Chapter Seven: Days Gone By

Many years ago

"Raven, Raaaven, Raaaaaaavvvvvveeeeennnn!"

Raven rolled over in her sleeping bag, covering her head with a pillow. It is way too early in the morning for this crap.

"Raven, it's time to get up."

Raven simply groaned in response, until she felt a pair of small hands playing with her hair. Aw, hell no. Without even opening her eyes she reached up and dragged the offending individual down to her level, crushing them against her chest. Raven could feel them flailing, but they were no match for her strength.

"Help!" cried the voice, now suitably muffled. "Help! Tai! Qrow! I'm being smothered. I'm being smothered in a pair of giant boobs. Help. Ghrrk. I am the dead, blech."

A rough voice chuckled nearby. "I warned you, kiddo. It's never a good idea to poke the sleeping Raven."

A lighter, but masculine voice laughed as well. "Well, we do need to get going."

Sighing, Raven let go of her captured prize, before levering herself up. Qrow and Taiyang were waiting outside her tent, while their silver-eyed leader attempted to catch her breath next to Raven. "Summer, there is no need to get up this early. We already took care of the Grimm. Now it's just a matter of getting back to Vale."

"Yeah, but you promised to buy me cookies, so let's go." Summer grabbed her hand, trying to tug Raven to her feet. Raven sighed, getting to her feet. As soon as Summer looked away, though, Raven let a smile escape her lips. Summer skipped out of their tent, chattering brightly to Tai. Raven watched the two of them, a momentary darkness clouding her features, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking over, she saw Qrow looking at her. He shook his head, a sympathetic look on her face. Swallowing her discomfort, she set her face in a studied neutrality and followed her brother out to join their teammates. And so, the twins and their companions set out for Vale.

When they arrived at Vale, while Tai and Qrow went to report in on the results of their mission, Summer dragged Raven to her favorite cookie shop. Summer insisted on buying some for Raven too, and the female Branwen accepted them gratefully, turning away to hide her blush from her beaming team leader. Sitting together at a small table in the cafe, the two girls munched happily on their cookies. Raven could barely look her team leader in the eye, dazzled by the smaller girl's radiant smile. Summer inhaled cookie after cookie, her face getting covered in crumbs. Raven smiled, enjoying being able to watch Summer enjoy herself. She noticed a bit of frosting near the corner of Summer's mouth, and without thinking, she reached out and wiped it off. Summer stopped mid-bite, staring at Raven's hand.

Raven froze, stuttering. "Uh...um, I..."

Summer broke into the same smile that always came so easily to her. "Thanks, Rae. It's good to know I can always depend on my bestie."

"Yep, just the best of friends." Just the best of friends. Raven did her best to not let her smile slip, nails digging into her palms. Just then, the door opened and their two teammates came through the door. They spotted the two girls, and made their way over to join them. Qrow spun a chair around, sitting on it backwards, while Tai scooted his chair over close to Summer. He whispered something in Summer's ear, and she giggled delightedly, batting her eyes at him. Raven could feel the mask of placid happiness slipping, but she fought to maintain it, her nails digging even deeper into her palms. Of course. Of course I had to fall for you, didn't I? With you who cannot love me back. I should just get over you, shouldn't I? But I can't, can I? Because every day I have to be with you. Every day I am reminded of why I fell, of your kindness, of your smile, your beauty. And every day I have to watch you fall for him. Why? Why him? What does he have to offer you that I cannot? Just because he's a guy? Just because he-

As always, her brother could sense her pain, and his hand found hers under the table, squeezing it gently to comfort her. That was Qrow for you. He might not always seem the most reliable, but when it came down to it, he was there for you when you needed him. She turned back to the others, the mask returning. "Hey, since we just got paid, what say we live it up a little, get wasted, ya know?"

The others agreed with little resistance, and so, that night found them at a club in downtown Vale. Usually, Raven was careful not to drink too much, always aware of her own limits, but tonight was different. Tonight she was angry, and sad, and the alcohol made it just a little better. And so, she drowned herself in drink, and tried to forget her problems for a little while.

She woke the next morning to a splitting headache and a feeling of dizziness. So bad was the pain, that she almost failed to notice the soreness in her limbs and the strange, unfamiliar pain in her abdomen. Wincing, she dragged herself up, looking at her surroundings. This was not her bed, and this was not her room. Then she noticed that she was not alone. Next to her, another form slumbered, a blonde, male form. Raven lurched back in shock, falling off the bed. That's when she realized she was naked. No, no, no, no, no. She clutched her temples, trying to piece together her fragmented memories, desperately trying to refute the truth which the evidence portrayed.

Dancing, drinking, him, laughing, drinking, him, fighting, drinking, him. How she hated him, how she envied him. Then, a thought; have to know what she sees in him. No, disgusting, male, never before. Then Summer laughs for him. Fine. Wait 'til they leave. Grab him. Push him into his room. Strip. He has the audacity to resist. Protests about his feelings for Summer. Like she gives a damn about his feelings. Then...no, that part can stay buried.

She hears a knock, and Summer calls to Tai from beyond the door. She tries to get up, to hide, but too late, and Summer opens the door. The expression on Summer's face then, the betrayal, the hurt, she thought that that would be the worst moment of her life. But no, a worse moment would come a few short weeks later, when she woke in the middle of the night and her leader, her best friend, the woman she loved, had to hold back her hair as she vomited into a toilet bowl. Pregnant. Funny how a single word can shatter all your hopes, all your dreams.

Other options? No, no, my mistake, my responsibility. Have the baby, keep the baby...then what? Stay; with him? He would stick by me, I know he would. As much as I hate him, he's a good person. But, was that the right choice? Raise a baby in home where only mutual hatred lived? Spend every day knowing that I stand between the woman I love and the happiness she could have had? No, no, not good. What, then? Leave? It certainly wouldn't be the first time. But, there was only one place I can go now, and I will not bring a child to that place. Then, then...the child would have to stay too. He would be a good father. And Summer, well I don't doubt that with me out of the way, Summer will be free to be with him. Summer would be a good mother, would love my child when I couldn't. Because, that's who Summer is, someone who loves unconditionally, regardless of the circumstances of one's birth. So, that was it then. Have the baby, then go back. Go back to the place we spent so long running from.

Present

Oberon felt a change in Raven's breathing, and looking over, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He wondered where she had gone this time, what winding path of days gone by she had travelled down. He stood up, careful to make sure she did not fall, before lifting her and laying her properly in bed. Leaving her sleeping in her clothes was probably not the best idea, but that was something he was unequipped to change, and he knew that she would not want anyone else to see her like this. He picked up the photo, fallen onto the blankets, and turned to a box on the floor nearby. The lid was already partly open, so he pulled it back, and looked down at its contents. Hundreds of photos, hundreds of fragments of memories, lay scattered in the box. Precious mementos of a happier time. He placed the photo in his hand back amongst its fellows, then closed the lid, hearing its many locks sliding back into place. He turned on his heel, moving to the bedside. He reached out, laying a hand on Raven's head, his fingers ghosting over her hair. Then, without a word, he dissolved into shadows, slipping out beneath the door.