So, uhh, I'm probably gonna start breaking up chapters after this quite often. I'm doing this because the sheer length of each chapter is already ridiculous. I thought I could adhere to 1 chapter = 1 day but this one alone proves that really isn't feasible if I want to update this fic with any sort of frequency. I'll notate dates and time periods in the chapter title. I know this will make updating and reading a little bit wonky, but I'm doing this for the sake of updating more frequently and my own sanity.

That and because my writing process is slow. I hand write everything before I type it and post it. Seeing the paper pile up physically just wears me out mentally because it just adds more for me to type. Cutting the chapters into pieces will make it easier for me to write this story with enthusiasm and joy.

Also I apologise for the massive delays. Personal issues came up and I just needed some space from writing and such.

Summer snapped awake, shivering as she looked at the clock. The harsh 4:30 bled against the inky darkness and she sighed. She knew there was no point in even trying to get back to sleep at this point because she wouldn't be able to. Between her fear of Sapphire and worry over the incoming Monday, her mind floundered between the harsh realities.

She could already hear Sapphire and Austin getting ready for work. There was no avoiding the woman in the mornings with her excessive morning routine. She just had to get out of the house as quickly as she could. It meant no breakfast, but a missed meal was better than dealing with her "sister."

Rolling out of bed, she dragged her clothes on and stopped at her bookcase. Two shelves of books on Thomas Moore and several binders crammed with her own notes greeted her. There was no way in hell she could carry all of that, so she just grabbed half a dozen and rammed them into her bag. Her hand shook as it hovered over the knob, but she sighed and opened it, heading into the kitchen.

She hunched over and tried to be silent, but a heavy sigh greeted her. "Good morning, Summer." She flinched at the begrudging tone and pulled her hood down. A flat stare greeted and she backed up into the counter, shaking.

"I-I'll be gone as soon as I get lunch and out of your hair… I promise…" Her voice barely reached a whisper as she shrunk under the hard look. She understood where Sapphire was coming from, but did she really need to be so aggressive…? Summer swallowed as the only response was a narrowing of eyes. She darted around the kitchen and gathered a haphazard lunch before running out the door again.

She soon found herself right around where Raven had met her the previous morning, but a look at her phone revealed a meager quarter after five. What was she supposed to do for the next two hours…? With how small Lamberton was, nothing would open yet and it was too dark for her to do anything. She just sighed and started walking in the direction of the school. She looked around, trying to commit the route to memory. Now that she didn't have Raven to worry her, she didn't have to fear losing it.

…Damn it.

She'd lose the first half.

Why was she cursed to lose her memories like this…? It just didn't make any sense! This wasn't how amnesia was supposed to work! She'd studied it so much to find an answer and had come up empty!

Tears welled in ehr eyes and she turned sharply down a side street, finding a tree to tuck under. She curled into a ball and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Eventually, a few choked sobs escaped her throat and she prayed she didn't wake anybody up. She hated burdening people so much and knew she was little better than that to everyone around her.

The sound of an opening door made her freeze and her head snapped up. A woman with the same crimson eyes and black hair as Qrow and Raven framed the doorway. Summer tensed and stood, but the woman held her hands up. "It's okay, dear; I won't hurt you. Please, come in." She smiled warmly and Summer shook, knuckles white against her dark grey bag strap. She'd lose these memories on Monday as well and didn't want to burden the woman when they met again.

A familiar face popped out from behind the woman and Raven smiled as well. "Summer, what are you doing out there? It's chilly so come in!" Before she knew it, the door closed behind her and she shook even more. The woman took her housecoat off and put it around Summer's shoulders, guiding her to the dining room table and sitting her down. Her stomach rumbled at the scents rolling out of the kitchen, but she kept her gaze plastered to her hands.

"Summer, the hell…?" She heard Qrow's slurred voice and looked up to see him rubbing an eye. Oh God. She really didn't want to be here and burden them on Monday… This isn't what she'd expected… She'd expected to be ostracised completely and nobody accept her just like always… It just made life easier for everybody…

She just bowed her head as more tears rolled down her cheeks. SHe couldn't answer anything. Why was she cured like this? SHe just wanted to be normal and have friends, but with her memory loss, it was just a—

A hand rested on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. A glance up revealed Qrow next to her and she blinked. Why was he…? She knew he was kind, but it wasn't like they were friends… "Just relax, Summer. You've got nothing to worry about here." The words barely reached her ears and she wished she could, but she just couldn't. All she could do was bow her head as the tears continued to flow.

