Summer Rose lay propped up against the base of a tree and studied the faces of her family.

Tai smiled up at her even as their daughter Yang shoved a palm painfully into his cheek. He was the rock of their family, switching from active field huntsman to teacher at Signal so he could be home for the girls while Summer went on missions for Ozpin. He did it all, from cooking to cleaning to training to pigtail fixing, and he did it all happily on top of teaching full-time. Summer had worries aplenty while out on missions but, thanks to Tai, her daughters were never one of them.

Yang, her sunshine, pushed unceremoniously off of her father's face as she smiled back at the camera. Summer only met Yang after Raven had left and she couldn't understand how anyone could leave such a perfect little girl behind. After moving in, she was worried - could she really be Yang's mother? Would she ever be good enough? But the first time Summer heard 'mama' all those fears melted away, replaced by a warmth that threatened to overwhelm her. That time and every time since, hearing Yang call her that made Summer's heart swell. She would forever be proud to call herself Yang's mother.

And finally her precious Ruby, so excited to be taking a picture that she couldn't settle herself in the frame. Summer thought Yang was an endless bundle of energy but Ruby could run even her ragged. She followed her sister everywhere - if Yang was doing something, Ruby needed to be doing it too. Even down to the pigtails, though Ruby's hair was too short for them. Otherwise, she was definitely her mother's child. She was growing so fast and guilt gnawed at Summer everytime she came home to see her little girl suddenly so much bigger, so different. She looked into Ruby's eyes, bright and silver, so much like her own.

Summer's eyelids began to sink as she felt herself slipping, torn cloak bunching up against her neck as she slid further down the tree. It would be so easy to let herself slide the rest of the way down until her head rested on the grass. Just a moment to rest her eyes, to give her the strength to…

She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood as she forced herself up. Her left arm lay uselessly at her side, broken in more places than one. Her right arm burned as she pushed and clawed her way back into a sitting position. The attempt felt like it drained what little strength she had left. The pain in her tattered right arm began to feel muted and far away. It was a warm spring day and yet Summer felt the cold settle in, the chill creeping up her limbs.

She pawed blindly for her scroll, panic flaring briefly before her hand brushed against it. She thumbed through the menus until she found where she needed to be. The faces of her family smiled up at her again, though smaller and surrounded by various buttons and options. The contact name was simply Home. Where she should be. Summer paused, thumb trembling over the call button.

You'll hurt them.

They deserve to know.

You'll break his heart.

He's strong. He'll be strong for them.

Is this the last memory you want to leave them?

I'm scared.

The tears were coming but Summer couldn't lift her arm high enough to wipe them away. Some big bad huntress you are, she thought bitterly as she wept. Finally stifling her crying, she found the option she wanted - audio only - and hit call. She grimaced as she lifted the scroll and rested it on the bloody ruin of her stomach, trying to steady her breathing while she waited for the call to connect.

—

"Daaaaaaaaad! Your scroll is going off!"

"Bring it here!" Tai shouted back as he tried to wrangle his youngest daughter. "Stay still, missy. You wanted a cool cloak, right?"

Ruby vibrated in place as her father finished fixing her 'cloak', a large white pillow case pinned to the girl's shoulders. As small as she was the pillow case reached down past her knees, though it looked more like a cape a superhero would wear than a proper cloak.

"Okay darling, I think the huntress is ready for action."

Ruby jumped forward and spun on her heel, striking her best hero pose. "Am I cool?!" she asked excitedly. The effect was mostly lost as the girl struggled to stay still, sock-covered feet slipping on the hardwood.

"Super cool," Tai agreed, giving his daughter a thumbs up. "Just like Mom. Take your socks off if you guys are playing inside, okay? You'll hurt yourself."

"Kay!" she shouted happily before dashing off, slipping and sliding in her socks down the hall to her room. Tai heaved a sigh from the couch as he watched her go.

"Hello, Mama? Helllloooooo?"

His eldest came in from the kitchen with his scroll pressed to her ear and he couldn't help but snort at her getup. Yang would be playing the terrifying Grimm to Ruby's huntress, it seemed, and Yang did her best to look the part. A black trash bag was pulled down over her head, holes cut out of the sides for her arms to stick through. A pair of pink heart sunglasses completed her transformation into the dreaded Grimm Yang.

Yang held the scroll out to him. "It says it's Mama but no one's saying anything."

"Maybe she butt dialed," he said, rolling his eyes when Yang snorted at him saying 'butt'. "Or the reception's bad. Lemme see."

Audio only? Probably poor signal. "Summer? You there babe?"

Yang made a gagging noise and he swatted playfully at the girl. "The huntress is ready," he whispered to his daughter. "Better go ambush her."

Yang gave a big nod and snuck off down the hall as quietly as the trash bag would let her. He waited for Yang's roar and Ruby's happy squeal before turning his attention back to his scroll.

"Summer?" he asked again, listening. The line wasn't entirely silent. He could hear breathing on the other end, definitely Summer's. Maybe she couldn't talk? He waited, listening as her breathing finally slowed and she forcefully cleared her throat.

"I-I'm here," she said with a sniffle. "Sorry. Think the pollen's really bad or something."

"Mission already wrapped up? Wasn't expecting you to call until tomorrow morning. You done on your end?"

There was a brief pause before she responded. "Yup…I'm done here."

"Sweet!" Tai said, rising from the couch. "Think you'll be back by tomorrow? I've been dying to see you. The girls have been too."

"Not tomorrow," she said, quietly. "How are the girls doing?"

"Terrors as always. They're playing huntress now, a miniature Summer Rose vs a…Beringel, I think?" he laughed. "It was kind of hard to tell. Here, let me get them."

Tai held the scroll away from his face as to not shout in his wife's ear. "Giiiiiiirrrrrllllllsss! Come talk to your mother!"

