A/N: My apologies for the much delayed chapter! This one was a tad difficult as we're getting more into the character of Taiyang and a small glimpse of Summer. I had a reviewer point out that he/she/they were frustrated with both of these characters, to which I say, Good! That was the point.

By no means do I dislike either of these characters. Quite the opposite. I'd been anticipating their introduction in the show ever since the photo of Team STRQ was revealed in the early stages of Vol. 3. We FINALLY got to meet Tai in full 3D model in the finale (still waiting on a flashback or something of Summer Rose) and I was not disappointed. He was every bit the cool-but-overbearing father archetype I had hoped for. That being said, my interpretation is going to be...slightly off. You'll see what I mean in the next two chapters...But here, I wanted to showcase his vulnerability. Tai and Summer aren't meant to be the villains, by any means. They're humans. They're flawed. They WILL make mistakes, lemme tell you...and God, so will Qrow. So hang in there with me if you're feeling off put by these guys at the moment. Things will get...well, they'll get angsty, but with good reason!

MILD SPOILER ALERT: If you have not watched the Vol. 3 finale, specifically the after-credit scene , you may wish to watch it, so as not to get confused by what I'm going to go ahead and assume is Qrow's semblance...

No trigger warnings still.

I do my best triple-checking for typos, but hey, I'm human.

Thanks for checking in and without further ado, enjoy!

He should have noticed the blatant warning signs.

"...Raven had firmly insisted on not knowing the gender."

One.

"...a mother who absolutely refuses to hold her own baby. Won't even give the poor thing a name."

Two.

"...Why would Raven name her after me?"

Three.

The signs were all there. He should have noticed.

Qrow didn't know what he had expected when he received a phone call from Summer less than twenty-four hours after they had dropped the new family off at Taiyang's home. Maybe the petite woman was still having trouble composing herself and needed to cry about it some more via phone conversation, having lost all control of her emotions at the "utterly adorable and simply precious" sight of Tai on the bed next to Raven, beaming with pride and showing off their masterpiece, little Yang. Hell, Qrow knew it would never be the case, but he actually would've preferred it if she'd been calling to rant about her feelings for Tai, her nonexistent animosity towards his sister, as well as her nonexistent resentment to the baby that she believed should have rightfully been hers. Anything would've been preferable to this.

"Qrow, you need to come back now."

Summer was back at Taiyang's house?

"Wait, why? Don't tell me Tai's already dropped her..."

"No, he's just...we need you here. There's a bit of a...situation."

Her words didn't inspire much confidence within him.

"Well, tell me now so I know what I'm walking into. Are Raven and him fighting over something?"

There was a pregnant silence.

"Qrow...Raven's missing."

…

Raven was...missing? Before he could allow his mind to conjure up any worst case scenarios, he was on the line again.

"Were there any signs of a struggle, a fight? Is Yang alright?" His tone was reaching new heights of concerned.

Had someone learned about Raven's secret identity as the Summer Maiden and ambushed his sister while she was alone? Knowledge of the existence of the four maidens was kept under lock and key for a very justifiable reason. There were those with malicious intentions who would seek out the powers for their own agendas. Such scumbags were undoubtedly not above attacking a woman right after childbirth, let alone using the child as leverage. He apprehensively waited for Summer to elaborate. Her voice was fragile when she finally responded, Qrow once again finding himself wishing for the aforementioned scenario over this harsh reality.

"No, Qrow...there's only...there's just a note. From her. She left on her own."

He didn't ask what the note said. He didn't ask how she knew the message was from Raven. He didn't even tell her he was on his way before he cut the phone off.

Qrow just took flight.

It was well into the evening, the sun already below the tree line surrounding his apartment, but he thought little of it. He was determined to make it there before the sky went black, when his avian eyes would be of little use to him. Black feathers ruffling in the wind, his strong wings cut through the warm July air, but all Qrow could feel was a frigid chill jetting down his spine.

