A/N:Oh boy...where have I been...that's all I'm gonna say.

So, just a note, there's going to be a slight change in age difference between Yang and Ruby.

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

Thanks for checking in and without further ado, enjoy!

"Tai, dear, I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Aw, c'mon. This is nothing. See?"

"I just think you're playing too rough. You could do some serious damage without even realizing it. A child's skeletal structure is extremely susceptible to injury during their earliest years and-"

"Nonsense! She's a Xiao Long. Durability runs through our blood."

"She's two."

"And a half..."

Qrow rolled his eyes from his position on the living room floor of the Xiao Long-Rose household. Sprawled out on his side, head in hand, he observed the toddler 'sparring' match that had sparked Summer's maternal alarm system.

Taiyang sat back on his haunches in front of his daughter, who's stubby arms extended outward, palms out to receive blow after blow her father hurled at her, squealing wildly. Occasionally, Tai would send one her way that was too powerful for her tiny frame to handle, landing her flat on her bottom. With each fall, she stood back up more determined than the last, the tiny crease between her brows growing.

"Daddy, go again!"

"You want some more, pipsqueak? Well, get a load of this!"

While he didn't see the harm in letting the natural born brawler have some fun with his daughter, Qrow wisely kept his mouth shut, lest he be on the receiving end of his wife's worrisome tirade. There was no real danger involved and besides, Yang seemed to be enjoying herself.

Thump. Crash!

That last slug had proven to be Tai's personal best, exponentially harder than any of his previous as Yang not only flopped backwards, but her head smacked into the solid wood of the coffee table behind her. Taiyang's eye's went wide, too stunned to react properly. Qrow pushed himself up in an attempt to reach the still startled two year old, but Summer was quicker. She hoisted Yang back up to a sitting position and all three adults in the room went stock-still, awaiting the inevitable mother of all meltdowns...but none came. She was just sitting there with a fierce frown on her face, but no tears.

"Yang...Sunshine?" Summer tried, exchanging a look with her husband who simply shrugged in confusion.

Yang pushed herself to her feet, marching right up to her father. For a split second, Tai swore he saw her irises flash red, but he was quick to write that off as nothing more than her uncanny resemblance to Raven.

Taiyang grinned and opened his arms, prepared to envelope his child in a bear hug and beg for her forgiveness. Imagine his surprise, as well as the other two, when she didn't cling to him as expected, but instead delivered a blow to his face so forceful that his head snapped to the side.

"Son of a bitch!" Taiyang nursed his damaged cheek while staring incredulously at his offspring. No toddler should be able to hit that hard. It was physically impossible!

Summer squeaked, rushing to his side in a heartbeat, pulling his nursing hand away and checking for signs that Yang had inexplicably broken anything.

Meanwhile, Qrow doubled over in laughter beside the injured man, bracing himself against the carpeted floor with one hand, fighting back tears. "H-hey big guy...still...still think...you Xiao Longs are so durable?"

His laughter only increased when Yang huffed, plopping down on the floor, still wearing that adorable pout. "Not nice. Daddy was very mean."

. . . . . . . . . .

Not long after that fiasco, the gang had decided to unlock Yang's aura. They couldn't be one hundred percent certain, but all three strongly suspected the toddler's quick bout of anger and subsequent strength enhancement was an early sign of her semblance bubbling to the surface. Better to be prepared, safe rather than sorry, should she get into another altercation later on with something or someone who would hit her back.

That being said, pretty much everything they owned had to be Yang-proofed, given her heavy hand and innate strength. Any and all glass in the house had to be kept out of her reach, vases removed, and glass dishes replaced with plastic just for her. Much of Summer's free time was spent sewing the wing of her step-daughter's favorite dragon plushie back on after too long a period of rough play, Tai being given the responsibility of reattaching doll heads and limbs, as well. Qrow even managed to find a box of specialty crayons and markers that wouldn't snap or wear down after five minutes of use.

Said coloring utensils were presently being forced into hard manual labor on a single sheet of paper at the coffee table Qrow rested his feet upon, eyes glued to his reading material, ogling the total babe that graced the glossy eight-by-eleven page he was currently flipped to.