The silence stretched out, broken only by the sound of Raven's pencil scratching until the woman—Dove, she recalled Qrow saying the previous day—start setting the table. She blinked and looked up as she sat a plate in front of her. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to im—"

"You aren't, dear." The cut off was gentle, accompanied by a soft smile to take away any harshness that might have been there. Despite the sharp crimson, there wasn't any hint of danger in her eyes. She almost seemed to exude warmth and love in a way even Persia didn't. She held her gaze for another moment, the warm smile still there. "Qrow told me about the project and Raven told me you were lost earlier. YOu're welcome to come here anytime, Summer. I know life won't be easy here for you, so you can always rest your wings here, no matter what."

…Just how much did Dove know? Just from the way she worded that, it was almost like she knew something was going on at the house. THen again, how often did a crying teenager show up at five thirty in the morning in her yard? Throat tight, Summer nodded and slowly pulled her hood down. Dove's smile warmed further and she settled in ehr seat. "Thank you, Mrs. Branwen. I really appreciate it." She tugged her memories out of her backpack and scribbled the offer down quickly. SHe could hash out the details of the morning later but she didn't want to forget that.

"You're quite welcome, dear, but there's no need to be so formal. YOu can just call me Dove. Plus, I'm not married." Summer blinked, cheeks heating up when she realised the lack of a wedding ring. Plus, she was certain Mr. Branwen would've shown himself by now if he'd have been there. Dove just chuckled softly and started eating, eyes soft and reassuring. Summer actually managed a small smile despite herself. She was such a kind woman… Much kinder than Sapphire…

"Okay. Thank you very much." She fell silent as she ate, a warm smile find it is way to her face. "This is really good." It didn't have the same finesse that Persia's cooking had, but it was an unfair comparison. The woman had been a professional chef at one point, but Summer still knew good food when it smacked her in the face.

"What do you have for lunch, dear?" The question made Summer blink and her cheeks heated again. All she'd really managed to grab was a half sandwich and a couple small snacks. It was enough to get her through the day, but not much beyond that. Dove just continued to smile and nodded toward the kitchen. "There's usually some leftovers when I finish with my baby birds'-"

" Mom !" Both twins turned Red. Raven looked down and away while Qrow slammed his hands on the table and glared at Dove. Summer's grip on her silverware tightened, but the woman just chuckled softly. Thankfully, Summer sensed no tension in the air and Qrow sat down. His cheeks rivaled his eyes and he coughed before resuming his meal.

"—lunch and I don't want it to go to waste. Do you think you'd like it?" Summer narrowed her eyes a little, trying to get a read on the woman. Nobody was this generous. People were only this kind when there was something to get out of it for themselves. That or she'd seen straight through what had happened that morning to a large degree. How? Yes, the sobbing teen was a red flag, but she'd predicted specific points far too transparently. Summer wasn't used to being read at all, let alone this easily but…

"…I'd appreciate it." The offer was just too tempting. She didn't like barely having enough food to get by anymore. Plus, she liked homecooked meals and had gotten used to them thanks to Persia. She just couldn't say no to something from an expert cook.

Dove beamed and nodded, the gentle smile still there. "You can just give the containers to one of my baby birds to bring back." Summer gave a small nod and pulled her hood up, hoping it hide her reactions from the woman. This was just getting way too uncomfortable for her liking and the woman was beyond unnerving.

THankfully, the rest of the meal passed in silence. Raven gathered the dishes and Dove headed off, leaving Summer and qrow a Lone. The boy yawned and his gaze settled on an indeterminate spot, somewhat glazed over. She managed a small smile and jotted it down in her memories. Apparently, Qrow was not a morning and she couldn't help but chuckle.

He snapped out of it and shook his head, looking at her. "What are you laughing at, shorty?" Summer glowered as she looked at Qrow, arms folded. He was sweet and kind, but he could be insufferable at times. HOw had she gotten stuck with such an inconsistent partner? But she let it slide and the amusement returned.

"I guess the early bird doesn't always catch the worm, eh, Qrow?" She grinned and he rolled his eyes, flicking her in the forehead. She let out a small squeak and puffed out her cheeks. Absolutely insufferable!

"Just because my mom and sister greet the morning with open arms doesn't mean I do. I guess you're just like them, huh?" Summer's grin vanished and she looked down at her memories. For a good part of her life, she'd had little choice but to sleep lightly with one eye open (so to speak). Those damn mobsters had made her life hell with how doggedly they'd pursued her.