Taiyang's home was eerily quiet. Qrow had used his spare key to enter through the front door, completely unannounced. Not like there was anyone in the front room to halt his intrusion. The lights were all off, save for a faint glow resonating from further down the hallway, the source most likely being Tai's bedroom. Marking that as his destination, Qrow made his way in long, somber strides. He hoped...no, prayed to any gods that might be up there that scene he was about to waltz into would be a happy one; Tai would be stretched out on his bed, propped up against the headboard, Raven beside him under one of his beefy arms, their new bundle of joy finally nestled in her hold. Summer would be standing beside the window, turning to him with her classical jokester grin and she would shout, "Gotcha! Oh man, you should see the look on your face."...but he knew better.

The door to the bedroom was cracked, an amber light peeking through. He hesitated, listening to the muffled voices, trying to make out any words he could, desperately hoping in vain to hear his sister's alto tone amongst them. Realizing his was a moot point, Qrow finally gave in to his dreadful thoughts. He slowly pushed the door open, gazing deplorably at the sight before him. His best friend sat hunched over himself on the edge of his large bed, the one meant to accommodate both he and his child's now absent mother, Raven. A petite hand rubbed comforting circles along his back, belonging to the equally petite figure of Summer. Qrow's entry did little to disturb Tai's posture, but his eyes did lock on to Summer's, sadness and confusion spinning about within her sterling orbs. She stood to address him.

"Qrow...Raven...she-"

"Start from the beginning. How did this happen? Why was my sister even left alone?" Qrow cut her off, having no desire to hear the words he knew she was about to repeat from their conversation on the phone, the ones that made his stomach drop.

Summer nodded, taking a deep breath, candidly relaying the version of events she had been told by Taiyang when he first called her back to the house.

"You and I dropped them off this morning, and Tai said everything seemed normal. Raven went straight to bed, so he did the same with the baby. Around lunchtime, he checked on Raven to see if she was going to get up to nurse, but said she looked so relaxed he decided not to wake her, going to warm up some formula instead. He bottle-fed Yang and put her back in her room."

Summer had begun pacing in front of the bed, running her fingers through her short locks. Qrow listened intently, glancing between her and Taiyang, who hadn't moved an inch as the story went on.

"Earlier this afternoon, Tai thought he finally heard Raven up and about, but he got distracted when Ozpin called, asking about the mission, Raven's health, and the baby. He said they stayed on the phone for a good while before finally hanging up and when he came back here, the bed was made and her bag was gone."

Summer walked over to the bed, picking up a small piece of stationery Qrow had overlooked. She handed the note over reluctantly, almost guilty. Qrow didn't know why, but he had a dire feeling he was about to find out. His eyes scanned the paper, analyzing the handwriting first and foremost. Unfortunately, the flowing script was unmistakably his twin's.

I sincerely hope you are able to make her happy.

Red. His entire line of sight went red, ignited with rage and distraught.

Qrow balled the offensive material in his hand, scowling at his tightly clenched fist for a hot second. With an aggrieved noise, he threw the paper at the hardwood floor, trying to reign in his venomous thoughts.

Raven had left. His sister had forsaken not only him, but her new family, her best friend...her daughter. Why?

He thought back to her final message.

'...make her happy.'

What infuriated the man most was that he honestly could not decipher who his sister was referring to. Was it Yang?...or Summer?

Qrow's head snapped up to look at the latter, eye's softening just slightly at her visage. Surely, Summer was having the same internal debate that he was. Deep down, he knew she was probably blaming herself for Raven's unforeseen departure. Qrow was about to offer her some half-assed attempt at comforting words, but a shift from the bed caught his attention.

Tai had withdrawn from his perch on the side of the bed, now standing to his full staggering height with unreadable eyes. He finally greeted his lifelong friend, "Qrow..."

Qrow hesitated at his sullen tone, unsure of his friend's current mental stability. He looked worse for wear, pale skin to match his equally pale and disheveled hair, dreary blue eyes devoid of the usual sunniness and enthusiasm he always exuded, even in the toughest of situations.

