*Sorry for the late posting. FFN wasn't saving my work properly. It went up on the A03 on time, but since site was giving me a few problems I decided to try again in the morning.*

Significant Changes: The Qrow scene in this chapter was originally written before I knew what Qrow's semblance truly was. The fact that it was misfortune hadn't been confirmed. Remember this was originally written near the end of Volume 3. At the time, I simply assumed that his turning into a bird was his semblance, or at least part of it. Under that logic, it would make sense that Ruby and Yang actually knew that his bird form was completely possible. It upset some people before for reasons that still baffle me. I've left the scene in because I didn't see fit to remove it.

This fiction is in essence an "AU" anyway given current cannon. Most of the major plot elements such as Raven being dead, Ace even existing, and many others simply don't follow cannon logic anyway. That said, Qrow won't either. I don't particularly care if the scene doesn't hold to cannon standard. It was fun to write back then and even more fun for me to snicker at now.

Revisited chapter length: 3,368
"Regular dialogue" [Faunus speech only]

Chapter 32

All was not harmonious back at home. Trouble was brewing in the form of one very small, yet very mischievous bundle of energy.

Ruby sighed, seeing the dirty footprints along the floor, and in some small way they reminded her of paw prints not unlike the one her family dog used to leave behind after a storm left the ground too muddy. These were not ones made from mud, but rather from soot. They began from the fireplace before trailing into the kitchen. They rounded the table several times before leading back out and under the sofa. Then from the sofa to the coffee table, several times back and forth. Finally, they trailed to the bedroom where the child was covered in black ash that scattered around her as she shook her head wildly from side to side.

A now equally dirty Blake held the little girl by her overalls as the small child batted at the air playfully, none the wiser about the complete mess she had made of herself, caregiver, and the house.

"She pried the door open again, didn't she?" Blake deadpanned.

"You don't want to see what she did to the drapes, either." Ruby said, leaning on the door frame. "Weiss is going to freak out when she sees what happened to them."

"The same thing Ace did to her socks, I assume…" The once white material had two gaping holes in them as if they had been shredded, little toes sticking out. It was anyone's guess if she had clawed or chewed through them, only that it was the countless pair. Her shoes had suffered a similar fate only a few days before, and it was a small wonder Ace hadn't shredded the rest of the clothing on her body. "My question is, what were you doing when all of this happened?"

"Dispatching another nest of death stalkers that were making a home at the bottom of the kitchen cupboard. I ended up having to re-arrange the whole thing." Ruby just shrugged then, using her thumb to clear away the smudges Ace had given Blake's cheek. "I thought the house was too quiet for its own good… I knew she was running around, but I didn't think she was a mess. I'll go clean everything up, though it may take a while."

Blake rolled her eyes, trying her best to clean Ace with a few wet-wipes, before setting the little girl back down and sighing as she scampered after one of her stuffed toys on the floor. "You know, they have playpens that close off at the top for problem climbers."

"What kind of playpen is that?" Ruby asked, surprised.

"Well, there are all kinds. Most are padded with foam on the bottom and sides. Some have dents and ledges to climb up and hide in. Sun probably had one as a baby so he didn't hang upside down and break his neck." Blake said thoughtfully. "The only issue is, I think our ceilings are too low for conventional measurements."

Ruby watched Ace play as though she didn't have a care in the world. What Blake spoke of sounded more like a cage than anything, and Ruby wasn't quite sure how to navigate such a delicate conversation. "I don't want to sound weird, but I'd think anything with the word 'pen' in it would be a negative thing for a Faunus."

"It's a measure of safety." Blake responded easily. "Though, you're right, it's also a matter of contention, just like with everything else. Some Faunus do refuse to use them. I think it comes down to the situation. If she's climbing the drapes, soon it'll be the walls, then it'll be hiding places up high too, and not just under the furniture. A playpen can give her those spaces so she's not inventing them…for example, in the fireplace."

"Why does she even go in there?" Ruby ask as a hand fell onto her hip. "All she does is get dirty and sneeze everywhere."

"Probably to look for Yang." Blake said. "You both come home smelling like a campfire from time to time. She probably finds it comforting."

"Well, I have some sweeping to do if I don't want this whole house to smell like ash." Ruby said with a shake of her head. "Can you keep her in here with you? I still need to check the living areas for Grimm."

"The house isn't the only thing that needs a proper cleaning." Blake said.

