Part Sixteen
Tai moaned as he called work to say he wouldn't be in. He's already taken several days off with Yang, and the small security firm was very understanding, but between that, his vacation at the lakehouse over the summer, and the time he took off normally when the girls were sick, he knew he didn't have very many days left to take off, and he silently prayed he could make it to the end of the year so his sick days could reset.
Weiss had fallen asleep as soon as she sat on the couch, three bags of stuff shouting from on high that she had run away from home and Tai had been left holding the proverbial bag. Ruby and Yang wanted to stay home with Weiss but he didn't dare, not if Jacques Schnee figured out where Weiss was and came with police - his girls had been through enough, thank you, the last thing they needed was Jacques freakin' Schnee traipsing around.
After he'd kicked them to the school bus he'd draped a blanket over Weiss that she curled into, went down the hall to his room, and texted Winter:
Weiss Ran Away From Home And Is Sleeping On My Couch. CALL ME.
It was three in the morning on the west coast, there was no way she was going to answer quickly… After that was a message to Qrow who was just getting off shift to tell him what happened.
You want me to come over?
Yes. In Case Things Get Hairy.
You know my being there with my luck triggers hairy, right?
Qrow, You Don't Have Bad Luck, You Have Disaster Energy. We've Been Through This Before. Get Over Yourself And Get HERE.
Unsure what to do next, he debated for all of half a second on calling the Schnee house to say Weiss was with him before brutally shoving that idea out the window. Schnee would descend with cops and accusations of kidnapping and manipulation and whatever else came to mind and Tai didn't need a lawsuit when his girls were still dealing with assault charges on a messed up boyfriend. Geez, where did all the drama even come from? It just appeared out of nowhere!
Sighing, Tai took a breath and settled himself, deciding instead to make breakfast for Weiss and dinner for Qrow when he came over. Back to the kitchen he went, pouring cereal and setting up bowls and spoons. Back into the living room he went, and Weiss was curled almost into a ball on the couch, her face stuffed into a corner. Fourteen and she looked so small. Whatever happened had to have been big for her to decide to run away, and he shuddered to think what it was. He pulled the blanket up higher and carefully grabbed her bags. One was full of school stuff, one with clothes, and the other with toiletries - she'd obviously been planning this for a while. He texted Winter saying as much, including a picture, and sat in the recliner. He pulled out his phone and skimmed the news, seeing that the elections were almost tallied and… Schnee lost the race.
That would do it.
Sighing through his nose, he got up and moved Weiss' bags to the girls' room. Might as well get started on the laundry.
Qrow came in through the back door at the kitchen some time later, Tai quickly motioning him to be quiet.
"She must have walked here," he whispered. "It must have taken hours."
"If she went through downtown, she took a big risk," Qrow said softly, hands in his pockets. "Some of those streets are mean at night."
"I wasn't going to ask," Tai said. "She looked like a ghost. Fell asleep five minutes after sitting down."
Qrow nodded, his own eyes dark from being up all night. "You expecting a siege?" he asked.
Tai shrugged his shoulders. "I won't know anything until Winter calls," he replied. "But Schnee's not an idiot. He knows Weiss is friends with the girls and it doesn't take much to realize she doesn't have a lot of places to go besides us."
Qrow nodded. "We playing dumb?"
Tai spread his hands. He really wouldn't know until Winter called.
Qrow frowned, but nodded again, pulling his shoes off. "I'll sleep in your room. If anything happens I don't mind playing guarddog."
Tai nodded. "Your disaster energy will help," he said. "Right now I have to be free for Winter. It's four on the west coast right now. It'll be awhile before she gets the text."
"Got it. Wake me when something happens." He pulled off his shirt and unbuckled his belt, and Tai made a face.
"We have a sleeping fourteen year old here!" he whispered.
"Sleeping being the operative word," Qrow said, moving down the hall, acting like he didn't have a care in the world.
Tai took his seat back in the living room, this time with his laptop so he could at least pretend to get work done. Time whiled away while he checked and answered emails, posted notifications on his sick day, and started to set himself up for the day. He sank into his work and startled when his phone vibrated. Winter.
