AN: This chapter is dedicated to Jeorge Moya. May your soul be at peace, my friend.
Beta Author: EmperorLuffy
Cover Art: Kimmy77
Raven felt that she had made an honest and genuine effort to respect her ex-husband's wishes and keep away from both Ruby and Yang. She didn't encourage them and she didn't ask for them to come spend any time with her.
So why in the hell did she keep finding herself stuck with them?!
She was sitting upright on the sofa, with Ruby once again making herself comfortable in her lap and Yang pressed closely against her side.
Taiyang was currently sitting in his chair, glaring at her with intense fury. She jerked her eyes repeatedly towards the two girls, silently asking what exactly she was supposed to do when they both kept coming to her on their own accord.
Seriously, how was she supposed to keep avoiding them? She was only just regaining her ability to walk and her options of places to hang out were extremely limited. There was the couch, and… the kitchen?
Raven huffed, crossing her arms. Little Ruby somehow took that as some sort of cue and burrowed her tiny head beneath Raven's arms so that they were sitting in a position with her hands placed atop Ruby's head.
Raven once again looked to Taiyang and jerked her head towards Ruby in a way that wasn't very discreet or subtle.
Taiyang only narrowed his eyes at Raven and shook his head in disapproval, before turning his attention back to the show they were watching.
Raven rolled her eyes and sighed, leaning back into her spot. Ruby of course followed, making herself more comfortable.
What the hell did Taiyang want from her? She wasn't trying to get Ruby's attention, but the damned brat wouldn't leave her alone. Everywhere she went, the insufferable little girl followed. Raven was beginning to wonder if the brat had developed a Semblance that let her mould into other people's shadows.
Raven felt a tug on one of her arms and blinked in confusion as she turned to her own daughter, who had grabbed the arm closest to her and pulled it away from Ruby, placing it on her own head instead.
Raven didn't miss the small glare that Yang briefly sent Ruby's way, or the small whine of protest Ruby gave. Nevertheless, she took the opportunity to give a brief rub to her daughter's head, something Yang huffed in annoyance about, but also pressed closer to her afterwards. Raven quickly did the same to Ruby after the younger girl grabbed onto her arm and started simulating a head rub herself.
Taiyang loudly cleared his throat. Raven glanced towards him to see yet another fierce glare aimed at her. She glared back in response and continued to ruffle the hair of both girls.
She was keeping her word. She didn't initiate nor had she wanted the contact. If he was so damned upset about it, then he could get off his crybaby ass and pry the girls away himself.
She refused to go out her way just to ignore the girls, especially when it came to Yang. Whether he liked it or not, she was Yang's mother, not Summer Rose. If her daughter wanted to spend time with her? Then she'd damn well spend time with her. If Taiyang was too much of a pathetic weakling to stop her, then that was his own fault. As for Summer's brat… Raven honestly didn't care about her. But, she wasn't going to go out of her way to avoid a small child. Such an action would make her look pathetically weak. Even injured as she was, Raven was anything but that.
Breaking her staring contest with Taiyang, Raven turned her attention back to the show that had been put on for the girls. Literally anything else was better than putting up with Taiyang's nonsense at this point.
"Friendship is magic! My little pony, my little pony~~"
Raven recoiled with visible disgust at the images and music that came from the holoscreen. Gods, what in the hell was this trash?! She tasted what could only have been bile in the back of her throat as her own stomach seemed to protest the horrendous images that danced across the screen.
Her red eyes snapped to her daughter as she began to loudly cheer and clap alongside Ruby.
Yang?!
No. Oh no. Oh hell no. Not her daughter, no sir. She had tolerated much of the weak behavior that Summer and her pathetic ex-husband had instilled into Yang, but this is where she drew the line. Her daughter would not be subjected to this… this… there was no word that properly summarized what level of awfulness this was!
In a flash, Raven stood from her spot and dropped Ruby to the side. Both girls stared at her in confusion as she swiftly moved over to Taiyang, snatching the remote from his hands before he could even blink.
"What in the hell is this?!" Raven screeched.
Ruby jumped from her spot and ran to the kitchen, while Yang just sat in place with a wide eyed expression.
"I believe it's called My Little Pony. Or did you miss the intro song where they literally said that?" Taiyang responded dryly.
"You're letting our daughter watch… watch… this?!" Raven asked in an exasperated tone.
"This happens to be one of her favorite shows. If you'd spent more time around her, then maybe you'd know that."
"Oh-ho, I'm around her now. And I'm telling you now that this is not her favorite show anymore. We're putting some real television on."
"Awww…" Yang whined.
"Now you wait just a damn minute-" Taiyang began, standing from his chair.
He was cut off as a large jar was thrust into view, just at the bottom of their line of sight. Both adults blinked in confusion as they looked down. Standing between them with her arms stretched upwards, Ruby narrowed her eyes at both of them and shook the jar she held. A small rattling sound came from the jar and Raven squinted her eyes at the childish handwriting that was plastered across the front of it.
A small piece of paper was taped to the jar and written on it in small crayon were the words 'Swear Jar'. The letters were all capitalized with each one written in a different color and the two R's and single E were backwards.
Taiyang looked embarrassed at the sight of the jar, while Raven merely raised an eyebrow. Ruby stared at both of them expectantly, shaking the jar once more.
Sighing, Taiyang strode past them and into the kitchen. Left alone with the girls, Raven engaged in a staring contest with young Ruby. She narrowed her eyes at the girl. They widened in surprise a moment later when Ruby narrowed her eyes right back.
Raven couldn't help the small chuckle that erupted from her. How unexpected it was to see a bit of fire in the girls silver eyes. She remembered a time when Vernal gave her that same look a couple of years back. Right before Raven had beaten that insolence out of her, of course. It was unfortunate she couldn't do the same to Summer's brat without Taiyang throwing a fit. It would toughen the young girl up and build character. If she was anything like her mother, the young girl had good potential. It was truly a waste that under Taiyang's poor tutelage, that potential might never be realized.
