Chapter 1

Hanging up the Combat Skirt

The front door creaked open and a young woman wearing a soaking wet white cloak stepped into the warm darkness with a slight limp. Her only source of light came from the flashes of lightning through the windows, and each crack of thunder was followed by whimpers and her body tensing up.

She collapsed atop the couch the moment she collided with it and kicked off the muddy boots that had tormented her every step home. With an unsteady hand she reached into her ammo belt and retrieved a silver flask with the words 'To Summer Rose' engraved on the front with 'Liquid courage for my good luck charm' underneath. She rolled over propping herself up with an elbow and uncapped the tiny bottle with her teeth. Bringing it to her lips however she found herself disappointed by it already being empty.

Lightning streaked across the night sky and was immediately followed by a loud rumble. She shut her eyes tightly and took several deep breaths, and cautiously reopened them one at a time and allowed them to adjust to the darkness. Summer was just making out the two shadowy shapes sitting on the coffee table in front of her when the entire room lit up. She cried out and quickly wrapped her arms around the sides of her head. Finally when she and the cottage stopped shaking, she looked up through blurry eyes at the most comforting sight she had ever seen.

Milk and cookies...

Her mouth watered and she reached out with renewed vigor, finding the glass still cold and removed the plastic wrap from the top before bringing it to her lips.

*cough, cough*

Once her violent fit concluded she began shoveling chocolate chip cookies into her mouth, seemingly trying to see how many she could fit at once, only pausing occasionally to wash them down. When the glass was empty and the plate all but been licked clean she leaned back and laid a hand atop her bloated stomach. Her blouse was soaking wet just like the rest of her, but she knew it wasn't because of the torrential downpour outside. Cautiously, she reached through the rips and tears in the black garment and felt the reminders of the Beowolf that had nearly succeeded in disemboweling her.

She leaned back trying not to dwell on the day's events knowing full well that the nightmares would replay soon enough and likely for the rest of the week as well.

'Never again,' she thought, rolling her tongue over the chocolate stuck between her teeth. She wasn't the huntress she had been just a few short years ago, and a favor to a friend had nearly cost her daughters their mother, and no amount of lien in her pockets or happy-to-be-alive villagers were worth leaving them. She couldn't put Yang through that again...

Still, Summer smiled at the unlit tree in the corner with piles of wrapped boxes briefly lit up by a flash outside, and she barely even flinched when the glass on the table rattled. Even by her standards she had outdone herself with Christmas this year, but every time she thought the final gift had been wrapped, she'd find something new and spectacular that she believed her girls simply couldn't live without.

The monthly residuals from her unfinished huntress tour and the allowance she'd withdrawn from her savings hadn't been nearly enough to cover all the expenses for the best day of the year, and so when Barty pleaded for help with a job and told her the reward, she had reluctantly dusted off her retired combat skirt and gone with him.

Her girls' faces when they opened their new dollhouses, video game consoles, bicycles, and whatever else she could find were going to be well-worth the price she paid tonight, but she still needed to find that extra special present for Yang...

Tai had given her Raven's legacy condolence for that month so the girl's birth mother could buy her something special, but what that was she still wasn't sure.

A sudden crack of thunder she hadn't been expecting caused her to let out a miserable whimper. Her self-proclaimed big sister loved Christmas, and had always held her close during thunderstorms...

"Mommy?" asked a sleepy voice entering from the bedroom.

Summer quickly wrapped the cloak around herself and dried her eyes. "It's me, Sweetie. How was your day with-"

A blur wearing red pajamas raced across the room faster than her eyes could follow and collided with her chest knocking the wind out of her. Despite the sharp pain and gasps for breath however, she was struggling to contain her giggles.

"You came back," the young girl said simply, wrapping her tiny arms around her mother's neck.

"Of course I did, Ruby." She kissed her atop the head. "Mommies always keep their pinky promises."

After a couple more sniffles, bright silver eyes looked up into her own. "Okay-so-how-was-it? What-kind-of-Grimm-were-they? How-many-were-there-and-how-many-did-you-kill? Did-you-summon-Dad's-gauntlets-or-Uncle-Qrow's-scythe? Did-you-"

She was interrupted by her mother bursting into laughter unsure if it was the girl's semblance talking or just the motor mouth that she'd inherited.

"They were fully grown Beowolves with a few Ursa Majors and Deathstalkers mixed in to keep things interesting for Mommy. I didn't count how many I killed, but I'd imagine it was about as many cookies you ate while I was gone." Ruby blushed and did her best to look innocent. "And I used your uncle's scythe because it's the deadliest weapon on Remnant, and because there's nobody I trust more with my life."

The little girl giggled but let out a small sniffle at the end. "Promise you'll always come back?"

"Sweetie, that's the last job I ever go on."

"Pinky promise you'll always come back?"

