AN/ TITLE CHANGE - Yeah I changed up the title of this fic. I didn't like the previous one and when I posted it I just threw something out and wasn't happy with it. So Courage is now "Run" and the series is no longer called From Dust. Same story, just a different title :) Thank you for reading and for the support, feedback is so greatly appreciated.

Still sitting on Yang's porch, Blake stared at the now closed front door and fought against the rotting feeling that pooled in her stomach. She'd never seen Yang like that before. Anger was one thing, Yang had a temper. That fiery red stare and the violent, primal screams she would release. That was familiar, this—to see Yang with tears in her eyes and her bottom lip quivering—that was painful.

All because of you. A voice in the back of Blake's mind tormented her.

She couldn't deny it, Yang had said as much to her a moment earlier. The entire plan was to come here and be with Yang. It seemed like the best idea, it was the only idea. It was all she wanted. This was the moment she'd been building towards for the last five years. All the work she'd done, the nights sleeping in alleyways and tracking her prey, with the simple hope that she'd come back to Yang and finally be allowed to be free and happy.

Blake always felt she had a good grip of her own feelings, and the way she cared for Yang surpassed anyone she'd ever known. So to her, doing what she'd done would be the only way she could finally give all of herself to Yang. It was worth it every day when she was on the hunt, but now that it was over and she was here, failure had never felt so hollow.

Perhaps she was too naïve to think that this would be enough, that she would be enough. She'd never been loved before, not truly by anyone other than her teammates—how would she know what it meant to give that love back? All her life, Blake had only ever been a tool to be used and discarded. A Faunus born within an army, her future was never her own until she took it back; yet she never really escaped the White Fang.

Somberly, Blake rose to her feet and shuffled to the bag she'd laid on the ground. Her eyes couldn't help but glance at the unceremoniously discarded watering can. She felt guilty for ruining Yang's morning, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she'd ruined far more than that. Every ounce of strength she had was going towards keeping her emotions in check. This wasn't the appropriate place for her to have another breakdown.

The truth was, Blake didn't want to leave, she didn't feel like it was right to leave. She'd made this her mission and it wasn't complete. She wanted to get Yang back into the world, be a part of Yang's life again. Perhaps it was selfish, but she didn't have anywhere else to go. Which was even more evident now that Yang had shut her out, she literally had no shelter here in Patch.

The long walk up the hill was exhausting and seemed like it went on forever. By the time she reached the top, Blake felt the weight in her chest tightening. She hated uncertainty, having grown up surrounded by it, she became far too used to the comfort of Beacon in such a short time. Her mission after that drove her, and she plotted every step like a well calculated machine. Now, it felt like nothing in her future was set, she had no control, despite being as free as she'd ever been.

She could call Sun, certainly he'd take her in again and Neptune would as well, but she was such a burden on them.

That's all you are, Blake—a burden. You latched onto the White Fang for support, you latched onto your team at Beacon, Sun, and you thought you could latch onto Yang now. You take what you need from them and then you run. You're a coward, you're—

"Strike out?" A voice startled her and she looked over to see Taiyang sitting in a chair in front of his home. He wore a knowing smile as he sipped from a mug.

"She—she wasn't up to seeing me." Blake said with a timid smile.

Taiyang chuckled. "I heard, it's hard to miss when Yang is upset. She tends to set Remnant on fire."

"Yeah," Blake sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her."

"Neither do I," Taiyang said as he stood up from his chair. "Yet I seem to do it at least once a week." Taiyang put his hands behind his back and looked down the hill at the small cabin below. "She's not okay, Blake. She hasn't been for a very long time. It's not every day, some days she's almost like her old self and those are great days. They don't make up for the bad days though. The days when she's almost…not even there. It can be kind of scary sometimes. She won't even…consider a prosthetic arm, let alone something higher tech to get her back into the world."

Blake frowned. "Her dream of being a huntress was taken from her. It's all she ever trained for, she put…every ounce of energy she had into it, to have it stolen..." Blake wasn't sure where that thought was going, but it died on the tip of her tongue.

"With as far as robotics have come, she could restart her training and learn how to fight again. It's all there for her if she wants it but she refuses to try and I don't...understand why. She could do it, she's strong enough."

"I agree," Blake said quickly, a small smile threatening as she remembered Yang's once boastful attitude. She could remember a time when it felt like nothing would take that girl down. "I just…don't think I have any place in her life." Saying the words out loud hurt, her voice broke and she took a shaky breath to calm herself down.

"That scream she just let out, that anger…I haven't seen her like that since she came back." Taiyang was looking at her with a familiar intensity. "I'm not going to push you, Blake. I don't really even know you, only from the stories I've got from Yang and Ruby. But you matter to my daughter, even if she's upset now, you mean something to her and since you're here I can only believe that she matters to you."

Blake's grip on her bag tightened. "She does."

"Then if you're willing," he stepped to the side and gestured to the door. "I've got a lot of empty beds, I cook dinner every night and it's always too much and…I could use the help." He gave her a warm smile. "And the company."

