RWBY (c) RoosterTeeth


Rose Above The Clouds


Uneasy Anticipation

"So that's the reason why..." Summer muttered, her tone frosty and bitter while staring at her scowling reflection in the coffee. "It was a fool's errand from the word 'go'. I should've known better. Should've known things wouldn't have been that easy."

"If they were, that mangy old bat probably would've been taken care of a long time ago." Qrow agreed somberly, sipping his own black coffee. "But, I doubt knowing that would've stopped you either way. It's just in your nature to try."

Summer made a small sound of affirmation in her throat. She was morose, and understandably so. The mess she'd made earlier with the table had been cleaned up hours ago, and the reunited couple had spent the time since talking. At some point, they had made some coffee in the small kitchenette and now sat together on the lone bed. There were so many pressing issues they had to discuss, but they were rather unsubtle in avoiding those matters. Thrown by the wayside thanks to harmless, humorous tales about Qrow's missions, misadventures... and their family's antics.

After so long talking about miscellaneous nothings, neither could really find much of an excuse to avoid the important facts any longer. So the conversation took a turn for the macabre, and the subject of the Grimm Queen made itself prevalent. Along with her connection to old man Ozpin.

Qrow found himself wrapped up in retelling the tale that the Relic of Knowledge had imparted to Team RWBY, Maria, Oscar and himself. And the terrible revelations that came with it.

"And that's why you said you knew, when I was having that little episode the other day. You knew because you already heard the truth of it from a demigod's own lips." Summer concluded glumly.

Qrow hesitated, placing his mug on the side table and leaning back on his palms. "Technically a giant naked blue genie called Jinn if we're being specific, but, uh... I'm... honestly surprised you remember that. You were in such a state I was scared that you couldn't even comprehend I was here, let alone what I was saying."

"Which is why you left this with me, right?" Summer's spare hand reached to the pendant around her neck, fingers brushing against the smooth silver cross. Her spirits lifted slightly, only to plummet once again as guilt overtook her. "I thought that you left this behind because you weren't coming back. That, through some asinine mental gymnastics, you thought you were responsible for that little episode."

"No. I'm not leaving you again." Qrow's took her free hand, squeezing it firmly. "Never again, I swear it."

She couldn't help smiling, feeling her heart flutter at the declaration. But it abruptly vanished. "I should be the one saying that to you."

"For you to see me like that -" Summer cut herself off, shaking her head despairingly. She was utterly and completely ashamed of the weakness. Her eyes closed and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Qrow waved his free hand dismissively, "Nothing to be sorry about. Sometimes bad things just happen. But the smartest person I've ever met once told me that if you can't handle a person at their worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve them at their best."

Summer chuckled, rolling her tired eyes, "Why does that sound so familiar?"

Qrow released her hand and rested an arm over her shoulder, holding her close. A silence stretched between them before Qrow finally steered back to the topic at hand. "You know, you're handling all of this better than I did. About her and the rest of it."

"I've known about… her dirty little secret for - well, years at this point, I think. I just lacked the context as to why or even how it was possible." Summer sighed, her mood dropping once more. Her fingers curled tightly around the mug as she tried to force down the rising crest of adrenaline. Having another person present, keeping her anchored in more ways than one, helped keep her centred on the here and now. Helped give her something to focus on. Summer used that to push down the rising panic and instead focused on an equally threatening but far easier to control emotion; anger.

A scowl etched her features. "The sanctimonious pricks."

Qrow blinked in confusion. "Her and Oz?"

"No. Well yes - but I mean the Gods." Summer clarified, sitting upright to look him in the eye. "For all their power and feats, they sound barely worth any worship whatsoever. They could've given her any number of 'punishments' for her slight. When a child misbehaves, you take away their toys until they calm down and apologise, not make them utterly indestructible then declare them someone else's problem. For the creators of humanity, they have no clue how to parent their 'children'."

Qrow's gaze flickered downward before shrugging, lips twitching in amusement at Summer's rather blunt summary. "Maybe we should sign them up for parenting classes?"

Summer burst out laughing, a merry sound that broke the melancholic of their conversation. Qrow joined in, but it wasn't long before Summer had collapsed back on her bed absolutely guffawing. The sound filled the isolation chamber for a few brief moments before an unease settled over the pair.

Summer's smile slowly faded as she rose from the bed and replaced her used mug in the kitchenette's sink. When she returned to the conversation, she say herself down in the only other chair in the room, dragging it to the bedside to sit across from Qrow. "So shall we keep dancing around it, or are we going to discuss the real Goliath in the room?"

"What do you mean?" Qrow asked, unconvincingly evading the question and her eyes for that matter.

"I suppose we're not, then."

Qrow buried his face in his hands with a bone-deep sigh, he ran his hands through his hair as his gaze returned to his wife. "Summer, I don't... I'm not even sure where I'm supposed to start. How do I even breach that topic? 'Hey Petal. I'm actually your father, your dad's really your uncle, your half-sister's your paternal cousin and your entire family life's been a lie. By the way, your mother's still alive.'?"

Summer was stone faced. "You were clearly planning to do it at some point, otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned you had a wife to them at all. Besides, you yourself said you were sick of the lies."

"I am. Dear gods, am I sick of them. But-" He trailed off, shaking his head and refusing to meet her gaze.

"Severities should be meted out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense." Summer quoted the old author from memory.

Qrow signed, rubbing his brow, "Look, I appreciate a good Nickel Machiavelli quote as much as the next man, but we're not talking about a war front or some kind of political game, Summer. We're talking about our daughter and breaking the news that every parental figure she knows has been lying to her her entire life."

