Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

February, 2 weeks before Beacon

Yang woke up with a yawn, blinking her eyes open as sunlight spilled across her face.

Exhausted, she shuffled toward the door, eager to get first dibs on the shower—

Only to knock herself wide awake by walking straight into the iron bars where the door usually was.

Groaning from the floor, she rubbed her head as the memories started flooding back. “Oh… fuck…” she muttered, pushing herself up and pacing the length of the holding cell she was currently locked in.

“Okay. Okay! This is fine!” she said aloud. “Did I cause a teensy bit of property damage? Sure. Did people get hurt? A few, yeah—but none that didn’t deserve it. Is Junior a massive dick? Oh, undoubtedly.”

Yang gestured animatedly as she tried to rationalize her situation. “I mean, if he’d just told me what I wanted to know, nothing bad would’ve even happened. So honestly, this is really his fault! I used appropriate force! Just like she taught me!”

She planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly—then deflated after about two seconds. “Brothers, she’s going to kill me…”

Yang dropped onto the bench, burying her face in her hands as she tried to recall what else happened last night.

‘Let’s see… after I landed here, I called Dad… took him a bit to calm down… airships were grounded for the night, so he said he’d take the first one in the morning… so that means he should be here soon…’

Just as she finished her mental recap, keys jingled and the cell door creaked open.

“Xiao-Long, you’re free to go,” said the officer.

Yang stood, cracked her neck, and flashed a big grin. “Well, it’s about time, am I right?”

As the officer stepped aside, Yang gave him a wink. “Thanks for the hospitality, Officer Jimmy!”

“My name’s Kyle.”

“Sure it is. Anyway, it’s through here, right?” she said, pushing open the next door—only to freeze in place.

The grin vanished instantly, replaced by sheer horror.

Waiting for her was not a disappointed-looking Taiyang Xiao-Long.

No, what stood there instead was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair messily tied into a bun, one stray curl hanging down the right side of her face. Oval-rimmed glasses framed tired eyes, dark circles shadowed beneath them. An oversized sweater and sweatpants did nothing to dull the furious glare she fixed on Yang—arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

Yang paled, gulping audibly. She slowly turned toward the officer, who wore an amused half-smile—though the sweat on his brow suggested he was just as uneasy in the presence of Beacon Academy’s Deputy Headmistress.

“Officer Kyle, would you mind if—”

“Out!” hissed her stepmother, Glynda Goodwitch-Xiao-Long. “Now!”

The atmosphere in the car was tense.

Not even the taxi driver dared to make conversation—not after seeing the permanent glare on Goodwitch’s face and the expression of pure, mortal fear on Yang’s.

Thankfully, it was one of the bigger taxis, so Yang had managed to fit Bumblebee in the back instead of leaving it behind. She’d tried suggesting they could just ride it to the station themselves, but Glynda hadn’t even acknowledged her existence—just kept furiously typing on her scroll to order the ride.

Knowing her fate would be sealed the moment she stepped out of the van, Yang risked a glance toward her stepmother and forced a nervous smile.

“So… uh… how’s your morning been?” she ventured.

Yang could’ve sworn she heard the driver whimper and sink deeper into his seat. Glynda’s glare somehow intensified, but she said nothing.

Yang tapped her knees a few times, humming to herself, desperate to fill the silence. No response.

Eventually, she slumped back into her seat with a resigned sigh.

Well, maybe she’d at least be safe—relatively safe—until the airship landed in Patch. Maybe the airship station would be too full for a proper shakedown. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive until they got into their truck that always waits for them at the Patch station.

“Of course not…” Yang muttered, her head resting on the café table while Glynda sat across from her, calmly sipping her coffee.

It was so early in the morning that the airship station was practically empty. On top of that, their flight to Patch was delayed.

“How… how is it delayed?” Yang whined. “Are there seriously that few pilots in the area? I know it’s early, but still…”

Glynda let her ramble, wordlessly finishing her drink.

“And I know Patch is an island and not exactly convenient to fly out to, but—”

Glynda slammed the now-empty cup down on the small round table, cutting Yang off instantly.

“Would you like to explain to me,” Glynda said, dangerously calm, “what… exactly… happened last night?”

Slowly lifting her head, sweat trickling down her face, Yang tried to muster a nervous smile. “Um… well, I… you see…”

Glynda was not amused. After a full minute of watching Yang squirm, she leaned forward.

“Here’s what happened from my side,” she began. “Before Tai or I got home last night—on a Friday evening, mind you—you left with your bike for Vale City, promising Ruby you’d be home after dinner.”

Yang gaped, eyes widening, but Glynda continued, leaning in closer.

“Instead of coming home, you spent the evening driving from a remote airship station, ensuring our paths would never cross, all the way to Vale City. To a club.”

Yang leaned back as Glynda’s fury grew.

“And instead of partying the night away—which, frankly, would have been the preferred excuse for why you made your father, your sister, and me worry—you decided to destroy the place, injure several employees, and get yourself arrested.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Yang noticed a few chairs and tables begin to levitate, but before she could comment, Glynda leaned in until their faces were inches apart.

“Never mind that this is exactly two weeks before you’re supposed to start studying at Beacon Academy,” Glynda hissed. “So please—enlighten me, O Daughter Mine—what happened?”

Yang froze under her glare. When Glynda finally leaned back into her chair and released her telekinetic grip—sending the furniture clattering back down—Yang spoke up, barely above a whisper.

“...Junior is an information broker,” she muttered, refusing to meet Glynda’s eyes.

Glynda blinked, confusion flickering across her face. “What? Why would you need one of those?”

Then she remembered the wooden board under Yang’s bed—the one Ruby had shown her months ago.

Her glare softened, but only slightly. “And?” she asked slowly. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Yang shook her head. “He knew something, though. He just wouldn’t tell me. Clammed up when I showed him her picture.”

Glynda studied her daughter, who hung her head and clenched her fists.

“So when he gave you an answer you didn’t like,” Glynda said evenly, “you decided—on your own—to use the techniques I’ve been teaching you since childhood to destroy his establishment. Because you were angry?”

Yang spun toward her, eyes red. “It wasn’t like that! He threatened me! I was just—”

“You grabbed his groin and threatened him in front of his employees, Yang. It’s honestly a wonder sexual harassment wasn’t added to the charges.”

Yang flushed scarlet and sank lower in her seat. “I was just… so close…”

Glynda exhaled, finally lowering her glare. “Yang, I know I promised I wouldn’t interfere in your search… but I can’t sit by and watch you become a criminal along the way.”

Yang looked up, guilt shadowing her expression. “I know… I’m sorry, it’s just—he might have known where she was, and…”

“And you lost your cool. Again.” Glynda finished for her. “Which is why, when you’re at Beacon, we’re going to be working on that… together.”

Yang blinked. “Yeah, I—wait, what?!” She whipped around to face Glynda, eyes wide. “You mean… I’m still going?”

Glynda nodded, face unreadable. “Ozpin heard about what happened and called me while I was flying over. He offered a deal, one he extended to the authorities, which they accepted—he’ll take full jurisdiction over your punishment once you’re enrolled at Beacon. Whether that means community service, reduced privileges, dorm confinement… I don’t know. As your legal guardian, I accepted on your behalf, because I already knew what your answer would be.”

Yang’s mouth fell open in disbelief and joy, her body halfway into a hug before Glynda raised a hand to stop her.

