"Another week another name" that was becoming a saying around Beacon. It started three weeks ago now when Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina died and their names added to the memorial wall, and last week Team CRDL was wiped out during an evacuation assignment, their names also added to the wall. "Another week, another name."

The following week saw two other names added to the wall, thankfully not students, but professional huntsmen who had attended Beacon in the past. Another funeral service was held, one for the members of CRDL, none of the students cared for them or liked them they were bullies, but, did they deserve such a fate? The members of Team KAKI, the best team out of the third years were sent of the same assignment that CRDL died on, but they returned without a scratch, each of the star students remained quiet on the subject choosing to not relive it. Like their fellow students they cared little for Cardin and his team, but such a death was not something they would wish on anyone, Alex secluded himself in the gym while Kylie slept and Kayla passed the time by reading and Talim a creature of habit practiced her violin in solitude.

As usual classes were cancelled following the deaths of the four students, but since so many days had already been called off the mourning period would only last a day instead of the week. The atmosphere of the school had changed, even when the sun was shining unobstructed the air around Beacon felt gloomy and dark like the energy and life had been sucked out. Dust classes were now being taught by Ozpin allowing Ivy to once again take over teaching the Field Medicine classes while Sin was still locked away in his lab. The once proud doctor and teacher had fallen into a deep depression after the loss of Velvet Scarlatina and he had still not recovered locking himself fully in his lab now and when not working he was drinking, trying to drown his pain. Due to his understandable circumstances Ozpin thought it wise to allow Sin to take time off, away from teaching and allow him time to grieve as much as he wanted.

The virologist yelled as he slammed his hands against his desk throwing everything off of it, another test ending in failure and another theory on a cure down the drain.

"Dammit" he yelled pounding his fist against the steel desk, "Dammit" he repeated his words devolving into sobs.

He collapsed against his desk his forehead meeting the cold steel as he folded his arms around his head, "It's not possible" he sobbed, "There is no cure...Summer, Velvet, I'm sorry."

The lab door opened before Ivy entered finding Sin passed out against his desk the noticeable scent of whiskey on his breath. She came by to check on him once a day in shifts along with Ozpin and Goodwitch and at least once a day he found in a similar state black out drunk or nearly passed out in a room that looked like a hurricane had gone through it. His clothes stained from sweat and his fingertips covered in paper cuts, he himself reeked from not bathing in over a week and judging by the state of the lab's refrigerator, he had barely eaten at all.

"Dammit, Sin" Ivy said calling Ozpin and Glynda for help, "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

When the headmaster and combat instructor arrived the three of them carried their wasting colleague back to his room in the faculty dorms where Ivy would watch over him and try to clean him up. Sitting Sin in a corner chair she left returning with a large bucket filled with hot water and several towels using a sponge to clean him up as best she could. A razor and scissors to trim his beard back to its normal style and finally she started to undress him, putting new clothes on him and lifting him up and carrying him over to his bed setting him down one last time.

After laying him down she pulled the blanket over him, "I know you're still hurting Sin" she said to him stroking his hair, "But you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to find a way to carry on no matter how painful it is."

Kissing his forehead she stood up, gathering his dirty clothes and placing them in the laundry hamper, to avoid disturbing him she would take the clothes to her room to have them clean.

"Sleep well" she said to him closing the door behind her.

"Professor Ivy" the familiar voice of one of her favorite students said from behind her.

There stood Ruby Rose, as bright as ever, smiling with her shining silver eyes.

"Hello Ruby" Ivy greeted returning her smile, "How are you?" she asked before seeing the plastic container in Ruby's hands, "What's that?"

"Cookies" Ruby admitted with a shy smile, "I know I'm not as good as my mom was, but I had dad send me the recipe. I wanted to make them for Professor Sin, I want him to feel better."

Ivy smiled, "He's sleeping right now, but. I'll let you in, just set them down somewhere and close the door behind you ok?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, I won't disturb him."

Opening the door for Ruby, Ivy returned to her own room to start on her friend's laundry while the huntress-in-training entered her teacher's room. Seeing Sin sleeping Ruby felt her heart sink, she could smell the alcohol on his breath a scent she knew all too well from her uncle. Setting the container down on the nightstand she walked over to him, even in his drunken sleep the expression of pain was still evident, he was still in mourning.

"I'm sorry Professor" she said her hand stroking his hair just like her dad, her uncle and her sister did to her when she was little and sad, "I'm sorry you lost her, I know how much she meant to you, but please. Try to get better, for her."

She prepared to leave when he turned over his eyes opening with a low groan, "Summer?" he muttered when he saw her, "You're back?"

"No" Ruby replied, "Professor Sin it's me, Ruby."

Sin sat up his arms clumsily wrapping around her, "Summer" he said again holding her close, "I need you. I need your help, I don't know what to do. I'm lost without her, I need you to come back."

Ruby struggled against his hug, "Professor Sin I..." she paused when she felt his shoulders jump, and heard his sobs, he was crying again.

