No, I didn't give you the gift of life. Life gave me the gift of you.

-Unknown

Summer knew why Raven had left. She had always known that one day the red-eyed huntress would disappear like vapor into the wind; ever since Raven had become a part of the old legend, her presence had never felt permanent.

Yet somehow, the news still left Summer reeling. Perhaps it was that she had lost one of her dearest friends; perhaps it was knowing that Raven had given birth not even a full day prior. Whatever the case, as she ended the call with Ozpin, Summer felt sick to her stomach. Raven has vanished, the old man had said, voice calm and not at all surprised. It seems she has fled without any intention of returning.

Qrow wouldn't answer his scroll. Summer had a sneaking suspicion that he knew where Raven was, and she knew that he would never tell.

And so there she was, standing alone on Taiyang's porch just hours before dawn. Her hooded cloak provided little shelter from the piercing cold wind, yet Summer pulled it close around her. She raised a hand to knock, then thought better of it and let herself in. If Taiyang was asleep, she didn't want to wake him.

The flood of warmth was welcome, and the young woman rubbed her arms in a futile attempt to thaw herself out. Winter wasn't too far away, and Summer's slender figure was always ill-equipped for the cold. It was why she hated the winter season, the irony of which wasn't lost on her.

The quiet fussing of a baby caught her ear. Summer froze, suddenly remembering something that seemed impossible to forget.

Taiyang had a daughter who was barely a day old.

Summer had yet to meet the child; she had returned from a mission with Qrow too late the previous day, and they had both missed the birth. Taiyang had called them over the scroll, a bright spark in his eyes as he announced that he had a little girl. Summer felt her heart twist, wondering how long it would be until that spark would return.

The white-cloaked huntress tracked the crying and found the room that Taiyang had been converting into a nursery. Summer drifted in, all too aware that another woman was meant to be there in her place. The lace curtains were pulled aside, bathing the bassinet in a ghostly light. Suddenly uncertain of herself, Summer approached the source of the crying. One of her hands lighted on the edge of the bassinet, and gingerly she looked inside.

Two large, lilac eyes peered up at her, glistening with tears. Immediately, Summer was captivated.

The little girl was beautiful.

Without thought, Summer gently lifted the child. She had never held a baby, yet instinct guided her hands until the girl was nestled safely against her chest. A lullaby immediately glided from her lips, one her mother had sung to chase away the darkness. The words were long gone, lost in the cobwebs of time, and yet the tune was warm and welcoming like an old friend. Humming it, she rocked back and forth, watching as the fussing child eased back into sleep.

Summer smoothed the girl's golden locks against her head, marveling at how thick it already was. Oh, she would be gorgeous someday, and knowing her heritage, as strong as steel. Summer could almost see her now, with all the beauty and resilience of her mother and the tenacity and unabashed spunk of her father. No one would be able to stop her, she realized with pride. It was a maternal pride which, in all honesty, she had no right to feel. Although, Summer thought bitterly, neither does Raven.

Shaking the thought from her head, she refocused on the precious cargo she had cradled in her arms. In her sleep, the baby yawned, raising a tiny fist to her face. The girl was so delicate and helpless, too innocent for the knowledge that she had been abandoned by her own mother. Taiyang hardly knew how to treat a girl, let alone raise one. Who would be there to kiss away the little pains, or tie ribbons in her hair? Who would sing lullabies to chase away the nightmares, or help her understand the process of growing up? Who would teach her how to respect herself and to know her worth as a woman?

I could be.

The thought flashed across her mind, and suddenly her heart ached for it.

It was then that Summer realized she had, beyond any measure of doubt, fallen completely in love.

Another presence snapped the young woman from her reverie. Careful not to wake the child, she turned slowly yet deliberately, prepared for an attack. Yet it was only Taiyang, golden hair glowing white in the moonlight. He was staring at her with wide eyes, as if seeing her for the first time.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Summer set her jaw, wondering how long he had been standing there. Slowly she approached Taiyang, silver eyes matching his bright blue gaze. "She's beautiful," the slim woman murmured, gently shifting the sleeping child into her father's arms. Taiyang's eyes dropped to his daughter, holding her as if he had no idea what to do with her. Summer remembered grimly that the little girl wasn't the only one Raven abandoned.

"I came by to see how you were doing," she said, resting a hand on his bare arm. "It's late, though, and you should be sleeping. I'll come back in the morning."

"Stay."

The plea startled Summer. The person she had grown with and fought beside, the iron-willed and fiery-eyed man who could have slain a Grimm with an arm behind his back, sounded so broken.

Taiyang's gaze stayed fixed upon his daughter, but his shoulders began to tremble. "I - Summer, I don't...I can't...I can't…" Before her eyes, the lion of a man unraveled. Tears fell from his face, dripping softly against the baby's cheek. He withered, slowly sinking to the ground, eyes never leaving his daughter's peaceful face. So young, so blissfully unaware of the tempest around her. Summer prayed she'd never have to experience her father's agony.

Hoarse sobs began to choke Taiyang, and he cradled his daughter to his shaking chest. Summer knelt beside him, desperate for some way to comfort her old friend. Uncertainty danced in her mind - what could she say to ease a broken heart? But as her eyes drifted to the child, confidence settled into her.

"I'll stay," she said softly, and after a moment she rested a hand on Taiyang's face. Qrow flickered across her mind, but she pushed the thought away. "Here," she murmured, reaching for the child. "I'll take her-"

"Yang," Taiyang interrupted, voice still breaking as tears ran openly from his eyes. "Her name is Yang. It...it was the best I could come up with, and Raven didn't suggest anything, and-"

"It's a beautiful name," Summer assured him. Taiyang needed a rest from the pain, and thinking of Raven would only sharpen the knife. "Yang Xiao Long," she continued, testing the name on her lips, easing the little girl into her arms. She settled on the carpet next to the grieving man and lifted her gaze to meet his. His tears glittered in the moonlight, and slowly she reached her free hand up to brush them away.

"I'll stay," she repeated, and never had she meant anything more.

I really like the idea of Summer picking Yang up and being like, "It's mine now." Shout out to writing a story at 3:00am and cringing at the grammar and typos when you proofread it the next day!