"She's still asleep," he whispered once he picked up. He got up and moved down the hall, to the girls' room so he could have some privacy. "Okay," he said, "We can talk."
"What happened?" Winter demanded.
"I don't know," Tai said. "News said Schnee lost the election by double digits. She just showed up on our doorstep at six fifteen with three bags of clothes and stuff. She thought she could just drop it off and go to school, but the walk must have taken two hours at least."
"She walked?"
"Yes."
"... What time is it over there?"
Tai looked at the clock over Yang's bed. "Quarter of eight," he said.
"... Wake her up. Put her on the phone."
Oof, that was the Ice Queen voice. "Okay," he said, moving back down the hall to Weiss. He lowered the phone and leaned over, touching Weiss' shoulder and shaking it. "Weiss?" he said softly. "Your sister's on the phone."
The Schnee heiress mumbled something, curling into herself before stretching and sitting up, rubbing her face and then her eyes. It was obvious she didn't quite remember where she was until her eyes locked onto Tai and his phone. Then her brain snapped awake, and Tai offered his phone. "Winter? Yes. Yes. No, I did not."
Tai backed off, grabbing his laptop and realizing he would have to work in the girls' room if he wanted to give Weiss privacy. Should've made Qrow sleep there instead…
The call lasted almost an hour, Tai could hear Weiss occasionally, some out of context sentence or word, but mostly he was working on his projects and emailing his team and pretending his day hadn't been completely upended. He only had one more sick day after this, if Yang or Ruby got sick he'd have to have Qrow take off of work and they were way less forgiving over there. Tai scratched his head, forced himself to remember he couldn't worry over something he didn't have control over. Worrying was partly why he tended to shut down and no one needed that right now. Big Dad Energy, as Qrow called it, required him to actually act like a dad.
"Mr. Xiao Long?"
Tai looked up. "Yes, Weiss?"
"Winter wants to talk to you," she said. Her nose was read, and Tai ached for her. She handed the phone over and Tai took it, closing his laptop.
"Let me guess," he said, "I now have marching orders?"
"Of a kind," Winter said. "I know how Father works. He won't do anything for twenty-four hours if he knows she's there, because then he can say you've kidnapped her."
"Did she leave a note?"
"Yes, saying to call me with no explanation."
Tai winced. "Has he? Called, I mean?"
"Not yet, but he will. I have to move fast. I've just finished booking the first flight back, and I have to call Robyn Hill and her team and step up our plans. What I need from you is to take Weiss to the Belladonnas."
"Blake's family? Why?"
"Because they're in charge of the protests of Schnee Construction, and they've been working with Ms. Hill. They're not neutral, but they're more neutral than you or Professor Ozma, and it makes Weiss' decision to run away look principled and political instead of childish and immature. They will contact police and start filing abuse charges."
"Abuse?" Tai said, a little incredulous.
"Yes. The filing will take a while, and by then I'll be there and I can take over. It will also help with the protests when words gets out that Father's own daughter isn't immune to his abuses."
Tai straightened, getting to his feet and pacing around the bedroom. "Hang on," he said, "back up. This sounds an awful lot like you're using Weiss. Explain this to me again?"
"Ghira and Kali will explain. I don't have time. I need to finish packing and make my flight."
"But-!"
Winter hung up.
Of all the-! Grunting, Tai moved back to the kitchen. Weiss was sitting with her cereal, eating it mechanically. He took a deep breath and sat across from her. "Hey," he said softly. "How are you holding up?"
Weiss also took a deep breath, putting her head in a hand. "Running away was a rash and ill considered decision," she said, sounding like she was quoting her sister. Then she added, "But I would do it all again in a heartbeat. And I haven't figured out if that's okay or not."
Tai smiled. "If that's what you're feeling then it's absolutely okay," he said gently. "It must have been pretty bad to make you run away."
Weiss froze, spoon halfway to her mouth, and her nose turned red again as her eyes welled. She looked down quickly, sniffling, and composed herself. "A donor was saying that if Father was elected then he wouldn't have to pay disability," she said, tone flat. "All I could think about was Professor Ozma and how much he struggles with stairs. I told the donor to leave. Father didn't like that."
