Disclaimer: For Elderburn Week Day 2: Missing in Action… also, I'm not sorry.
Yang sighed, watching as Winter packed her duffel bag for the upteenth time. When they'd started dating, she'd acknowledged that being with a soldier meant long periods of being separated from each other, with Winter away on missions in one of the other kingdoms or stationed there for up to a year at a time. But six years into their relationship, it had just made the time they spent together all the sweeter, though the time apart never became easier to bear. Sure, she'd take the occasional Huntress gig to pass the time, but with Grimm numbers so low, that hardly proved much trouble. Barely a distraction at all, really.
"This is the last one." Winter muttered, shoving a pair of boots into the bag. "I swear, I'll not do this again."
"But you love it," she said, pushing off the wall to grab her girlfriend's hand, stopping her from violently pushing in yet another pair of uniform pants. "You aren't just going to up and quit the military."
"Yes, I am." Cool blue eyes flashed with steely resolve, something that remained curiously bereft the previous instances they'd had this particular conversation. "I didn't mind these missions before but my priorities have changed. You're pregnant now; I don't want to run the risk of missing my own child's birth."
"Whoa, calm down." Yang laughed, pulling the woman into an embrace. She remained a bit stiff, wound tight from frustration, but with two hands smoothing up and down her back, she relaxed by degrees, and a smile curled the blonde's lips. After enough years, she had wonderful control over her prosthetic and could be gentle just like her other hand. "We just found out I was pregnant last week and this mission's only projected to last four months. That's plenty of time-"
"Assuming I come back on schedule." Winter sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "This isn't a training mission; I'm being sent to hunt down a dangerous terrorist cell in the Mantle Mountains. It's treacherous terrain and a fanatically devout enemy- there's a chance it'll take longer. Or…"
She pulled back, slipping a hand to the back of her girlfriend's neck to ensure they were looking at each other properly. "Hey. None of that, now, I don't want you running off thinkin' you've got everything to lose, because then you're going to make a mistake." Then, she smoothed her hands down the front of Winter's military jacket, tugging lightly on the buttons. "I know this mission is more dangerous than the ones you've dealt with before and I know you're scared about me and the baby. But I don't need you distracted." When her hands landed on the woman's hips, she pulled her closer, into a soft kiss. "I just need you to focus on getting back in one piece. Okay?"
"Right." Her girlfriend held her close, forgetting her packing for a moment. "But I am serious. This is not a solution that works for me anymore. After I return from this mission, things will change."
"Whatever you want." Yang couldn't help but smile wide. Even if she didn't want Winter leaving the military strictly for her sake, she couldn't lie that she rather liked the turn of events. "But first?"
"Get back from the mission." Another kiss. "And get back to my family."
"That's right." They parted, with Yang delivering a cheeky little slap to Winter's backside. "Now, let's get you to that airship." She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they'll have a Huntress mission posted that I can take in the meantime."
"Do be careful-"
"Says the woman about to leave for a life-or-death mission in treacherous terrain," she replied with a laugh. "But, I'll be careful."
"Good." Winter sighed, relieved, and finished packing her bag. "I'll be glad when this whole mess is over."
"Which will be?" She went back to leaning against the wall, gaze roving over their bedroom. It would feel cold and empty with her love gone away.
"I'm up for renewing my contract a few months after I'm projected to get back. I'll simply turn them down." A pause, a single moment of doubt, before her resolve hardened. "General Ironwood will understand."
Yang rolled her eyes. "I think he'll have the paperwork ready when you get back if you mention it. He might not even send you on the mission."
Winter stopped dead in her tracks. "… he probably wouldn't…"
Her brows rose. "You're serious about this."
"Of course I am."
"Then just mention to him that this is your last mission." She smiled gently at the look on her girlfriend's face, the obvious confliction in her expression. "You know he wouldn't send you on something like this unless he thought only you could see it through. There are plenty of Specialists, but none with your skill and experience. So, go save the world one more time." She rested a hand on her belly. "We'll be right here when you get back."
Winter drew in a deep breath. "You're right." A shake of her head. "But I'm not sure if I like it."
