A/N: So, I suck at life and don't have a real solid reason for the long wait. I mean, my laptop's backlight did go out on me but that was two weeks ago and all is well now...forgiveness?

Anyhow, this chapter is light. It probably couldashouldawoulda been condensed, but nah. It wasn't an easy write, but I'm happy with it. Hopefully, so are you lovely readers. My apologies if things seem slow, I just reaaallly enjoy writing STRQ and I'm trying to keep the happy times around as long as possible...stick with me?

No triggers.

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

Thanks for checking in and without further ado, enjoy!

The wedding was a small, intimate affair; far from the extravaganza Qrow had expected, given Summer's tendency to go above and beyond when it came to 'crucial moments in one's life', such as a baby's first birthday. But it was idyllic, nonetheless.

The ceremonious event was held back on Tai's home island of Patch, set upon a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean, the sun slowly beginning to sink below the golden ripples. It was picturesque, the kind of scene that inspired Remnant's greatest artists, and the ideal setting for such a resplendent display of love and lifelong commitment between two such devoted lovers...or some other sappy shit like that, Qrow mused.

The 'best man' stood proudly beside the groom at the head of the makeshift outdoor altar, waiting on the bride's arrival and dressed in identical three piece suits; stark white jackets, jet black trousers, matching black vests, the only distinction being Qrow's black bow tie, whereas Taiyang's was a rich scarlet, Summer's favorite shade, to be exact. A single red rose adorned both of their lapels. The dark haired huntsman wasn't much for fancy events and playing dress up, but damn he looked good. Tai cleaned up pretty well himself, he reckoned.

Qrow shifted his weight, tugging slightly at his shirt cuffs and flexing his wrists. If things didn't hurry up, he'd collapse of a heat stroke in front of their small assembly. Autumn was upon them, a few leaves littered here and there, but for the most part it was still warm outside, even with the sun retreating. Being so close to the equator, the kingdom of Vale as a whole experienced long summers that overstayed their welcome well into the fall, winters being almost nonexistent, save for the rare snow storm every two or three years.

Alright, the near sweating groomsman thought agitatedly, let's get this show on the road, people.

Apparently, the almighty Oum was smiling down on Qrow that evening because in that same moment the entire gathering twisted in their seats, signaling the highly anticipated entrance of the bride. Following suit, Tai and Qrow straightened their stances, hands neatly crossing in front of themselves.

As the new arrival appeared at the end of the altar, Qrow had to berate himself for half expecting it to be a different raven haired female, but one who was just as in love with their only golden haired companion.

A tiny voice whispered...That should have been-

He instantly punched the tiny voice in the metaphorical face. He'd made peace with this new outcome a while back. Qrow smiled sincerely at the shorter, far less buxom figure standing several yards away.

Summer Rose was a beauty for sure, equally elegant as the bloom her namesake alluded to. The wedding ceremony might have been simplistic, but her gown was every bit of girly and ornate as he had expected it to be. Her small frame was wrapped securely in silk, or maybe it was satin, (Qrow never claimed to be a fashion expert) that winded down her figure until about right below her waist, where it fanned out, embellished with a collection of lace and roses. On any other woman, it would of looked undeniably gaudy, but Summer pulled it off gracefully. Taking his eyes off the approaching female, Qrow side glanced to his partner in crime, smiling warmly at what he witnessed. Taiyang looked like every single wish he'd ever made on past birthday candles had just come true all at once.

A few audible "aw"s had him readjusting his field of vision to the aisle, looking for the source of such a reaction. He found it in Summer's arms.

In place of a bouquet, Summer held her soon to be stepdaughter, Yang, who in turn held a miniature basket of rose petals and was haphazardly scattering them about every other step as she saw fit. Naturally, the small child had been given the role of 'flower girl', but couldn't be let loose on the ground. She had yet to master the art of walking more than a few feet before collapsing, although usually into either her parents' or uncle's waiting arms. Thus, she had to be carried down the aisle. Summer was all too willing to take up the position, not fond of the idea of so many scrutinous eyes being solely on her at once, anyhow. Yang had proven to be an effective distraction, occasionally letting out a tiny roar and hurling a mass of crushed petals at unlucky guests, one in particular landing in the wrinkly face of the mother of the groom.

Hard as he tried, Qrow was unable to stop a snort of amusement at that. Kid had an arm and sharp enough instincts to easily identify the enemy. Tai's mother and he had never gotten along at all since their first introduction so many years ago, the old woman being far too cantankerous and uptight for Qrow's laid back and 'horrendously vulgar' demeanor. Whatever, the old hag was on her last leg anyway. As if reading his mind, the groom silenced him with a jab of his elbow.