Yang barreled into him as he made his way to the girls' shared room, jumping to snatch the scroll from his hands.

"Hey Mama!" the girl shouted. Noticing her father's wince, she lowered her voice apologetically. "Sorry. Hey, Mama. You win?"

There was a short pause before Yang responded. "Yup! Me and Ruby are playing. I'm a Grimm and-"

Tai smiled as he watched his daughter pace up and down the hall, rambling excitedly at her mother. Tai was terrified for Yang when Raven left. No mother and a half-assed dad wasn't what she deserved. But then Summer came. Summer was more than Raven could ever dare to be, becoming the wife he would never be worthy of and the mother Yang deserved.

"-and I told him if he pulled my hair I'd punch him right in the face and he went and pulled my hair so I kinda HAD to punch him in the face and-"

Tai nodded proudly. Summer might not approve, and the principal definitely didn't, but the sooner boys learned to keep their hands off his daughter the better. Besides, Yang could get away with punching boys her age. The police might have words if Tai was the one who had to do it.

Yang paused to catch her breath but Tai caught her before she could start a new barrage on Summer. "Okay okay, you can tell her the rest when she gets home. Get your sister."

"Fiiiiiine. Love you Mama, bye!" Yang said, handing the scroll back to Tai before skipping down to her room and poking her head inside. "Mama's calling!"

Ruby dashed out of the room covered from head to toe in weapons. She had no less than three plastic swords jammed down the front of her pants, a bow strung across her chest, and a squirt pistol in each hand. Tai offered the scroll to her but she just stood on her tiptoes instead, bringing her mouth close to the receiver.

"Busy fighting monsters Mama, can't talk, byyyyeeeeeee!"

She dashed past him into the living room, turning to fire pretend shots at her Grimm sister. Yang roared in response and gave chase.

"Ruby!" he shouted angrily after the brat.

"Looooooovvvvveeeeeee yooooooooouuuuuuu!" she called back, voice fading as she pounded her way up the stairs.

Tai grunted as he lifted the scroll back to his ear. "I swear, that girl. So, how'd the mission go? If not tomorrow, when do you think you'll be back?"

At first there was no response. And then he heard sniffles quickly give way to heaving sobs as Summer broke down.

"Summer? Summer!" he shouted. Looking to the girls' room, he blocked his mouth and whispered urgently. "What's wrong? What happened? Talk to me."

She either didn't hear him or just couldn't respond as she sobbed into his ear. Panic was starting to gnaw at his stomach. Summer could be emotional when it came to the girls, but never like this, never while still out in the field.

She went on for some time, Tai muttering what comfort he could to her. It didn't seem to help as she continued to cry, occasionally gasping as she tried to catch her breath. Finally she started to settle, her long shaky breaths filling him with dread.

"Summer," he repeated. "What happened?"

"I…I…" she stuttered, "I-I'm sorry. I messed up. I won't…I'm…"

Tai felt an icy fist grip his heart. "I need to run next door!" he yelled up the stairs, already tearing the front door open. "Stay inside and lock the door after me!"

He didn't wait for his daughters to reply before he was out the door, leaping down the front steps, and tearing down the dirt path towards the next house down the road. Their nearest neighbors were over a mile away, not far at all for him. The fist around his heart squeezed down harder and he dug in, pushing as hard as he could.

"Tai," she whispered in his ear, "don't, there's nothing-"

"Where are you?" he panted, cutting her off.

"I-I don't know. I was lured away from the village and got lo- lost," she moaned. "I think it was a semblance. They got me turned around and-"

"They?"

"Huntsmen. S-six. I got them Tai, but…" she gave a forced laugh that tore at his gut. "But they got me too."

"Where's Qrow?" he asked, mind racing. Anytime she teamed up with anyone it was with Qrow. He'd be closest, he'd be able to do something.

"Different mission," she replied, voice strained. "Different continent."

"Raven! She can-"

"She won't," Summer answered, voice thick as she started to cry again. "You know she won't. I stole her family from her, she won't-"

"The only reason we have a family is because of you!"

His vision swam with unshed tears as he continued to sprint down the dirt path. Halfway there, just a bit more. He'd call Ozpin, he'd call Raven, anyone that would bring Summer back home again.

"Tai."

His stomach twisted as he ignored her. One arm pumping, he ran harder.

"Tai, please. Please."

He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't let their children lose her.

"Tai!" she shouted, and the anguish in her voice caused him to slow. "Please, say something."

"Keep fighting," he choked out as he stumbled to a stop. "I can't lose you. The girls need you."

He was crying now, ugly sobs that rooted him to the spot. He could hear his wife doing the same.

"Tai," she finally managed. "I-"

"I love you, Summer," he interrupted. "I love you so damn much."

"I love you too," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. "You'll tell the girls, won't you? Tell them how much I love them."

"They know, they know," he said, fresh tears pouring down his face.

"Ruby's so little," she cried. "She'll forget me."

"She won't," he argued. "You're her mom. She loves you. She'll never forget you."

"You have to tell them," Summer begged. "Everyday. Tell them."

"I will," he promised. "Every single day. They'll know how much their mama loves them."

"Thank you," she whispered over and over again as she wept.

"We'll be alright," he lied. The girls took after their mother. They were strong. He wasn't. "Don't you worry."

He stumbled off the path and found a tree. Letting the rough bark scrape his back, he sunk down to the ground. Summer's cries slowed and eventually she let out a long, shaky breath.

"Tai…?" she asked quietly.

"I'm here, love."

"Will you stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

He told her stories from school, about the garden he was finally going to start, and their plans for the following weekend. But mostly he talked about their daughters. He kept talking late into the afternoon as the sun began to set and he continued on, long after Summer Rose fell silent.