"This time next year, you'll be out of military and with your firstborn." Yang smiled. "Just remember that while you're out there freezing your ass off."
Her girlfriend chuckled, picturing it for a moment and then lifting her bag onto her shoulder. "We're taking the bike, yes?"
"You know it." She started heading out of the bedroom, grabbing her keys as she went. "Love you Snowdrift."
Before she could quite make it out of the door, two arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her back against her girlfriend's form, and a surprised laugh burst from her lips. "I love you too, Sundrop." A kiss pressed just beneath her ear. "And I'll be back soon. I promise."
"You better be," she replied, turning her head for another kiss. "And try to come back with all the pieces you left with, okay?"
"I've already lost two legs." Winter shrugged. "What more could they take from me?" Silently, Yang raised her right hand and waved. "I trust you'll help me adjust."
"Okay, can it on the morbid jokes, please." Another kiss. "And make sure you're home in time for the baby shower."
Yang then led her girlfriend out of the bedroom, heading downstairs so they could head over to the docks. It would definitely be tough without Winter there but the idea of taking on one last Huntress mission before she got too pregnant appealed to her.
And it would keep her imagination from running rampant with what terrible complications might befall Winter's mission.
Winter paced in front of the airship door, hardly missing a step as it lowered down to the docks. Not only had her mission run late- by a full month- but communications were disrupted thanks to those infernal terrorists' attempts to destroy the Atlas CCT. Damned Mantle purists and their ridiculous ideology- no one could get a message out to Yang before the thing went down and communications hadn't improved prior to her leaving, which meant her girlfriend had to be worried sick.
She remembered keenly watching the chaos of the Vytal Festival all those years ago, the devastation before everything went black, and the news coverage of the terrorists as Winter's unit gave chase probably hadn't set Yang at ease. That there was a communications blackout immediately after… she just had to get home, as soon as possible.
The slight jolt of the airship touching down hardly bothered her, her bag left forgotten with the rest of the cargo as the door opened and she immediately started down the ramp. She pulled out her scroll and dialed Yang's number, waiting for the line to connect while pushing her way through the crowd that perpetually hung around the docks.
When the first call got nothing but voice mail, she tried again. A second and third call got her much the same, so she tried a different approach; if anyone would be at their home to comfort Yang, it would be Blake, which meant her sister couldn't be far.
"Winter?" Weiss' voice flooded with relief. "Oh, it's good to hear from you again. We heard about Atlas-"
"Is Yang okay?" She finally made her way to the street, waving a hand to hail a taxi and shooting a cutting glare at any who tried to flag one down ahead of her. "She must be worried- put her on the line, right now."
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean what am I talking about?" She got into the taxi and hurriedly gave him the address. "Yang must be worried sick and she's not answering her scroll. I presume you're at our place-"
"Winter, stop." The relief fled, replaced by a sense of trepidation. "Are you saying Yang didn't go on that mission with you?"
"Of course not!" Her brows drew together. "It was a military strike operation. Why would I bring Yang on a mission like that?"
"She told us she was leaving out on a mission shortly after you left." Winter's breath caught in her throat. "We tried calling her and stopping by, but we never could reach her, and after the blackout, we assumed she went to join you on the mission."
"What- she, no, she's not with me." Terror began to descend on her, worming its way around her chest in the worst way. "She said she might pick up a Huntress mission while I was gone but… it- it shouldn't have lasted this long. She's- she's at least five months pregnant by now." All the air fled from her chest as three words crossed her mind, three words she didn't know the answer to but needed. "Where's my wife?"
"Winter-"
"Weiss, where is she?" Her mind started racing, hand holding her head as she tried to snatch the thoughts. "There- there has to be- be some sort of system, a tracker, for Huntresses, Vale has to-"
"Okay, Winter, stop. Focus on my voice and breathe, okay? Blake just called the support line; Yang's required to check in periodically during assignments."
"They'll know, right?" Not quick enough, the taxi pulled up to their house, and she hardly thought toss all the lien in her pocket into the passenger seat. "They have to know- they have to…"
She muttered, moving towards the house… but nothing was as it should be.