Tears bit at the edges of her eyes and she closed them, trying to calm herself. No, there was no reason to get upset. She'd been safe for the past five years. Persia had protected and sheltered her. She was safe here too. Lamberton was so small that everyone knew each other and crime was rare. She was safe. There was nothing to—

She blinked when she found her face against Qrow's shoulder. "…Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you like that." Summer just shook her head, throat closed. She wasn't angry or upset with him; he couldn't have known what triggered her trauma like that. Hell he couldn't have known her past or the fact she was so traumatised… Even after five years, she hadn't overcome it and remained excessively hypervigilant. But given the issues with her memory, was it unreasonable. He couldn't have known about that either…

She sighed and let herself lean against him, tears flowing down her cheeks as she struggled for breath. It was all she could do until the episode passed and she knew it. God, she really didn't want to burden him on Monday, but it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Kind as the Branwens were, people's kindness had a limit as she knew all too well like with Sapphire…

They sat in silence for awhile until she pulled off him and looked at the clock. Twenty after six. They'd need to leave in about fifteen minutes to—

Qrow got up and Summer blinked, going rigid. Raven stood near the door, pulling her shoes ? Why were they leaving so early? School didn't start until seven! Panic rose in her chest and Dove put a hand on her shoulder. "Summer, dear, if you want to stay here for a little while longer, you can. Raven's part of the choir and she's going early to start practicing for upcoming events. I can drive you if you'd like." The woman smiled kindly at her and she hesitated. What should she do? No matter what she decided on, she'd forget when Monday rolled around so…

"…I should walk. It'll be how I get there most the time anyway." It was a reluctant admission, but it was the truth. She'd even be walking in winter, so she might as well get used to it. She might be able to start recognising landmarks even if she walked with Qrow and Raven. There was no guarantee, of course, but her ability to mentally map an area for the sake of survival might override the memory reset. She really hoped it would because being without reference in a town was a death sentence in her mind. Her instinct to survive and protect herself was still the most dominant part of her personality so…

Dove nodded and smiled, handing her a lunchbox and placing a kiss on her forehead. Pink dusted her cheeks but she managed a small smile. "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs— er, Dove. I appreciate it." The woman just continued to smile before nudging her out the door along with the twins.

Of course, it took only a few seconds for Raven to fall into step next to her and Summer moved a few feet, nearly bumping into Qrow. "Hey Summer, have you considered joining any clubs? I mean, I know there aren't a lot—cheerleading, equestrian, FFA, choir, and football are about it—but they're really great! I see your headphones so are you interested in music? If you are, then you should join choir! It'll be a great way to start making fri—"

" Stop it! " Summer gripped the sides of her head, eyes snapping shut as she started to shake. Dear god, she couldn't take much more of Raven. She knew the other girl was just trying to be kind and help her fit in but…

"Summer, what—"

"I can't do it, okay?! I just can't !" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook. Silence greeted her and she looked up at the twins. They just stared at her and she froze, backing up a step. "I-I…" Oh god, she'd almost blown her secret. But, worst of all, she might've hurt them. THey'd been nothing but kind to her and she'd only repaid it with silence, indifference, and now, anger. "I-I'm sorry. I should—"

Qrow's hand wrapped around her wrist loosely, keeping her cemented to the spot. "…Look, Summer, I know we just met yesterday, but there's clearly something going on with your. What is it?" His gentle tone helped keep her from wanting to bolt, but her throat stuck. How could she explain this without sounding crazy? She didn't want to come across as a liar to people who had been so kind to her. She did want to be friends with them but—

She bowed her head, tears dripping onto the ground. They had cornered her and she knew it. There was no getting out of this. She knew she'd need to explain before next Monday, but that didn't make it any easier. She'd at least hoped she could get to Saturday…

"…I-I lose my memories of people I fear losing every Monday. F-Family, potential friends, acquaintances… I-If I haven't known someone for three years and I have deeply personal interactions with them, my memories will disappear…" She continued to shake and closed her eyes, unable to see their reactions. The story sounded beyond far fetched and she knew it. The tale sounded ludicrous and she knew they wouldn't—

Qrow just pulled her into his arms again and she blinked, looking up at him. He offered her a gentle smile and wiped away her tears. "It's all right, Summer. Mom, Raven, and I won't abandon you because of it. I mean it sounds a bit odd, but it's the low end of strange for us." She just stared up at him, silver eyes wide. What did that mean?

She glanced over at Raven who nodded. "Yeah… One thing about Lamberton is that there are a few…odd aspects to it." Summer just blinked again and stared. What the hell did that mean? Raven rubbed the back of her neck and glanced down the road. "We need to keep moving. Willow will never let me hear the end of it if I miss practice for Solo and Ensemble."

"Will never lets you hear the end of it if we're late for anything ." Qrow snorted but let his arms drop from around Summer and shoved his hands back into his pockets. She shifted her weight about before sighing and falling into step next to him.

"Qrow… Are you sure you can accept this so easily? It's going to be a major burden because I'm going to forget you and all the progress we've made on the project every Monday…" She had her journal, of course, but that still wasn't any substitute for being able to prick up right where they'd left off. Sapphire and Austin already hated her for how much of a burden she was and she could hardly blame them.