Ruby simply grinned. "The yowling will be real. I pray for your hearing, and I'll have your tea ready for you."

"Thanks Ruby." Blake sighed as she went to go run the bath water. "I'm going to need it."

She had just cleaned the entire house, making it spotless in a way that would have even made Weiss happy.

All of the hard work had been dashed to bits in a matter of moments. Her mouth went dry, a ball of unpleasant emotion balling up in her chest as she grit her teeth. She tried to speak, but her jaw worked silently. Ruby remembered exactly why her father and her uncle used to get into explosive arguments. It was times like these that the shouting matches would become the lullaby she fell asleep to.

In fact, Ruby was beside herself as she took sight of her living room, she had never seen such a mess in her life. Well, not one that had given her such a reason for panic. Black feathers covered the floor, and her uncle, finally in his human form, sprawled out looking dazed. Blood seeped from his arm. Although he chuckled mildly, she knew from the tone of his voice that it was anything but pleasant.

The worst thing though, the part that had her heart sinking into her chest, was the crimson that lingered on Ace's lips...

The young Faunus was spluttering unpleasantly, spitting feathers as she wildly shook her head from side to side, small hisses indicating her complete and total displeasure.

When her brain started to finally form words, it was in the form of a booming shout that bounced harshly off the walls as she chastised her uncle. "WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

The sound sent Ace fleeing in terror, and Blake to come rampaging out of the bedroom with her weapon in hand, only to skid to a stop when she took sight of who caused the ruckus. "Do I even want to know what the fuck just happened?" She snarled lowly, trying to decide if Qrow was being a threat, or just an idiot.

"He's drunk…" Ruby accused hotly.

"Tipsy." He corrected.

"He's trashed!" Ruby sot back. "And did something really, really stupid!"

"Only kind of stupid…"

Finally collecting herself, she forced out a murmured curse. She was calmer, although her tone was still so agitated that it sent rather unpleasant tingles down Blake's spine. The cat Faunus put her weapon away, watching Ruby slowly piece herself back together. "Uncle Qrow, you can't just do things like that, you should-"

Ruby's rant continued. It was a blur to Blake. The Faunus kept her ears pressed flat against her head. She hated that tone of voice. She couldn't place why, but the feeling was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A small half growl, half whine tried to break out from the depths of her throat and chest. As though her instincts told her to placate Ruby's obvious ire, and that was when Blake realized why it troubled her so.

Ruby was not one to find anger so readily available, and never while reeking of fear along with it, as though she had witnessed a momentary terror her mind was struggling to process.

It was bothersome to the senses, and to a Faunus, that meant it was irksome to the very core of her being. Blake swore she could almost taste Ruby's scent in the air. The normally soft and sweet odors were pungent, raw…

Pissed off…

"So, I'll ask you again, have you lost your ever-loving mind?" Ruby asked as she finished her tirade, her ire still palatable.

"For the record, you and Yang used to love when I changed into a little birdie when you were her age…" He man just smirked at them like an idiot. "Didn't think she'd try to eat me."

"Wait. Ace tried to eat him?" Blake asked, genuinely surprised. "Like, actually eat him?" Her voice cracked. She was struggling to keep her voice in check. She didn't want her confused mewl to slip into it.

Ruby grit her teeth at her uncle, and sighed. Calming down significantly. There was no helping it, and she knew that. "I think she was only going to play with him, but she did have his arm in her mouth. Well, his wing. He was in bird form, landed on the chair, and didn't change back before Ace nabbed him." Ruby continued as she helped to pick him up off the floor. "Nothing like having your uncle in your little sister's mouth to give you a heart attack."

"Well forgive me for thinking I might be exempt from the food chain." He groused. "Maybe flying in here all bird-like wasn't the best idea to ever be had, but order are orders."

"And then you wonder why she tries to maul you to death…" Blake sighed, not having any sympathy for his completely battered arm. It was already almost done healing anyway. Soon, it would be good as new. "For future reference, if you ever do that again, I'll rip your arm off myself and beat you with it." Then she turned to Ruby. "I'm going to go get Ace out from whatever bed she's cowering under…"

Qrow could only groan. "Never doing that shit again, trust me." He flinched at the soreness in his wrist, feeling his aura heal that away too. "It was Ozpin's idea, not mine."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Ozpin's idea to what, exactly?"