“I want to make one thing absolutely clear,” Glynda said firmly. “If it were up to me, I would’ve delayed your admission by at least a year. But… the last time I tried to control your life, things didn’t go so well.”

Yang winced, guilt flickering across her face. “Yeah…” she murmured.

“However,” Glynda continued, her tone sharpening again, “I can still keep you from participating in initiation. So I want you to make me a promise.”

Yang nodded cautiously. “Um… okay?”

“Promise me…” Glynda said, her voice softening, “please promise me that while you’re a student at Beacon… you’ll stop your search for Raven.”

Yang’s eyes widened. “But—”

“Yang,” Glynda said gently, gripping her hands, “I know why you’re looking for her. I know you think it’ll bring closure—not just for you, but for you and I, and Tai too. But last night, you almost became a criminal. You almost threw everything away because of her. So please, promise me—just while you’re at Beacon. After that, you can do whatever you want.”

Yang swallowed hard, meeting the fear in Glynda’s eyes—fear for her, not of her. Slowly, she nodded. “I promise.”

Glynda released her hands and gave a small, weary nod. “Then… we have a deal.”

The airship was practically empty.

“You and I both know you’re not going to be getting back on that bike for a very, very long time, correct?” Glynda said, nodding toward Bumblebee.

Yang snorted. “Yeah… figured as much.”

Glynda shook her head with a small smile as they leaned against each other when the airship landed.

Once they were on the ground, she used her Semblance to lift the bike onto the back of their old pickup truck, then climbed into the driver’s seat.

As they pulled away from the airship station, Yang glanced over. “So… how’s Ruby? And Dad?”

Glynda sighed. “Well, your father was more concerned about whether you were hurt by those—quote—‘absolutely despicable excuses for members of society.’ Which is why I was the one to pick you up.”

Yang giggled. “Makes sense… didn’t want to risk me getting off too easily, huh?”

Glynda grimaced. “Ruby, however, was up all night crying to Jaune, worrying about what she’d do if her sister turned out to be a criminal.”

“Oh… shit…” Yang muttered. “I—”

“Didn’t realize the consequences your actions would have on those around you?” Glynda supplied smoothly.

Yang shot her a glare but deflated almost immediately. “Yeah… pretty much…”

Then realization hit her. “Wait… Jaune knows?”

Glynda nodded, a faint trace of amusement in her voice. “Oh yes. When Ruby called him in the middle of the night, he spent the entire time trying to cheer her up.”

Yang gaped, her face turning crimson before she spun toward the window to hide it.

“...Fuck.”

The second they arrived home, Glynda immediately began levitating the bike into the garage and locked it behind her—leaving Yang alone to tank the black-and-red missile of petals hurtling toward her with a shrill, “YAAAAAAANG!”

Ruby slammed into her like a rocket, knocking her flat onto the ground.

When the daze finally cleared, Yang looked down at her attacker—and guilt crashed down on her like a wave as she stared into her sister’s tearful eyes.

“I w-w-was so w-worried, a-a-and I c-c-couldn’t s-s-sleep, a-a—” was all Ruby managed before Yang pulled her into a tight hug.

“Hey, hey, Rubes… don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m here now,” Yang whispered, rocking her back and forth like a baby. “I’m so, so sorry for worrying you, sis.”

Ruby cried in her arms until exhaustion took over, finally passing out against her shoulder.

“It’s not just her you need to apologize for keeping up,” Glynda said as she walked by, her tone stern but calm.

Yang sighed, forcing down the heat rising in her cheeks. “Yeah… yeah, I know,” she muttered, already dreading the look Jaune would give her later. Anger? Disappointment? Sadness? She deserved all of it.

Glynda opened the door, and Yang stepped inside—Ruby still clinging to her like a koala in her sleep.

Before she could set Ruby down on the couch, a sharp woof! came from around the corner, followed by an ecstatic blur of fur.

“Zwei!” Yang yelped—just as Ruby startled awake, knocking her head straight into Yang’s chin.

Glynda winced as both sisters collapsed to the hardwood floor, groaning, while Zwei divided his apologetic licks between the two of them.

Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, Tai—wearing a large pink apron the girls had given him for his birthday—peeked around the corner. “Honey?! Is that you? Is Yang—YANG!”

Still dazed on the ground, Yang suddenly found herself hoisted upright by two strong arms as her father began to fuss over her.

“What happened? Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did they—”

He stopped when Yang threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

“...I’m so sorry, Dad… I-I really messed up this time,” she whispered.

Tai looked toward his wife, who watched silently with a heavy expression, then sighed and hugged Yang back. They stayed that way for a long moment—until, in true Tai fashion, he broke the silence.

“...Did you win?”

“TAI!” Glynda snapped, as if he’d just committed the greatest scandal since the Atlas Council Incident of ’87.

“What? I mean—”

From the floor between them came a tired groan. “Yeah, I’m okay too… don’t mind me…” Ruby deadpanned, still enduring Zwei’s relentless affection.

“Oh! Sorry, Little Reaper,” Tai chuckled, crouching down to scoop her up. “Let’s get you back up.” He kissed her forehead, and Ruby’s eyes immediately drooped shut again.

“I’ll get her to bed and come back down,” Yang murmured, shifting Ruby onto her back in a piggyback carry before heading upstairs.

Just as she reached the landing, Tai cleared his throat. “Yang? Don’t you have something to say?”

Yang paused, brow raised, then turned to her stepmother. “Thanks, Glynda. For everything.”

Glynda gave a small, tired smile. “We’ll talk more about what happened when you come back down.”

Yang nodded, then turned the corner and disappeared into her and Ruby’s room, closing the door behind her.

Once the sound of the door faded, Tai turned to Glynda. “Seriously? Even after everything, she’s still not—”

Glynda placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “Tai, please. Stop trying to force this. It’s between her and me—and you know that.”

Tai sighed. “Yeah, but… it was still my fault…”

Glynda shook her head softly. “It was both of ours. What matters is that she’s still here… and she’ll be ready when she’s ready.”

“Here you go, Rubes — all safe and sound,” Yang whispered to herself, tucking Ruby into bed.

Ruby mumbled something about her ‘baby’ in her sleep and nuzzled deeper into her pillow.

Yang smiled softly at the sight before remembering how distraught Ruby had looked when she got home.

Gently brushing Ruby’s hair from her face, Yang almost started crying — reality finally sinking in as she realized how much she must have made her family worry.

“Rubes, I promise I’ll never give you a reason to look at me like that ever again,” she whispered, kissing her forehead before standing up to head back downstairs for breakfast…

And immediately tripping over Ruby’s aforementioned ‘baby’ (her scythe in resting mode) lying on the floor — and faceplanting with a solid thump!

“How many times am I gonna end up on the ground today…” she groaned, pushing herself back up.

As she stood, though, she heard a shuffle — and a groan — from somewhere else. She froze.

Yang turned, exhaling in relief when she saw Ruby still fast asleep. But when she heard another groan, this time coming from the scroll on Ruby’s desk, her stomach dropped.

“Ruby?... You still there?” came a half-asleep voice — one Yang recognized immediately.

Tiptoeing into the camera’s view, she offered a sheepish wave to the boy on the other side.

“Heeey, Jaune… Sorry to disappoint ya, but it’s just me,” she said with a nervous grin.