The boy just gave a dismissive shrug. "I've dealt with Miss Pushy over here since day one and Miss Rough-And-Tumble Schnee since year three. I think I'm pretty good at rolling with the bunches. I'll see how things go on Monday to make a full determination. But I won't leave you no matter what." Summer fell silent at the somewhat inconclusive answer. How could somebody be so nonchalant when she'd forget them on Monday and they'd have to start over from scratch? She didn't understand. Well, Raven she could get; she seemed to be like a dog and would keep trying to befriend others until they caved. But Qrow…

She just sighed and shook her head. His personality thus far was inconsistent and she couldn't get a good read on him. Maybe she'd have better luck next week with a clean slate and more than just a few days with him.

Raven fell into step with her again, that over enthusiastic smile still on her face. "Hey Summer. Do you want to join our practice this morning?" Summer gripped the strap of her bag, knuckles white. Honestly, she'd love to join them. She loved music but she'd forget everything on Monday.

She looked away. "Raven, I already explained why I can't. Plus, I doubt others will be so accommodating…" Ozpin had said the twins would be able to handle things that seemed to be parsing out, but others? Sapphire and Austin had already proven she really couldn't count on others to be so patient with her constant amnesia.

"I think they will." Raven's smile grew wider and Summer shifted her weight again. Oh how she knew otherwise. "Willow's a bit rough around the edges, but she's a sweetheart. Ghira's so patient and wise beyond his years we all joke that he might as well be a father. Kali's so sweet and kind that it's hard for her to find anything disagreeable as long as it's not hurting others." Her grip on her bag strap just tightened further. Hurting others was all that memory wipe did. It'd taken three years for her to not freak out when she woke up in Persia's house and for those memories to start returning. If Kali didn't like others getting hurt, then she'd be on the other girl's bad side soon enough if they started interacting.

They arrived at school and Summer stared as Raven pulled out a key to unlock the door. The school gave keys out to students? Wasn't that dangerous and probably illegal? Mayor's daughter or not, that was still beyond reckless and stupid! What was Ozpin thinking?! Was this town crazy?!

She just shook her head and followed Raven and Qrow to a music room where two girls and a giant of a boy were warming up. The white-haired girl sat behind the piano, playing, and Summer allowed a faint smile to form on her lips. Even just doing a simple warm up, their voices resonated off the walls in beautiful harmony. They'd clearly been singing together for years due to the sheer ease with which they harmonised. The smile vanished as she sat on a chair, shaking her head. No, they'd never let her join so easily. It'd disrupt their normal rhythm and she wasn't even sure what vocal part she was. She could easily hit high notes in songs like The Voice and Danny Boy but she could also easily keep pace with Dolores Keane's husky alto…

The white-haired girl stood up and the small group greeted each other—even Qrow. She saw him pull music out of his bag and color dusted his cheeks. "Er… SATB music is just more readily available and I fit pretty well as a tenor so…"

All eyes shifted to Summer and eyebrows shot up. She stood and shook her head. "I-I'll leave… Things seem to be pretty well balanced so I'll—"

"Nah, you're fine! C'mon and join us." The white-haired girl smiled and extended a hand. A glance at the darker-skinned pair revealed nods and smiles. "Summer Rose, right? You're in my fifth period science class. I'm Willow Schnee. It's nice to meet you."

Summer shifted a bit and the other two stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Kali Sharma and this is my boyfriend, Ghira Mishra." The black-haired girl smiled and the giant of a teen flushed a bit. "Welcome to Lamberton, Summer. I hope your time here has been pleasant." She just looked down and away. She'd stayed locked in her room until she'd started school yesterday and had been the victim of passive-aggressive and outright vitriolic comments from Sapphire and Austin when Persia was asleep. Her time here had been nothing but hell and it was only going to get worse once she started forgetting everybody at school.

Willow and Raven exchanged glances before Raven put some music in her hands. Dirai-on and Defying Gravity. She smiled a bit at the second song. "I know this one…at least the melody. I've seen Wicked a few times." It'd never been on Broadway, of course, but that didn't mean it was any less magnificent. "Can't say I know this or…" She furrowed her brows. Which language was it in? She'd never taken a foreign language class. She was only familiar with Irish pronunciations in passing due to her music tastes.

"Oh, that's no trouble. I'm fluent in French since I visit regularly with Papa on breaks. It doesn't have to be perfect; it just has to be good enough to work for the song." Willow smiled and she hesitated. She was running out of ways to escape the situation and she needed an out. She couldn't burden any of them with her terrible memory loss. Plus, she'd forget the music when Monday rolled around…

"I've…never really sang formally before. I don't know what part I'd be and all I really know is karaoke-type singing." She shifted her weight to the front of her feet, holding her bag in one hand. This was too dangerous and she had to get out.

Willow opened her mouth to speak again, but Kali put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right; Summer; you can just follow along if you want." She let out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. Kali had obviously seen through her, but she was grateful this time. At least she couldn't be roped into something again and now had some time to record the events of the morning in her memories…