Three weeks at sea, and Weiss still wasn't used to the weather.
They were sailing through a minor squall. The air was alive with the sound of rain drumming on the deck and the crisp snap of the sails filling every time the wind kicked up. It was thick and briny, a smell so strong that Weiss could almost taste it.
The crew wasn't worried. Rough patches like this one were normal for the oceans out near Menagerie at this time of year. They'd be perfectly safe, as long as they were careful to stay away from the rails. Or the crow's nest.
"Any baddies?" Ruby shouted, from some seventy feet below.
"No," Weiss called back down. "I think I saw a whale spout, though."
It wasn't technically their responsibility to keep an eye out for Grimm. Their job—the one Ruby had arranged with Goodwitch, since escorting a ship all the way to Menagerie hadn't exactly been among the prearranged missions for them to choose from—was to kill them once they were sighted, without letting them damage the hull. The sailors were supposed to handle this part. But nobody liked being up here in gusty weather, slipping on wooden boards gone slick with rain, clinging to the rigging as the platform bucked and rolled with every wave. Nobody except for Weiss.
She didn't care how damp and miserable it got. It was worth it to watch the crew swarming around like ants far below, and to feel each sudden gust of wind snatch at her hair and feathers. They were so close now that it carried the scent of Menagerie's markets over the horizon.
What could she say? She liked heights.
They arrived that evening, as the last of the day's light gilded the tops of the waves. Weiss didn't bother with the ladder. She tipped herself over the railing and spiraled down, making a game out of dodging between the rigging. It was easier with practice—she didn't wobble in the air like she used to, though landing was still... something of a process.
"Whoa!" Yang snagged her out of the air as she not-quite-crashed into the deck, spinning her around to bleed off some of the momentum before setting her gently on her feet. "Hello to you too."
Weiss grabbed her hand to pull her along, laughing as they raced down the pier. The medley of now-familiar sights and smells washed over her. She might have forgotten her luggage altogether, if Ruby hadn't handed it to her.
They couldn't stay very long—the trade ship they were escorting was due to leave in a few days, barring inclement weather—but getting to spend even an hour back here, without the constant worry that she might accidentally reveal her wings...
She couldn't stop smiling as they wound their way towards the main house. "Thank you," she told Ruby, though she had to fight to be heard over the haggling taking place at a nearby stall. "For setting this up. I know this is longer than our mission was technically supposed to go."
Ruby gave her a little salute that she'd definitely picked up from Penny. "You're welcome! Though if we're honest, getting out of Port's class for an extra two weeks is kind of its own reward."
It felt odd, making that first walk up the steps to the Chieftain's house again. After all that time in Atlas, it almost made her laugh to remember how nervous she'd felt about being here. Then she remembered how out of place she'd felt, how everyone had always seemed to be staring at her, how hard it had been to stop thinking of herself as an intruder.
People were looking at them now. Getting wrapped up in a political nightmare that almost turned into a second Great War tended to have that effect. But this newfound attention was curious, not hostile.
She wasn't hiding anymore. Doubtless that was part of it—but she couldn't help but wonder if some of those accusatory stares had been less about how other people saw her, and more about how she'd seen herself.
The door opened before Ruby could even knock. Kali rushed out and wrapped Blake in a tight hug. Ghira stepped out behind her, smiling softly.
Weiss had no idea what came over her—whether it was leftover anxiety she hadn't managed to shed in the wake of what almost happened to Atlas, or simple relief at being back in a place that had made her feel so happy. But the moment she saw him, she found herself dropping her bags on the ground and throwing her arms around his middle.
He froze for a moment, clearly startled. Then he settled a hand on top of her head and said, "Welcome home."
It was dark out by the time they gathered around the table for dinner. Lulled by the sound of rain pattering on the roof, the crickets singing, and the distant hush of the waves, Weiss failed to smother a jaw-cracking yawn. It spread to Blake, and then Yang, though judging by the way her knee bounced up and down, Ruby was still wired.
"This whole trip's been so cool!" She broke into a wide grin. "It feels a lot more like a real mission when you set it up yourself, you know? This was my first time looking at a real mission board instead of picking from Beacon's list. There's so much to choose from!"
