An Untold Story
Dedicated to my special Little Red
Professor Ozpin enjoyed his nighttime walks. They were the most peaceful part of his day, when no one expected him to do a thing. He took a sip form his fresh cup of tea and took a deep breath. The full moon spilled through the beacon courtyard and danced along the fountain's water. Ozpin enjoyed these simple treasures. The stillness of it all was beyond thanks.
He took another sip and walked around the fountain, his cane the only sound touching the stone walkway. He despised using his cane. It was a burden and a constant reminder of his failures. No matter how much he wanted to throw it away, he wouldn't allow himself. He had to suffer, headmaster or not, he had to own up to his mistake.
A sudden sound brought his attention sharp and focused. He half expected the interloper to be a Miss Goodwitch, for she was a very curious and dedicated partner. Instead, Ozpin found a little girl in red standing before him. Her posture was poor and her eyes were shut. She shuffled towards him at a slow pace. Ozpin sighed and took another sip of his tea before placing in down on the edging of the fountain.
"Sleep walking, Miss Rose?" he said quietly.
He walked over to her and stood in her path.
"Miss Rose?" he asked. Ozpin knew better than to wake up a sleep walked abruptly. He thought briefly about calling one of her teammates to guide her back but he dashed the thought immediately. He was aware of the spat between Ruby and Miss Schnee. An event like this might not be in the best interest of their cohesion.
Patiently and gently, he guided her back to her dorm was soft nudged and cooing. To his surprise, Ruby complied with minimal resistance. The gentle guidance was foreign to Ozpin and yet, it felt natural. Then, the true test came: stairs. Ozpin wouldn't risk Ruby falling flat on her face.
Instead, he scooped her up in his arms and painfully ascended the stairs. Ruby curled in his arms and nuzzled his chest. Her arms found his neck and she latched on with an iron grip. Ozpin suppressed grunts of pain as fire shot up his legs and webbed in his back. Halfway up, he paused to look at his little passenger. She was sleeping soundly with a faint smile on her face.
When Ozpin finally reached her floor, he decided not to put her down. She would've stirred if he tried. As he walked down the hall, the pain in his body subsided and was replaced by a dull ache. Ruby was still clutching his neck when he maneuvered to open the door. A small hint of relief hit Ozpin as he noticed Ruby's teammates were asleep as well.
He let a smile sit on his face when he saw the haphazard "bunk beds" in Team RWBY's room. Somehow, he knew the little girl in his arms was responsible for that. It brought his a sense of wonder and a little pride. The little girl in red, the one he let into his school, was making waves like no other before her. He stopped himself short. That pride didn't belong to him. It shouldn't, but…
Ozpin slowly placed Ruby on her bed and softly pulled her arms away from his neck. When he did, Ruby groped in vain for something to hold. Ozpin was overcome with so much endearment; he offered his free hand until she settled down. When it seemed like Ruby was finally at ease, Ozpin rose to leave.
"Daaad?" Ruby's quiet plea pulled Ozpin right back to her side. "Daaaad?"
"Shhh Shhh," Ozpin cooed quietly, "I'm here child. I'm here Ruby."
"Dad," Ruby burrowed into Ozpin's arm, "Don't go. Please?"
"Ruby," Ozpin choked. Why am I so attached? She's not my daughter. She's not my—
"Can you tell me story, before you go? Like last time? Please?" The hopelessness in her voice broke Ozpin. He stroked her hair softly and the lump in his throat melted.
"Okay Ruby." Ozpin began with a sad smile, "Once upon a time, there was a little girl with a red hood…"
The next morning, Glynda Goodwitch made her morning rounds. A small white mug caught her eye as she walked towards the fountain. It was Professor Ozpin's. Curiously, she examined it and found it still half full. It was very unusual to find Professor Ozpin without his tea but even more so to find his tea neither full nor empty.
Glynda knocked on the headmaster's door and walked in with his cup. She took the liberty of thoroughly washing the mug and filling it with a fresh cup of tea: jasmine with a spoonful of honey.
"Professor Ozpin," she greeted, "It seems you left your mug."
"Ah," the silver haired man nodded, "It seems I have. Thank you Miss Goodwitch."
"May I ask why?"
"I was taking a midnight stroll and something," Ozpin paused, "more pressing required my attention."
AN: What do you think? I was having a conversation with a friend of mine...about kids. Just the stress and heart that goes into raising one and (god forbid) the pain when they leave one's life. I'm being morbid. But I think they two have good father/daughter chemistry, ergo, this little vignette.