"Tai, we're going to figure this out." Qrow held is hands up, slowly approaching the beast.

Taiyang's voice was now clipped, agitation oozing from each word. "What is there to figure out? Raven's gone. She came to me one night in heart wrenching tears, told me about our baby, and I assured her I wasn't going to leave her out to dry. I swore on my life and our then unborn child's that I would never leave either of them...and how does she repay me? She bailed on both of us!"

Qrow's hands dropped, no longer interested in being cautious. "Look, Tai, I know you're mad-"

Taiyang never gave the darker haired man a chance to finish.

"She never wanted anything to do with our baby! Never wanted to know the gender, wouldn't help out with arrangements...fuck, she refused to hold her, Qrow. Not even once! She planned this from the beginning, tried everything in he power to make this easier for her, a clean break. She even named Yang after me, used my last name and first. Raven made absolutely sure no part of her was attached to our fucking daughter. Yes, I am mad. I'm fucking furious, because now my little girl has to grow up with a missing piece to her family. Her mother, your sister, abandoned us!"

Maybe it was all the pent up stress that had accumulated over the past seventy-two hours. Maybe it was the fact that the livid man's acrimonious speech rang all too true in his ears. Whatever the reason, Qrow decked the larger man square in his chiseled jaw, hard enough to shut him up, but not to draw blood.

His assault was ill-placed, he knew. Taiyang had every right to feel the way he did, to throw such slanderous accusations against Raven in his face, a fact that made Qrow resent his sister's actions even more in that moment, for creating a rift between he and his most treasured friend. He didn't even attempt to dodge out of the way of Tai's counter assault, letting the righteous fist connect with his own face.

Summer was between the two rivaling men in an instant, fist balled into his shirt as she pinned Qrow to the wall while simultaneously shoving Taiyang back onto the bed with ease, despite him being nearly three times her own weight. Qrow's head reeled from the impact of hitting drywall, briefly making a mental complaint about how she made sure Taiyang had at least landed on a soft surface, but he quickly regained his composure when the tiny woman's head whipped to set her steely gaze on him. Summer the Friend was congenial and a sweet soul...but Summer the Huntress was a fierce warrior, a force to be reckoned with.

"Both of you, control yourselves. Need I remind you that there is now a beautiful baby girl sound asleep in the next room? She's depending on her father and her uncle from here on out. Now, you both are going to learn to play nice or so help me I will march out the front door with her in my arms this very moment." Her name may have been Summer, but her tone was anything but warm, icier than the harsh Atlesian winter storms.

Her words sobered the two men in a heartbeat. She was right. Yang was just down the hall, barely twenty feet from their mini brawl, blissfully unaware of the turmoil surrounding the once happy family she had been born into.

Qrow slowly made his way over to the disheartened father, gripping his hand in his and pulling him in for a firm brotherly hug. "Tai..."

Taiyang returned the sentiment before speaking again, voice dangerously low and close to breaking. "Did you know..." he struggled to get the words out. "...this entire time...what she was going to do...?"

Taiyang desperately needed to know. He needed affirmation that his most trusted companion had no prior knowledge of his sister's plans for leaving. The blonde giant felt incomplete, the exact opposite of what one should feel after the birth of their first child. Raven and Tai may not have been together together anymore but he still cared immensely for her. He didn't understand how she could stab him in the heart like this.

Qrow patted his buddy's broad shoulder, still embracing him. "No big guy, I didn't...If I had, you know I would've told you. This wouldn't even be an issue right now."

Qrow finally released him, frowning at the fragileness he saw there. Up until a couple hours ago, if anyone had used that term to describe his happy-go-lucky pal, the same one who laughed in the face of danger, always looking for the brighter side of things, Qrow would've accused them of lunacy.

Delicacy aside, Qrow still had words to cross with Tai...and Summer. The wiry huntsman looked between his teammates, shoving his hands in his pockets before starting.

