"Hey. You've been pretty quiet lately."
"So?"
Qrow smiled and pushed Raven over.
"Has Marco bothered you anymore?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Thats good."
"It's only temporary."
"Doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we have now. Christmas is almost here already."
Raven made a face making her brother laugh.
"You want anything for Christmas?"
"No."
"You always say that."
"Yet, you manage to buy me something every year and give it to me."
"Then you never use anything I give you," Qrow said with a grin.
Raven tucked some of her ebony hair behind her ear.
"I keep them all in a special lock box. Every card and small trinket you've given me... Is locked away."
"You so weird Sis."
"I know. One day... This happy and secure feeling will disappear."
Qrow placed a stand on her shoulder, "Things will be fine."
Raven pulled away with a pained look in her face, "That's easy for other to say but not me."
"I'm sorry."
"Everyday I have to make some change to everything because anything from waking up and stepping out the dorm to something like leaving Beacon caused dire issues for the future. Picking up a glass of milk does the same. I see the untimely deaths of people around me constantly. I can't take waking up from horrible, lucid nightmares half of the time."
"You can't block it?" Qrow asked and Raven stared at him with tear filled eyes.
"I can't because I'm constantly countering your semblance. Whether it's just being by your side or pushing you to do something else... I always see you hurt or dead."
Qrow was completely speechless.
"Summer haunted my dreams our second year. It wasn't her that was evil, it was that blonde woman... Summer told me she has the ability to disrupt aura... She had managed to do it once we stepped into Rose Village."
"Why don't you tell me anything anymore?" he asked feeling offended and furious.
"What would you do if I told you not to do something because you would die? Or get hurt? That Tai or Summer did? You want to know everything? I can tell you everything but it'll haunt you to where you can't sleep at night. If you want to know... I'll tell you."
Raven's face was twisted up in pain and misery. Even the night they escaped the Branwen tribe, she didn't look like that. Perhaps it was just that she had to only look after Qrow but now she had friends. Other people she cared about that she needed to keep safe.
"You don't have too. I get it."
Qrow put am arm around his sister's shoulders and pulled her closer for a side hug. They weren't the closet when it came to sharing emotions but shen it came to surviving they had everyone else beat besides Summer. They would have to make it through together because who knew what would happen if they went their separate ways...
X
X
"I guess I have to return you back to Beacon."
Summer smiled.
"I would ask you to stay but Raven might kill me."
Summer laughed nervously, only because there was truth to that statement.
"I am almost done with school though. Then I can become a full fledge huntress."
Roman smiled, "That sounds great."
"You really think so?"
He nodded, "I can't fight as well as you can though. I'm more of a gun person."
"You can't fight hand to hand?" Summer asked.
"Well yea but a Dust gun is way more powerful than a hit to the face."
She laughed and nodded, "Very true."
"Are you ready?"
Roman really did want her to stay but school was more important and asking her to miss wouldn't be right. This was her dream, her everything. They headed out to his car but Summer stopped in the middle of the walk way to look at the sky. She really didn't want to leave.
"Is everything OK?" Roman asked.
"Yea. Just thinking about stuff."
"Like?"
Summer rubbed her arm with a pained look on her face.
"We aren't sure what's going to happen with Salem and Lily. It's hard to say if everyone will walk out alive or not. I almost feel like I'm wasting your time because there is no guarantee that I come alive myself. I am so strong but I never get anything right. I throw myself into everything without a second thought. Why do you wanna be with someone like me?"
Roman sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I wonder the same. I wonder how a powerful, loving huntress can love scum off the streets."
Summer stared at him in surprise, "I don't see you as scum though."
"I don't see some selfish woman flinging a sword around like a toy either."
They stood in silence for a few minutes before Roman spoke again.
"In honesty... If you are very worried then you need to prepare yourself mentally. Think about the scenario before hand. Think of possibility that can happen and think of how you would react. Always think steps ahead and suspect anything impossible can happen. It mostly applies to criminal activity but I think it would help a lot. You, Raven and Qrow are emotionally driven fighters who jump in without a second thought but your friend Taiyang is more calm.
"I don't know if all makes any sense to you but that's how you fight. That's how the underdog can win. I can tell you even though I think about all my scenarios before hand, I never thought you would cross my path that night. That wasn't even impossible to me... Because the idea had never existed."
Summer smiled. Roman placed a hand on her cheek.
"I can't do much as simple person with a barely working semblance but I could out think you. There's more to everything than brute force. Think plan... It's like chess or checkers, you must be steps ahead everytime. If you want I can give you some practice sometime."
She nodded.
"Let me get you home before mama Raven kicks my ass."
X
X
Summer walked through the dorm door to see Qrow was the only one there. He looked up at her and gave her a very unusually normal smile. She smiled back and headed for her bed. She wondered what he was thinking about.
"How was your date?" Qrow asked.