"I can only imagine," Tai said in a dry tone. Weiss smirked at the line, and Tai took the victory.
"He dismissed me and told me I wasn't the heiress anymore," the girl said. "He threatened to send me to military school if I didn't shape up. I got mad when I shouldn't have."
"Yes, you should have," Tai said, and Weiss looked up in surprise. "It might not have been safe to get mad but you absolutely had the right to be mad. I would be mad if my parents suddenly tried to take me away from Qrow, let alone truck me off to some kind of boarding military school. It's perfectly natural."
Weiss stared, somehow shocked to be told she had behaved normally, and Tai didn't think it was possible to hate Schnee any more, but he did, because it was messed up to think that someone didn't have the right to defend oneself. Tai had learned that the hard way with Raven.
"I… might have mouthed off to him," Weiss confessed, cheeks going pink as she looked down.
"Trust me," Tai said, smiling, "Anyone would."
"I… I might have told him he only married my mother for her money."
Tai hissed a breath through his teeth. "Ouch," he said, "But probably so true."
Weiss sighed. "That was when he slapped me and disowned me."
Wait, what? "What?" Tai asked, eyes doubling in size.
"Uh… that was when he slapped me and disowned me?"
That goddamned merciless sonnuva fucking bitch piece of-
Tai took a long, slow, deep breath and let it out. "Weiss," he said carefully. "I don't like your father."
He couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand how screwed up a parent needed to be to hit their child. There was no excuse under the sun for that, and Tai realized it was totally possible to hate the man more, and he wondered if there was a place in Winter's plan where he could give the guy a piece of his mind. He worked through the emotion in quick stages before leaning back. "Winter told me there was a plan. What did she say to you?"
Weiss nodded. "I didn't follow a lot of it because I haven't been read into the business as much as she has, but I get the gist of it. You have to take me to Mr. Belladonna, he knows what he's supposed to do. And maybe I can talk to Blake while I'm there. I haven't been able to see her…" her voice drifted off, and Tai quietly decided their three families had had enough drama for the next four years when this was all over.
"Finish your breakfast," he said. "Then we can get going."
He got up to find a piece of paper to leave a note for Qrow.
Blake stayed in her room. In her bed. In her misery.
Her side ached, every shift and twitch sent agony through her abdomen, but it was only what she deserved. She couldn't stand being in her own body, felt so dirty and stupid. She couldn't understand why her parents were still talking to her, trying to help her, not when she now so fully understood she was the worst of people. She hated herself, and all she wanted to do was hide from the world.
Mom came in with a tray for breakfast, sitting next to her. "Blake," she said, "You have to go to school eventually."
"No, I don't," Blake answered, refusing to even look at her mother. "They all know what happened. They know what a coward I am. They know what a slut I am."
"Oh, honey, you're none of those things. You can't put that on yourself."
"Yes I can," Blake said, curling further into her bed away from her mom. "I'm terrible. I was stupid, and selfish, and naive, and I said all of these terrible things!" She buried her face in her pillow. "How can you even stand to be in the same room as me?" she asked, she wanted to say it out loud but she was afraid of the answer, mumbled it into her pillow so her mother didn't hear it.
But Mom was Mom, and she stretched out on the bed, curling around her and hugging her through Blake's blankets. "I'm in the same room as you because I love you," she said, rubbing her nose into the back of Blake's neck. "Nothing will ever change that."
And Blake was so weak and selfish, she curled into the hug, and cried all over again.
She was so sick of crying, but it was the only way her body could react to what had happened. She would wake up crying, she would go to sleep crying, she would cry even when food was put in front of her. The stupidest things turned her into a sobbing mess, and she couldn't stand it. She just wanted to forget it all, go back to the way things were when she first moved here, before she'd met Adam. Before she'd been so stupid.
"Kali…"
Mom turned slightly to talk to Dad, and Blake didn't even know what to do anymore.