"Raven's not entirely at fault here and both of you know it...you know why. Raven found out about your little thing going on behind the scenes. She'd sooner rot in hell than she would let you two know, but it ate at her, understandably so. By no means am I excusing her actions, but I'm sure as hell not excusing yours either."

There. He'd gone ahead and addressed the big, fat goliath in the room.

Taiyang and Summer exchanged a look of guilt. For a brief moment, Qrow regret verbally slapping them across the face, putting a voice to the thoughts they no doubt had already been considering. This night had been hard enough for everyone involved as it was. The last thing he wanted was to damage his relationship with what members of this small family he still had.

"Look guys, I don't blame either of you...I get it, you two are in love, and I would be more supportive if my own blood weren't involved..." he shook his head. Be cordial, Qrow. Tell them to quit being so hard on themselves. Qrow started back up, packing as much sympathy as he could manage into his words.

"But at the same time, I don't think Raven did what she did because she felt betrayed by either of you...at least, not entirely. I know her better than anyone. There's always a deep standing reason for everything she does. Running away because you two started something new...well, that's just too cowardly of her, and I think you both realize that, too. So stop blaming yourselves."

Taiyang ran a palm over his face and then back up through his shaggy mane, sitting heavily back on the bed, hunched over once more with his head hung pathetically against his hands. Summer nodded her head, glancing over at Tai with concern, a single tear rolling down the ghostly white skin of her cheek.

Honestly, he did not in fact blame the pair for Raven's disappearance. No, she had gone and dug that hole herself, the decision to leave being entirely hers. That being said, Qrow couldn't bring himself to believe this all amounted to a bad case of 'baby blues'. This wasn't even entirely about the convoluted love triangle between Tai, Summer, and herself. Qrow thought back to her words when she had first informed him of her pregnancy.

"Having this baby would only jeopardize my mission."

That damned mission of hers.

What was she planning? What could be more important than sticking around to watch your child grow up, hear her first giggle, her first words? Teach her how to ride a bike and letting her crawl under the covers beside you whenever lightning struck and thunder roared?

Qrow shook his head in frustration, lost in his thoughts.

He was slowly coming to terms with the fact that his sister had indeed fled her family, for reasons neither Taiyang nor Summer would ever have the fortune of knowing. No matter his desire to, Qrow couldn't inform them of Raven's secret burden and subsequently, her 'mission'...not even under these circumstances. The less people who knew, the safer...for Raven, for the team, and for Yang's sake.

Qrow let out a relieved sigh thinking of his baby niece. Raven hadn't run off with Yang, at least. Knowing of his sister's hidden and shady agenda, she would be dealing with unfavorable situations for raising a child anyway and, frankly, Qrow wanted Yang as far away from her mother's disreputable endeavors as possible. His niece was still safe here, with him, and her father, and Summer, as well.

As if on cue, a tiny cry rang out from down the hall, cutting the tension. Every head in the room snapped to the doorway. Qrow then looked to Tai expectantly, but paused when he saw the sheer apprehension and tears in the young father's eyes. Of course, he had to be wondering how he could ever face his daughter, knowing he'd let her mother abandon her less than a day after she was born. Qrow nearly wanted to cry for his friend, but angry tears directed at his twin.

Summer seemed to be the only one left with enough composure to deal with the infant's desperate cry for attention. She wiped her eyes, exiting the bedroom to make her way into Yang's nursery. Qrow could hear her gently hushing the cranky child, as well as her footsteps, probably pacing about to sooth her. A few moments later and the noise had finally subsided. The door opened back up, revealing Summer once again, this time accompanied by a sleepy Yang. Summer sat down on the bed, allowing Taiyang to take hold of his daughter hesitantly. Qrow watched as an array of emotions flickered through his face, one in particular winning out...sorrow.

Qrow had to look away at that point, no longer able to stand the sight of the man he loved like a brother break down over his motherless child. Looking away didn't stop the assault of the sound of choked cries on his ears.

A/N: Thank you so much to all who favorite/follow this! Seriously, it keeps me motivated.

Find me on tumblr: gauntletstopgreaves