By the end of winter, Winter was beginning to show. She was not very happy about it. She no longer fit in her own clothes and she was close to bursting out of Qrow's. She was also not happy that Qrow was leaving her again.
"This is the last trip, I promise. We just have a few loose ends to tie up and then I'm staying until the baby comes. I promise to make it up to you." Qrow held his grumpy and pregnant wife close to his chest.
"You just don't want to miss the baby." Winter frowned and crossed her arms.
"Well duh, Ice Queen, but I am going to miss you too. I'm allowed to miss you both." Qrow teased her. She was grumpy now but he knew she would probably cry for the rest of the night. He kissed her head and then kissed her bump, to which she smiled slightly.
"I'll see you two in 6 weeks." Qrow put a hand on Winter's shoulder and gazed into her eyes with the utmost sincerity.
"You'd better. If you're not here when I deliver then I'll be having roasted crow for dinner." Winter kissed her husband. She waved as he boarded the ship and then started crying as soon as she got home.
The household status quo had shifted. The kids insisted that she didn't need to walk them to school anymore and Winter eventually gave in and let them walk by themselves. Ren took over cooking dinner when certain smells made Winter's nausea kick in. They each did their homework together in their partner groups and needed less help than before. The only thing that remained the same was crossing off the calendar and telling their bedtime stories.
There was also a new tradition. Winter no longer tucked the children in, but they all lined up to hug her and to say goodnight to the baby. Ruby and Weiss would bicker over who would be the favorite, aunt or cousin, and Winter assured them both that the baby will like her the most. Her stomach wasn't terribly large, she was only five months in, but she was enjoying the fluttering she felt. She referred to the baby as her little bird and sang to it when she could. Whenever Qrow was home he would lay his head on Winter's chest and play with the baby, poking it and talking to it and sometimes he would sing too.
When Qrow could see Patch in the distance, he immediately took off. Tai yelled at him but Qrow couldn't waste time on waiting to dock. He flew and flew until finally the house was in sight. He landed on his window and saw Winter wandering around in the room with a hammer and nails. She was straightening up the baby's area. They had pushed their bed over to the side and made room for a crib on the other side. She laid the quilt that Weiss had made for the baby down on the bed and added a small stuff blackbird that she had found in the market. Qrow pecked at the window and she jumped. Winter jumped and dropped the hammer. She ran over and opened the door, holding out her hand for the crow to perch on.
"My husband is due to return from the sea in two days. Have you seen him anywhere?" Winter asked the bird with a playful smile. Qrow transformed and kissed his wife's hand.
"I haven't but I will let you know if I do. I'm assuming he is devilishly handsome?" Qrow asked.
"I suppose…" Winter wrapped her arms around his neck.
"What are you doing with the hammer, Ice Queen?" Qrow wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I was putting up a shelf. I figured it would be nice to have some books and pictures as the baby gets older." Winter gestured to the mismatched stack of books and frames on the bed.
One shelf turned into a shelf and a side table, then a small dresser, then a mobile. They kept busy prepping for the new life. Weiss made several baby dresses and suits. Winter teased her that they weren't sure what the baby would be but Weiss was certain it would be a girl, simply because she had made such sweet baby dresses. The time went quickly and by the harvest, Winter was huge. She was confined to the house for bedrest after a false labor scare while helping with the harvest and she was even crankier than before. Qrow was enjoying winding her up like the old days, but he also missed his wife and was excited to meet their child. Winter was just ready for this creature to leave her.
They finally got their wish when the first leaves began changing color. Qrow was lucky to survive Winter's wrath throughout the hours long labor, but the moment the child was placed in her arms she was more docile than he had ever seen her. He had to convince her to take a nap in order for her to hand over the child to him, but he could understand her reluctance once her held the baby. Weiss' determination paid off and Qrow smiled at his precious daughter. Her hair was black and her eyes were blue, but those were subject to change later on. The little one held tightly onto his finger and slept soundly until she began fussing for food. Winter woke up immediately and took the child back to feed her. Qrow smiled at his wife.
"So shall we have another, my love?" Qrow played with Winter's hair. She looked fondly at him, with a glint of humor and fury in her eyes.
"Absolutely, my dear, but you have to birth the next one." She grinned and Qrow laughed before hugging his wife and daughter tightly.
"I love you."
"I love you too."