Raven considered that line of thinking all but confirmed as Taiyang returned from the kitchen, carrying with him a package of cookies. With a sigh, he opened the package and pulled out a single cookie, before popping open the jar and dropping it inside.
Ruby nodded once, before turning her full attention to Raven.
Red clashed with silver. Raven refused to bend to this ridiculous rule of a "swear jar" and crossed her arms in defiance. Undeterred, Ruby shook the jar full of cookies once more.
"Do it," Ruby growled. With that high pitched, undeveloped and squeaky voice, she did not sound even a tenth as intimidating as she tried to be.
Raven couldn't help it. She threw head back and laughed. The sight of a girl who was just growing out of her toddle phase trying to shake her down for cookies was just too much. If nothing else, she admired the brat's tenacity. She pushed for what was hers. In her own way, Raven had to respect that. Just as she suspected, the brat had potential.
"Alright, short stuff," Raven said, reaching into the package of cookies. "Here's your cookie."
"Ten," Ruby said.
Raven raised a single brow in response.
"Ten?" she asked.
"You said ten bad words in the house. So ten," Ruby insisted.
"Hmph. Pushy little con artist, aren't you? Very well. Ten."
With that, Raven deposited the cookies within the jar. She'd said far more than just ten "bad words," but the brat didn't need to know that. Satisfied, Ruby adopted her happy expression once more before trotting off to the kitchen.
Raven moved to return to her seat, but caught Taiyang's incredulous expression.
"What?" she asked.
"Why did you go along with it?" Taiyang replied.
"You would have just made me do it anyway. Best to just get it out of the way and be done with it."
"But you encouraged her."
"Did you want me to discourage her?"
"No, that's not what I'm-"
"I'm back!" Ruby announced loudly, plopping herself onto the sofa. She looked up at the adults and back at the holoscreen expectantly.
Taiyang retreated with a huff, glaring at Raven. She shrugged in response, not seeing what the issue was.
She still held the remote, however.
"We're not watching the pony crap," she declared.
"Bad word!" Ruby yelled.
"Wha-? Crap isn't a bad word!"
"Is too! And double bad word!"
"Oh, whatever. I'll pay the fine later. My point is we're not watching that pony- um… garbage."
"Awww, but we like My Little Pony!"
Raven looked from Ruby to Yang, seeing their disappointed expressions. She shuddered to think of how many episodes her child had been forced to go through before she could intervene.
"You'll like these other shows better," Raven insisted. "Just sit back and watch them and you'll be glad you did."
"Let the kids watch what they want to watch," Taiyang said.
Raven held a finger to her chin, gazing at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.
"What was Summer's old rule about being sick or injured in the dorm?" Raven asked.
Taiyang looked furious over the mention of Summer, but before he could say anything, Ruby began jumping up and down on the sofa with her hand raised.
"Oh, oh, I know! I know! Pick me pick me pick me!" Ruby yelled.
Beside her, Yang quietly raised her own hand.
"Yang?" Raven asked.
"Awww…" Ruby whined, sitting back down with her arms crossed and a pouty expression.
"Mommy said that if you're hurt or sick, you get to pick what to watch," Yang said.
"R-Right. Good job Yang," Raven said with scarcely concealed annoyance at the reminder of whom Yang called 'mommy'. She was Yang's mother, dammit. Not Summer.
At least Yang's reference to Summer as her mother had the positive side effect of pacifying Taiyang, who leaned back in his chair with a smug grin.
Raven huffed and took her place back on the sofa. She paused for a moment as Ruby crawled back into her lap and Yang snuggled up against her side.
It was childish and petty of her, but Raven couldn't resist returning Taiyang's earlier smug smile with one of her own, this time ruffling the girls hair by herself. His darkened expression brightened her own as she returned her attention to the holoscreen.
Thank the gods she had figured out how these things worked during her stay at Beacon. She knew exactly what to look for and where to find it. She and Qrow had watched this channel numerous times after they had discovered it. Sure, it had been for kids… but technically, late teens was still being a kid, so it totally counted as not weird. At least she didn't have to worry about Taiyang and the brat crying about 'bad words'.
Both girls perked up after Raven switched the channel and the intro music to the new show began to play.
"Street Sharks…?" Taiyang asked uncertainly.
"Lots of action with a mutant shark gang," Raven proudly declared.
"I think this is too much. I mean, they're still little girls, and they might get scared by-"
"Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" Yang yelled, scooting to the edge of her seat with eyes wide open.
"Are they going to eat the bad guys?!" Ruby asked with excitement, her silver eyes shining.
"Now now, girls," Raven chuckled as she maintained eye contact with Taiyang. "Eating bad guys would be bad. They're only going to use their shark powers for good."
Oh, how wonderful it felt to throw that back into the self-righteous bastard's face. Was this how it felt every time Summer had lectured her on the "merits of being good"? Raven almost understood the appeal.
Savouring the sour expression on Taiyang's face, Raven leaned back and relaxed as the girls continued to gush and exclaim in excitement over this new and action packed show they had been introduced to.
Heh. Just wait until they got to that mutant turtle show.
Taiyang bristled as his daughters loudly reenacted numerous scenes they had watched from the shows Raven had put on for them.
From Street Sharks, to Battletoads, to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to Power Rangers.
Of course Raven would choose shows that placed emphasis on using violence to solve all your problems. Now, Ruby and Yang wouldn't stop going on about it. Gods, this was exactly what he had been afraid of. Raven was already beginning to become a negative influence on his little girls and she hadn't even been in the house for a full week.
But that was alright. She wouldn't be here forever and he could minimize the damage she was doing by spending some private time with his daughters to correct any problematic behavior. In fact, he had a perfect way to start doing just that right now.
"Hey, girls!" Taiyang loudly announced. "Who wants to go out for some ice cream?"
