Absinthe Campbell glared at the figure currently on the screen of her computer. The last few days had been nothing short of hell for her, and she didn't appreciate having to talk to the rest of the Inner Circle before she'd even managed to go home since the Incident.

She had sustained burns up the left side of her body, but in all honesty they were little more than an inconvenience. They didn't prevent her from doing her job, and her itching had all but subsided. Captain Hawthorn was there in the room with her, and he wore an expressionless look upon his face. He had been quietly supportive of her,

"Ozpin, I lost four of my students." She all but snarled. "Four promising young people who were likely destined for great things. Do not tell me what my priorities should be. They are extraordinarily plain to me."

"...I understand your frustration and share your grief, Absinthe. But we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture." Ozpin replied in what was likely intended to be a placating tone. "Right now, your priority should be discovering whether or not there is a link between this Incident and Salem. If there is, we need to find out how she found out about the Paladin, and why she was so insistent on snuffing it out this early. I am certainly hopeful that this has no connection to her, but we cannot afford to take chances."

"Ozpin, I have barely avoided an investigation into whether or not I had a connection to this tragedy given the family I married into. I am not in a position to deviate from the official investigations." Absinthe sighed. "I will do what I can, but I can only do so much right now."

"And the Airfleet is dealing with...the other thing." Hawthorn cut in. "This Incident does nothing to our timetable on the Marcus Black matter, and since Captain Ironwood is still in hospital, I'm having to cover everything. Someone that can steal Semblances cannot be allowed to join Salem, and if you are right in that he is considering it.."

"Coupled with my son's Semblance to forcibly trigger other people's Semblances, that is a recipe for disaster," Ozpin confirmed with a grim smile. Ambrose's betrayal had cut deep, so much so that it had taken literal months for Absinthe to see Ozpin with his signature mug of coco. "...Do what you can, both of you. Whatever help I can provide, I shall."

Without a word of goodbye, Ozpin's image vanished from the screen. Barely a moment later, Absinthe stood up from her chair, and made for the door to her office.

"Abby." Hawthorn called after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home." She replied. "I haven't seen or spoken to my husband or children in days, barring a single Scroll-call to inform them I was more or less uninjured. I will be back tomorrow morning Albus, but right now I need to go and be with my family and calm myself down. I suggest you do the same."

And without another word, the Headmistress of Atlas Academy strode out of her office without looking back. Albus Hawthorn let out a sigh, and tidying up his colleagues office a little, made his own departure.

Absinthe was right, now was the time for family.

___________________________________________________________________________

The Atlesian Familial Registry Building, whilst within the Starlight Tower complex, wasn't nearly as ostentatious as the others around it. Just a plain building, several stories tall. White walls with obscuring windows.

It was, however, one of the most important buildings I had ever been in.

Before Cinder came into my life, I'd honestly not put much thought into being a father. Admittedly, this is probably because I was all of twenty-three and still intent on keeping my head down to avoid the anomalous force known as 'Canon', along with the fact that I hadn't actually dated anyone since coming to Remnant.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

But now here I was, twenty-five years old and sat in an elegantly decorated waiting room. Atlesian Landscape paintings hung on the wall, and comfortable seating was arranged in rows that filled up most of the rest of the room, save the front desk of course. We'd already sent up the file of paperwork required when we'd arrived, now we were stuck waiting. It had been almost half an hour now, and nervousness was starting to settle in..

"Casper Schwartz and Cinder Fall?" A voice called out from the front desk. I glanced at its owner, the elderly woman sat behind it. "You're up! Office Thirty-One, it's on the first floor. It'll be with Flynn Clement."

Nodding, I took Cinder's hand, and headed for the stairs. It wasn't a long walk, even if it felt like it. Cinder squeezed my hand as we knocked on the door to Office Thirty-One, and kept close to my side as we entered.

Flynn Clement had been the one that had sent me the letter about this appointment, but I hadn't expected it to be him that I'd be meeting. He was clearly older than me, but not by much. Likely in his early thirties (and wasn't that a scary thought? I'm nearly thirty myself now.), his red hair was streaked with gray, as was his frankly impressive beard.

"Please, take a seat." He said. "I am just finishing up filling out our side of the paperwork. Then it's just a matter of answering a few questions and you'll be done."

"Seems...awfully easy." I commented. "To adopt someone, I mean."

Clement gave a shrug. "You've done most of the hard stuff. The paperwork, the references, the background check. In all honesty, Archivist, this meeting is little more than the rubber stamp. But it needs to be done."

"Fair enough." I replied as I settled myself into a seat, and watched as Cinder did the same. We waited in silence as Clement finished up, and turned his gaze to Cinder.

"You are Cinder Fall, correct?"

Cinder nodded once.

"Good to meet you Cinder, you can call me Flynn." The man smiled. "Now, you have been Mister Schwartz's ward for...two years now, correct?"

Cinder glanced at me, and at my smile, nodded an affirmative. "Mhm!"

"And Cinder, do you understand what adoption is?"

Cinder actually glared at Clement at that one. "Of course I do! I'm seven, not stupid."

Before I could gently chide her for that unusual outburst, Clement let out a chuckle. "I know that young lady, but I am still required to ask that question."

The meeting carried on for about another ten minutes. Clement asked both Cinder and I questions, and generally got to know us (at least, as well as one can over the course of a single conversation). Until..

"Indulge my curiosity." I began. "How often do you have to do a meeting like this?"

"Truth be told? Not a lot. Most of the people I deal with are wealthy individuals seeking to adopt 'children of unusual competence' to take over their family businesses when their own children prove to be fat and useless. It is almost pleasant to actually do a proper adoption for people that are already obviously Father and Daughter."

"Speaking of which, I see no reason to drag this out any further." Clement's smile widened, and extended a hand to Cinder. "..Congratulations are in order, Miss Schwartz. You are officially recognised as the daughter of Casper Schwartz."

The girl blinked, and tentatively shook the other man's hand. Before Clement could offer me a handshake, Cinder had flung herself at me, throwing her arms around me.

"...Thanks, Flynn."

"You are very welcome, Mister Schwartz."

___________________________________________________________________________

"So!" I asked after we exited Flynn's office about five minutes later. "Where to now, Cinder?"

"...Can we go home Mist-..." She paused, before her eyes widened and a bright smile crossed her face. "..Can we go home, Dad?"

Alright, there goes any composure I had.