Jaune blinked, squinting blearily into the screen before his eyes widened, suddenly awake. “Ya—Yang?! Is that you?”

Still grinning nervously, Yang looked for something to lean on. Finding nothing but air, she pointed at the scroll like a finger gun. “How you been, Cereal Boy?”

‘Smooth’, she thought, blushing. ‘Reaaaal smooth.’

Jaune raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Oh, I don’t know, just a little tired since I had to stay up all night calming down your sister—”

Yang panicked, waving her hands in front of the scroll. “SH! Shhshshhshhhh…” she hissed, before angling it toward the sleeping Ruby.

“Oh… sorry…” Jaune whispered.

Yang slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her, and ducked into the empty bathroom across the hall.

“Here,” she said at a normal volume, setting the scroll on the counter and sitting on the closed toilet. “Now we can talk.”

When she looked back at Jaune, the irritation in his eyes had melted away — replaced only by worry.

“What happened, Yang?” he asked softly. There was no judgment, no pity.

Yang sighed, letting her bravado drop. “I messed up, Jaune. I messed up badly,” she choked out.

Jaune nodded for her to continue. She recounted the previous night — again — and even though Jaune was exhausted, he hung on to every word. When she finished, Jaune hummed thoughtfully.

“So wait — he’s the guy with the rocket launcher, but somehow you’re the one who wrecked the nightclub?”

Yang snickered. “Yep. But in my defense… he did mess with my hair.”

“Ah, of course! He dared to ruin the luscious locks of a fair maiden! The punishment was perfectly proportional to the crime!”

If Jaune noticed Yang’s blush, he didn’t say anything. With a toothy grin, she asked, “Aw, a fair maiden? You really think so?”

He froze, eyes wide, face red. “I… well… yeah, of course, I mean… um… you…”

Mid-stammer, he caught the glint in her eye and stopped, narrowing his own.

“You enjoyed watching me squirm, didn’t you?”

That did it — Yang burst out laughing, and Jaune couldn’t help joining in.

Eventually, they calmed down.

“So…” Jaune began, “what’s your next move?”

Yang frowned, remembering her promise to Glynda. “Actually… I think I’m gonna take a break from searching for a bit.”

Jaune blinked. “Wow, that is… surprisingly mature of you.”

Yang glared.

“I’m just saying,” Jaune rushed to explain, “you have a bit of a… stubborn streak that tends to lead you to—”

“Do things without considering the consequences of my actions?” Yang finished for him, deadpan.

Jaune sweatdropped. “Um… yeah. That.”

Yang sighed and sat up straighter. “It’s just… mo—Glynda really set things into perspective for me. How I almost messed everything up. My future, my family, my Beacon admission—”

At the word Beacon, Jaune stiffened. “Oh… you’re still going to Beacon?”

Yang narrowed her eyes. “Yeah… apparently Ozpin made a deal with the police to handle my punishment once I’m a student. And I promised mo—Glynda I’d stop looking for her while I’m there, so…”

Silence fell.

“You still can’t say it, can you?” Jaune asked gently.

Yang shook her head. “Not without meaning it. Wouldn’t be fair to her if I said it like that anyway.”

Jaune sighed. “Seriously? Even after everything?”

He shut up the moment Yang turned on him, eyes burning red. “Back off, Jaune. This is between her and me.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right, you’re right… not my place. Sorry.”

Yang’s eyes faded back to lilac as she slumped against the wall.

“How are you and Katy?” she asked, ignoring the little pang in her chest.

To her surprise, Jaune grimaced instead of smiling. “It’s… fine. Everything’s fine.”

Yang frowned. “Doesn’t sound too fine. You sure—”

He shot her a look, and she stopped.

“Right. Not my place either…” she muttered, sinking lower.

Silence returned.

“Ruby’s going out with Goodwitch next week before heading back to Beacon for the semester — and Ruby’s back to Signal. She was promised some comics and dust,” Yang said, and Jaune perked up.

“I would’ve gone with her,” Yang continued, “but… I doubt I’ll have much freedom these last two weeks before Beacon. Still, she’d probably love to see you there.”

To her surprise, Jaune stiffened again. “Ah, sorry, I can’t. I’ve got… this thing I need to do before Ambrose Paré. You know — medical school and all that…”

He frowned. “Just like Mom and Katy always wanted.”

Yang gave a soft smile. “Aw, cheer up, Cereal Boy. I’m sure you’ll convince her eventually.”

Jaune snorted. “Yeah, sure. ‘Hey Mom, remember that dream you’ve had for me since I was a kid? Yeah, not doing that. I’m actually gonna do the one thing you don’t want me to do.’ That’ll go great.”

Yang giggled. “Well, not if you say it like that! I bet if I promised to look after you, she’d agree.”

Jaune snorted again. “You? Really?”

Yang feigned offense. “Jaune Arc, are you implying I’m not trustworthy?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m saying she still hasn’t forgiven you for unlocking my Aura all those years ago. Otherwise, though, she loves you like another daughter.”

“Aww, thanks!”

“But I don’t think that’s gonna help my case.”

Yang smirked. “Damn, guess I won’t be seeing you at Beacon then, huh?”

Once again, Jaune stiffened. “Heheh… yep… sucks, doesn’t it?”

She squinted. “Okay, what’s going on with you? What are you hiding?”

Jaune’s eyes darted around. “Me? Nothing! Nothing at all! Ooh — actually, I can’t next week, I have this… thing for Ambrose Paré. Some, uh, medical files… stuff. It’sreallyboringdon’tworryaboutit.”

“You said that already,” Yang deadpanned. ‘He’s planning something.’

“Did I?” Jaune stammered, scratching the back of his head. “Well, I mean, nothing wrong with repeating it…”

Yang smirked, then started giggling. Jaune groaned. “Why do you enjoy making me suffer so much?”

“S-Sorry,” Yang managed between laughs. “I’ll stop.”

He yawned — a deep, bone-tired yawn. Yang’s teasing softened into a smile.

“I’ll let you get back to sleep, then, Jaune…” she whispered. His eyes were already closing.

“Oh, thank the gods,” he mumbled before slumping face-first onto the table.

Yang smiled at the sight. “Thanks, Jaune,” she whispered, ending the call.

She stood, stretched, and sighed. “Welp. Time to face the music.”

Chapter Text

11 Years before Beacon (Yang is 6, Ruby is 4)

Glynda had no idea what she was doing here.

Well, technically she did know. Ozpin had heard reports of someone matching the description of Raven Branwen in the area and needed to send someone to investigate. When she asked how credible these reports were, Ozpin admitted they were only rumors. But seeing how that was better than the complete silence they’d received since Summer’s death, it seemed worth checking out.

Glynda disagreed, but held her tongue. With the loss of Summer, everyone seemed to hold out hope for any form of good news. The reappearance of the missing member of STRQ would certainly count as such. Qrow was “busy” with something else apparently, so Glynda—who was already still in the field—volunteered for the mission. As she expected, she found no trace of Raven Branwen.

Unexpectedly, however, she found two familiar-looking little girls walking into the same abandoned building she was heading toward. Well, one was walking; the other was in a wagon. Narrowing her eyes, she wracked her brain, trying to remember where she had seen the girls before—until it hit her: those were the children from the pictures Tai and Summer always sent her. But why were they here?

Of course. Raven.