Both girls immediately dropped their play act, their attention focused solely on him. Yang loudly cheered, charging towards him and jumping into his arms. He caught her with a laugh, then turned to Ruby and held out his other arm. To his horror, Ruby glanced at him briefly, then turned to Raven, who was sitting on the sofa with a bored expression.
"No thankies," Ruby said after a minute. "I wanna stay here."
"Wha-? B-But Ruby," Taiyang began.
It was too late. Before Taiyang could even try to appeal to Ruby's love for sweets, his youngest had already run over to Raven and crawled back in her lap. The older woman scowled and Taiyang felt the urge to rush over and rip his innocent little girl away from the terrible woman.
"Ow!" Yang shrieked.
Taiyang's attention returned to his eldest and he winced as he realized he had accidentally tightened his grip on Yang.
"Sorry sweetie," he said quickly, jostling her a bit on his arm to loosen his grip.
He glanced back at Raven, only to find her red eyes boring into his. She was glaring fiercely at him, her attention brought on by Yang's pain.
He narrowed his own eyes back at her. Who was she to judge him? She was infinitely more dangerous than him on even his worst day. He refused to leave his youngest daughter alone with her.
"Ruby, let's go," Taiyang said.
"But I wanna stay…" Ruby protested.
"Come on, don't you want Yang and I to have ice cream too?"
"What? We're not going? How come?" Yang asked.
"We can't leave your sister behind, Yang. It's a family outing, so we have to do it together!"
"But you said we'd get ice cream! Why can't I go just cause Ruby doesn't want any?"
"S-Sweetie, you know the rules. The two of you aren't old enough to be left by yourselves."
"But other mommy is here!"
"Don't call her that!" Taiyang snapped.
Yang recoiled at her father's harsh tone. Her lilac eyes began to water and her bottom lip began trembling.
Taiyang sputtered as he desperately tried to do damage control.
"Smooth," Raven said from the sofa.
Taiyang snapped his gaze towards her, ready to unleash a verbal assault, only to nearly choke on his words as he saw Ruby retreat further against Raven. It pained him to see his own daughters shrink away from him, but that pain was only doubled when Ruby grabbed onto Raven's hands and crossed them over her belly, as if forming a makeshift barrier to separate her from Taiyang's outlash.
Taiyang trembled in place as he took in the image. That should have been Summer's lap Ruby was sitting in. That should have been Summer's hands wrapped around Ruby's front and it should be Summer's beautiful, smiling face staring back at him. Instead, he was forced to witness the image of Raven Branwen holding his daughter and staring at him with a raised brow.
He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as his temper began to climb. His throat felt constricted and spots began to dance across his vision.
"Okay!" he said with loud and forced enthusiasm, turning to look at Yang with a wide smile. "Let's go get ice cream, sweetie. You can have as many scoops as you want!"
"R-Really?!" Yang asked excitedly, her brief fright forgotten.
"Yup! As many scoops and as many flavors as you like. Ruby, do you want us to bring you back anything?"
"I want chocolate chip cookie dough!" Ruby said excitedly. "Oh, and cookies and cream! And chocolate chip peanut butter! And strawberry shortcake!"
"Okay, okay! Easy there, sweetheart! We'll bring it back, I promise. Just… behave yourself, alright? Don't get into any trouble." Taiyang locked eyes with Raven. "Any trouble."
Raven yawned and scratched her bottom eyelid with her middle finger, subtly flipping him off.
Taiyang huffed and stomped to the door, yanking it open with just a little bit more force than necessary.
"Daddy?" Ruby called out.
"Yes, sweetie?" Taiyang said excitedly, hoping that she had changed her mind and decided to accompany him.
"You didn't ask if she wanted anything," Ruby helpfully said, pointing at Raven.
It took all of his willpower not to snarl at the smug look Raven sent his way.
"Yeah Tai," Raven said. "Why don't I get ice cream?"
He took a deep breath, conscious of the fact that he still had Yang in his arms.
"Raven," he said through clenched teeth. "Would you like some ice cream?"
"Sure! I'll take chocolate with some peanuts sprinkled over the top. Oh, and be sure to have them drizzle some chocolate syrup over the top too, would you? Thanks a bunch, you're a doll."
Taiyang turned and stepped out of the house, slamming the door shut as he stomped to his vehicle.
He hated to leave his daughter alone with that vile person. But he refused to play her game and let her manipulate him into looking like the bad guy in front of his children.
He knew she was manipulating them. He knew it deep within the pits of his soul. She was trying to get back at him and spit on Summer's memory by influencing the girls into being just as violent and surly as she was. The fact that she chose such violent cartoons for them to watch was evidence of that.
He would die before he let that witch take his daughters away from him.
Raven chuckled darkly as she heard Taiyang storm to his car and peel off.
What a damned loser. He was honestly too easy. Did he not even notice the way his own girls were looking at him? She'd seen less frightened children during her many raids. It was honestly pathetic to watch.
Oh well. Let the bastard make himself look bad, it was no sweat off her back. She was doing as she was told and hadn't made a single move to interact with either Ruby or Yang. The latter irritated her; Yang was her daughter after all. She deserved to get to know her. As for the former…
Raven scowled in confusion as Summer's brat turned and looked at her with a diabetes inducing smile of sweetness. Seriously, what was this girl's problem? Why did she insist on pestering her so?
"Wanna play a game?" Ruby asked.
"Not particularly," Raven replied.
"Pleeeeeease?"
"Why didn't you go with your dad?"
"Cause you would be all by yourself!"
"I like being by myself. It's enjoyable."
"Nuh-uh! Being alone is boring! We can play games!"
This brat… Who the hell was she to tell her what was or what wasn't enjoyable to her? What, was she some sort of mind reader?
Raven saw little point in arguing with her though. If this were the tribe, she could just toss the girl away or beat her into leaving. Sadly, that option was not available, leaving her with only two remaining choices: Let the brat continue to annoy her, or just play the damn game and hopefully get some peace and quiet.