She began rattling off ideas—ones they should probably sit down and discuss properly at some point, when they weren't still exhausted from three weeks of fighting aquatic Grimm. Weiss registered it mostly as a warm blur of possibility.
"I don't doubt you'll be able to do anything you set your mind to," Kali said, once Ruby's explanation wound down.
"You girls have done so much already," agreed Ghira. "We're so proud of you." Weiss could now say with authority that hearing it felt just like flying.
Maybe her excitement crossed a wire somewhere. Maybe she'd gotten too used to staying with her friends' parents, and hearing them talk to their fathers. Maybe she was just so exhausted she stopped thinking straight.
When dinner was finished, she made to bring her plate into the kitchen and wash up, only for Ghira to pluck it gently from her hands. "Let us take care of that," he said. "You four should get some sleep."
And before Weiss could think about it, the words "Thanks, dad," had already fallen out of her mouth.
The room went dead quiet. Her heart leaped into her throat. "I'm sor—"
Ghira stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before she could finish. "There's no need to apologize."
Right. Right. "I didn't mean to say that," she said instead.
"Well." He adjusted his grip on the plate, the motion stilted and uncertain. Awkward, even. "It's up to you. That is, you could. If you wanted."
Weiss froze. Even after all this time, her first instinct was to expect a trap. She risked a glance at Blake, and saw only a beaming smile. Her eyes turned to Kali instead. "As long as I get to be mom," she said, as if she'd guessed somehow that this was a request for permission. Her smile was just teasing enough to offer an out, a way to laugh it off and sprint towards less loaded conversation.
"Can I, um... can I think about it?"
"Of course," Ghira said. "As long as you need." He hesitated for a moment, then held his arms out. Weiss stepped into them.
She could hardly believe how different it felt from every other form of touch she'd discovered, to be so utterly dwarfed by a hold that was firm but never crushing. That left her a space at the center of it without threatening to trap her there. She was sure she'd never been hugged quite like this before—Ghira had always been careful to let her come to him, and had returned the few she'd initiated very loosely.
There was something familiar about it anyway. An echo from her childhood, the nebulous before that she knew had happened but could never pin down long enough to get a good look. She'd felt safe like this once, resting her forehead against a chest too broad to have been Klein's, listening to a voice too warm to have belonged to Jacques.
She was still trying to puzzle it out hours later, standing by the railing on the back porch and staring out into the dark. The rain had faded into a thick fog. Tiny droplets beaded on her feathers, turning the night almost cool.
The door behind her slid open. "Hey," said Yang. "Mind if I join you?"
Weiss held out a wing for her to duck under.
"So... how're you feeling?"
"Mortified. I still can't believe I said that."
Yang slipped an arm around her waist. "You know you made his night, right?"
"I don't know about that."
Her smile turned a little sad. "I, uh... I get that it might feel kind of weird. Thinking someone would actively want to be... you know. But he looked really happy from where I was standing."
Weiss blinked away the blur in her vision. "I suppose he wouldn't have offered to let me do it again if he didn't like it."
"That's the spirit!" Yang rested her chin on Weiss' head. "You can still forget about it if you want. It's up to you to decide if it means anything, I just don't want you to feel guilty about it."
"I want to do it." It came out half-whispered, secretive even though she didn't mean it to be. Guilty despite the reassurance. Because it hadn't really been Ghira she was worried about. "Jacques was never much of father to me anyway. But I can't just—" The lump in her throat choked her. She'd seen how much harder her mother was trying, how much she'd lost in finally facing the truth of their family. Was it wrong to still feel the empty space she'd left, when the moment had long since passed for her to fill it?
"You know," Yang said softly, "I'd never let anyone tell me Summer wasn't my mother. She loved me, she raised me, and she was there for me when I needed her. She was my mom in every way that counts. But... that doesn't mean Raven isn't. I can still choose to see her that way, even if I'm pissed off at her. I've got two moms and a dad, that's all. I'm allowed."
Weiss threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you," she mumbled into her hair.
"Anytime," Yang promised, and kissed the top of her head.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, now that the downpour had finally ended. It was unanimously agreed that the weather was far too nice to stay inside as they'd planned. So instead, they packed for a hike out to the cliffs.