Before Glynda could call out for them to come out, screams erupted from inside. Her legs, already moving, accelerated, and she slammed the door open—to find them facing three Beowolves.

The girls were the priority. Both of them felt an invisible force lift them up and shoot them quickly—but gently—out the door again, which then slammed shut. Yang watched the door, frozen, covering Ruby with her body. The only things she heard were the roars of the Grimm, the occasional grunt, and the sounds of objects slamming against the walls and beasts. Eventually, the Grimm went quiet, and the door opened.

Glynda walked slowly out the door, completely unharmed, careful not to scare the children—at least, not scare them any more than they already were. Silver and lilac eyes full of tears stared up at her, and she immediately felt out of her depth. What would Summer do? Or Tai—?

Oh Brothers, where was Tai?

“Kids,” Glynda asked slowly, “where is your father?” Before she could say anything else, Yang charged into her, quietly sobbing.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” was all she could repeat.

Overwhelmed, Glynda gingerly wrapped one arm around the sobbing blonde and the other around the shaking girl in the wagon.

Glynda really had no idea what she was doing here.

She introduced herself as a friend of their parents from school on the way back to their cabin. When Ruby innocently asked, “Did you also like my dad like my mom did?” (According to their uncle, that tended to happen with “girl adults,” she said), Glynda snorted.

No, he was nothing but a silly friend—and an annoyance at times. Also, Glynda made a mental note to talk with Qrow about what exactly he was telling a four-year-old child.

Yang was silent the entire trip back, hugging Ruby like her life depended on it. Both of them were seated in the wagon while it floated a few inches off the ground.

Shortly before arriving back home, though, Yang spoke up.

“Mom wasn’t there, was she?…”

Glynda stopped and looked down at the girl. She wasn’t crying anymore. She just looked… defeated.

“No, child,” Glynda replied, not unkindly. “I’m sorry, but she was not.”

Yang sniffed. “Do you know where she is?”

Before Glynda could respond, however, the cabin came into view.

Glynda stayed silent, hoping that was enough of an answer for now.

Yang looked back down, softly saying, “Oh…”

When Ruby hugged Yang even tighter, Glynda’s heart broke. But she couldn’t think about that now, as she only had one thought on her mind:

Where the hell was Tai?

Knocking on the door, her worry only grew when it gently creaked open. Was he out looking for them? When she looked inside, her jaw dropped.

The house was a mess. The smell of alcohol filled the air, with empty bottles littering the floor. Stacked dirty dishes were piled in the kitchen sink, clearly untouched for days. The couch cushions had a giant stain, likely from when someone had thrown up on them.

This is where the kids live?

Before she could call out for Tai, she heard panicked shouts from the backyard.

“Yang! This isn’t funny! Where are you two?!”

Yang and Ruby gasped, jumped out of the still-floating wagon, and bolted out back.

“Daddy!” they both cried, tears of relief evident on their faces. When Glynda caught up to them, Tai was kneeling down, one arm around each of them tightly.

Only when he looked up did Glynda gasp.

He looked terrible—nothing like the (admittedly) handsome man he once was. Dark rings under his eyes, red from all the crying he’d done. He clearly hadn’t shaved in weeks, and his hair was much longer than it ever was during class. Somehow, though, he was still as muscular as ever—though his stomach was definitely gaining some mass.

This… all of this was just so… wrong.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.”

Glynda, however, just nodded. “We need to talk.”

The girls were tucked into bed in their room, which was ironically one of the last remaining bastions of cleanliness in the cabin.

Tai was in the kitchen, making… something. At least he was trying to. Glynda kept catching mutters of “Yang moved it around again,” and “Where did Yang put it now?”

Tai peeked around the kitchen entrance, putting on a sheepish smile. “Heh, Yang’s been busy here.”

Glynda raised an eyebrow. “Not you?”

He flinched, to which Glynda just sighed. “Just sit down, Tai.”

The stove was turned off, and he shuffled to the couch. Glynda’s eyebrow twitched as he sat directly on the vomit stain without realizing—or without caring. It twitched again when she saw the opened bottle of beer in his hand.

“Really? After today, you’re drinking right in front of me?”

Tai must have already been a little drunk, because he didn’t get the message. He snorted, “If you think I’m bad, you should see Qrow.”

That was it. That was the final straw. Using her semblance, she grabbed the bottle from his hands and sent it flying out the window. Before he could protest, he found himself floating upside down and looking straight into her eyes.

“You think this is funny, Tai?!” she hissed. “You nearly lost both of your children to Grimm today. You had no idea they left until half an hour ago—when I brought them back! What if I wasn’t in the area? Would you have given up searching, gone back to your couch, and wallowed in self-pity some more? Is drinking your pain from the past more important than protecting your daughters from pain in the present? In the future?”

Tai at least had the decency to look guilty—before he glared back.

“How DARE you! You think you know what I’m going through? I lost my wife—”

“And they lost their mother! The only mother they’ve ever known, and when they looked to their father for guidance, he shut down on them. When that happens, do you know what children do?! They look for guidance somewhere else! Guess what they were doing when I found them?!”

At that, Tai looked confused. “What are you talking about? What were they…”

His eyes widened when realization struck.

“...Raven…”

Glynda dropped Tai on his head, ignoring his groans.

“They lost their mother, and in desperation, they tried looking for the next best thing. Because even though their father came home, on that day—that horrible, horrible day—they lost both their parents. And because of that, they almost lost their lives as well.”

When Tai didn’t speak, she continued. “I know you’re grieving, Tai. My heart aches every time I remember the friend I lost. But you have a responsibility to those children. No one is telling you that you cannot mourn her. But you cannot ignore the legacy she left behind. She loved you—all of you—too much for that to happen…”

She trailed off when she noticed he was shaking.

“Tai?” she asked worriedly. 'Did he hurt something when I dropped him?' Kneeling down, she very gently grabbed his hand and moved it from his face.

Tears were running down his cheeks as he quietly sobbed on the ground.

“Oh, Tai…” was all Glynda said before embracing him fully, letting him cry into her neck.

“I-I almost—Summer—she—”

“Shh, shh, shh…” Glynda whispered, as if consoling a child. A large, adult child. “I know, Tai. And I’m so sorry.”

“I miss her so much.”

“I know, Tai… we all do.”

They were sitting on the couch now, away from the stain. Tai was still in Glynda’s arms as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. She knew this position could lead to a lot of misunderstandings if they were “caught,” but that didn’t matter to her right now.

“Where’s Qrow?...”

He was silent a little longer before he answered. “...Burying himself in more missions. It’s all he can do to get his mind off of… everything…”

She hummed. “So he’s never around either?”

Tai flinched at the either, but moved on. “No, not really. It’s just… them.”

Them. The girls—Yang and Ruby—who were just six and four years old. Now without a mother… and barely with a father.

“Why didn’t you talk to anyone? Reach out for help?”

She realized she could ask herself the same thing. ‘Why didn’t I offer to help? To stop by? I had nothing else to do. It would’ve been foolish to assume Tai and the children would be okay so soon, but… I never would have thought things would be this bad. Does Qrow know about this? Ozpin?’

“I don’t know.”

‘I don’t know.’

For a while, they didn’t move. Neither of them dared to.

‘Well… I’m here now.’