"What game?" Raven sighed.
"Yay!" Ruby cheered, before leaping from Raven's lap and darting off.
The little brat was a fast one, Raven could admit. She would have been useful in a blitz attack if she were older and not Summer's daughter. Knowing her old team leader, Raven wouldn't have been surprised if Summer had somehow permanently instilled her sickeningly virtuous lifestyle into Ruby even at such a young age. Summer was a goody two shoes like that.
Speaking of sickeningly sweet… Ruby had returned with her board game of choice, proudly holding it out for Raven to see.
"Candyland…?" Raven said with audible revulsion.
The bright colors and cartoonish characters made her eyes feel like they were about to bleed. Gods, she hoped that Yang had never played this abomination. The stupid pony show was bad, but this? No sir, not in a million years.
"Nope," Raven said, popping the p letter and rising to her feet.
"But I like Candyland," Ruby whined.
"Yeah, well you liked My Little Pony too. We're playing something else."
Raven didn't wait for a response as she marched towards the cupboard she last remembered holding the board games. Summer had insisted on playing them as a tradition for their team after all, so the house had been well stocked with board games.
Her kind of board games.
Raven dug through the assortment of unused coats and holiday decorations, until her eyes finally found the dusty cover of her old stash.
The drinking games were obviously out. World of Remnant was probably too complicated for a girl Ruby's age. Which one, which one…
"Aha!" Raven proclaimed, her eyes landing on the perfect game.
"What's that?" Ruby asked as Raven pulled it out.
"Battleship. Even a little brat like you can follow a concept as simple as this one."
"I'm still growing! I'll grow up bigger than you!"
"Not if you follow your parentage, you won't."
"Will too! I drink milk! What's parentage mean?"
"Nevermind. I'll set up the board and teach you the rules, so go take a seat."
"Kay!" With that, Ruby darted off towards the kitchen, Raven following close behind.
She was walking easier, though her skin still chaffed beneath her clothing. Just a little bit more time and she'd be able to leave this place and return to her tribe. Until then, she had to keep putting up with this clingy brat.
It was truly a pity she couldn't just swat the annoying little gnat away. Things were so much simpler back home… Oh well. At least she would get the pleasure of crushing the brat in a good old fashioned game of Battleship. After all, Taiyang hadn't said anything about playing nice, had he?
Taiyang cursed his lack of forethought in choosing an ice cream store. He hadn't expected Ruby to refuse sweets. Now, she was alone with a woman he despised and he couldn't rush through his meal without getting a damned brain freeze.
He couldn't rush Yang either, not after he had unintentionally hurt her. He had felt awful about that, even if Yang had already forgotten all about it. What did it say about Raven, that she could work him up so badly that he would accidentally cause pain to his own children? Nothing good ever came from that woman.
"Daddy?" Yang asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Hm? What's up, my little sun dragon?" Taiyang replied. He looked at her as he spoke and immediately sat up as he took her in.
Yang looked downtrodden and had barely touched her ice cream. It was even starting to melt, running down her cone and over her fingers, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Yang? What's wrong, sweetie?" Taiyang asked with concern.
"Am I bad?" Yang asked.
"What? No, of course not. Why do you think-"
"Did mommy leave because of me?"
Taiyang's expression darkened instantly. Of course Yang would have questions about her birth mother and of course she would feel bad about knowing that she was apparently not good enough to warrant said mother's presence.
"You did nothing wrong at all," Taiyang said. "You're not bad, you're the sweetest little thing I know. You've taken good care of your sister and I'm proud of you."
"But Ruby doesn't want me anymore… She always wants other- I-I mean… her."
A fact that hadn't escaped Taiyang's notice at all. As much as he loved Ruby for seeing the best in people, he wished she wouldn't do so for Raven. Ruby was too young to understand it now and he dreaded the day when she could comprehend such things, but that was meant to be years from now. Around Raven however? Ruby would learn that harsh lesson far too soon. Look what Raven's presence had already done to Yang. Ruby was spending more and more time around Raven for some odd reason and now Yang was feeling abandoned all over again.
"Yang, your sister is just trying to be nice," Taiyang tried to explain. "Raven is a… guest in our house and Ruby is just doing what she thinks is good manners."
"But Ruby snuggles with her," Yang replied with a hint of bitterness. "She sits on her lap and gives her hugs. Why is she always with her? She's supposed to be my mommy!"
Taiyang winced. He hadn't stopped to consider how much of an adverse effect Raven would have on Yang, even from the most minor of things. From Raven, to Summer and now even Ruby of all people… if he wasn't careful, Yang might start to think that she had lost him, too. How long had he been locked away in his room, mourning his dead wife, while Yang was left on her own to deal with these confusing emotions?
There would be no more of that.
"Yang. You're Ruby's big sister. That means you've got to look out for her," Taiyang explained.
"But she doesn't want me around anymore," Yang protested.
"That's not true, Yang. Ruby loves you. She's just confused right now. You know how she is. But if you're there to protect her, then you can keep her from getting hurt."
Yang sat up straighter at the mention of Ruby coming to harm. Taiyang felt pride as her lilac eyes hardened and the protective nature that he and Summer had instilled upon her reared its head.
"Will oth- Will Miss Raven hurt her?" Yang asked.
"Has she hurt you?" Taiyang replied.
Yang lowered her head and stared blankly at the table for a moment. Her face scrunched up as she considered his question and her fingers clenched around the ice cream cone.
"I won't let Ruby be hurt," Yang growled.
"I know you won't. You're a good sister, Yang," Taiyang said.
Good. He knew he could trust Yang. The poor girl already knew what it was like to be hurt by the awful woman who had birthed her. Taiyang refused to let his youngest be hurt the same way, especially so soon after Summer's death.
It was up to him to protect his daughters from Raven. He just hoped that she wasn't corrupting Ruby at this very moment.