"Now's not a good time, dear," Mom said.
"I know," Dad said, "But Winter just called. Something happened last night."
Winter? "Weiss' sister?" Blake asked, turning as well, looking at her father. She moved to sit up, but everything hurt, and she aborted the motion. "What's going on?"
Mom was already getting up. "So soon?" she was asking. "I thought they were going to wait."
"They were, but Weiss ran away last night."
"What?" Blake shouted, surging to a sitting position and then immediately curling around the stitches. "What?" she said again. "She ran away? What did her father do? Did he hit her?"
Mom and Dad both were looking at her, wide eyed. Dad answered: "We don't know, honey. Mr. Xiao Long has her and is bringing her over."
someone coming gonna see me see how stupid I was judge me hurt me
"What? No! Don't bring her here!" Fear took over, Blake backed up on her bed, pressing herself against the headboard. "I don't want to see her!" Her mind was split - she desperately wanted to see Weiss, ask her what happened, wanted to help her, but she was just a desperately afraid of what Weiss would say, tell her how stupid and selfish she was, how everything was her fault. She couldn't take that, but she had sworn the night of the sleepover that they were family but she was afraid, but she wanted to help…!
Dad moved deeper into the room and reached out, Blake flinching but he only touched her shoulder, leaning in to gently kiss her forehead. She didn't deserve it, she didn't deserve the kindness, and fresh tears started to stream down her face as a new storm of emotion overtook her, and all she could do was sob pitifully, and she hated herself even more.
Later… she wasn't sure how much later but later, she was lying in bed, and she heard voices downstairs. She opened her eyes and saw her parents were gone.
"... I'm so sorry that happened…"
"... did you bring her things?"
"... I gotta say, it sounds like she's being used…"
"I don't blame you, but…."
"... have to call Robyn Hill…"
"... may I please see Blake?"
Blake stiffened, and she pulled the blanket over her head, hiding the only way she could.
Weis was… tired to say the least. She felt like she had ten pound bags on her eyelids, everything hurt after walking to the Xiao Long's, Winter had told her a lot of things, but she wasn't exactly sure how much she remembered. It must have been noon when Mr. Xiao Long brought her over to the Belladonna's, and her brain clicked enough to realize Blake! She could finally see Blake! She hadn't seen Blake since…. before Halloween.
She had zoned out on the short car ride over, but she had certainly not jerked awake when they stopped in the driveway. She got out and on autopilot, gone to get her bags before Mr. Xiao Long stopped her.
"You've carried this long enough."
Something seemed to have shredded all her defenses and she quickly had to look down before she started crying. Damn exhaustion! Because it had to be exhaustion that had her holding down sobs.
She took a deep breath.
Then another.
Scrubbed her eyes.
Okay, another deep breath.
And when Weiss looked up, she smiled. Mr. Xiao Long just looked sad. "Thank you, Mr. Xiao Long," she said as softly as she could so that her voice didn't waiver.
"You can call me Tai, Weiss." He hefted her gym bag over a shoulder. "Let's get you settled."
She nodded, not trusting her voice, and followed to the Belladonna house and rang the doorbell. Mr. Belladonna, a mountain of a man answered the door and for a brief second, Weiss felt scared looking up and up, before she shook that away.
"Hello, Weiss," he said softly. And with his fuzzy beard, wild hair, for a brief moment, Weiss pictured some sort of panther as he knelt down to her level. "Welcome. We're very honored to have you here."
"I…" She hesitated, trying to bring her brain online enough for the proper greetings. "Thank you for having me. I'm grateful that you're willing to take me in after my rash and ill-considered decision."
He smiled and reached up to ruffle his already wild hair. "It's clear you've had a long conversation with your sister."
Weiss smiled.
"Come in."
She stepped in and Mr. Belladonna guided them upstairs to a guest room. Weiss started at Blake's closed door as they went by it. Mr. Tai set down her bags and Weiss started to unzip and pull out her belongings.