Even later, though, Glynda moved to get up.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, Tai. You need to get help.” Before he could protest again, Glynda used her semblance to gently lay him out on the couch alone and covered him with a blanket. “Not now. Now, you need sleep. Tomorrow, though, you are going to look for a place or a person to talk to about this. There are groups out there for those who’ve lost their partner fighting the good fight. You are going to do this for them, because you and I both know that they deserve better.”

He was staring at her in awe now, and she refused to drop her momentum.

“You are also going to quit drinking. All of this has to change. All of it. No half-measures. Meanwhile, I’m going to call Ozpin and tell him I’ll be too busy for missions for the foreseeable future. I will find a place to stay nearby, and until you are properly back on your own two feet, I will help around the house and with the girls. I will cook for them, I will teach them, I will clean the house, and—and—and whatever else they need help with.”

Both of them could tell whatever bravado Glynda started with was quickly running out. Yet she continued.

“I will not get in the way of you and your children. But only if you promise me that you will make an honest effort to get better. Because I cannot ignore what I’ve seen today, and as your friend, I will step in if it gets worse. Are we clear?”

Glynda’s face was warm as she ended her tirade with her finger in Tai’s face. Before he could acknowledge what she said, she spun around and walked toward the door.

“Wait!” Tai cried out, regretting the speed with which he got up from the couch as he felt the contents of his stomach threatening to spill out.

Glynda stopped, her hand on the doorknob, and turned back to him.

“You don’t need to find a place to stay,” he stammered out. “We… have a guest room.”

She blinked, her mouth forming an O-shape—before she smiled and walked back in.

For what seemed like the first time today, Glynda felt like she understood why she was here.

Day 1

Yang woke up late in the morning. The old her would’ve slept even longer, but she couldn’t sleep last night. How could she? She had nearly gotten her sister killed yesterday, all because she had been selfish. She had decided alone that a rumor about her mom was worth leaving everyone behind, and the consequences of that selfishness were almost fatal.

So last night, she had an epiphany. If Raven wasn’t going to be around, and Mom wasn’t coming back, and Dad wasn’t going to help… then she’d be Ruby’s mom. 

‘It’ll be tough work,’ she thought, ‘but I’ll never let what happened to Ruby yesterday ever happen again!’

So, she slapped herself awake, jumped out of bed, and headed downstairs to find…

Everything already… cleaned?

What happened? Where had all the bottles gone? The couch cushions were gone too!

Yang ran into the kitchen. The dishes were gone! She was flabbergasted. Had someone stolen everything?

She walked around the house some more, until she realized the front door was slightly ajar. Curious! This mystery kept getting more… mystery-y!

As she got closer, she heard someone humming outside. Aha! The culprit must still be here!

She crouched slightly and started tiptoeing her way to the door. The humming continued. When she got there, Yang slammed the door wide open.

“Stop, thief!” she shouted—before a trash bag fell on her head.

Glynda woke up early to see Tai off and to reassure him she’d be alright. That they’d be alright. Tai was still hesitant; after all, Glynda had never had to take care of her own kids before. Nevertheless, he did agree to get help, and that was what he was planning to do.

Her next order of business: calling Ozpin. When she shared the state of the Xiao-Long-Rose household with the headmaster of Beacon, he looked horrified, disappointed, and guilty. 

“I hope you can understand why I will be busy for a while…”

“Of course, Glynda. Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you. Please, tell Qrow what happened. The girls need all the family they can get right now.”

“…I will.”

After that, Glynda got to work. First order of business: the bottles. Cleaning the house made her realize just how easy her semblance made life for her. What would’ve taken maybe thirty minutes—picking up every bottle and bringing them out to the correct waste bin—was done in less than one, all of them essentially floating in a line outside. Next came… everything else.

Week-old dishes she was familiar with. Give her a break; she’d lived alone in an apartment ever since graduation. Not everyone had what was essentially an army of in-laws or a whole castle at their beck and call.

The couch… needed to go. At least the cushions did. She already had some ideas for a replacement that she’d bring up with Tai when he got home.

When Glynda found the rest of Tai and Qrow’s alcohol, she scowled.

A minute later, the Ursas in the forest of Patch roared at the bottles seemingly falling out of the sky.

They stopped roaring when they got a taste of what was inside.

Later, with the vacuum running and the broom sweeping, Glynda gathered the remaining trash into bags and floated them out the front. Humming to herself with a sense of accomplishment, she opened the bin and slowly levitated the bags inside.

The door slammed open. “Stop, thief!”

Glynda shrieked and dropped her concentration. The vacuum fell over, still running. The broom clattered to the ground, with the dustpan being knocked into the air, the contents being spread once again. The trash bags all fell to the ground with a thump, one of them ripping open, another landing on top of her attacker.

“Oh no, Yang! Are you alright?!” Glynda rushed toward the dazed little girl, who fell backward onto her behind, to make sure she wasn’t injured. Thankfully, the bag that fell on her was only full of paper, so nothing hard landed on her. Still, she could’ve bent her neck, or landed on her head, or…

“You’re still here?”

Glynda’s train of thought halted. Yang was looking up at her while rubbing her head.

“Er, well yes. Your father… After yesterday decided that things needed to change, so I volunteered to stay and help.”

Yang frowned. “Like how Mom did at first?”

Glynda shook her head and smiled. “If you’re thinking that I’m going to be giving you another sibling, you won’t have to worry about that. Once your father is better, I will be on my way. I have my own life to get back to after all.”

“You do?”

Glynda’s eyebrow twitched, and her smile became strained. “Yes, I do. But don’t worry—I’ll make sure you and Ruby are just fine in the meantime.”

Yang stared back at her, her face lacking any emotion. Eventually, she just shrugged. “Ok,” she said, before turning around and walking back inside.

‘I guess I can go back to sleep after all.’

Day 3

“That’s not how you make Mom’s cookies.”

Glynda looked down at Ruby. The four-year-old and she were alone at home. Yang was at school, and Tai was still looking for a Hunters Anonymous group he liked. Glynda could tell he was struggling with going full cold turkey, but she had to admit it was impressive how well he tried to hide it in front of the girls.

Speaking of the girls, she focused back on Ruby. “What do you mean?”

Ruby pouted. “Mom used more sugar than that.”

Glynda frowned. “Did she now?”

Ruby got up from the stool and walked around her, opening a cabinet near the ground and pulling out a binder. From the binder, she brought out a paper and gave it to Glynda.

Written in Summer’s handwriting was a list of ingredients and the amount of each needed for one batch of cookies. Underlined at the top were the words Xiao-Long-Rose Family Recipe.

Glynda swallowed and looked back at Ruby, who shrugged. “Yang makes them sometimes.”

Feeling like she had just been given knowledge she was unworthy of, she gently patted Ruby’s head. “How about I make my cookies first, and then we’ll make your mom’s, and have them both?”

The little girl brightened. “Okay!” and ran out into the living room with a “Wheeeee!”

Glynda watched her run out while shaking her head fondly.

Both of them were sitting on the couch, feet on the table (Ruby promised that Dad “always let her put her feet on the table.” She doubted this was the case, but Tai didn’t need to know everything. He certainly didn’t need to know about the sheer amount of cookies Ruby ate today).

“Mom’s cookies are better.”

Erk. She forgot how blunt kids were.

But she wasn’t wrong. They really were better.

Day 15

When Tai came home that night and told her that he had found a group, Glynda was ecstatic. He almost suggested a drink and a toast to celebrate, but fought the temptation and suggested eating out instead.