Red eyes locked with silver as Raven stared across the top of the Battleship maps. Her face had been twisted into a fierce scowl for the past fifteen minutes, while Ruby continued to smile innocently.
A brief glance at the placement of her ships had Raven growling in frustration. All of her ships had been sunk, with the exception of the ship for which the game had been named. Ruby, however… Raven hadn't hit a single one of her ships.
Raven growled again as she narrowed her eyes at the top portion of her map, studying it closely to figure out what Ruby's tactic was. She'd accuse the brat of cheating if she didn't know better by now.
Ruby hadn't quite understood the instructions until they actually started playing the game. That gave Raven an easy couple of victories in the beginning, but all the rest since then had been an exercise in futility.
The brat always placed her ships in the most bizarre and random locations, first putting them all on the corners and center edges of her map and then forming them all into a neat circle right in the damned center!
The one time Raven finally accused her of cheating, Ruby had gladly turned her board around to show that her ships had in fact been placed on the map and that Raven just wasn't hitting them. She'd been forced to concede that game because Ruby had shown her board.
Dammit, Raven internally groused. The brat probably still needed help going to the damn bathroom, so how was she so good at this game?! And that didn't even take into account her poker face, which even now refused to bend or break.
"A…" Raven began.
Ruby's smile widened.
"I-I mean B-"
Ruby's lips parted to reveal her small rows of baby teeth.
"Son of a- G?"
Ruby tilted her head to the side.
"Screw it! E7!"
"Miss," Ruby sang.
"Dammit!" Raven roared, absentmindedly digging into the package of cookies by her side to deposit yet another one into the swear jar right beside it. There was almost no room left in the jar by this point.
"D4," Ruby proudly announced.
Raven narrowed her eyes, while Ruby's smile stretched to what should have been impossible proportions.
"Hit. You sank my battleship," Raven sighed.
"Yay!" Ruby cheered. "I win again! I win again! I win again!"
"Lucky shots! Where did you have your ships this time? Show me your board!"
Ruby turned her board around for Raven to see and the older woman's jaw dropped.
"What the- You put them back in the corners?!" Raven demanded.
"Uh-huh! You stopped aiming for them at the last game!" Ruby proudly declared.
Raven wanted to tear her hair out and scream. She had lost repeatedly to a damned child of all people! Seriously, what kid was this clever?!
"Different game," Raven said suddenly as she stood from her seat.
One trip to the cupboard later and Raven now had a new game set up between them.
"This game is called Rock Em Sock Em Robots," Raven explained with a smug grin.
Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "Are we putting rocks in our socks?"
"What? No, it means punching. You know, hit them so hard they rock? Sock 'em in the jaw?"
"That sounds mean."
Raven rolled her eyes. "We're not actually going to punch each other, brat. That's what the robots are for."
"Can they shoot lasers?"
"...No."
"Do they have rocket punches?"
"No."
"Can they fly?"
"No."
"Can they-"
"Let's just set up the game and play, alright?"
Without waiting for an answer, Raven opened the box and began setting up the game.
"This a simple game to play," Raven explained. "Just hit the buttons over and over again until the head of one of the robots pops off."
"Does the-"
"No the head does not fly!"
"Aww…"
Raven chuckled as the game was finally set up. Yes, this game was a simple one… and one where she would surely defeat this uppity little brat and avenge her losses in Battleship. Simple though the concept may be, Raven had much faster reflexes and stamina. The little brats hands would grow tired quickly with all the button mashing she would be doing, so it would be an easy win.
"Alright, the board is set up," Raven said.
Ruby peeked at the boxing arena with the two robots facing one another and her silver eyes danced with excitement.
"I'm the red one," Raven and Ruby both said at the same time.
The two immediately glanced at one another and narrowed their eyes.
"I'm the adult here. The red one is mine," Raven said.
"I live here. Mine!" Ruby said.
"I wear red clothes."
"Me too!"
"My eyes are red."
"My hair is red!"
"Only half of your hair is red. The other is black."
"Only a third of your eyes are red! The other two are white and black!"
Cheeky little… How did she even know about fractions at her age? What, did Summer teach her virtue in math, too?
"I'm injured and a guest in your house. It's polite to let your guest pick whichever robot they want," Raven said.
There. See if the little brat can argue with her own rules about good manners.
"You keep saying bad words! You get the blue robot or you get the naughty corner!" Ruby declared.
"Oh for the love of- Fine! Take the da-" Raven cut off as Ruby's silver eyes flashed in warning. "Uh… take the dang red robot! It's a waste of my time arguing with you."
"Yay!"
Raven crossed her arms and sulked as Ruby repositioned the makeshift arena so that the red robot was on her side. From the scourge of Mistral that had been feared by all, to being dressed down by a little girl who probably still wet her bed. If that wasn't a sign of how far from grace she had fallen, then she didn't know what was.
That was okay, though… she'd get her own back. Once she thoroughly humiliated this brat by ruthlessly defeating her over and over again, she'd get to enjoy the sight of Ruby's little spirit being totally crushed. Taiyang couldn't even blame her for it, it was just a game after all. Who knows, maybe the brat would even get in trouble for being a sore loser. Wouldn't that be poetic?
"Let's play!" Ruby cheered.
"Hehehe… sure thing, kid. Just don't get too upset if you lose," Raven said with a diabolical grin.
The two players took their positions, hands at the ready.
"On the count of three, we start," Raven said. "One… two… THREE!"
Fingers blurred as they repeatedly mashed the buttons controlling the robots. Almost immediately, the head of the blue robot extended, freezing the player and ending the game.
Raven blinked owlishly at the board while Ruby stood in her chair and whooped loudly.
"That… but… what?!" Raven growled in disbelief. "This stupid thing must be defective. I demand a rematch!"
"Okay," Ruby said with a wide grin as she plopped back down in her seat.
Raven grumbled as she reset her robot, subtly checking it for signs of tampering.
"Miss Raven?" Ruby asked.
"What?" Raven snapped.