Summer hesitated but a moment later interlocked their fingers and pressed their foreheads together. "Who else is gonna tuck you in at night, make sure there aren't any monsters under your bed, and bake you chocolate chip cookies?"

There were a couple more quiet sniffles but her and Ruby's attention was quickly drawn to the soft glow reminiscent of sunlight that was now standing beside the Christmas tree.

"You're back..."

Summer adjusted Ruby in her lap and smiled at the blond girl with pigtails just a few years older than her sister. "Thank you for the cookies and milk, Yang, and for keeping Ruby from eating all of them."

Yang didn't respond. She merely watched the pair with an impassive look on her face.

"Dear, where's your father?"

"He left."

Summer sat up straighter and had a look of horror. "He what!?"

Ruby tugged on her cloak as if to calm her. "Don't be mad, Mommy. Daddy got a call from work and had to leave. He said you'd be home before bedtime."

"He left you girls alone during a thunderstorm!?"

"We weren't scared," Yang scoffed. Ruby was a bit more hesitant but scrunched up her face to look tough and nodded in agreement with her big sister.

Summer's face softened. "O-of course you weren't. You two haven't been alone by yourself all day have you?"

When Yang didn't say anything Ruby saw her opportunity. "Amber was visiting her grandparents so we played over at their house, and Mrs. Aurelia walked us home. She offered to stay until you got home, but-"

"-but I told her I'm not a kid anymore."

Summer grinned at the seven-year-old standing off to herself. "Of course you're not. Could you plug the tree in, Sweetie?"

"Do it yourself..."

"Please?"

She stared at the woman with cheeks puffed out but bent down and a moment later the room lit up in brilliant colors.

"Thank you, Yang."

The girl's lip twitched seeing her stepmother and little sister smiling ear to ear, and she waded through the presents over to the fireplace. There she placed a log wrapped in paper atop an iron grill, and a spark traveling from her golden pigtails to her fingertips set it ablaze and caused shadows to dance around the room.

"Pretty," Ruby gasped.

A smile crept up Yang's face but the moment she noticed her stepmother watching it faded. Summer recognized the look all too well as the girl's mother had the same exact look whenever she was worried rather than necessarily upset, and invited her to join them.

Rolling her eyes but with her pride fully intact and the knowledge this wasn't by choice, like her sister Yang made a running leap over the coffee table and came crashing down on top of them. Summer let out a yelp as the air once again rushed out of her lungs and someone's knee scraped across her stomach, but her arms quickly wrapped around the girls as they toppled over together.

The sisters elbowed each other fighting for the best position and Summer giggled in delight while trying to get them to settle down. One of them tried diving underneath the cloak but her hand reflexively grabbed their wrist.

"Y-you're not hurt are you, mommy?" Ruby asked.

Summer quickly shook her head. "No, honey," she lied. "Mommy just got her clothes muddy is all."

The soft glow around the older girl hadn't yet dimmed, and Summer saw she became more careful where she placed her hands and also shifted her weight. Ruby seemed to sense what she had as her lip quivered and she began doing the same, but Summer pulled them back down on top of her and flared what little aura she had remaining.

Both girls let out pleasurable sighs as the smell of roses tickled their noses, and Yang flared hers as well, warming them both from the inside out. Ruby attempted to do the same but just a couple of rose petals fluttered about, making them all laugh.

Summer realized too late that she'd missed the flash of lightning, and thunder cracked over their heads sounding as though it had emanated from inside the tiny cottage itself. She held them tightly and they did the same to her. "Don't be scared girls," she said. "M-mommy's here..."

She gave the older girl a kiss atop the head and maneuvered the mostly dry cloak over to act as a makeshift blanket.

"I promise you, girls, that's the last time I'm ever leaving you..."

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away...'

The elder girl let out a sniffle while Ruby continued humming, and Summer reached down and wiped her cheek.

"I promise, Yang..."

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. This story was inspired by r/RWBY's "Writing Prompt Wednesday", specifically the prompt "Summer returns from her last mission. She's been...changed by the experience she went through". Obviously I went in a bit of a different direction and made it fit the narrative of "The Petals Scatter Now" and "The Patchwork Prodigy", but whether this or any other one shot of story fits with their narrative is entirely up to you. Neither are or will be necessary for understanding the other, but it'll give you an understanding of how I view Summer, her relationships with others, and perhaps a few characters I haven't shown yet in my other stories.

"A Patchwork Rose" will be a collection of random one shots following Summer during the happiest time of her life, as well as some of the not-so-happiest times of her life. I have a few chapters planned at the moment but this story will serve as a fun, occasionally heart-wrenching distraction for myself and I hope you enjoy.

RWBY as well as the cover image of Summer Rose is owned by Rooster Teeth.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and all of you. God bless, and Merry Christmas)