While waiting to be seated at the Mistralian-themed restaurant, Yang excitedly regaled them with the day’s events.

“…and then Kai and Jay got into this huge fight, but Mister Wu was like, ‘Boys! Stop fighting!’” (Ruby giggled at the impression.) “Later, though, Kai and Jay were all buddy-buddy, and when I asked Mister Wu what he did to make them stop fighting, all he said was, ‘I only told them that the best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend.’”

“Hm,” Glynda nodded. “This Mister Wu seems very wise.”

“Nah! He always forgets to tell us important things. Probably because he’s so old.”

“Yang, Yang!” Ruby asked, bouncing up and down. “What were they fighting about?”

Yang put a finger to her chin, face scrunching up in thought, trying to remember. “I don’t know. I think it was over some girl?”

“A girl? Really?”

“Well kids, always remember,” Tai chuckled, “people have fought wars over a pretty girl before.”

Glynda looked over at him and noted how he already looked a lot better. He still always looked a little tired, but the bags under his eyes were barely noticeable. He had shaved in between again, and while he still hadn’t gotten a haircut, he did tie the extra length together in a short ponytail.

When it was their turn to talk to the host, he smiled. “Welcome, family of four?”

Tai ignored the implication and went along with it—something that didn’t go unnoticed by Glynda and Yang. Following the host to their table, Glynda lost herself in thought. ‘I guess I can see why a stranger would be confused.’ When they sat down, however, Yang snapped her out of it.

“We’re not, though.”

“Eh?”

She kept reading the menu, not looking up at Glynda. “We’re not a family,” she repeated.

“Yang! That’s not very nice!” Tai scolded.

But she wasn’t wrong. They weren’t really family.

The front door was open when they got home. Glynda’s Huntress instincts kicked in, gesturing for the girls to get behind her. Ruby hugged her leg, while Yang chose to hide behind her father, fists at the ready.

When they got closer, they heard someone cursing inside:

“Shit, where did Tai put the good stu—crash—Oh c’mon, semblance not now—AGH!—Another crash…. Owww…”

Tai and Glynda turned to each other. Is that…?

They pushed open the door and turned on the lights. Lo and behold, the face-planted, butt-up form of Qrow Branwen was there, along with a somehow completely flipped-over coffee table and a lamp nowhere near his arm’s reach down the hall.

“Hey girls…” he moaned into the carpet. Based on his lack of shame from the situation, they had probably caught him like this before.

“UNCLE QROW!” they both screamed, tackling him. Laughing and rolling over, he made sure they didn’t hit any of the furniture.

“Where were you guys? I came home and no one was around! Tai wasn’t even on the couch anymore!”

Ruby was the only one whose mood didn’t falter at the jab. “We were out celebrating together!”

Qrow raised his eyebrow in confusion. “Celebrating? Celebrating what?”

This time Glynda spoke up. “His first step in recovery.”

Qrow finally noticed her. “Glynda? What are you doing here?” He then looked to Tai, who offered a sheepish wave of his hand, and then back to Glynda, who was still glaring at him.

Qrow turned back to Tai, anger on his face. “There’s no way. There’s no fucking way this is happening. What about Sum—”

“Qrow!” Tai hissed, covering Ruby’s ears. “It’s not what you think.”

He looked back between them. No blush from the implication on Glynda, whose glare only grew more intense, and no look of shame on Tai. He calmed down slightly but kept looking suspiciously between them.

“Alright…” he admitted, “but clearly we have a lot to talk about.”

“You did what, Tai?!”

Qrow jumped up, grabbing Tai by the shirt collar and shaking him back and forth.

“Qrow…” Glynda warned dangerously, but she was ignored.

“No, Glynda! He needs to understand how badly he fucked up here! If Summer were here—”

“Summer isn’t here!” Tai shouted, glaring right back at Qrow. “Raven left, Summer died, and I… I wasn’t here either. I was barely here in body, not in spirit. I already know Qrow. Besides, you’re one to talk—you’re never even around!”

This time, Qrow was the one who flinched. “They’re not my kids, Tai! You’re the one who decided to have them! Or was that an accident too, just like how you almost accidentally lo—”

“GENTLEMEN!” Glynda shouted, having two chairs push them from behind to force them into their seats. “How about we calm down before we say something we’ll regret?”

Both of them glanced at each other before deflating. Before either could speak, Glynda, who remained standing, spoke again.

“Qrow, Tai has already recognized the error of his ways and has dedicated himself to his recovery. He has just joined a Hunters Anonymous group, where he will meet weekly with other Hunters and Huntresses facing similar challenges. He is also trying to live sober and has removed all alcohol from the household. Trust me when I say this: he is taking this matter very seriously.”

Qrow, despite the severity of the situation, looked aghast. “…All the alcohol, you say?”

Even though Tai let out a snort, Glynda didn’t seem to find it funny. “Yes, Qrow. All of it. Tai cares enough to recognize when he needs to shape up after breaking down, instead of continuing to run from his problems.”

The air grew cold. Tai suddenly felt out of place. Qrow narrowed his eyes towards her. “What are you implying?”

Glynda realized she had touched a nerve but didn’t particularly care.

“Tai told me how you’ve been ‘coping.’ Taking every mission you can get from Ozpin, racking up tabs into the thousands at bars across Remnant. You disappear for weeks, barely stopping by to say hello to your nieces, and when you break in here—to an empty home—your first priority is simply to have another drink.”

Qrow and Tai watched in fear as Glynda’s rant gained intensity, but she showed no sign of stopping.

“Then you have the audacity to scream at Tai, as if you are handling any of this better than he was. Why weren’t you there to rescue your nieces from the Grimm, Qrow? Hm? Why is taking a mission all the way in Vacuo so important to you, when you knew how bad things were getting here?”

Qrow jumped up, trying to defend himself, then stopped in confusion. “How’d you know about Vacuo?”

Glynda threw her hands up in exasperation. “Because Ozpin tried to get me to take the same damn mission, even though I told him I’d be busy taking care of the girls! Qrow, you are not Ozpin’s only agent—you don’t need to do everything he asks of you.”

Qrow stared back in shock. “…Ozpin knew?”

Now it was Glynda’s turn to be confused.

“Of course Ozpin knows. He was supposed to… tell… you…” The realization hit her. “He never told you.” She turned to Tai, who had reached the same conclusion. That explained Qrow’s anger—this was the first time he had heard about it.

Qrow’s expression grew muted. “No, he didn’t.”

Glynda stumbled back in her chair. “He never told you? I called him the morning after, and he promised he would.”

Tai frowned. “Were you on a mission? Too busy to get in touch with him?”

Qrow shook his head. “No. I was… in Atlas, actually.”

Glynda and Tai both stared at him.

“Atlas? You hate Atlas.”

He snorted. “Thanks, Glynda. I never noticed. Why didn’t he…?”

The three of them stared down at the table, wishing they had a drink in hand.

Qrow was gone the next morning.

Day 30

Yang came home crying today. Her eyes were red, and she refused to look directly at Glynda or her father. She threw her backpack to the side of the door, stomped upstairs, and slammed the door behind her.

Tai and Glynda looked at each other.

"I'll handle it," he said. Glynda just nodded. This was not her place, after all. Yang had made that abundantly clear.

When he knocked, all he got from the room was, "Go away…"

He opened the door anyway and found her seated at the end of her bed. Tai slowly moved to sit next to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Firecracker?"