Ruby gave a smile that was all teeth.
"Don't get too upset if you lose!"
Raven silently shook in her seat. Oh, it was so on!
Taiyang felt a small sense of relief at the time he had spent with Yang. It had been nice to spend time with her, especially when he reaffirmed that she took after Summer more than she did Raven. She had Raven's temperament, that was for certain… But it was held in check by the morals Summer had instilled upon her.
That just left his youngest, whom Taiyang knew was the more easily manipulated of the two. It would be just like Raven to try and corrupt Ruby, just to spit on Summer's memory. She was petty and vindictive like that.
Such were the thoughts of Taiyang as he walked through the front door of his house, fully prepared to pull Ruby away from Raven's corruptive influence. He had been certain that Ruby was watching more of those violent cartoons the entire time they had been gone, so he was surprised to find the living room empty.
"Where's Ruby and- um…" Yang said.
"It's okay Yang," Taiyang sighed. "You can call her-"
Taiyang was abruptly cut off as the piercing sound of an infuriated roar exploded from the kitchen. He instantly recognized the voice as Raven's and his heart became clinched in an icy grip as his imagination ran wild with the many thoughts of what she was doing to Ruby.
He dropped the ice cream he had brought for Ruby without a second thought and charged towards the kitchen door, Yang hot on his heels.
"Ruby!" Taiyang yelled as he burst through the doorway.
His fears were quickly replaced with extreme confusion.
"I win again! I win again! I win again!" Ruby sang, dancing on her chair with her little fists pumping over her head. Raven sat at the opposite end of the table with her hands tightened around the edges, her clenched teeth bared and her left eyelid twitching in frustration.
On the table itself were a myriad of board games. Battleship, Rock Em Sock Em Robots, Operation, Connect 4, and even Tic-Tac-Toe. Each board game seemed to indicate that one player had completely dominated the other. Judging by Ruby's cheerful demeanor and Raven's visible pout, it had been Ruby dominating Raven.
Taiyang's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He had honestly forgotten about several of the board games that were now on the table. Battleship and Rock Em Sock Em Robots… two of Raven's favorites because of the violent nature of them. Typical of her.
"Daddy?" Ruby asked, just noticing his presence.
"Huh? Oh, good job sweetie! But remember what your mom always said?" Taiyang asked.
Ruby shyly put her hands behind her back and lightly kicked the air.
"Be a good sport," she muttered in embarrassment.
"That's my girl. So, what do we say?"
Ruby hopped from her chair and trotted over to Raven. She then stuck a hand out and smiled cheerfully.
"Good game!" Ruby said.
Raven looked at the offered hand, then at Ruby. She opened her mouth to respond with an expression that made it clear that it would not be something nice.
Taiyang loudly cleared his throat before Raven could say anything. When she turned to look at him, he raised one eyebrow and gestured with his head towards Ruby, clearly indicating that she was to return Ruby's good sportsmanship in kind.
Raven sneered at him, but that expression soon became a wince when she glanced down at Yang. Looking himself, Taiyang was pleased to see Yang with a frown aimed in Raven's direction.
Raven seemed to take the hint, turning back to Ruby with a huff.
"Yeah, good game and stuff," Raven muttered, grabbing Ruby's hand in what must have been the most loose handshake he had ever seen. "You were lucky, brat."
"Ruby," Taiyang snapped.
Ruby jolted where she stood, shrinking in on herself.
"Y-Yes daddy?" Ruby stammered.
"Not you, sweetie. Her name is Ruby," Taiyang growled at Raven.
"So?" Raven said.
"So call her Ruby!"
"Fine, whatever! Good game, Ruby."
Ruby giggled nervously, glancing back and forth between the two adults as they glared at one another.
"Where's my ice cream?" She asked after a moment.
"Oh, it's right-" Taiyang began, before looking down at his empty hands and realizing what he had done just a few moments earlier. He turned to look back through the doorway into the living room, where the ice cream was currently melting on the floor.
Judging by the sudden sniffles and drawn out whine he heard behind him, Ruby could see it too.
"No!" Taiyang said quickly, kneeling down in front of Ruby and scooping her into his arms. She looked up at him with shimmering silver eyes and her bottom lip stuck out, making him feel like the world's worst father.
Summer had always said he was a pushover when the girls gave him that look.
"Pushover," Raven echoed.
"Stop being mean!" Yang snapped.
"Er- R-Right…"
Ruby let out another whine.
"Hey, don't worry about it, my little rose!" Taiyang said cheerfully. "Daddy's just got butterfingers and had a little accident. Uh-oh, I think it's happening again!"
Taiyang loosened his arms and pretended to drop Ruby, only to tighten his grip a moment later while Ruby squealed in delight.
A loud clattering sound filled the room barely a second later.
Taiyang blinked in confusion as he peered over Ruby's head and saw Raven standing right behind her. Her arms were outstretched towards Ruby and her red eyes were wide with what looked to be panic.
Taiyang glared at her and turned away so that she wasn't so close to Ruby.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Uh… I…" Raven said as she blinked in confusion, as if she were wondering how she got to where she was standing.
She turned to look back at where she had been sitting just a few moments earlier, Taiyang's gaze following her. The chair she had been sitting in was the source of the loud clattering, knocked over in Raven's sudden rush after she had leapt from it.
"Argh!" Raven suddenly exclaimed in pain, clutching her midsection as her injuries flared from her sudden movement. She grasped onto the table for support as her knees threatened to buckle.
Yang took a step forward with her hands raised before freezing in place. Her earlier frown of disapproval was replaced with a look of worry and uncertainty.
Ruby was more decisive.
"Hey!" Taiyang yelled as Ruby began to thrash her way out of his grip. He had to quickly kneel to the floor and release his grip to keep from dropping her.
Ruby darted to Raven the moment her feet touched the ground and threw her arms around the older woman's legs, hugging her tightly.
"I'm fine," Raven said through gritted teeth.