Newspapers piled up by the door, which Yang would be sure to collect because she liked doing the crossword puzzles.
Yang would always check their mail at the same time, but the bin was fit to bursting.
Pulling her key from her pocket and shoving the door open, with enough force to bang loudly against the wall and bounce back towards her, she called out into the house, hoping against hope that they were mere flukes.
"Yang! Yang!"
But Yang never left anything out on the counter if she was going to be gone more than a week, and the rank stench of moldy bread and rotten eggs permeated the kitchen.
The finished crossword puzzle on the coffee table was dated a few days after Winter left.
Her mission bag was gone and Ember Celica were nowhere to be found.
Bumblebee sat in the garage, a fine layer of dust collecting on the seat.
"Winter? Winter, can you hear me?" Blake's voice came from her scroll, prompting her to raise it to her ear. "Winter?"
"I'm here." She ran a hand through her fringe, a low level of panic beginning to set in as she paced through the house. "But Yang- she's not here, she's not home, where is she?"
"I checked with Vale's Hunters' Board. They confirmed that Yang took a mission and reported it complete. They… logged which flight she took back to Vale."
The fear and worry in her voice- the Faunus never learned how to keep her emotions out of her tone. "What aren't you telling me?"
"We saw it on the news- we just didn't think much of it at the time." A pause. "The flight Yang took… never made it to the city. Mechanical failure- it crashed somewhere on the route. They're still searching for the wreckage-"
Suddenly, the white noise that had taken over her mind quieted, enough for a plan to form. "Where?"
"It was coming back from southeast Vale- wait, Winter? What are you thinking?"
She'd begun to move. She had her weapon already and she needed little else except a mode of transport, and Bumblebee would do just fine. Yang had taught her how to ride; fitting she should put the experience to practical application in such a time. "I'm going to find her."
"They've been searching for months- and what parts of the wreckage they have found- Weiss! Weiss, talk to her."
"Winter?" Her sister's voice sounded distant- concerned, frantic almost, but distant. "Winter, you can't be serious; you've no idea where you're going."
"Southeast." She went to grab her helmet, sitting beside Yang's, but hesitated. Reaching up, she pulled out the pins holding her bun in place and settled her girlfriend's helmet on her head, taking hers with her for when she found the woman. "I'll look up flight paths once I hit the city limits."
"You can't be serious-"
"I'm not sitting around this house hoping someone else is going to find her!" She pulled the scroll away from her ear, scowling at the device. "I'm going out there and finding Yang! Whatever it takes!"
"Wi-" She hung up, tucking her scroll into her jacket and opening the garage door, straddling the bike. It took a minute to kick over, months of disuse bogging down the engine, but when it roared to life, she felt certain of one thing.
She would not return home empty handed.
Winter found her sister and her wife waiting for her at the last gas station heading southeast out of the city. The benefit of a second person and a car meant that Weiss could do the necessary research while Blake drove, narrowing down where they needed to look; she also took the liberty of contacting Yang's sister, who dropped everything and swore to meet them along the way.
Apparently, the last signal from the airship came somewhere over a mountain range, and while bits and pieces of the thing were found, the main wreckage hadn't been. But a search team still trekked through the mountains and they had an address; Winter broke too many speeding limits to count and nearly lost control of Bumblebee six times, but they made it in record time.
It wasn't until she stood before a map of the mountains, at all the little sectioned off zones for the search- at all the bright red 'x's drawn to represent areas searched, and how much blank space remained, that it really began to sink in, the entirety of it.
Her strong, capable, loving girlfriend, the woman who stood against an army of darkness with only her friends and her fists- Yang Xiao Long was somewhere in the wilderness, probably wounded and…
"Winter?" Weiss stepped up beside her, put a hand on her shoulder, but she could hardly feel it- suddenly numb. "You're shaking."
"She's out there somewhere," she said, tears threatening to break through the dam. "She's out there and she's hurt and… she's almost seven months pregnant… I shouldn't have left. I should never have left."
"Ma'am." One of the people, a supervisor for the search team, gently spoke. "You must understand there's almost no chance she's still-"
Only thanks to Weiss and Blake grabbing her- and about twenty glyphs encircling her- did Winter not immediately turn and break the man's jaw with her fist.