Mr. Tai and Mr. Belladonna were talking, but Weiss wasn't listening. That bed was freshly made and it was calling her, but she was going to be polite and unpack her things. Mostly so she knew where everything was. Clothes first, the closet was clearly storage for things, but the hanger space was clear. Toiletries went to the dresser, she could sort them later, school things stayed in the backpack, underwear would be taken care of once she was alone. That pillow looked so inviting…
But first thing's first.
"May I please see Blake?"
She hadn't seen Blake since before Halloween and the assault. She hadn't seen Yang. She had seen Ruby briefly this morning, but they'd barely said anything to each other. Weiss needed one of her friends right now. She could feel tears starting up again, but she blinked them away. "I miss her," she said softly.
Mr. Belladonna hesitated, and Mrs. Belladonna (when did she arrive? ...exhaustion sucks….) looked to each other. Mrs. Belladonna stepped forward and gently embraced Weiss. "You've been through a lot, sweetie," she said softly. "Blake is resting right now, and you should too. Let's get your sleep rhythm sorted out and your brain functional so that you can absorb all the love and support you want."
Damnit! Crying again!
And she couldn't hold it down.
She just started wailing, and sobbing, and she couldn't stop it.
"There, there," Mrs. Belladonna said. "I know…. It's okay…. Let it all out…."
Weiss was sure she was hyperventilating, and she just kept sobbing and hiccuping, and crying and wailing. She eventually found herself on the bed, Mrs. Belladonna holding her tight like she dimly remembered her mother doing before, and she just cried all the more.
Somewhere, during all this crying… she fell asleep.
Tai walked with Ghira downstairs to the living room.
"So, because the Schnee family are public figures, and with the protests and the elections, Winter has to use the public to get things properly on her side?" He shook his head. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't ever remember any famous people having big public custody cases. So why are we using the media to manipulate things?"
Ghira gave a harsh laugh. "I'll give that Winter child credit, she understands public perception." A massive hand slapped Tai's shoulder. "I am a community organizer and protestor. I understand that in order to have systemic change and, more importantly, the support for systemic change, one must always appear peaceful, as well as firm. When protests turn to riots, the press no longer talks about why you're protesting, they're talking about rioting. It's why I spend all day at the protests at the Schnee Company. I have to make sure everyone stays in control and doesn't devolve into rioting and looting. They have a right to be angry. We all have a right to be angry with Jaques Schnee, and we should be angry at the bastard, but we must never sink down to his level. We want support, so we want people talking about why we're protesting."
Tai offered a baleful look as they sat down in the living room. Upstairs, Tai could still hear Weiss sobbing. "Forgive me, but what does all that have to do with an upset child who's been pushed to her limits?"
Ghira shook his head. "Winter is making sure she gets custody in an unusual, but very likely successful manner."
Tai's look flattened. "By publicizing the custody argument? Weiss is a minor."
"No," Ghira said with a heavy sigh. "She's making her father look like the unreasonable asshole he is. The courts will side with her when she shows up with all the data she's been collecting. Add onto that the view the public will have of the esteemed Mr. Schnee, and private or not, the judge will side with her."
"And bringing that terrified little girl here?"
"Rumor mongering for the protesters. When they hear that even Jacque's own children can't stand him…."
Tai sighed. "They'll be more angry and more demanding."
"Then Winter sweeps in, listens to them, and sues her father."
"Instant public support."
Ghira nodded. "All without Weiss ever being mentioned. She won't be exposed to any of it. She'll just stay here till Winter can take her."
"She doesn't live in town." Tai sunk forward, rubbing his hands over his face. "My girls have been relying on Weiss since… Halloween. At least Ruby has. Yang would be to, since she's back at school today."
"With Weiss now here."
Tai nodded. "And Blake? She's still refusing to see anyone?"
Ghira nodded sadly. "That boy has been twisting her for some time. She thinks everything is her fault."
Tai balked. "Last I checked, she's a child. He's an adult. She's not responsible-"
"He has her convinced that much of her life is horrible and that only he could fix it."
"That…. That sounds like…"
Ghira's face turned dark. "Like he was grooming her. Yes." Then he growled like a panther. "If I ever get my hands on that boy, I'm going to probably forget everything I was just saying about public perception and protests."