Ruby protested with a low whine, burying her face in Raven's legs and shaking her head wildly.
"Listen, brat-" Raven began, before being cut off as Ruby pulled away and grabbed her hand, tugging urgently.
Raven sighed as she reluctantly allowed herself to be led out of the kitchen by the young girl. Taiyang and Yang were frozen in place, blinking at the now vacant space before them. Ruby returned a short moment later, pulling out a single cookie from the package sitting on the table and trotting back out to the living room.
Taiyang growled as he heard Raven's protest from through the doorway. A small sniffle brought his attention back to Yang, whose frown had returned. Her eyes swam with unshed tears of frustration and confusion, which he could hardly fault her for.
"Don't cry Yang," Taiyang said as he knelt in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "It's not worth crying over."
"B-But-" Yang tried to say.
Taiyang hushed her softly, tightening his hold on her.
"It's okay. When your Uncle Qrow gets back, we'll let him and Ruby go out together. Then you and I can talk with your moth- with Raven," Taiyang said.
Yang sniffled once before wiping away her unshed tears and nodding.
Taiyang sighed as he stood up and walked back through the doorway to the living room.
"I can eat it myself," Raven groused as Ruby held up a broken off piece of cookie in front of her.
"I want to help," Ruby replied as she insistently nudged the cookie towards Raven's mouth.
Taiyang stalked forward and snatched the cookie out of Ruby's hands before Raven could reply. He tossed it at the older woman without care, not even stopping to look at his former wife as the cookie bounced off of her face.
Ruby turned to him with a fierce scowl.
"That was mean!" Ruby accused.
"Sorry Ruby," Taiyang replied in a voice that even Ruby could tell didn't sound sorry. "But daddy needs to make up for dropping your ice cream. How about we make some brownies? Does that sound fun?"
Ruby looked at him for a moment before turning back to Raven. Taiyang stepped forward to block Ruby's line of sight. He could tell by her expression that she was preparing to protest again.
"Look," Taiyang huffed. "Raven is going to be just fine. She's a grown up, so she can take care of herself. Isn't that right, Raven?"
"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Raven said with a roll of her eyes, clearly unimpressed with Taiyang's tone.
"See?"
"B-But…" Ruby looked down, kicking lightly with her foot. "She's got a bunch of boo-boo's… Mama said we should take care of each other when we have boo-boo's…"
"Oh for dusts sake," Raven groused. "Their not boo-boo's, they're-"
"I'll stay with her," Yang said quietly.
Raven's teeth clicked shut as Yang's tiny voice seemed to echo throughout the house, silencing everyone else.
"Y-Yang," Taiyang tried to say, glancing seriously between her and Raven.
"Yay! Sissy can kiss all her boo-boo's better!" Ruby cheered.
Yang managed to stand a little straighter at Ruby's praise, the corners of her lips tugging upwards.
"But… you…" Taiyang protested.
"She's my mommy," Yang insisted, a firm look in her eye.
Taiyang glanced at Raven, who was being uncharacteristically silent. The older woman looked nervous and pale, her red eyes not leaving Yang.
Taiyang considered the earlier conversation he'd had with his eldest and wondered if leaving her alone with Raven was a good idea. Ruby saw the best in people, but Yang was definitely more stubborn and hard headed. If Raven and Yang were left alone together, they may not mesh well. They could potentially get in an argument, and Yang would be so upset that she-
Taiyang's thoughts screeched to a halt. Yes… Yang would be upset, wouldn't she? Upset enough to see that Raven doesn't deserve to be called her "mommy" and maybe enough to finally realize that blood could only run so thick.
Summer was Yang's mother, not Raven. If Raven couldn't hold a candle to Summer's loving nature? Well, that was her own damn fault, wasn't It?
"Great idea!" Taiyang said. "We'll take all of the board games upstairs and Yang can keep her… mother company. Ruby and I will stay in the kitchen and make some brownies. Sound like a plan?"
Yang looked surprised by his decision, but quickly recovered and gave him a wide and happy smile.
"Uh…" Raven said from her spot, clearly nervous about being alone with her daughter.
Taiyang didn't give Raven a chance to protest. One short trip up the stairs saw Raven sitting awkwardly on the guest bed with Yang right beside her and a plethora of board games around them.
"You two have fun!" Taiyang cheered, picking up Ruby and walking towards the door.
"Yeah! Have fun!" Ruby yelled cheerfully over his shoulder, waving her hand.
Taiyang couldn't help but feel a little guilty about the hurt he just knew Yang would soon be going through. But, he knew that it was for the best. Yang needed to see that Raven was not worth any of her time or her love and this was the best way to show her.
He'd be there to pick up the pieces. Unlike Raven, he was a good parent. He would show Yang just how much she meant to him.
An awkward silence filled the guest bedroom. Raven swore she could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet.
Mother and daughter stared at one another for a long moment, each of them unsure of what to do or say.
"So…" Raven said after what felt like an eternity of silence. "What happened here?" Raven touched her nose as she spoke, indicating the large bandage Yang had.
Yang blushed and looked away with an ashamed expression.
"Got in a fight…" she murmured.
"Did you? With who?"
"Some big kids in kindergarten."
"What was it about?"
"They kept pulling my hair and calling me names."
"I see. How many of them were there?"
"Three."
"Mmhm. Did you win?"
"Huh?"
"The fight. Did you win or did you lose?"
"Uh… I-I won… they all ran away, crying."
Yang jumped as Raven let out a loud bark of laughter.
"Of course you did! Good job, Yang. That's my girl," Raven said with a proud smile.
"What?!" Yang screeched, flabbergasted.
Raven blinked. "I said good job."
"You're not supposed to say that!"
"Huh? Why?"
"I got in a fight! That's bad!
"You beat up a bunch of little snots who were messing with you. What's so bad about it?"
"Fighting is bad! Mommy said you're supposed to fix things without fighting!"
"Huh? I never said-" Raven cut herself off with a growl, realizing that Yang was referring to Summer, not her.
