure the rest of the reports can wait until tomorrow sir," Winter told him, setting a series of papers across his desk. Even more work for him, documents that required his signature so they could begin repairing the damages. The physical damages anyways, what destruction the grimm and those criminals had done could be repaired, it would take resources away from the Amity Tower but he needed to protect his public reputation now more than ever. But the trust he had lost would be an entirely different matter, Pietro had yet to return any of his calls.

"I think after this catastrophe the least I can sacrifice is some sleep," he said, releasing a sigh and forcing himself to focus again on the screen, intent on at least finishing this one report before turning his attention to the stacks of paperwork Winter was delivering.

The specialist frowned at him. "Losing sleep won't erase what has transpired," she said to him.

"I know that," Ironwood said, actually thankful to have some degree of conversation from his subordinate. "But the sooner I can settle this the sooner things can return to a degree of normality."

He returned to his screen and tried finding his place again;. He read the words but his tired brain hardly processed any of it and he decided that it was futile. He closed the holographic screen and stood up to get some coffee.