Winter didn't join the search party- they'd only slow her down. She took only enough rations to survive for a week on her own and it'd been nearly two.
But she refused to turn back now.
She didn't keep to the neat little grid squares; she knew her girlfriend. Yang, born and raised on an island, bereft of the comfort afforded to the bigger, well protected cities. A Huntress- she knew how to survive in an unfamiliar and unforgiving landscape. Find fresh water, find shelter, hunt- secure the basic necessities.
And that's exactly where Winter started her search, looking for the caves near where they'd found part of the airship's hull until she found evidence of a person. Dried blood from where someone gutted a deer- far enough away from a cave that it wouldn't draw predators to whoever used it for shelter. From there, she followed the path of least resistance, down the mountain and into the forest, heading towards a lake. Far and away from the search teams and their pretty little grids.
But forests meant animals- prey and predator alike. She found traps, some for rabbits and some to injure larger creatures that might follow the smell of dead or dying prey. She also found her fair share of creatures, some that scurried from her and others which thought she might be easy prey herself. The blade of her sword put swift ends to those threats, however.
She kept following. All the way to the lake.
As she stood at the edge, hunger and exhaustion gnawing at her, Winter looked around for any other sign.
The trail couldn't go cold now.
Her scroll rang in her pocket and she pulled it out, answering mechanically. "Have you found her?"
"No," her sister replied, sighing heavily. "Where are you?"
"A lake, south of the range."
"Winter, all the search teams are concentrating on the north side; they're pretty sure the airship made it over-"
"Yang would find fresh water and there's none on the north side."
Weiss remained silent for a moment. "Blake and I are coming to pick you up."
"No."
"You need to rest and eat. You're liable to-"
"Don't you dare say it." She growled, tempted to toss the device into the water that sat before her- still and mocking.
"You're not checking in, we've little idea where you are or where you're going, and you don't have the equipment necessary to survive out there." Weiss pressed on, heedless of her warning. "You're liable to end up like Yang at this rate- lost and injured!"
For a moment, her anger quelled. "She's not dead."
"I know that." A sigh. "She's dating you; if that wasn't enough to drive her to an early grave, a little airship crash is nothing in comparison."
She had to laugh, though the sound came out hollow, even to her ears. "I'm not that bad."
"With the way you gallivant all over the place? Trust me, dearest sister, I remember that we were too alike when we were younger, and I certainly would've given Blake more than a few grey hairs by this point if I didn't grow up."
"Are you accusing me of being immature?"
"You ran off into the wilderness on a rescue mission without proper supplies; I'm calling you reckless. You'll be of no use to Yang in your current state. Let us pick you up, get you rested, and then you can resume your search in a few days' time. Okay?"
"Tomorrow," she said. "I'll be back tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow and that's my final offer. If you refuse, I'll call General Ironwood."
"I'm not his soldier anymore."
"No, but he does have the necessary equipment to keep a person of your caliber from escaping, if necessary."
There, she had a point. "Fine. The day after tomorrow."
"Great. Stay by the lake. We'll be there in… about three hours."
Disconnecting the call, she slipped her scroll back into her pocket and balled her hands into fists.
Stay by the lake- she would comply… but she would walk the entire shoreline before she left. There had to be some clue, some hint as to where Yang had gone next.
So she walked, scanning, looking for anything out of place, until she found it- the marks gouged into a tree, the makings of a trail, too high for an animal to leave.
Winter looked back at the lake, briefly, before following the trail.
Yang had to be close. She'd deal with Weiss' anger later.
The trail markers became harder and harder to distinguish but, soon, she found other means of following the trail- broken branches, a boot imprint in the mud, small tatters of cloth- until she came to what appeared to be a shallow cave made by rocks. Enough for shelter but not so much that it could give potential predators a place to hide. And, unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, there appeared to be thin wisps of black smoke rising up from between a few of the rocks.
Ducking into the entrance, she proceeded cautiously, until she heard a familiar sound that finally set her at ease- even though it rightly shouldn't.
The metallic clicking of Ember Celica preparing to fire.