The black haired man rolled his in return. "To come by and check up on the little hellion." He told her, getting himself comfortable. He pulled his flask from his pocket to have a sip. "She really is like her mom, you know that? All full of piss n' vinegar. Kind of cute, reminds me of old times."

"Right now, I'm trying to decide if she isn't more like you. When you get bored around Winter, something always breaks." Ruby complained. "Look at this! You guys made a huge mess. It's bad enough she makes them all the time, but then you go along and help her." Ruby said as she took his flask away from him and sat down. "Was flying through the open kitchen window and flapping around the house like a crazy person really your idea of checking up?"

"Well, I had to get my excitement somewhere." He shrugged. "I kind of made a mess, didn't I?"

"Yep." Ruby said, popping then end of the word dryly. "And you are cleaning it up. Like right now, before Blake comes back."

"Well shit, thought you'd say that." He said. "Suppose I don't get my flask back until I do?"

"If you're lucky." Ruby deadpanned. "Do you remember where the dust pan and broom are?"

At this, he barked a laugh. "Unfortunately, yeah, I do…"

Ruby scrubbed at her face, and swallowed back the last trickles of shock. Her shoulders sagged completely under the weight of momentary peacefulness as she picked herself back up and headed in the kitchen. Pulling out a package of tuna steaks for dinner, she shook her head. Her uncle hated fish in general, but she hoped the small gesture would soothe the women in her life. Guiltily, she went to work, trying to push the entire fiasco out of her mind.

"Sight for sore eyes, that…" Qrow said more to himself than Ruby while he leaned on the doorway between the living area and the kitchen. "Reminds me of better days."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, peaking around to see just what he was looking at. The apron she wore was entirely too long for her since it belonged to Blake. She didn't mind as she dusted her hands off, and taking in the sight in front of her.

Sitting happily in front of the television was Ace. Blake hunched over the small child with a brush in her hand, muttering curses under her breath at the unruly and wild strands of hair. A children's program flickered across the screen, the only thing rooting Ace to her spot. Occasionally she'd growl or whine when she felt the bristles touch her scalp, but Blake handled each knot with care, conditioning and schooling the frizz…which was why the entire ordeal had gone on for over an hour already.

Qrow chuckled distantly. "Just memories. They creep up on me when I don't expect them."

"At least they're good though, right?" Ruby asked.

"Nether good or bad, really." He said. "Funny thing about drinking, it dumbs down everything. It gets me by, but, that's the down side."

"Can you at least tell me what you were thinking about?"

"It's just a feeling I get." He nodded back over to the sight. "Summer used to do that with Yang. Now that I think about it, Yang always loved to be around Summer. Listened to her better than anyone else." Qrow glanced over at Ruby then. "Tai and I, we couldn't tell Raven shit and expect her to take it to heart. Summer had a way with her though…a way with all of us, really. That's what I was thinking about."

"Oh..." Ruby pulled away from the doorway. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Your mom was a really good person, Ruby, but we knew better than to get on her bad side. She had strong opinions, and could shut any of us up with a glance." At this he shrugged, a soft laugh falling from his lips. "Summer ruled the roost. There was no question about that. Yang might have been little, but she noticed that I think."

Ruby smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm going to go check the grill." She said, walking out of the kitchen and onto the small patio in the back where the grill sat. She lifted the lid, and watched the charcoal at work. It was hot enough for the tuna steaks, she decided, and began to place them as her uncle followed her out. "How long are you going to stay around this time?" She asked, no heat to her words, only curiosity.

"And that's what it comes down to, huh kiddo?" He asked somewhat bitterly. "Not that I don't get it, but, you know the profession just as well as I do."

"You're right. I am a huntress, so I know when you're lying now." Ruby told him as she turned to look at him. "I know the difference between you being three sheets to the wind after a long dry spell, and you just being drunk for the sake of it."

"Okay, I'll level with you. I've got some things to look into, and Ace might be part of it." He sighed as he eyed his empty flask. "The other part just might be that I'm trying to be a good uncle. Don't tell that to Oz, though, he'll never let me live it down."

"You really should sober up." Ruby said offhandedly. "And think before you act..."

"Thinking, yeah sure. I thought about it plenty before I did it...and as for sobriety?" Qrow had considered it several times, all of them he had come to the same conclusion. One that he wasn't proud of, but it was his all the same. "I would clean up if it was worth it…it just isn't."

"Not even for the people who care about you?" She asked.