The offer was unexpected, for as much as Blake assumed Yang and Ruby's father was a good person, she never imagined him to be so welcoming. Still, she knew that he had his own motivations in all this, and they were the same as her own. He needed another weapon to try and draw Yang out of the prison she'd built for herself down the road. She couldn't shake the idea that she'd do more harm than good, given the blunt rejection Yang had given her moments earlier.

That didn't remove the fact that the idea of running away from Yang again made her want to throw up.

"Are you sure?"

Taiyang nodded firmly. "Absolutely, judging by your small bag of belongings there, I don't think you'll be much of an imposition."

Blake couldn't help but smile. "I might eat all of your tuna."

This made him laugh. "I'll be sure and stock up."

"Mr. Xiao Long—"

"Oh no," he groaned and shook his head. "My students call me that, please. Call me Taiyang or even Tai."

"Okay…Taiyang." Blake tested the short version out first, it fit well enough and the goofy eyebrow quirk her gave her made everything more comfortable. "If you're sure it's okay…I would really appreciate being allowed to stay close to Yang." She made sure to phrase it that this wasn't anything extended. Blake was never used to stay in one place for too long. In fact, the most time she ever spent in one place was the lone year at Beacon.

Whether or not Taiyang caught onto her wording, he didn't seem to care. Instead, he opened the door and gestured for him to follow her. "Come on, I'll show you to the guest room."

Bark! BARK!

Blake jumped and nearly climbed onto Taiyang's back at the invading sound. She watched Zwei trot out from the house and Blake felt her ears flick back. She'd forgotten about Zwei, even having lived with him in the dorm she never really adjusted. Yang was good at helping her keep some distance and he spent most of his time with Weiss and Ruby because they spoiled him.

"Oh wow," Taiyang chuckled. "I didn't even think about that. Cat Faunus...is this going to be okay?"

She didn't remove her eyes from Zwei—she wasn't about to make him choose between his family pet or her. Taiyang might be a nice guy but she was fairly certain he would choose his dog over the strange girl who came knocking on his front door an hour ago.

"It will be fine," Blake tried to sound as polite as possible, even as the dog moved towards her again and she took a step behind Taiyang. He laughed again and picked Zwei up off the ground. Blake couldn't stop herself from glaring at the mongrel. She swore he purposefully antagonized her, she could feel it.

"He probably knows you're going to be taking his bed." Taiyang said offhandedly as he guided her inside.

She knew in that moment she was stronger than ever when she didn't turn and run as fast as she could from the annoying mutt.

As night started to fall, Blake was surprised at how easy it was to settle into Taiyang's home—once Zwei stopped following her everywhere.

It was almost surreal, like the things she'd seen in pictures about family homes and the quaint and quiet nights. She could smell food being cooked in the kitchen and she couldn't help but enjoy the way her socks slid across the wood floors. It was warm and cozy, the bed that he'd given her was more comfortable and soft than any she'd ever slept on.

Even with all the comforts and the scent of Taiyang's cooking, Blake found herself at the one window that overlooked the landscape below and gave her a clear view of Yang's small cabin below.

She'd checked this spot about a dozen times since accepting Taiyang's offer and not once had she seen Yang. The watering can that had been kicked into the road still laid there, though the water had dried with the sun of the day. It was unsettling and Blake couldn't help but worry. She knew Yang was in a bad state when she threw Blake out, but the silence was troublesome.

"You're in my spot." Tai's voice was playful and Blake turned to see him watching her. He looked quite silly wearing his "Real Huntsmen Wear Pink" apron and holding a spatula. "Sometimes I'll pull up a chair and make myself comfortable before I watch to see what she's doing."

Blake flushed a bit as she realized how obsessed she must seem with his daughter. "I—I'm just…worried. We had a fight and I haven't seen her come out."

"Yeah she probably won't. Not tonight anyway."

"Aren't you worried?" Blake asked as she finally pulled herself away from the window by the dining room table and followed him into the kitchen.

"Of course," he said as he went back to the stove. "But I'm always worried, that's what father's do." The lack of need he had to rush down and check on Yang did make Blake feel better. "I told you she had good days but she's had a lot of bad ones too. Used to be when she did I was pounding on her front door and making things worse." She knew well enough to know that if Yang really was in danger, her father wouldn't be this relaxed.

With one more look to the window she'd spent most of her night, Blake decided to focus on the man making her dinner. "Did you teach Yang how to cook?" Blake asked with a curious tone as she peeked into the pan to see some vegetables being sautéed.

"No," Taiyang chuckled. "Summer taught us both actually. Though Yang mostly taught herself with a lot of trial and error and burnt fingers." He pulled the food away from the burner and started dousing it in sauce. "She would sit in while Summer was trying to teach me some things, then after Summer passed away and I slipped away, Yang started taking over the cooking duties."