"Sundrop? Yang?"
"… Winter?" As her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness inside the cave, her heart nearly broke. Yang had propped herself up, facing the entrance, with some manner of make shift bandage covering the left side of her face and her entire right leg covered in thick branches strapped to it- enough to use for support but not enough to cover the obvious break about midway through the femur. Her clothes were torn and tattered, blood stained in some places, and cut in others to allow for the swell of her belly, though it didn't appear to be nearly as big as a seven month pregnancy should be. "Snowdrift?"
"It's me." She rushed forward and fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around her beloved. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left, I should've been here-"
"Hey, stop that." A soft chuckle, her left hand reaching up to card through white strands- her right seemed immobile, likely suffering some malfunction and unable to be repaired without the toolkit likely lost in the crash. "If you were here, how would we get rescued? You did tell someone you were coming out here, right? You didn't just charge out in a blind panic?"
"Weiss and Blake are on their way," she said, neglecting to mention, for the moment, that her initial 'plan' consisted of exactly that. "Ruby's with the search teams."
"Good, gang's all here." Her eyes closed, heaving a deep sigh. "And… you know… I'm never one to volunteer for a doctor's visit… but I think I might need to see one. Not for me, though." She reached out, grabbed Winter's wrist and pulled it against her belly. "For her but don't worry. She's still kicking."
And she could feel it, the little bumps against her palm, strong little thumps.
That's when the dam broke, tears started flowing down her face as she pulled Yang tightly into her arms, shuddering with her sobs. Apologies poured from her lips and she became dimly aware of other people coming from further inside the cave- other survivors of the crash, the only thing that would keep Yang from moving somewhere she could find help, people without aura to heal their wounds- but she couldn't care about them. All she could acknowledge in the moment was having the woman back in her arms and their unborn child somehow still alive.
Weiss and Blake found them fairly easily- Yang answered Winter's scroll when it started going off, managed to give the directions she couldn't- and the events between finding Yang in that cave and flying her and the other survivors to the nearest hospital were murky at best. All she could remember clearly was snapping at anyone who tried to pry her away and eventually being manhandled by Weiss and Blake into allowing the medical staff to examine Yang.
Her sister waited with her just outside the room, Blake and Ruby posted up at the doors in the event she made a break for it- and some part of her mind find it comical in hindsight, but for now, it simply vexed her to no end.
"Winter? May I ask you something?"
"Go on." Her agitation showed plain in her voice but she couldn't help it; two hours since the doctors went in, they should've given her an update by now.
"Do you remember what you asked me when you realized Yang was missing?"
That cut through her annoyance enough to replace it with confusion. "I… asked where Yang was?"
"Something like that." Their gazes met. "You asked 'where's my wife'."
She didn't remember that part. "I did?"
"Yes." Weiss nodded. "Is… that something you've talked over with her before?"
"Yang… her parents didn't marry. Ruby's neither." Crossing her arms over her chest, Winter looked away. "I brought it up once and she seemed… apathetic to the idea. But that was years ago." A chuckle passed her lips. "I suppose… perhaps in the back of my mind, I've been thinking of her in such terms. Even when they shouldn't have, our parents stayed together- married, I mean… and Yang-" She swallowed hard, speaking the words out loud. "I don't see myself ever being without her. I don't want to leave her."
"I know that's why you're leaving the military-"
"No. Not just that." She pressed her lips into a thin line, then sighed. "I mean, I'd give my life to her. Remember when you proposed to Blake? You tried describing to me how it felt."
"My life is hers to command because she holds my heart in her palm and I have no fear of what she'll do with it. Only hope." Weiss nodded, that silly little smile she always got when waxing poetic about her wife coming to her lips. "I remember."
"I didn't understand at the time what you meant. But now I do." She nodded, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall. "I just don't know how she'd take it if I told her."
"I've known Yang for long enough that I feel reasonably confident saying the following." Her sister put a hand on her shoulder. "Yang's always been the most adaptable and she's grown a lot. She doesn't have the best experiences with trusting people and she hasn't many role models in that regard. But there's, perhaps, some information you've yet to consider." A reassuring smile. "She wouldn't have gotten pregnant if she didn't believe, wholeheartedly, that you would stay with her."