"It's more complicated than that, Ruby. I've got a problem. I'll own up to that, but it's my demon, not yours. If I would have found a benefit from quitting, I would have done it a long time ago. Trust me on that."

For a long time, Ruby said nothing, just flipping the steaks, and glaring daggers into the grill marks. "Just your demon, huh? Maybe or maybe not." Ruby finally murmured. "I hope we will never have to know."

"Hey, Velvet, can I ask you a question?" Yang asked in passing while she was watching the cameras with a bored expression on her face.

She liked being outside, but visibility was low, and the rain made the usual scouting trips impossible. Weiss had her glyphs to keep above the slick and muddy ground, and Fox didn't mind the terrible conditions. He used his semblance to map out the area around him. Loud sounds like rolling thunder and the horrible visibility didn't hamper him in the slightest. What did get in his way was the terrain, and he went sliding in the mud on more than one occasion due to his horrible footing.

Due to all of the rain, the Grimm were out in force. Those who weren't able to hunt in the weather were busy fortifying Vale's defenses both against Grimm, and the flooding that was sure to be happening along the rivers and costliness.

"You can ask me whatever you would like, although, I may not have an answer." Velvet said, wearing her specialized earplugs. She could still hear in her human ears just fine, but her Faunus ears needed to be protected against the thunder. Otherwise her all too sensitive hearing be compromised.

"What was it like as a kid? Can't imagine growing up with rabbit ears. Can't hide them like Blake, can't be seen as an equal because some people are assholes." Yang asked mildly, softening the intensive question by way of her normal jovial demeanor and caring personality. "How'd you deal with that?"

"To humans, a Faunus is a Faunus. What traits we have don't matter. We are what we are, and some humans hate that." Velvet dismissed.

"Yeah, but you had a normal life, right?" Yang had to hope. "Like with parents, and school, siblings, all of that?"

"In a manner of speaking." Velvet carefully checked her own set of monitors, finding them clear of Grimm. "What is this about, Yang?"

"Well, I can't ask Blake, she didn't have the same kind of upbringing I did. She wasn't a normal kid like the Faunus I grew up with on Patch." Yang said with a shrug as she watched Pyrrha meet up with a few of Vale's emergency teams to lead the fortification efforts. Even Glynda Goodwitch could be seen on the local news station upheaving impossibly large chunks of rock, to settle them in key locations around the perimeter.

"I'm well aware of Blake's upbringing. Her family was a key part of Faunus culture, part of our history." Velvet wondered just how much Yang knew, knowing it was likely very little. Still, it wasn't her story to tell. "You're right though, she wasn't a normal child. She didn't have the luxury to be. So, what is it you would like to know?"

"Just…you know, what it was like?"

Velvet pressed her lips together. That was a loaded question at best. "Well, first off, I should probably preface this by saying that any Faunus hunter will probably be far from normal. Our lifestyle as huntresses demand a different way of thinking. That goes double for Faunus like me."

"Yeah, I guess I can see that." Yang agreed. "It's just you weren't always a huntress. You had to come from somewhere... You had to have a history. We all do."

At that, Velvet let out a small huff. Human curiosity always confused her. "My parents are both rabbit Faunus such as myself. It's common to seek mates with complimentary traits and species. It's not written in stone, but it is more common than a rabbit and cat Faunus, to use an example. Generally, carnivores stick with other carnivores or omnivores. Herbivores prefer other herbivores or omnivores as well."

"Blake doesn't just eat meat, you know."

"We have mostly human bodies, we all need a balanced diet. Most carnivore Faunus eat at least a few vegetables. Meat is their preference, though." Velvet shrugged. "It all comes down to instinct and personality, Yang. The two mix more often than not."

"What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't you be asking Blake about this?"

"I want another opinion…"

Velvet looked over to Yang and merely nodded softly. "Fair enough." Her eyes returned back to the monitors in careful thought. "There are some significant changes in instinctual urges, even among like-minded species. A cat Faunus like Blake might generally prefer smaller social groups instinctually. That urge, coupled with her personality, might dictate a lot of factors in her life. Things like friends, family, profession, pretty much everything…"

"So, what about others, then?"

"It depends, Yang. I can't just put every Faunus in the same box." Velvet told her. "If I had to give sweeping generalizations, though, think about the people you know. Monkey and rabbit Faunus like myself usually value larger social groups. For our wild counterparts, living in large families keeps us safer. That instinct might carry over to a Faunus, but, it might not. In the same sense, some animals are loners entirely. A Faunus might live that way too. That could simply be the urge they have, coupled with the fact that they may like having a lot of alone time."