Sleek and sexy design that no doubt required delicate handling, a true gentleman's touch, yet still durable enough to endure the roughest and longest of nights one could imagine. Was he drooling? Probably. But damn, did she have just the perfect curves in all the right places, enough to bring the proudest of men to their very knees. Oh baby, what he wouldn't give to take her out for a single night of debauchery, rub his hands up and down her spine, trace her curves with the slightest touch of his fingertips and bathe in her glow...yes, the new 'Infinite Reaper' was truly a goddess blade among peasants, one the master scythe wielder would kill to get his calloused mitts on. The busty broad modeling her wasn't too bad to look at either, he figured.

"Mommy!"

Huh?

Peeling his eyes off his issue of Weapons Weekly, Qrow blinked owlishly at his niece who now sat beside him on the couch, holding something in her lap. At some point during his idle admiration, the near three year old had abandoned her masterpiece, silently climbed her way up, reached over the back of the couch, and plucked a a single framed photo the older huntsman actually kept on a low hanging shelf, the one taken of his team a few short months before graduation in the Beacon courtyard. Tiny fingers gripped the black metal frame.

"I found Mommy!" Yang smiled widely at him and kicked her feet around in excitement as if she had made the discovery of the century. She pointed aggressively at the short woman half-hidden behind a stark white hood, mindlessly bypassing the much taller raven-hair female depicted in the photo.

Summer Rose.

"Yep. That's your mother, Wrecking Ball. Good eye." Qrow smiled wryly as Yang went back to gazing longingly at her 'mommy'. Poor child still hadn't been told the truth about her real mother and never would, if her father had anything to say about it. Qrow's mood darkened considerably just remembering the first day that Yang had used the word, the fight that had ensued...

"Ma...ma!"

All eyes in the room flocked to Summer, who looked torn between pride and shame. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She'd always dreamed of one day holding her own child and hearing the sweet sound of that title aimed solely at her...but this wasn't how it was supposed to go. Yang wasn't her baby. And while her love for the small girl knew no end, she didn't want to Yang growing up with the misconception.

Taiyang, on the other hand, was losing his mind.

"Did you hear that, Summer? Barely a month after the wedding and she's already picked up the word 'mama'!"

Qrow and Summer shared a look. Now or never.

"I did hear it, sweetheart, but I think it's time I tell you something..." Summer started, passing Yang off to her uncle, who gave her a reassuring nod. "Tai, we can't let her call me that..or mom, mommy, anything."

Tai gaped like a fish out of water, clearly thrown for a loop. "What?! Why not? This is fantastic!"

"It's not fair. Not to Yang...not to Raven."

Something about her name seemed to flip a switch in the larger man. Bewilderment melted into realization, then rushed into anger. "'Not fair'? 'Not fair' is showing up at my door at an ungodly hour of the morning, crying and pleading with me not to let her go through with an abortion, keeping me from being happy with you, Summer. 'Not fair' is using me emotionally to get her way and then dumping all of her problems on me while she's off doing Oum only knows what. 'Not fair' is forcing me to have a child with a woman who never loved me. So forgive me if I'm not really concerned with what's 'fair' for Raven, okay?"

Qrow recognized the need to step in when he saw the first tear leak from Summer's eye. "Then, think about what's fair for Yang, Tai. The sooner you tell her about her real mother, the less emotional damage you'll have to deal with later on."

Tai's fist clenched, but he kept his voice even. "I wouldn't worry about that, Qrow, because she's never going to find out. As far as she'll have to know, Summer is her mother."

Summer shook her head, frowning angrily at her husband. "I will NOT lie to her. Not for her entire life. And like it or not, Raven is still my dearest friend. I'm not going to be used as a cover up just because there's bad blood between the two of you."

"Wake up, Summer! She doesn't think as highly of you as you do her. She doesn't care for any of us, not even her own brother. Raven got what she wanted from all of us, and then some." Taiyang waved a hand out, motioning towards Yang, who was beginning to fidget in Qrow's arms. She didn't fully grasp the words flying between parties, but she could sense that something was amiss. Qrow narrowed his eyes at her father, but the blonde continued his tirade. "She decided she didn't want it, so she left me with the burden." Qrow could feel his blood pressure rising. What kind of man talked about his own daughter so loosely, referring to her as 'it' and 'burden'. He was about to interject but Summer beat him to the punch.