"I'm still not sure if she'll like the idea." Briefly, she entertained a daydream- a ceremony, their friends and chosen family, a white dress and veil, two rings- and then chuckled. "You know how she can get antsy during ceremonies."
"Maybe she'll suggest a middle ground. She and Ruby have always had a knack for problem solving and cooperation." The door to Yang's room opened and Weiss stepped back. "At any rate, you should tell her. In your own words, mind, because Blake's told Yang about my proposal half a hundred times at least."
Winter nodded, then headed off, brushing past Blake and Ruby to enter Yang's room. Cleaned up and in a hospital smock, her injuries seemed almost superficial. The bandage on her face now only constituted a long gash across her cheek, already healing with her aura boosted by medication, and the little cuts and scrapes along her arms had already faded into barely there scars. Two heart monitors kept track of two hearts, both steady and strong. Only her leg seemed to show signs of needing further medical attention, braced and bracketed in metal.
"They're saying they might not be able to set it properly," Yang said, lethargic but awake enough to speak. "If they can't… I'm sure you'll help me adjust."
A quip about morbid jokes never left her lips, too focused on getting to the woman's bedside and sitting down. She cupped her lover's face and leaned down, kissing her slow and deep and taking it as a good sign when she was met with equal passion. "I love you."
"Love you too." A tired smile. "I knew you'd come track me down."
"I'll never leave you," she said, reverentially, setting a hand on Yang's belly. "Neither of you."
"This isn't your fault, ya know." Her hand covered Winter's. "Just a fluke. Freak accident."
"That doesn't change my statement." Her other hand started carding through golden locks, mindful she didn't tug on the knots tangling her hair. "I'm yours, Yang. Wholly and completely. My life, my love, my very being- I pledge it to you. I'd marry you, if you let me. No matter how far apart we may be physically, I will always be with you. And I will always come back to you, no matter where you are."
Yang stared at her for a long, hard moment. "You were pretty scared, huh?"
"Terrified out of my mind would be a more apt description." She mustered a small smile. "But I should've told you that long ago. I just… didn't think it'd be appreciated."
"That's where you're wrong." A wide smile spread across her lips. "I appreciate the hell outta it… more than that… I believe it…" She reached up, rubbing her thumb along Winter's cheek. "And I've been yours for a while now, too." A shaky breath, tears coming to her eyes as she nodded. "And… marriage sounds nice. After the baby's born?"
A short chuckle burst from her lips as she leaned down to kiss the woman. "We don't have to get married."
"I know. But I want to…" Yang fought to keep speaking, through increased slurring born of fatigue. "I'm not my mom… neither are you… took me a while to really believe that but I do." A heavy sigh. "Talk later… 'm so tired."
"Then rest." She moved, squeezing into the hospital bed beside her lover. "I'll be right here when you awaken. I promise."
Winter watched as Yang drifted off, glancing over at the heart monitors. If one told her six years ago she'd be not only willing to marry the brash blonde brawler her sister called a friend but excited about starting a family with her, she'd scoff and roll her eyes, doubly so at the notion that she'd trade her military career for such a life. Thankfully, she'd done some growing of her own in that time and stopped chasing a hollow sense of belonging in favor of a real home.
She pressed a kiss to the woman's temple- her lover, her girlfriend, her fiance, her wife, the title didn't matter. With Yang, she was home, whole and complete.
Weiss poked her head in briefly, just to check on them, and took Winter's smile to mean everything turned out well. She made a soft quip about 'tasteful bridesmaid dresses' before disappearing again. Ruby came by as well, giving Winter a bone crushing hug that she couldn't quite give Yang with the blonde still recuperating, but she bore it with a grin. Blake even brought her a book- and an appropriate one, highlighting the unique challenges Huntresses faced within the last few months of pregnancy and the first few months after birth.
This was where she belonged; this was her solution.
Family. A real one.
And she'd not leave it again.
Author's Note: … no, now that you mention it, I don't know why I keep circling back to family as a theme for these two… but it is appropriate…