"Necessary lies brought on by circumstance." Summer tried to reassure him but he dismissed it harshly.

"That is a slippery slope at the best of times" He warned. "And there's only so far that excuse can fly before someone calls bullshit."

"Regardless, there's a reason why the quote and sayings like it exist Qrow." Summer replied, leaning back in her chair. "It's because they actually hold a core of truth to them. Yes, upon hearing the truth, Ruby and Yang will be angry. They have every right to be for the truth cares nothing for what the human heart feels. But that anger and pain will subside and they will heal. They will be able to move forward knowing the whole truth of herself."

Summer reached over and pushed his chin up with a finger, making him look at her. Her hand moved to cradle his stubble-covered cheek. "Besides, if Ruby and Yang want to be angry, they'll have to be angry with all three of us. Especially me."

Qrow's eyes closed in exasperation before frowning at her. "Summer-"

She lifted a hand to halt his rebuttal. "If I hadn't been captured on my last mission, would you have given up our daughter? Would you have distanced yourself from her life? Would you have made that sacrifice if I had come back heralding a victory for us all?"

Qrow bit his lip, refusing to meet her scrutinizing gaze for a long moment. "I gave her to Tai because I was scared that our enemies would hunt her down due to her connection to us."

Summer shook her head sharply, "That's not the question I asked. If I had returned, would you have given her up?"

Qrow glanced up at her, her quiet strength showing through. He expected to see disappointment, anger, or anything along those lines for the choice he'd made, but she showed nothing. Just a silent determination to get to the heart of the matter. Gods, it'd be easier if she hated him for his choices.

"No."

"No." Summer echoed, "I understand the reasons why you did what you did. And as has been established, I share the guilt and blame in equal measure. Maybe even more so. But our enemies are already hunting her down, because of what she did at Beacon and by virtue of what she is."

"I know." Qrow replied,

"If they want to lash out and be angry at you for shielding this truth from them, then they'll have to be angry at me too." Summer reinforced her point and offered her support by placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently.

"Their trust has been betrayed more than enough. I just don't want to add to it. I'm scared-"

"You're scared they'll lash out, just as badly as you did at the old man?" Summer finished with a look of grave sympathy. Qrow simply nodded.

"I don't blame you for doing it, if it were Oz - the Oz we knew - I would have killed him with my bare hands." The bubbling rage under the surface was undeniably, but somehow Summer had maintained a level tone.

Qrow swallowed hard, uneasy. "Creepily casual declarations of homicide aside, it doesn't excuse me decking a pipsqueak so hard he's sent flying a dozen feet into a tree."

"It doesn't." Summer agreed. She cradled his face in her hands. "What we have to do is trust them. Trust that once the pain and anger have subsided, and cooler heads have prevailed, that they'll be wise enough to understand what we did. And compassionate enough to forgive us."

Qrow pondered it for a short silence before conceding. "Fine. When do you want to do this? To tell them about everything we are?"

"Sooner rather than later would be preferable. For all of us involved. The longer we tarry about, the worst it'll be for when the truth finally comes to light. And the less control we'll have over the circumstances, or in mitigating the damage it'll cause." Summer answered, then gestured to the walls around them for emphasis. "But more than that, I want to see my daughters Qrow. I can't stand that they're in Atlas but just outside my reach because of the void-forsaken cage. Its torturous."

"I understand. I'll do as you ask." Qrow gave a nod, placing his empty mug on the coffee table. "It's not going to be easy."

"Nothing worth doing ever is. We're both intimately aware of that fact." Summer smiled warmly, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Then I suppose I should get things ready. I'll, um... I'll bring them by tomorrow after they've thawed from sitting on their asses in the tundra." Qrow decided with finality, but his reservations about the fact were clear.

She giggled quietly at the joke, "Thank you."

"Well, I um... I guess that I should get going." Qrow hoisted himself to his feet, "I have some things to figure out between now and then."

Summer reached out to him, taking him by the hand as he turned. "Qrow… this is the first time we've seen each other in years. I don't want to leave this on a dreary note."

Qrow returned to her, cradling her cheeks and gave her a slow kiss. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Uh... One last thing before you go. Could I ask maybe a little favour?" Summer tapped her fingertips together, mimicking the same gesture Ruby made whenever she was feeling bashful.

"Only a little one?" Qrow raised an eyebrow, lips pulled in a crooked smirk.

"Could I possibly maybe slightly bum some new clothes off you?"

Qrow rolled his lips inwards, holding back a childish bark of laughter at the rather colourful phrase and allowing Summer to thoroughly regret her choice in words.

She grumbled and hit his shoulder hard, "Not like that, you dirty-minded prat. I was hoping you could buy me some clothes. Something a bit more flattering than... " she gestured to her Atlas-issued military Pajamas. "... this."

"I mean, you could always take those off. I certainly wouldn't mind in the least." Qrow suggested playfully.

"Qrow!" There was an edge of annoyance in her tone and he raised his hands in a defensive posture.

"Alright. Alright. I'll buy you something pretty… I just want to be sure; is it for every day or just my eyes only?" He couldn't help teasing, nor the wide grin spreading ear to ear.

"... I missed you." She grumbled in the same tone one would declare their irritation towards another's infantile antics.


Author's note:

Qrow has promised to bring Ruby and Yang to visit Summer tomorrow. Whatever trails come for the lovely couple, they'll face together.

I welcome feedback and criticism,

Aurora313