Yang just sniffled some more. "Why is she still here?"

Tai frowned. "Glynda? She's helping me remember?"

Now she turned to her dad, eyes red from more than just crying. "How? You're better now, right?! She doesn't need to be here anymore, so why doesn't she just leave?! I hate her!"

Tai was too surprised to speak.

"I've heard you and Uncle Qrow talk about my mom, how she left. What if she wants to come back, but Ms. Glynda is getting in her way?! W-What if Mom thinks she's been replaced?! Is that why she's not here?!"

Before Yang could cry some more, Tai wrapped both his arms around her.

"Oh, Yang…"

Yang just bawled into his chest.

Eventually, she calmed down enough to talk.

"Yang, why would you think something like that?"

She sniffled some more, rubbed her eyes, and looked up at Tai. "At school… all the kids keep getting dropped off by their moms… and one of them asked me why I always walk alone to school… and-and then, and then I—"

"Woah, okay Firecracker, breathe for me. Can you do that?"

She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Okay, so all the kids keep showing up with their moms, correct?"

She nodded mutely.

Tai continued, "Do they call you names?"

She shook her head. "No, but… why can't Mom walk me to school?"

Tai ignored the annoyance he felt every time Yang called Raven "Mom." Instead, he gently rubbed her back and suggested, "What if I walk you to school from now on? Would that help?"

She shrugged. "I don't know… maybe…"

He smiled. "How about we try it tomorrow and see how we like it, okay?"

She thought for a second before nodding slowly again. "...Okay…"

Tai and Yang stayed seated together on her bed in silence for a couple of minutes before he spoke up again.

"Yang… do you really hate Ms. Glynda?"

Yang frowned, opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. "I mean… not really, I guess… she's helping you, right?"

Tai nodded. "Yeah, and she's only doing it because she can. She's not doing it to get anything out of it; she's just being a good friend. She really wants to be your friend too. Can you try to do that?"

Yang removed her face from his chest and looked up at him. "B-b-but you're better now, right? She can leave?"

He sighed. "Yang, it's not that simple." He gently lifted her off his lap and set her down next to him.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

She nodded.

"Remember how I told you I stopped drinking?"

Yang nodded again, hesitantly. "Is that why Uncle Qrow stopped coming?"

He flinched. ‘Oh boy, that also needs to be taken care of at some point.’ "Kind of. Well, the thing is… I lied."

Her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

"Last week, during a meeting, we talked a lot. About—about Summer. And it was a lot for me. I couldn't handle it, so instead of going home, I went to a bar. Just one drink, I said. Then I had another, and another, and another…"

Yang just listened and nodded.

"Glynda had to come pick me up. You should've seen me, floating like a ragdoll down the road. I barely remember getting home myself. The next morning, Glynda was waiting in the kitchen for me. She turned to look at me, and all she said was, 'You'll do better next time.'"

Yang blinked. "That's it?"

Tai nodded. "Yep, that's it. As if that was a fact. And she was right—it did get easier. Yesterday's meeting was a lot better. In between, I still had the urge to drink something, but I remembered what she said—how she had total confidence in me. So I went straight home."

He turned and smiled at her. "And I'm glad I did, because we had a lot of fun last night, didn't we?"

Yang giggled. "You're really bad at Apologies, Dad."

Tai laughed. "No, you're just way too good, kiddo."

They laughed together for a bit. When they calmed down, Tai turned back to her. "My point is, Yang, sadly I'm not really better yet. But Glynda, along with you two, are making it easier for me. So, could you maybe give her a chance? For me?"

Yang still looked hesitant but nodded. "Alright, Dad. For you."

They stayed upstairs a little longer.

Downstairs, Glynda decided to get started on dinner. Ruby excitedly volunteered to help her, but Glynda didn't have the heart to tell her that her semblance already trivialized the entire process. So instead, she just let the little girl read off the recipe card and smiled as the girl "ooohed" in wonder at the eggs cracking themselves and the whisk spinning through the air.

"I don't think Yang has a lot of friends."

That was not what Glynda was expecting from the four-year-old. She put her own knife down and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Ruby shrugged, continuing to watch the meal literally make itself.

"She never tells me any stories anymore, like that one about Kai and Jay from school."

Glynda blinked. That… was true, wasn't it? Granted, Yang didn't speak much about anything with her, but Glynda chalked that up to Yang not having the highest opinion of her. She wasn't a stranger anymore, but she still kept her distance, almost becoming completely attached to her father when he was around.

Suddenly, Glynda had an idea.

"I think I might be able to help with that."

Ruby tilted her head, curious, as Glynda walked over to her scroll, pulled up her contacts, and called someone.

"Hello, Isabel?… Are you busy?"

Eventually, father and daughter came back down. They all sat around the table when Glynda spoke up.

"Tai, do you remember Nick and Isabel?"

Tai and the girls looked up from their food.

"I'd be pretty dumb to forget them. Why?"

"They've invited us to their farm in Radian for a couple of days. It's ultimately your call if you want to go, but…"

Tai was beaming. "Wow, really? What's the occasion?"

Before Glynda could answer, however…

"Ms. Glynda called them because she thought Yang could use more friends."

All three heads turned to Ruby: Glynda with utter betrayal, Tai with amusement, and Yang with embarrassment. Ruby ignored them all, continuing to poke at her sausage and dip it in the homemade sauce.

This cheeky little—

Tai glanced between Yang and Glynda, neither of them meeting his eyes. Both were blushing, but for completely different reasons.

He started snickering before erupting into full-blown laughter.

Glynda stood up, slamming her hands on the table, her face growing redder.

"It's—It's not funny, Tai! Childhood is the most important time in someone's life to develop adequate social skills. Why are you still laughing?! Stop it!!"

He continued. Yang looked like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Suddenly, though…

Slap!

Everyone stopped and blinked. A slice of ham had flown through the air and was sliding down Tai's face. Everyone turned back to Glynda, who stared, eyes wide, as if she couldn't believe what she had done.

Yang and Ruby started to giggle, and Tai smirked.

"Oh, is that how you want to play?"

Glynda shrieked as Tai picked up some sausages and started to throw them as if they were throwing knives. Of course, none of them connected, and they froze midair. Yang smirked, joining the fight by grabbing the tomatoes, though she had just as much success as her father. Ruby, giggling, simply grabbed her plate and threw it at her sister. Glynda just watched in shock as the dinner she made flew through the air—not from her semblance.

Then everyone froze when Yang threw the bowl of sauce. Time seemed to slow as it flew in a perfect arc. Glynda remained frozen, unable to process what was happening or stop what would happen. Tai, remembering a similar situation from his first year at Beacon, simply closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

With a splat, the bowl landed directly on Glynda's head. Ruby looked up, innocent glee morphing into pure terror, as the bowl covered Glynda's hair and eyes, sauce running down her face. Yang actively started to back up as Glynda began to shake.

Tai opened his eyes. His fate may have been sealed, but not his children's. He knelt down and rested a hand on their shoulders.

"Kids, whatever happens, I want you both to know that I'm very proud of you, and I love you both so very much…"

Snort…

He stopped and turned. Glynda was still shaking. No—not shaking… Was she laughing?

Glynda erupted into full-blown laughter, so much so that she started crying.

Tai was only confused. This… did not happen last time.