Tai offered his own dark smile. "I'm feeling that way as well. And the same way towards Jaques Schnee. If we find anyone else harassing our children, I'm sure it will come up again."
Ghira gave a viscous look. "Tell me, decapitation or bisection?"
Barking out a laugh, Tai shook his head. "Too quick. Break every bone first. Starting with the ones in the inner ear."
"Ahh, now that's an interesting thought."
"If we're going to fantasize about slicing these bastards into little bitty pieces, we'll have to call my brother. In-law. He's the creative one."
Weiss woke up slowly, wondering where she was. It wasn't her room, the bed was the wrong size, it didn't smell right, it was too light… Hrghnnnn light… bad…. She rolled over hoping to get away from the light in her eyes and go back to sleep, but now that she was thinking, she was wondering why everything was different, and if she was wondering that, she was thinking back to figure out why she was here and….
Oh.
She let out a long sigh. Fumbling for her watch, she pulled it over and checked the time. Midafternoon. Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about the sun in her eyes in the morning. She got up and just ached. She didn't stretch after that loooong walk this morning and she was feeling it. Blinking, she also realized she felt disgusting. Her face was salty with dried tear tracks, and was she sweating when she walked to Mr. Xiao- Mr. Tai's place? She felt itchy like she'd been sweating. But she remembered being so cold…
Weiss shook her head. If her mind was this awake, it would be better to do something to distract herself. Automatically she reached for her phone… then hesitated. She didn't know if her father knew where she was or not yet. She shook her head. She didn't want him tracing her phone.
What she really wanted was a shower. Or a nice hot bath to just soak. She'd have to ask Mr. or Mrs. Belladonna.
Or Blake!
Somehow she was able to smile and stumbled out of bed.
And immediately regretted it because -oh- her shins and feet were killing her!
"Owwwwww."
Oh yeah, bath was definitely a better idea. And maybe a massage. If her hands weren't too sore from dragging her suitcase.
She was still in her clothes from…. This morning when she had left. So she quietly left the guest room, and knocked on the door next to her.
"Blake?" she asked through the door. "Are you awake?"
Nothing.
She knocked again, louder. "Blake? Please?"
Nothing.
Weiss let out a heavy sigh.
She went to the stairs and headed down, hoping to find one of the Belladonnas. She could hear Mr. Belladonna talking to Mr. Tai, and they were both laughing. She followed their voices to the living room, where they were sitting around the coffee table.
"Weiss!" Mr. Tai greeted with a huge smile. "It's good to see you awake. And actually conscious!"
She smiled. "Hello, Mr. Tai, Mr. Belladonna."
Mr. Tai was glancing at his phone. "I'm going to go pick up the girls from school. Qrow could probably use the extra sleep, I doubt he's gotten up yet." He looked to Weiss. "Do you want me to bring them over?"
"Yes." She frowned. "No? I don't know," she sighed. "I want to see them. I need them. But I feel… I'm too…." Weiss shook her head. "I don't know how to describe it."
"That's okay," Mr. Tai said. "I think I do have the word. You're too raw. Like having a scab ripped off, you're all sensitive."
"Yes! Exactly! I…"
He nodded. "I'll talk to them. You've had a long day and you need rest more than anything else." He stood, came over, and wrapped her in a warm hug. "Ruby told me that I'm your honorary dad. So you get extra hugs for having such a rough time of it."
Weiss thought she was fine. Instead she just started sobbing again. Not quite so uncontrollably, but she just hugged… Tai close. He squeezed back, kissing the top of her head. She finally let go and he ruffled her hair.
"Hey!"
Tai shrugged. "It's a thing real dad's do."
Mr. Belladonna, behind him, nodded solemnly, even as his eyes twinkled.
Weiss giggled.
Mrs. Belladonna came in. "Hello, you're awake," she smiled. "Now I know that Professor Ozpin is the best baker you've ever encountered, but I've been baking a cake. You'll have to tell me how it compares."
Weiss smiled. "Before I do… can I…. may I… have a bath? Or shower?"