"Does anyone have extra sunscreen?" Weiss asked, as she finished deciding how many vials of Dust to bring in case of Grimm. "I can't find mine, I think I might have left it on the ship."
And before she could even remotely prepare herself, Ghira had already handed her some. She looked up at him and said, "Um." It was so much harder to do this deliberately...
From behind him, Yang shot her a double thumbs-up. She had to purse her lips to keep from laughing. "Thanks, dad," she managed, ducking her head.
He beamed at her. "You're very welcome."
The sun was strong today, even for Menagerie. They had to pause frequently on their way to the woods, to drink water and rest in the shade, and make use of the public sprinklers whenever they happened across one. The vendor that sold the iced coffee Weiss had gotten such a taste for on her last visit waved at her as they passed. A winged silhouette swept overhead, aiming for the ocean, a fishing net trailing between their outstretched hands.
They made their way up into the hills. It was cooler there, but not by much, and hiking up steep inclines left them all sweaty and out of breath. When they finally came in view of the cliffs, there was a frantic rush to toss aside bags and shoes. Weiss was neck in neck with her teammates as they all leaped for the water—but as the ground disappeared beneath them, she let her wings snap out and catch the air.
A series of splashes echoed up from far below. She heard laughter, saw arms waving to her out of the water as they surfaced one by one. From the sky, she had a perfect view of the moment Yang decided to honor ancient family tradition and dunk Ruby under the water.
Kali and Ghira had given the two of them a wide berth from the moment they landed, which was wise—you couldn't put both sisters in the same body of water without one of them playfully attempting to drown the other. Blake joined the battle on Yang's side the moment Ruby retaliated. Partner solidarity was a wonderful thing.
Weiss tucked her wings, and dived.
She didn't let herself fall straight down. Instead she pulled out of the stoop just in time and went skimming over the water at top speed, her feet just inches from the crests of the waves, wind screaming in her ears. There wasn't time for any of them to react before she was already on them. As she shot between Yang and Blake like a feathery arrow, she dipped a toe into the waves. A sheet of water shot into the air, swamping them both—and before they could try to splash her back, she was already gone.
"Hey!" Yang spluttered through a mouthful of salt water. "That is so unfair, how are we supposed to compete with air strikes?"
As it turned out? They only had to hit her once. The shock of cold water startled her enough to foul her steering, and she crashed head over heels into a wave. She came up a little dazed, but much more refreshed, and laughed off Blake's attempts to apologize. Besides, she and Ruby could hold their own just fine with both of them in the water.
It was much later when they finally climbed back up the cliffs to stay, dangling their legs off the edge and watching clouds drift across the horizon. Far in the distance, a dark shadow breached the water for just an instant before it vanished again, leaving only an ominous ripple in its wake.
"...You guys saw that too, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yep," said Yang. "Looks like we're going to have to deal with whatever it is on our way back."
Blake sighed. "One thing after another."
A gust of wind picked up, blowing cool and clean from far out to sea, carrying a hint of another squall coming their way. Weiss caught herself smiling, and didn't feel like stopping. "We'll figure it out."
Her own confidence startled her. She kept poking at it even as they stood up, ready to make the hike back down to the city. Expecting it to crumble under scrutiny. But this was not the pop and flash of joy or triumph—it was a slow, quiet thing, with roots that ran deeper than she could touch. A feeling that didn't evaporate, no matter how closely it was examined.
She knew now not to call it permanent. It wasn't the arrival she'd imagined as a child, where she could declare to the whole world, You will never hurt me again.
But she looked around—at the Belladonnas dropping increasingly unsubtle hints about a mystery dinner that they were far too excited about for it to be anything but her favorite fish curry. At Ruby hanging off her arm and asking what the cliffs looked like from the air. At Blake and Yang, trying to bait her into their playful argument about whether the Grimm they'd just seen had put a damper on their evening. At herself, stretching her wings, relishing the sweet ache of well-used muscles in a body she'd somehow learned to love.
If she could find her way here from that little girl, so desperate to pick herself apart for a scrap of warmth in that cold house, then maybe she didn't need to stay this happy forever. Maybe it was enough to know she was strong enough to get lost, and still find her way home again.