Qrow stepped forward as the lovely duo finally made their way to the front, arms outstretched to receive the baton that was being passed off to him, uttering a compliment of admiration to his friend before letting Summer join hands with her husband-to-be. The rambunctious blonde settled down in his hold, tiny hands reaching for his face to plant a wet one right on his cheek like she almost always did whenever her uncle picked her up. Her kiss was promptly returned, as always.

Most of the ceremony escaped him, Qrow's attention being drawn away from the cheese fest before him and instead pulled to his niece, trying to keep her occupied and silent, and for the love of god would she please stop putting her fingers in her mouth, they might still have petal residue on them and if she were going to be staying with him for a week while her parents honeymooned he would not be handling a sick fifteen month old...over the racket of his internal concerns, he'd barely caught on as the minister asked for the rings.

Right. That was his job.

Juggling the toddler with some difficulty, Qrow managed to fish the gold bands from his pocket. He made a show of handing them to their new respective owners, priding himself on not forgetting the key elements of a wedding, a fear Summer had vocalized to him for weeks on end in the initial stages of planning. Honestly, she should learn to have more faith in him. To think that he would be so insensitive to the couple's big day and totally disregar-oh hey he'd completely tuned out on their vows and now the small crowd was applauding because they we're kissing.

Woops.

. . . . . . . . . .

Night had fallen, the reception well-lit by several ambient fixtures scattered amongst the field, once again in Taiyang's, and now Summer's, backyard. Several guests had paired off to dance, the newlyweds included. Unsurprisingly, Qrow chose to sit out, watching over Yang instead as she sat by his feet playing with a grasshopper. Had Summer not been so preoccupied with the love of her life, she might have been mortified by the thought of her precious sunflower taking up such an unlikely friend, detesting insects herself. But Summer wasn't here right now, and Qrow's arms finally were earning some well deserved rest after handling his feisty niece for most of the evening. Speak of the devil...

He felt a tug on his knee, turning his gaze downwards to watch the little girl pull herself up, gazing right back at him with her discernible violet eyes, one of her baby fists stretched out towards him.

"Caw!"

He really should've recognized that mischievous glint in her eyes...it rivaled his own whenever he was up to no good.

No sooner than he had moved to grab her little fist did she release her grip, dropping two small grasshoppers he hadn't noticed onto Qrow's lap, effectively causing the grown man to jolt upright, slapping about to get the intruding bugs off his person. Yang, ever the happy lil' troublemaker, clapped her pudgy hands, crashing backwards in a fit of laughter.

"You think this is funny, huh?"

Feigning irritation, the huntsman scowled down at the toddler, quickly dowsing her enjoyment. He held firm for only a couple more seconds before his face betrayed him, breaking out into a diabolical grin.

"Come here, you little-"

The blonde girl tried to scramble away, eyes bright with mirth once more, but Qrow was quick to scoop her up by her ankles, swinging her upside down like a monkey, her frilly red dress falling upwards.

"I'm trying to raise my daughter to be a lady, Qrow, if you don't mind..."

The new voice belonged to none other than the man of the hour, Taiyang, standing just a few feet away, arms crossed, but eyes aglow with amusement while watching the pair interact. Trapped underneath his left arm and wrapped around his bicep was Summer's right hand, his new wife's visage reflecting his own equally. Qrow rolled his eyes, flipping the little girl upright to find her cheeks redder than her dress, flushed from the sudden rush of blood to her head during her upside down state. Glancing around the now right side up world, her adjusting eyes met with her father's, twisting in Qrow's grip to catch his attention.

"Da! Da!"

If at all possible, Tai's face lit up even brighter as his daughter called to him, releasing Summer's hand to remove his mini-me from Qrow's hold.

"Alright, Sunshine. I think the new wife's hogged enough of my attention. Come dance with your old man," the hulking man demanded, carrying off an eager faced Yang to the middle of the dance floor, leaving behind the other two. Summer nudged Qrow roughly in the ribs, earning her a confused glare.

"Not even gonna ask me for a dance, you slob?" she smirked, grabbing his upper arm and dragging him in the same direction Tai and Yang had left in without giving him time to form a proper response.

Qrow didn't dance. Not that he couldn't, but he just didn't, especially not without a couple drinks in him first. Seeing how alcohol had been outlawed from the event (yet another mark against Taiyang's prissy mother in Qrow's book), he hadn't planned on stepping foot out there that night, but Summer was like another sibling to him and if he couldn't be there to dance with his biological sister for her big day, he figured he could at least be there for Summer on hers. So he swallowed his pride, placing one hand on her tiny waist, using his other to grip her equally tiny hand, swaying casually to the music.