"Taiyang Xiao Long, you are in the wrong here and you know it. Raven is our teammate, our friend and our family. She fought tooth and nail beside us, saved all of our asses at one time or another. Say what you want, but she's still out there, the Raven we all loved and cherished. Maybe she's going through something right now that she thinks we just couldn't understand, something she didn't want her daughter wrapped up in."

Qrow shifted Yang to his other side, finding sudden interest in the brown leather sofa. Summer had no clue how spot on she was. She always had been intuitive, both in and out of combat. Taiyang spoke again, breaking his thoughts in a much calmer fashion.

"We don't know that. If you recall, she never said a word to anyone...and we all have to face the likelihood that she will never come home..." With his voice back to normal levels, it was much easier to pick up on the hurt in his words. "this may not be the way I had planned to start a family with you, Summer, but it's what I have to work with. Yang needs a mother, not just a caretaker that daddy married. I may not have planned on having her, but she's still my daughter and my word is final when it comes to raising her. I know it seems callous to you two, but I genuinely believe this will be the smartest move...for her benefit. Not just mine."

'For her benefit'...sure. Tai was just so blinded by his own resentment, he was going to selfishly hurt his daughter by deceiving her for the entirety of her life.

Perhaps he should have thought it through, gave himself time to simmer down and let the flames of objection ebb away before taking action, but Qrow decided that the lies and deceit would end tonight.

"Actually...y'know what, Firecracker? I'm gonna let you in on a lil' secret..."

Long blonde curls shook violently asYang's head whipped to face him, eyes wide, mouthing a perfect 'o' in anticipation. Qrow patted his lap, signaling for her to come in close and to bring the frame with her. Yang followed obediently, settling on his legs criss-cross applesauce and leaning against his chest as he reached around to hold the frame. He tapped the top of her head to grab her attention, looking at her intently.

"Listen carefully, okay? What I'm about to tell you is very, very important, Yang. I want you to tell me if you're having trouble understanding anything, alright?" Obviously, there would be some details that would slip by her, but the idea would not be incomprehensible. She was exceptionally perceptive for her short almost three years of age.

His serious nature seemed to convey well as Yang nodded, eyes equally as transfixed on her uncle. "Yes, Uncle Caw."

Qrow nodded back, taking in a deep breath. How to say this tactfully...

"Yang... your parents, Taiyang and Summer love you very much. Your dad's been my best friend for years...but that doesn't mean we always agree on everything." He started cautiously.

"Mommy doesn't always either, Uncle Caw." Yang interjected, causing Qrow to smile.

"Well, this is one of the rare times me and her actually agree." Just get to the point, he berated himself, but he couldn't bring himself to just rip the band-aid off for fear of hurting her. What was the simplest way to explain this to a child? "You see, Firecracker, Summer Rose loves you just like you were her own daughter, but we think you're old enough now to know the truth. Yang...do you know why your last name is different than her's?"

Her violet eyes darted around the room, as if she would find the answer scrawled across one of the white-washed walls. "Cause..Cause roses are flowers, and she's the prettiest flower ever?" she tried.

"Wow, and she's not even around to hear you kiss butt..."

"Language, mister." Yang scrunched her face up and shook her finger at him accusingly.

Oh, Summer would just be beside herself with pride. "Right. Sorry, kid." Qrow sighed, running his wiry fingers through her golden tresses. "Anyway, Summer's last name is Rose, but you have your dad's name, Xiao Long. That's because when you were born, he and Summer weren't married. They weren't even a couple." Kinda. They flirted a lot, but he wasn't even gonna begin to try an explain that concept. "Your dad was with another woman at the time. Do you know who she was?"

Yang shook her head, a small crease between her brows, but she remained quiet, engrossed by his words. He took her silence for his cue to keep going.