The delicacy with which he spoke about something so heavy as the loss of the woman he loved was heartbreaking. Yang had told Blake about Summer's passing and how her father didn't handle it well. Up to this point she hadn't really noticed anything to make her feel that he had it in him to stop trying for his children. Then he mentioned her name, and his eyes darkened and she saw that familiar look of pain. One she'd known herself, one she'd seen in her partner.

"Yang said she was a pretty amazing woman."

Taiyang nodded, his expression lifted a bit and she could see him fighting against the darker thoughts. "She was…a lot like Ruby she could just…adapt. Always find a way to make everything okay. Even when things weren't okay, she did her best to make you feel like they were. I was not ready when she died and…unfortunately, my kids paid for it." Blake suddenly felt like she had no right hearing any of this. She'd barely met this man. "It's why I asked you to stay…I can't…lose Yang. With Ruby gone and Summer…Yang needs to pull through this. It's been long enough now and if she takes any longer I worry she might never snap out of it. She's hiding in that shack down there and I've tried for a really long time to be what she needs and I'm just not." He turned off the stove and began plating the food for the both of them. Blake followed him to the table and sat down as he slid a plate in front of her. "I don't mean to put pressure on you but judging by the fact that you're here I think you're up for the task—I think…you might be the one to reach her."

Blake balked at his words. "I don't know, she didn't seem all that open to me this morning."

Taiyang reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out his scroll. She ate quietly in silence as he swept his finger across it numerous times. She wondered if he had forgotten their conversation already, his face focused on the task in front of him.

The food was delicious and Blake couldn't help but smile at his choice for dinner. Fish, of course—this family certainly had a way of going over the top to accommodate her. If it had been anyone else, Blake would have found it patronizing. She never wanted to be treated differently, for better or worse, but with Yang, Ruby and now their father, it just seemed to be their way. To make those around them happy made them happy.

It was a kindness Blake had never known before. The White Fang had been accepting, but that acceptance came with a price. She had to work for them, to earn her place and ensure that she would have food to eat and a place to sleep. With this family, it was given. Luxuries she grew up without were given without question—and unlike the Schnee's, it didn't appear that they had an endless supply of money to be giving away.

"Here," Taiyang's voice stirred Blake as she glanced up to see him holding out his scroll to her. On the screen was a picture from another life, her life. It was of she and Yang the day they all became team RWBY.

Carefully, Blake took the scroll from his hand and stared at the image. There was so much life in Yang's eyes. She had been so insistent that they take a photo and even though Blake had complained and tried to get away, Yang was relentless, in that charming way of hers, and Blake conceded.

Suddenly this stranger had an arm over her shoulder, a smile on her face and the excitement Yang radiated managed to bleed over to her and drew out a rare smile.

That was Yang Xiao Long, she was a light in the constant darkness that had plagued Blake for her entire life. She burst through like a ball of fire and refused to let Blake cower in her own fear.

"I was so worried about her." Blake's voice escaped without warning and she looked up to see Taiyang watching her curiously. "I was a very quiet and reserved person. I still am, but Yang she was so…outgoing and just in your face. She never hesitated to speak her mind and do what made her happy. At the time I thought we wouldn't work well together but then I learned how compassionate and caring she was. The way she looked out for Ruby, for all of us—"

"Yeah," Taiyang sighed as Blake handed him back his phone. "I'm afraid that's more on me than anything else. Yang…she…had to take on a lot after Summer died. I…didn't handle it very well."

Blake could only nod slowly as her plate of food suddenly became very interesting to stare at. She was still unfamiliar with Taiyang, despite how kind he had been to her, she wasn't sure what this subject would bring out in him.

"Yang mentioned Summer, that it was hard for you…all of you."

"It's why I haven't been able to push Yang through this, I have no right to tell her how to deal considering how terribly I did." In this moment, Taiyang reminded Blake a lot of Yang. So…open and comfortable in speaking to her, despite the fact that he barely knew her. "The worst mistake of my life was letting my daughters down. I've spent a lot of time trying to make up for it and to keep them safe—but Yang dives head first into everything and Ruby is…exactly like her mother."

"Have you spoken with Ruby?" She asked as he finally started eating again.

Taiyang shook his head. "Not once since she left, but I know she's spoken to Yang a few times. It doesn't sound like Ruby ever tells her much, just lets her know that she's okay. She never calls from her scroll and when you call it, it doesn't respond. She's thrown it away, taken herself off the grid. She doesn't want to be found." He sighed tiredly. "I haven't seen her in five years, I missed her sixteenth birthday, her eighteenth birthday and soon I'll miss her twenty-first." He suddenly smiled. "I'm sorry, I'm making a great first impression by piling all my problems onto you. Please forgive me."

Blake waved him off. "You don't have to apologize. Your problems and mine are the same. Yang and Ruby…they're why I'm here. I want my team back safe. They're the only family I ever had that was worth coming back for."

"Well," Taiyang wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Then I suppose we better start figuring out how to make that happen."