"It wasn't much of a date between homework and him fixing stuff in his house but it was good. Thank you for asking."
She sat down and pulled out her scroll.
"Can I ask for some advice?"
Summer's head snapped up.
"S-sure."
"I like Glynda but I don't know how to ask her to be with me. How would I go about doing that?"
Summer tapped her chin in deep thought, "What is it that you're unsure of?"
Qrow looked extremely embarrassed as his face turned red, "She's so smart. I don't know how to ask her. I don't want her thinking I'm treating her like she's dumb or anything."
"I don't think she would think that way. What does she like to do a lot?"
"Read. Write."
"Well, ask her to a book store date! Then take her for her favorite food and take her around eating ice cream!"
Qrow laughed, "I never thought of that. Thank you."
"You're not mad at me anymore?" Summer asked.
"No. I mean I was more mad at myself but I'm OK now. I am sorry though. You didn't deserve all that."
"It's OK. I'm not mad either. We had a lot of growing up to do."
"We did. Still have more."
She giggled, "I don't think I can grow any taller."
"Yea that's true. You've been the same size for almost three years now."
Summer threw a pillow at him and he started laughing.
X
X
Summer stayed in the dorm room after school. Roman had came to visit instead and they played cards on her bed. Taiyang ended up joining them in an intense game of go fish with a lot of screaming. Raven had fallen asleep on the floor with her book on her face.
Qrow walked in and kicked the sole of her shoe making her jump out of her nap.
"What?" she snapped looking angry.
"Let's go out."
"Um, I have Taiyang to do that kind of stuff with."
"If you don't get up now I'll stick your hand in warm water while you're
sleeping."
Raven sat up glaring at him, "Getting brave are we?"
"We haven't had much time to hang out and I wanna make it up for being a jerk during the summer break. Let's go."
Qrow held out his hand and his sister signed but grabbed his hand anyways. He pulled her up and they headed out the door while Raven's hair was in disarray from her nap. He truly meant it though, he had something to make up for and he felt he regret it forever of anything happened to them in the end.
It was hard to tell what the future held for them.
The twins walked the streets of Vale ignoring some of the looks they were getting. Even after they helped with Rose Village, they were still somewhat shunned for their semblances. They could save thousands of people but no one would care. People still hated Faunus too.
"Want some pop and pizza?" Qrow asked and Raven nodded with a small smile on her face.
If you didn't know Raven, she was rather scary but in reality, she was an eating machine. Especially for pizza, tacos and homemade meatloaf. She wasn't the girly girl type everyone imagined she would be but she was her own type. Qrow admired his sister, she was a hero in his eyes.
"You realize I will eat both of those pizzas?" she asked before sipping on her carbonated drink.
"You have to left me have four slices at least. The rest is all yours."
"Deal."
They made some small talk until the waitress dropped the two pans of pizza in front of them. Raven's red eyes sparkled with delight as she picked up the first piece not giving a damn it was hot as hell. The cheese was done just right, making her almost drool just seeing it. Qrow couldn't help but chuckle a little.
One of the most feared people in Vale had a weakness for fresh, cheesy pizza.
Raven finished off all of it while Qrow managed to eat three and a half pieces. Raven did a little dance in her seat as she finished her third glass of pop.
"Someone is in a good mood for being pissed off they were woken up."
"I'm full now, I feel better. "
Qrow grinned.
"What put you in such a good mood anyways?" Raven asked.
"You don't already know?" Qrow asked, "Can't you see everything?"
"Not everything."
"I made up with Summer. I think things will be fine for now on."
"It's about damn time to be honest. The tension between you and her was a king it harder to be around you than usual."
He shot her a dirty look and she grinned evilly.
"Are you dating Glynda yet?"
"Does everyone know about that?" Qrow asked with annoyance in his voice.
"Actually we saw you two the other day. And you been disappearing more often. I guess she isn't so prudish after all, hm?"
Color crept up into his cheeks quickly and he looked down at his drink instead of looking at his sister.
"Like I said... No niece or nephew."
"What about Summer?"
"Are you tattling on your team leader?" she teased, "She has assured me everything is fine. She took a crash course on sex ed on her scroll just in case. We kind of want to have kids about the same time."
"You want kids?"
"Only with Taiyang. I don't think I could trust anyone as much as I trust him."
Qrow raised an eyebrow at his sister.
"You know what I mean. I don't want to have this talk with you. It's too much energy to care about people. He deals so well with my emotional problems, I don't think I can find someone else so patient."
"That's true."
Raven threw her crumpled up napkin at her brother playfully, "Shut up."
"I think he's good for you anyways. I would be happy if you two got married. I'd like to walk you down the aisle," Qrow said.
Raven opened her mouth but didn't say anything.
"Your happiness is all I ever wanted. You went through a lot Raven. "
"I only did it because you were there Qrow."
"I know."