Pretty rough, but it was a quick thing I wrote between other things. Tying up some loose ends after the previous arc.

Author: XCVG
Canon: Full
Context: The Remnan Exchange, 2016


Emergence: Aside
Home

After a longer-than-expected meeting with a pair of plainclothes agents in Vancouver, Rose and her companion were off on a commercial flight to New York. The Fall Maiden had been quiet the whole flight, but Rose could tell she was enjoying it. Arguably, air travel was nicer on Remnant, but a 777 was a completely different experience than a C-class. Besides, first-class wasn't half bad. She had to give the United States Government that. They had class.

"Welcome to New York," the redhead announced to her in the arrivals area of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Passing through security had been a breeze- no doubt arranged by the FBI, and they'd already been told what to look for and who to meet after the flight.

Amber remarked as she followed the other woman toward the exit, "That was, I think that was the busiest place I've ever been to."

"It's a big airport for a big city. Almost as big as Vale, and air travel's a lot more common here," she told the young woman as they headed out into the parking lot. "You'll get used to it."

"Huh."

"And this is where we part ways," Rose announced, stopping near a blue sedan with a dark-haired man waiting patiently inside. "Good luck, Amber. You've got my number, you know where to find me if you need me."

The Maiden was shocked. "What?"

"You're Amber Davison, who was in the right place and the right time to witness a high-profile drug hit," she answered circuitously. "You're under the protection of this nation's witness protection program. I don't imagine you'll be staying in New York very long."

"I didn't..."

"I know you were probably imagining living in my apartment or something, but this is safer," Rose told her. "And you'll like it better. Trust me."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."


Rose twiddled her thumbs as she waited in the utilitarian office. Her eyes scanned the desk before her. It was messy, with a bunch of pens and hand-scribbled notes, but actual files were conspicuously absent. The Dell computer was sleeping, its while power light blinking slowly. A photo of a child sat on a shelf between two rows of large binders.

A vaguely familiar agent hustled into the room and sat down behind the desk. He greeted. "I'm Supervisory Special Agent Todd Castello. Thank you for waiting, Officer Drake."

She replied, "Just Rose is fine. I'm not entirely sure if it's my first name or my last name anyway."

"In that case, Todd," the agent agreed. "Do you know why we're having this meeting?"

"Your guys already did a debrief, so I have no idea," Rose answered. It was a half-truth; she had suspicions.

He tossed a folder on the table. "How would you like to become a Special Agent of the FBI?"

Her response was light, but blunt. "Can't I just be a New York cop?"

"No more than John McClane could," Todd joked.

She laughed. "Oh, man, you don't know the half of it."

"The threats out there are changing," the agent said reflectively. "Yesterday it was international terrorism. Tomorrow it will be bad people with superpowers who wish to do us harm. You're in a unique position to help counter those threats."

"I told Ozpin I didn't want to save the world," she retorted. "Why would I tell you anything different? Unless this is one of those do what we say or we destroy your life things."

"Rose, we're not going to force you into anything," he reasoned. "I think you know deep down what you're capable of. Maybe it scares you, maybe you don't know what you're going to do with it, maybe you keep trying to push it away. Thing is, you can, and someday, you will."

"Can, maybe. Will, no."

He tried a different tactic. "Look, we're not offering to save the world or teach you the secrets of the soul. But there are innocents we're protecting, and your country could really use your help."

She stood up to leave, but offered a tempered, "I'll think about it."

"All we can ask. Thank you for your time, Rose."


It was Qrow's first visit to Patch since the whole Rose business. Ozpin wanted him close, which meant no more teaching at Signal. That suited him well enough. One in twenty kids was worth teaching, the other nineteen might have been special to someone but not to him. So he headed to Patch to finish up the paperwork, and figured he'd stop by the Xiao Long residence to visit Tai on his way back.

And he couldn't find the man. At least not at his house.

He had a hunch, even if it was stupid, and followed it. Sure enough there was a light-haired man sitting on the stone seawall. He had to admit, the sight surprised him as much as it didn't.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Summer always liked it here," Taiyang remarked, voice hitching in his throat. He reached over for a smooth glass object but missed, sending it crashing down onto the seawall below.

Qrow recognized it immediately. "Tai, you shouldn't be drinking."

He laughed darkly. "What does it matter anymore?"

Why am I the one who always has to play counsellor these days? Qrow reflected to himself. The grey hunter said lightly, "You need a girlfriend. Maybe a boat. Probably a hobby."

The attempt at levity backfired. "I need... no. It won't help."

Qrow sat down on the seawall beside him, taking a swig from his flask. "How long have you been doing this, Tai?"

"Since she left," he answered quietly. "It's my fault."

"It is not your fault," Qrow told him firmly. "It wasn't your fault before, and it's not your fault now. It's a dangerous world. You know that as well as I do."

"This is different," Tai argued. "Yeah, back then it was just a tragedy, but this time... it was a miracle and I drove her away."

"That's the problem with miracles," Qrow recited. "There's always a catch. Never really works out the way you'd life."

Even for the veteran huntsman, it was a little cynical. Tai questioned, "You come up with that?"

He laughed. "No. Rose did."

"Ah." Tai offered no further reply, letting the silence linger.

"Look, you've still got your girls, right?" Qrow offered, desperately trying to be uplifting. "You've got that. And Rose is someone. She's not your wife, but she's someone and she'll be back. You were in a bad spot last year, but there's some things to be thankful for. Things are looking up, you're just too damn blind to see it."

"You're right, you know," he reluctantly agreed. "I'm the one fucking this up. God, how much have I screwed up?"

Qrow put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tai, if anything, you're the innocent one in all this. There's a lot of screwed up things out there, and out of the blue, half of it seems to hit you. So yeah. You may be a giant magnet for trouble, but it's not your fault."

The blonde nodded slowly. "I just... I don't know. Still an awful deal."

"No argument here."

"Since when was I the inspirational one?" Qrow asked rhetorically.

Tai laughed. "Since always."