"Is this how you coerced my old buddy into marrying you? Stripping him of his booze and dragging him behind you against his will?" He teased dryly.

Without missing a beat, Summer 'accidentally' stepped on his foot harshly, turning her head to look into the distance innocently.

"Oops."

"Yeah, I'll bet," he drawled bemusedly "'Oops' my ass."

"Well, can't have you exposing me for the master manipulator that I am and sabotaging my happy marriage, now can I?" Summer summoned her sweetest smile, knowing her longtime teammate and close friend would be unable to resist her sugary charm.

Qrow used the time spent dancing to reflect on his friendship with the small but fearsome huntress. His first impression of her during the academy entrance exams had been...immature and naive. Summer had stumbled upon Raven first in the Emerald Forest, the pair eventually meeting up with himself and Taiyang, quickly forming a makeshift team and devising a plan to complete their objective. Qrow was quick to compare the two females, them being polar opposites in nearly every aspect.

His sister was tall, a tad shorter than himself, but still nearly a head taller than her newly founded partner. Whereas Raven was built rock solid and curvaceous, the newcomer looked fragile with noticeably less muscle definition. Both women were beautiful in their own respects, but Summer lacked the certain 'attributes' that his younger twin possessed.

Not only were the differences physical, but even their personalities it seemed were bound to clash at one point or another. Qrow knew his sister, how much of a hard-ass she could be when it came to combat, aggressive and domineering. Outside of battle, she was elusive and guarded, allowing virtually no one but himself to get close to her. After spending only a day with Summer, Qrow couldn't help but mourn for his sister's sanity, which he honestly feared might fall apart from overexposure to her new partner, who seemed to live in a perpetual state of positivity and cheerfulness. It wasn't a friendship he saw outliving their required four years at Beacon.

How wrong he had been. Opposites do attract, he guessed, because the two fought exceptionally well together; seamlessly, like a well-oiled machine. Off the battlefield, the pair were nearly inseparable...that is, up until recent events, i.e. the breakup, the baby bomb, and the abandonment.

"Qrow...I've actually been meaning to talk to you since this whole wedding business came about."

Oh boy. He could see what road this conversation was head down from a mile away. Despite that, Qrow smiled down at her wryly. "Alright, you've got my undivided attention, Rose. Better make it quick, though. There's a line forming for my invaluable and highly sought after advice."

Summer smiled back at him, only sadder, one that didn't reach her eyes and betrayed her displays of love and affection all through that night. "I wanted...needed to let you know something." She swallowed, a sign of reluctance and insecurity, two things that rarely described the perky woman.

"I know, I'm not Raven. I never can be and I'm second choice at best, but-"

Qrow immediately didn't want to hear this. "Shut up, Summer." He wasn't about to let her demean herself by drawing comparisons to Raven, especially not on her wedding day.

"Okay, maybe not the best choice of words, but just hear me out." Summer continued on, ignoring Qrow's disapproving stare. "I wanted this to be your sister's wedding almost as much as you did, Qrow. She was- is my best friend...I would have gladly given up Taiyang if it meant she'd be happy, you know that, right?"

A curt nod was her reply, curious garnet eyes focusing on her face as she explained herself, although unnecessarily. He did know how hard Summer took it when her best friend essentially betrayed them all, and admittedly, part of him felt guilty for that. Maybe if he hadn't all but forced his sister into keeping the baby a year ago, this entire situation would-

No. Don't think like that. Yang is one of the best things that's ever happened in your life, much less Taiyang's and now Summer's. He wouldn't trade one happiness for the miniscule possibility of another.

"Sum, my sister made her own choice. I've made peace with that fact, and you should, too." He squeezed her hand in his reassuringly, showing he meant no ill will towards her, if that wasn't already obvious. "This is your day. Don't let it get bogged down by things we can't change."

The graceful huntress smiled gratuitously, albeit a tad forlorn still. "I have, believe me...and I think Tai has, too...but I just wanted you to hear this from me because I know how close protective you are over Yang...I'm not Raven. I'm not her biological mom, but I love that little ray of sunshine with every fiber of my being."

Yeah, all hundred and fifteen pounds of you, he thought with a mental smirk.

Her silver eyes steeled, meeting his with an iron resolve. "I'm gonna make sure she knows a mother's love." Ah, there was that fierce nature of hers poking through again. The darker haired partner placed a platonic peck on her cheek.