Mrs. Belladonna smiled. "Oh, it's going to be a bath, dear. I understand you walked for a number of hours this morning? When you're done and enjoying your cake, I'm going to give you a proper foot massage."
Mr. Belladonna's chest seemed to puff out. "My lovely wife is a massage therapist. You'll enjoy it."
Weiss's feet throbbed in anticipation. And her stomach may have growled.
All the adults smiled while Weiss was certain her face was somewhere between a tomato and Ruby's favorite hoodie.
"Well," Tai said, "I'll take that as my cue."
Mr. Belladonna chuckled. "I'll get the bath going. I know just the bath bomb to use. Kali loves it after a good workout."
Mrs. Belladonna grinned like a cheshire cat. "Yes, do the hard work of turning on the tap," she said lightly. "I'll give Weiss a proper tour."
Weiss looked back and forth and saw the sparkle between husband and wife. She had seen it before in other parents, but she had never seen it in her own. Finally, a muscle in her back seemed to relax.
She was safe.
Tai was halfway to the middle school before he remembered his girls were in high school and halfway through a u-turn when he remembered that he and Qrow had agreed to have the girls meet at the middle school to practice their independence, meaning he had to turn around again to drive to the middle school. "All of this so Qrow can keep dating Oz," he muttered under his breath. He saw Ruby and Yang walking to the middle school and almost picked them up then and there, but it was Yang's first day back and he wanted her day to be as normal as possible.
What with Weiss having run away from home and the Schnee's about to enter an ugly custody battle.
He shook his head as he pulled into the middle school and saw the professor standing next to the passenger side of his car in the handicapped spot. Tai pulled into the spot next to him and got out of the car. "Hey," he said.
Oz blinked. "Hello," he said, shifting his weight on his cane. "Did something happen?"
"What makes you say that?" Tai said in a wry tone. He pulled his coat a little tighter. November air was cold.
"Only that you are not Qrow, and he very rarely breaks routine."
Tai nodded, leaning against his car. "That's the understatement of the year," he said, nodding. "Woke up to Weiss knocking on our door. She decided to run away last night."
Professor Oz's eyes widened, his mouth parting to an oh before he quickly schooled his expression, closing his eyes and taking a moment to breathe. "I fear we are about to have a debate over semantics," he said gently. "Knowing what we do of young Miss Schnee's situation I feel that 'running away' is perhaps an inaccurate moniker. It would be more appropriate to say that she has 'escaped' the abuses she's been forced to endure."
Tai blinked, letting the words sink in. "She's fourteen," Tai said. "Does it really make a difference?"
"Yes," Ozpin said, tapping his cane on the asphalt. "For her it will make all the difference in the world. People like her… it is not running away from a problem, it is escaping from a prison. It puts the onus of the situation on the abuser instead of the victim, and that is a very important distinction to make. It was the only way I could convince myself to do it."
Tai stilled, a new revelation in a day already stressed now settling on his shoulders.
Oz took the silence to continue. "It was perhaps the hardest decision of my life," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose, partially hiding his eyes. "But once I knew Oscar… there were no other options. I very quietly started packing away Oscar's most precious items, liquidated part of my retirement, decided what items were essential. I had already decided on the East Coast and had called Ms. Hill; I talked to the police about the restraining order. She found me when I was putting suitcases in the car."
"Oh, my god," Tai said, realizing what he was hearing.
"Did Mr. Schnee see Miss Schnee's escape?"
Blinking, Tai answered quickly. "No. She says she got up at three a.m. to pack and then walked all the way to my house. Now that you mention it, she said something about having a list to know what to pack."
Oz nodded. "Then it was an escape, I assure you. It will be very important to use the correct terminology around her. Where is she now?"
"With the Belladonnas," Tai said. "Probably sleeping, she was exhausted when she came to us."
"Of course," Ozpin said. "Both physically and emotionally." He fell silent, turning and looking to the middle school, and Tai started to realize why Qrow was so protective of him. Like, yeah, hair turning white in a year, the accident, Tai always knew Oz's life was a little hard, but those details about leaving his ex… "Year of Hell" was probably an underestimation, and Tai was beginning to feel grateful that his childhood was as healthy as it was.