"Sounds complicated…"

"It's only complicated because you're asking me to explain what comes naturally to a Faunus. You're a human, an entirely different species." Velvet said while rolling her eyes. "You have your own set of instincts too. Those gut feelings that everyone gets. Things that aren't always rational, but the feelings are there anyway. Those are instincts. Humans just don't rely on them the way that Faunus do. You evolved differently, and that's just the way it is."

"Velvet, I have to know what I'm up against." Yang told her. "I've got a Faunus for a sister, and I'm sick to relying on Blake all the time for every little detail. It's not her problem, it should be mine."

"But it is Blake's responsibility." Velvet replied. "She's the dominant Faunus in the house, and a woman besides. If Blake didn't have an instinctual urge to become a matriarch, you would know. If it went against every instinct Blake had, she would have rejected your little sister completely." Velvet pitied Yang, truly. She had no idea, and she probably never would. "We are Faunus, Yang, and you are not. Like it or not, there are some things you will never understand."

"I can at least try, though, can't I?" Yang asked sadly.

Velvet just shrugged. Yang needed a wake-up call. She just didn't know if she could be the one to do it. "Let's focus on something a little different for a second." Velvet began. "It's even less common for a Faunus to be with a human. Although in some circles, like hunters, it's more common than the general public."

At that Yang let out a small laugh. "That bad, huh?"

"I don't think it is." Velvet said. "You said you grew up in Patch. Like most islands and outer villages, racism isn't as rampant. Well, just like human settlements, Faunus have Menagerie. A territory all our own, so Faunus who grow up there aren't discriminated against. Well, at least, not for being Faunus."

"What would be discriminated against?" Yang asked.

"Being exclusively gay, for example." Velvet replied. "That's not well received by many Faunus. Our urge to mate and rear offspring is part of our baser nature. So, the moment a Faunus says that they're gay, it doesn't make sense. Most Faunus think being gay is very unnatural. Homosexuality makes rearing genetic offspring through mating completely impossible. It requires medical intervention, and that's thought to be a human science."

Yang raised an eyebrow, thinking the concept completely stupid, but wisely didn't comment.

She had been Blake's partner long enough to know that the divide between humans and Faunus wasn't just because of oppression. Though that was the largest and arguably most detrimental part of it. Blake and Velvet were educated people, inspired, and among what Yang would consider an enlightened few.

However, Yang had met more Faunus because of conflict than because of peace.

When it came to the large cities like Vale, the discrimination on both sides was palatable. As such, she had determined part of the divide was because neither side could fully accept the other.

There simply weren't these kinds of problems on Patch. Although the island population was few in number, it wasn't racially divided to such an extreme. Growing up, one of her best friends had been a Faunus. No one had questioned it, no one probably even batted an eye at all.

"So, putting aside the gay thing…you didn't live in Vale then, did you?" Yang asked. "You were an island baby?"

Velvet nodded. "I was born in Vale. I'm in the middle of my siblings, of which I have many. We moved to an outer village when I was very young. Later, we made the voyage Menagerie. The memories from being little are foggy, as far back as I can easily recall, Menagerie was my home. I came back to Vale only to attend Beacon. Up until then, the upbringing I had was probably more like yours…"

"Oh…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sure that I haven't been very helpful."

"Actually, it's a lot more helpful than you think. It's nice knowing that everything's not always a big deal all the time." Yang shrugged as she turned back to watch the screens. "Blake is very focused on Faunus rights, and she should be, don't get me wrong. It's just, when I think about that, I worry about Ace. I want what's best for her, you know? I don't want her to have to suffer. I hate all that crap I see in the news…"

"I think I understand." Velvet said slowly. "I won't say that your sister won't face discrimination, because she will. I won't say that she will never be picked on, because she will. Instead, I'll just say that she'll be fine, so long as she's around a good group of people. I think that's the hardest thing for anyone. It's hard finding where you belong. If she can find a place among her peers like I did, then any and all harassment she runs into won't matter as much."

"Yeah, but, it's finding those people that I'm worried about." Yang sighed. "What if she doesn't?"

"You can't think that way. She's going to be driven to find a place of her own. You have to believe she will." Velvet responded. "When it happens Yang, you're going to have to accept it. There may come a time when you'll have to let her go. We're not human, and, we never will be."