"Of course Summer would say something like that…" Raven growled. "Look, Yang. Did you tell the teacher?"
"Yes," Yang said with a nod.
"Did you tell your paren- Summer and your old man?"
"Yes."
"Did they talk to the principal or whoever?"
"Yes."
"What about the little punks' parents? Talk to them too?"
"Uh-huh."
"Did they stop bullying you after all of that?"
"No…"
"Then it's fine if you beat them up."
"Wha-?! No it isn't!"
"Oh for the love of dust, what's so damned wrong about it? A couple of wannabe tough guy pricks picked a fight with their better and got knocked down a peg! Hell, did you kill them? No? Did you cripple them? Still no? Then what's the big issue? You beat them up, now they're not bullying you anymore. Problem solved!"
"Mommy said-"
"She's not your damn mother! I am!"
The room descended into silence once more. Yang looked like she was about to cry, which just infuriated Raven even more.
Gods, she knew that Summer had drilled that pathetic virtuous crap into Yang's head. Look how well that so-called 'right path' had worked with Yang's bullying problem. Stuck up little brats weren't stopped by telling any figures of authority, so Yang fixed it herself. Now look what happened! Yang was blaming herself for fixing the damn problem. Tch, and everyone honestly thought that Summer was the end all be all of mothers. Make a child feel guilty for breaking through an obstacle, how ridiculous.
Yang mumbled something beneath her breath.
"Speak up, girl," Raven demanded. "You're not some timid house cat."
Yang looked up at her and glared. To Raven's surprise, Yang's eyes had turned from their usual lilac color to a glowing red. They burned like the embers in a fire pit and Raven swore she could actually feel the heat of a fire radiating from Yang's tiny body.
"I said, 'then why weren't you there?'" Yang demanded.
Raven felt her insides clench.
"Th-That… I…" Raven stammered.
"Why was Summer my mommy? She gave me hugs and kisses. She kissed my boo-boo's better. She gave me cookies and told me she loved me," Yang rattled off.
"She… I…"
In her entire life, Raven had never felt more on the spot than she did at this moment. Each statement of Summer's duties as a mother sliced into her like a blade. Yang's resentment was plain to see and Raven desperately wished that she was back in her tribe at this moment.
Maybe… maybe she could be. Her Aura hadn't recovered completely, as it was still being focused on healing her many burns. But she was certain she could at least open a portal. Just one step and she could be away from this house, away from her bitter ex-husband, her resentful daughter, Summer's brat-
A vision flashed through her mind at the thought of Summer's child. The sight of Ruby excitedly rushing in with her freshly baked brownies, only to find her gone. Then she would drop the chocolate treats and start crying as she realized that Raven had left without a word and wasn't coming back.
Just like Summer had.
Raven shook her head. What kind of stupid nonsense was that? The brat wouldn't care, they barely knew each other. She certainly didn't care. Summer's little pest of a daughter had been nothing but a thorn in her side since she first woke up. Treating her like some sort of glorified pillow… What an annoying pest.
So why in the hell did the idea of just walking out on her bother Raven so much?
It was Yang. It had to be. Looking at the way Yang resented her and hearing the accusation in her voice was causing Raven to project that image onto her every thought. Dammit, she was compromised. Yang was her daughter, she couldn't help it. It was basic human instinct to bond with your young. Even she was not immune to it.
Yes. She only cared about Yang. Her daughter. Not some brat of a teammate that had failed her. She hated Summer. She hated Summer's brat, too.
Then why were you so frightened when you thought Taiyang had dropped her?
"I'm here now," Raven blurted in a rush to escape her treacherous thoughts.
"What?" Yang asked.
"Uh- I said I'm here now. I… I wasn't there before, but I am here now. So… I can do all of those things. For you, I mean."
Yang stared at her for a moment. Slowly, the glowing red in her eyes faded back to its normal lilac and the heat surrounding her died down. Yang looked down to the floor, her bangs falling over her eyes.
"You mean it?" Yang whispered.
"Y-Yeah… of course. We can play games and stuff. You like games, right?"
Yang nodded once, then slowly dropped from her spot on the bed and walked over until she was standing directly in front of Raven.
The older woman looked down uncertainly, shifting from side to side in the silence that followed. She jumped when Yang suddenly threw her arms around her without warning, clutching her tightly and burying her little face into her legs.
Raven felt like her heart had stopped. Yang was… she was hugging her. Showing affection for her.
She felt the usual swell of emotions building within her chest, the kind that she hated to feel. But she couldn't find it within herself to reject them this time. She couldn't explain it, but seeing and feeling her daughter clutching onto her felt… it felt right. Like everything suddenly made sense in a usually chaotic and confusing world. It was one of the most jarring sensations Raven had ever felt, yet she wanted to feel more of it.
When Yang pulled back and looked up at her with a bright smile, that feeling only amplified to an impossible amount. Raven felt weak in the knees, but for once it wasn't due to her injuries. In fact, she couldn't even feel her injuries right now. All she felt in this moment were her emotions for Yang.
"Let's play!" Yang said excitedly, grabbing onto her hand and pulling her towards the center of the bed to set up a game between them.
"O-Okay," Raven breathed, completely overwhelmed by the sensations she was experiencing.
Her heart was hammering in a way that would have felt painful in any other circumstances. But this felt like a good kind of pain, something unexplainably pleasant.
What was this that she was feeling? Gods almighty, what had she been missing for all this time?
As Yang began to hum a happy tune while smiling brightly, Raven decided that she didn't care about the answers to those questions. At this moment, all she cared about was Yang. Against all odds, that was enough.
AN: As I mentioned in the opening Author's Note, this chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine who passed away unexpectedly in a tragic accident. To all who read this, there is a GoFundMe link located on my profile bio. If you are able, please donate whatever you can and/or spread the link around. All of the proceeds will be going towards Jeorge's family. Thank you very much.