He shifted his weight, searching for something to say. "Hey," he said, finally, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Ozpin shrugged. "In retrospect, I should have done it years ago, but I was always weak-willed. It was easier to stay, be around what I knew and what I foolishly thought I could control. I thought I couldn't stand on my own - no," he corrected, tilting his head slightly, "she convinced me I couldn't stand on my own. I can recognize that now." He turned back to Tai. "Will your daughters be seeing her?"
"Not today," Tai said. "She's been through too much, and she wants some time to put herself back together. Tomorrow, after Winter's officially sued for custody."
Oz nodded, and for several minutes they waited, the silence comfortable.
Tai's mind drifted back to Raven, the good times and the bad, the fights, the make-up sex, the dates and the disaster it turned into. He thought about therapy, after Summer, putting his head back on straight and trying not to shut down when his girls needed him.
"It's not about being weak-willed," he said. "Staying, I mean. It just means you're still trying, that you still want your partner to be better, that you still think there's hope." He focused on Ozpin, watching his face. "I stayed with Raven even though the whole relationship was a mess, because I still thought she could be better. She left, ran away, so maybe it's not the same thing, but… it takes courage to admit that you can't help someone. And it takes time to realize you can't help them, too."
And Oz smiled, soft and warm and he looked down. "Thank you," he said, and all at once Tai could see why Qrow was pining over him so hard. That kind of gratitude was so rare to see - not the polite, expected response, but something deeper, more sincere, more profound. The guy acted like even small sentences equated to some kind of a miracle.
"Did you have therapy?" Tai asked, "After you settled here?"
Oz shook his head. "There wasn't time," he said. "My escape was somewhat hairy, to coin a phrase; when we came here I hadn't yet found us a place to live, the divorce was only just beginning, I was utterly terrified that she would somehow find me and take Oscar. Even after everything finally settled…" He shrugged. "I understand its value and have seen its benefits, but I just never…"
Tai nodded. "Hey, I get it. Therapy isn't for everyone. It wasn't for Qrow. You know best."
Oz turned to the school again. "For a long time I didn't. Sometimes I still don't."
Tai smiled. "That's life, isn't it?"
The bell rang.
Author's Notes: Otherwise titled: Tai is Best Supporting Character, or Tai is Best Team Dad.
Since the girls all took a vow of being sisters and Tai being the Team Dad and Kali being the Team Mom, Tai finally starts to fill the role that he had no idea was assigned to him: meaning as a dad he does what he does best - look out for the needs of the kids. Winter is at a disadvantage here, she's new to the idea of being a parent and she has to account for outmaneuvering Jacques Freakin' Schnee - she's looking out for Weiss but doesn't know all the ways to look out for her yet.
Tai also arguably gets his two best Dad Lines of the fic: I don't like your father, and You've carried this long enough. Just, our hearts melt, because we can hear his voice actor saying those lines.
Blake's post-Adam issues start to become apparent. It's moderately documented that Blake kind of hates herself after everything when the series starts, and when she gets home to Menagerie you can see the bits of it, and we know from V2 that she thinks she's a coward who runs away, and for this we decided to lean into it. She's so broken up all she can do is hide in her room, desperate for support but too into her self-loathing to accept it.
We also, slowly, start to figure out what to do with the Belladonnas. Kali briefly shows her capacity of Team Mom to Blake and later Weiss, Ghira is focused on the outside threats of Jacques and Adam. And while we don't get an OzQrow moment, we get a very rare OzTai moment, where Tai is Best Supporting Character again, and we drop another detail from Oz's Year of Hell: Salem caught him in the middle of the Escape. Good grief he went through a lot after the accident.
And for another random observation: Qrow is totally the guy who wanders his apartment shirtless and doesn't give a damn about it. The show will never make this canon so we have to inject it where we can.
Next chapter: Blake fights with everything she has to make an inch of progress. Weiss tries her best, too, and somehow they can be broken together.