Suddenly, every single remaining piece of food on the table began floating as her laughter died down and she wiped her eyes.

"Oh, you sweet, sweet fools…"

The house was a mess. Food stains covered every square centimeter of the walls, some plates lay broken on the ground, and Glynda still had a bowl of sauce on her head. Yet the smile on her face remained as she decided, for once, to sweep a broken plate off the floor without using her semblance.

She felt a light tug on her dress and looked down to see a sheepish Yang, eyes fixed on the ground.

Glynda smiled and kneeled down. "Yes, Yang? Is everything alright?"

Yang's foot twisted nervously back and forth, arms folded behind her back. "…Thank you…" she whispered quietly before bolting back inside her room and closing the door.

Glynda continued to smile. ‘She'll be alright,’ she thought.

Day 33

"Ms. Glynda?"

Yang was tugging at her dress again.

"Hm?" Glynda, still half-asleep, turned to her. "What is it?"

"Dad's still asleep… so I was wondering if maybe… you could walk with me to school today."

She was wide awake now. "Of course, Yang. Let me get my coat."

Day 35

Qrow was back.

"Ozpin's sending me out to Mistral. Just wanted to say hi to the girls before I leave."

Glynda blocked the doorway, arms crossed. "Hm."

Qrow just looked amused. "You know, technically this is more my home than it is yours."

All Glynda did was raise an eyebrow. "Really now? It hasn't felt that way for the past month."

His facade cracked for a second. "I… deserve that one. Can we talk? Alone?"

Glynda nodded and closed the door behind her, walking closer to him.

"I wanted to apologize."

Both eyebrows went up. "Really?... You?"

Qrow smirked. "Yeah. Contrary to popular belief, I can say sorry sometimes."

This was… new. "Does this have anything to do with you being in Atlas so often lately?"

Qrow looked away. "You could say that Atlas has a way of… opening your eyes, I guess."

"Hm."

He chuckled. "You were right. I did run and hide from the bottle. I did the exact same thing Tai did once, and I got angry at him over it. The difference between the two of us is he's brave enough not to push help away when it's offered."

Glynda's eyes softened. "He's always been like that, hasn't he?"

Qrow just nodded. "Yeah… when Summer… died, and I came back here the first time, I opened the door, half expecting her to still be here. When she wasn't, that's when it really became real to me, you know? That she was gone."

"Oh, Qrow…"

He raised a hand. "Let me finish! I know it's not fair to the girls at all, and it's definitely not fair to Tai, but I'm just… I'm not ready. I'm not like him. I know it's… cowardly, but I can't walk away just yet. Because when I'm out there, I can pretend she's still at home reading the girls their bedtime stories or… watching the newest season of Professor Paradox with Tai."

Glynda just stared before sighing. "Alright then. I can't force you to do anything you don't want to. It's your call."

Qrow nodded, then turned to leave when she called out to him.

"You can't run away forever, though."

He turned back. Glynda was staring at him, arms crossed again.

"I'll try to keep that in mind."

With that, Qrow transformed into a bird and flew away.

The girls never knew he was there that day.

Day 36

"…After that, Summer didn't let Qrow out of her sight for an entire month, because if she did, she was afraid it would happen again."

Ruby giggled next to her on the couch. "Did it?"

Glynda chuckled. "Oh yes. I still remember all the reports she had to fill out over destroyed Cabbage Carts throughout the school years. It happened on almost every single mission they went on."

Ruby started laughing. "Uncle Qrow is funny."

When she started yawning, Glynda patted her back. "I believe it's time for you to get ready for bed, wouldn't you agree?"

"Nooooo…." the girl weakly protested before trying to fight another yawn.

"Come on, Ruby, I'll help you. We have a big day tomorrow, after all." Glynda moved to stand up.

"Ok… Thanks, Auntie Glynda…"

She almost fell back onto the couch.

Day 37

Ruby hung onto Glynda basically the entire flight to Radian, buzzing with excitement. Further away, Yang and her father looked out the window in awe. Glynda looked down as Ruby tugged her to the side, also wanting to take a peek outside.

Auntie. Glynda had been called many names in the past, each one less flattering than the last: Ice Queen. Four Eyes. Bitch. All nicknames that only made her scoff. Auntie was not a title she had ever expected to be given. Yet now, whenever she looked at Yang and Ruby, realizing how much time they'd spent together and how they'd connected in the wake of an almost tragic incident…

The only thing Glynda felt then was pride. Pride and warmth.

Soon, however, she was shut out of her musings as their transport began to descend.

When the Airship landed, Glynda was barely able to let out a yelp before being scooped up by some of the largest arms she'd ever seen on a man.

"GLYNDA! Oh, it's so good to see you!" shouted Nicholas Arc enthusiastically, not caring that they were in public.

Ruby only gasped in wonder, eyes bright, as a large blonde man with a beard spun her red-faced Auntie in a circle with zero effort as she cried out for him to stop.

Yang watched shyly behind Tai as her father began to snicker. When Nick turned around, Tai's laughter died down as he suddenly found himself joining Glynda in the merry-go-round.

"TAI! You're here too?! This is awesome!"

Tai let out a small snort. "Yeah, big guy, they're my… kids…" He trailed off while looking at Glynda, whose face was starting to turn green.

Tai started to panic, recognizing what was about to happen. "Hey Nick? You gotta let us down. Like now."

Nick frowned. "Aw… fine…"

Upon being set down, Glynda stumbled around in a daze for a bit before Tai gently grabbed her shoulders and stabilized her while glaring at Nick.

The man sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and nervously smiled. "Ehe, sorry. I'm just so excited—it's been so long."

Glynda shook her head one last time. "Yes, well next time, try not to spin me around like a windmill again. I thought we talked about this."

Nick's smile only grew wider. "Yeah, but you still let it happen every time." 

To that, all she could do was sigh and show her own smile. "I suppose that is true as well."

It was then that Nick noticed the two girls standing off to the side. Breaking out of their stupor, they slightly flinched back, bracing for their turn on the Nickcopter.

When he stopped and gently kneeled to meet their eyes, they relaxed.

"Hey there," Nick said warmly. "I'm Nicholas Arc. Call me Nick, though."

Yang stayed silent and moved to gently push Ruby behind her. Nick's smile didn't change. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you two."

He slowly got back up. "You were probably too young to remember, but this isn't the first time I've seen you two."

Ruby gasped slightly. "Really?"

"Yep! Last time I saw you, Ruby, was the day you were born. My son, Jaune, he… uh… he had a rough time growing up and had to stay at the hospital a lot. He's better now, but you were actually born at the same place he stayed!"

She gasped again. "Wow, that's so cool!"

"Ruby!" Yang cried out, looking slightly scandalized. 

Nick just laughed again. "It is, isn't it? And now you can meet properly again."

Ruby turned to her dad and Glynda, looking excited, before running into her father's arms.

Nick turned to look Yang in the eyes. "How are you feeling? Glynda told me about what happened a while back."

Yang shrugged and looked away. "I dunno… fine, I guess."

"Jaune's really looking forward to meeting you. He's your age, so I'm sure you'll get along fine."

Yang only shrugged again.

Suddenly, Nick clapped his hands, startling the group. "Well then, let's get out of here!" He turned to walk away before stopping again. "Oh yeah, before I forget…"

He turned back to the group, with his biggest smile yet.

"Welcome to Radian!"