Slowly she brought her arms up returning his embrace, "Sin" she said deciding to go along with his confusion, "You need to get better. I know it hurts, I know it hurts more than can be described, but you need to keep going. Not just for Velvet, but for the people who are still with us, this world still needs you."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "So please, pull yourself together, for her. And for me."

She kissed his forehead, which proved to be a mistake as he leaned his head back causing their lips to meet. Quickly Ruby stepped back in surprise her eyes wide as she looked at Sin who was now staring at the floor.

Tears continued to drop from his eyes, "I still love you Summer."

Reclaiming her train of thought Ruby told him, "Get some more rest Sin. And when you wake up pull yourself together, because without you this world is lost, do it for me, please."

Watching her teacher's eyes slowly close only to open again she gently pushed him down onto his bed, "Get some sleep" she told him, "There will be some cookies for you when you wake up."

That's when she saw him smile, "Your cookies were always the best" he said as his head met his pillow, "I love you."

When he passed out again Ruby took a moment to compose herself before quickly leaving the room and running to Professor Ivy's, explaining everything that happened.

"I see" Ivy said when Ruby finished, "Sorry you had to deal with that."

"Professor Ivy" Ruby began nervously, "I need to know. Does Professor Sin know what happened to my mother?"

"Yes" Ivy admitted, "He was with her on her final mission, and he was with her when she died."

Ruby asked, "What happened to her?"

Ivy shook her head, "I don't know. Only Sin and your uncle do. They were with her when it happened and neither of them would talk about it. They still won't."

Ruby's gaze fell to the floor, "He said he loved me, when he thought I was my mom. Did he?"

Ivy nodded, "He loved your mother, she was his first crush and his first girlfriend. He did everything he could to win her over, to get her to agree to just one date and eventually she agreed and that was it. She ended up enjoying his company and they started spending time together, it wasn't long before they started dating."

Ruby looked at her again, "What happened between them?"

Ivy's smile changed, one of melancholy, "Your aunt disappeared. After Raven vanished, your father was" she hesitated, trying to think of the right words, "He was depressed" she finished unable to think of a better way to describe it, "He felt lost without her. He still continued to look after your sister, but he wasn't taking care of himself, in a way kind of like Sin is right now and Summer, she was there to help Tai through it. At the time Sin was stationed at a lab in Anima, he told her do whatever it takes to help Tai through it, even if it means replacing Raven which would mean leaving him."

She watched the way Ruby's expression changed with that, "Sin has always been a selfless person. Even back then he would give up a chance at his own happiness if it meant helping someone else, especially a friend, like your father. I remember Summer saying it was one of the hardest decisions she ever had to make, but she knew if she didn't stay with your father he likely would have wasted away and Yang, there's no telling what would have happened. So Summer decided to remain with Tai, they got married and you were born after."

Ivy's smile remained, but it was clear that it was not a good memory, "Even after that Sin still loved your mother" she chuckled, "He was hopelessly in love with her, so much that after you were born he claimed you as his unofficial daughter. And swore he would protect you as if you really were his...just like he did with Velvet. And when Summer died he...changed and it took years for him to regain even a part of what he used to be like."

She paused for a moment debating on if she should continue, "If I'm going to be honest. I think you being here really helped him. It hurt him a little at first because of how much you look like your mother, but it helped him. I'm sure you remember how quickly he took a liking to you."

Ruby smiled remembering that day, it was a few weeks after she had entered Beacon and the field medicine teacher had become so fond of her.

"Well" Ruby began nervously, "It's just you seem to focus on me more than the other students. Even after class you always seem to want to help me more than the other students. I know I'm younger than everyone else here, but I don't want any special treatment, you know?"

"Ruby" Professor Sin smiled, "You are special. You're mother was a special friend to me" Ruby's eyes shot up to meet his, surprise etched across her face, "So that means you're special to me as well, alright?"

Ruby could only nod in response.

"So" Ruby said, "Since I remind him of my mother, do you think me being around is making him even more sad?"

"Yes" Ivy answered truthfully, "But I also think you may be able to help him come out of it. In all honesty, Ozpin, Glynda and myself have been unsuccessful and right now I don't have any other ideas on how to help him. You may be able to, but the first and most important step is keeping him away from alcohol. I'm going to go to his lab and get rid of any I can find, after than I'll go through his room as well. In the meantime can I ask you to try and help him?"

Ruby immediately agrees, "Yeah, I'll help. If he was a friend of my mom I want to help him, also...Velvet was my friend and now that I think of it, he is to."

Ivy smiles, "You are so much like your mother" she says ruffling her hair, "Go on back to your room for today, we'll talk more tomorrow."

Leaving the room Ruby looks at Sin's door one more time, after everything Ivy told her and seeing how broken her teacher was, it hurt her, but it strengthened her resolve. She would find a way to help him, she would save him from his despair, it's what her mother would have done and it's what she will do. Ruby's shoes clapped against the tile floor in the empty hall, echoing with each step her determination evident in her stride as she left the faculty dorms and stepped out into the light of the setting sun.

"Just wait Professor Sin" she said staring at the orange horizon, "I'll find a way to help you."