"I know you will Summer. You already do. And that's all I could ask for my niece." Truth be told, the benevolent woman had always been the maternal type, better suited for a motherly position than his twin ever had been. Not that he didn't think Raven still couldn't have at least made an attempt...but his niece was fortunate that her father had managed to score the Rose woman.

Summer released a sigh, relieved to have that off her chest. "Another thing...I haven't brought the matter up to Tai before, but...I think we should all tell Yang about Raven, as soon as she's able to comprehend it."

"You...do?" She wanted Yang to know about her biological mother's abandonment...?

His reply was a nod of affirmation. "Despite everything, she still deserves to know. I want Yang to hear about her real mom, about all her heroism and strength, all the good times we shared as STRQ. Raven isn't and never has been the enemy. She's our teammate, our beloved friend, and your sister. We can't just erase her from our lives. I won't allow it..I'm sure Taiyang feels the same." She hoped.

To say he was moved was an understatement. Far below the surface, the elder Branwen had always assumed that his other two mates harbored resentment and animosity toward his sibling. Deep down, Qrow had feared that they would do everything in their power to rid their memory of Raven's existence for her actions. To hear that at least one of them propose the exact opposite of that concern...it was an unexpected weight lifted from his shoulders.

Inhaling a long and steady breath, Qrow closed his lids briefly, gathering his thoughts. "You don't realize how happy I am to hear that, Summer...Honest to Oum."

The dance ended as his words did, the two friends sharing a a brief hug of understanding, before a booming voice interrupted the moment.

"I'm gone for five minutes and you're already stealing away my beloved, huh? You got some nerve, ya dirty bastard."

Summer fixed her husband with a look of distaste. "Language, mister," she warned, releasing her hold on Qrow who simply slicked back a piece of his bangs that had been combed back for the occasion, smirking cockily.

"She's too good for you, anyway. Thought she might enjoy the company of someone more up to her speed, am I right?" His smug retort was met with an undignified snort from the flaxen haired giant.

Yang, who was still being held by her father, greeted her uncle with a grin, waving her pudgy arms about. "Caw!"

Qrow shrugged. "Well, at least she thinks so. And she's the prettiest girl in the entire joint, so I win, big guy. No offense, Rose." Summer rolled her eyes in frustration at the males' childish antics.

Taiyang gave his daughter an exasperated stare, mumbling quick words about being a traitor, before smiling back at the duo. "Trade ya partners?"

Qrow unceremoniously shoved Summer towards the tanned huntsman, signature smirk in place. "Sure thing. I don't mind stealing both of your women's hearts."

The small child was placed at his feet as the newlyweds twirled their way back out onto the middle of the floor. Now empty hands placed in his pockets, Qrow glanced down at the blonde who stood no taller than two and a half feet in mild interest, addressing her with a small upward nod of his head.

"So...you a friend of the bride?"

If Yang caught on to his joking air, her blank stare betrayed nothing.

"Groom's side. Got it...you single?"

"Up!" Short arms extended upwards, signaling her desire to be held. Removing his hands, he surrendered them to her, picking her up only a couple inches and letting her stand on his toes instead, holding her wrists firmly.

"Lucky for you, I know how to treat a lady to a good time."

And so their slow dance began, with Qrow stepping from one side to the other cautiously, balancing the jubilant toddler on his feet, not minding in the least all the attention her excited giggles were drawing from other party goers.

One such pair of observant eyes belonged to Taiyang. Peering over his much shorter dancing partner's head, he could easily spectate on his daughter's waltz with his best friend, feeling a familiar tightening in his chest. With every minute that passed that night, he could feel the cavity swell more and more with love and excitement for his new future, with his new wife, the love of his life.

For the first time since his split with her, everything in his life felt...right? Yeah, that was it. He was FINALLY doing things right. He now had a proper wife, who loved him wholeheartedly for who he was and would never leave his side or try to degrade him...would never burn him the way she had. This was his do-over, his second chance at having a real family. And Yang would get to carry over into it, be a part of something much more wonderful than he could have ever imagined with her.

This was Yang's new life. Summer Rose was her new mother. Selfish as it sounded, he fully intended on keeping that woman's real identity hidden from his daughter, letting his bitter memory of her rot in their past, no intention of dragging her into their future.

She would never have to know about the woman who had forsaken the both of them.

A/N: So, yeah, I felt the need to drag that out lolz

Leave a quick review, if you would! It helps me immensely in the writing process!

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