"She was my sister. I've told you about her before, but very little." Mostly in passing whenever he told her stories about he and her parents' days as Team STRQ. Qrow held the photo up, letting Yang place her finger on Raven's soft smile, a reflection of the very one that now graced his own features. He was doing the right thing by telling Yang, he thought looking down at the blonde carbon copy of his sister perched in his lap. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about it. "Right. That's Raven. Yang...that's your real mother."

The crease in her forehead grew as Yang scrutinized her uncle. "I have...two mommies?"

"No, Yang. Just one. Raven and your dad were together for a while, and then she had you. Now Summer's with him. Y'all are still a family, you just have what's called a step-mother." He tried explaining, watching closely as his niece turned back to the picture and stared long and hard at who she had just learned to be her real mother. He assumed she understood, given her lack of questioning.

"She's pretty, just like ma- Summer." Yang was quick to correct herself, confirming to Qrow that she understood. So far so good, if not a tad weird hearing his baby niece refer to her step-mother by her real name.

Qrow's hand found her hair again, playing with her mane of wild ringlets."Yup. You know what they say, 'like mother, like daughter.'"

Yang's head tilted in thought, still transfixed by the woman in the photograph. "How did she die?"

His hand froze. Shit.

"She's not dead, Firearm. She's still alive and kicking." Just not hanging around to be a mother. This was gonna be a bit of a doozie to explain.

Attention separated from the picture, Yang looked back up at her uncle with wide eyes. "Can I meet her, Uncle Caw?"

Oh boy. He was so royally fucked. "Well, it's not that simple. Raven doesn't exactly make herself easily found these days..." Yeah, that was a way of putting it.

"But she's your sister. Call her. Tell her I wanna meet her."

Don't look in her eyes. Don't.

"Yang...Raven left right after you were born. I haven't spoken to her since."

"Why?"

And there it was. The number one question they all had been searching aimlessly for an answer to, but had yet to find. How could he respond to her, when he wasn't sure himself?

"If she's my mommy, why did she leave?" There was no real emotion her tiny voice at least. She was too young to feel the sting of abandonment, he hoped desperately.

"Firecracker...I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't..." Change of subject. "But I can tell you this. Your mother is an incredibly strong woman who held a lot of weight on her shoulders. She had a lot to deal with at the time you were born. Don't think for a second that she didn't want you, okay? No matter what anyone tells you, even your father." Oh, he was in for a world of hurt when Tai found out about this little 'weekend with Uncle Caw'. "Your mother left because she had to...to keep you safe." A bit of a stretch, but based off the few conversations he'd had with his twin before her departure, it was a plausible assumption.

If Yang had any qualms with his explanation, she didn't vocalize them. She simply nodded, an ever so slight pout on her lips, and went back to staring at the photograph.

. . . . . . . . . .

It was a late evening in June when the announcement was made, right after Yang's third birthday party. Cone shaped hat adorning her golden crown, Yang sat in Summer's lap in their oversized rocker, snapping the elastic string that secured her party hat against her face over and over, leaving a tin red line on her cheek.

Qrow snorted. "I think that hat's been on too tight all day, cutting off circulation to her brain. Or maybe she just really takes after you, Tai."

Taiyang didn't retort. He was giving Summer a goofy smile, which she returned almost bashfully. Something was definitely up, but he was almost afraid to ask. "Okay. Talk, one of you or both. What's up with the lovesick googly eyes..."

Another look exchanged between spouses. Summer spoke first, smirking at Qrow. "I'm four weeks pregnant."

Well, it was bound to happen at some point or another. "Please, spare me the details of the conception. I don't wanna think about you two getting freaky four weeks ago."

Summer laughed, expecting no less of a reaction from the sarcastic scythe master. Yang sat up, looking between the adults in the room. "What does p-p..pregnant mean? Is it bad?"

"It means your parents were going at each other in the-" Taiyang threw his heavy arm directly into his gut, effectively cutting off Qrow's rude commentary.

"It means you're going to be a big sister, Sunshine!"

Her face lit up brighter than the sun. "I'm gonna be a step-sister!"

Qrow tensed. Summer's jaw slackened, glancing over at the two men. Tai pointed his furious sapphires at his best friend.

"Technically...you're gonna be a...half...sister...too late to offer a congrats, big guy?"

Oh yeah, he was gonna get it.

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