Interlude Three: A Chance Meeting

Willow was left slightly shaken by the meeting with Ghira Belladonna and the White Fang. Whitley had composed himself wonderfully, but she couldn't help but feel judged. She knew of Ghira, of course. He had been the subject of much ire from late husband, Jacques, despite the fact that out of many of the Fang's leaders Ghira was one of the most level-headed and likely to search for a peaceful solution. She knew all the terrible things that her father's company had done under Jacques' leadership, had heard the hateful and derogatory comments her friends had made, and she had done nothing about it. Yes, she found it in poor taste, but silence was just as damning, she had learned.

Ghira had been larger than life, in person. The photos she had seen of him didn't do him justice. The man was huge, in every sense of the word. Tall, broad-shouldered, well-muscled; he had a gravitas, a charismatic force you couldn't help but respond to, aided by his deep voice and intelligent way of speaking. She had found herself quite intimidated in his presence. And the very first thing he had done after sitting down was tell them of an attempted attack on his people. An attack that certainly came from within the Schnee Dust Company or from one of the noble families of Atlas. She had anticipated a discussion about the years of friction and violence between her family and the Faunus, and thought herself mentally prepared for it. However, the meeting starting with a fresh accusation of a new attack had rattled her, and she had spent the rest of the meeting drowning in guilt and wishing for a stiff drink.

The two younger Faunus that were with Ghira she hadn't recognized. She knew Ghira's daughter, Blake, and had meant to share her relief about Blake's return with heartfelt sincerity. They had both been parents grieving the loss of a child when the impossible happened and their children had returned to them. The way Ghira had opened the meeting, however, had driven it completely from her mind. And while she didn't recognize the young Faunus who were with Ghira, she was still adept at reading body language. The young woman, the one with the rather pretty smattering of chameleon scale freckles across her face, had looked about as awkward as Willow had felt. The young man with the rams' horns and goatee, however, had been positively radiating anger and contempt. The entire time he had sat there, arms crossed, jaw tense, refusing to drink the tea while his eyes kept darting towards the kitchen where the Sahras had retired to. It was like he had expected an attack, Willow had thought, which given the subject matter of the meeting wasn't an undue fear. She had felt the muscles in her back and neck relax when they trio had left, and again felt a stab of shame at her fear.

Whitley had called Klein as soon as the White Fang had left, to discuss the moving of the Fang from their current warehouse to somewhere more secure. Willow was immensely proud of all of her children, who were growing into fine people despite her and Jacques' attempts to ruin them. She had resolved to step up and be the parent they had all deserved. And so far, she felt as though she hadn't done much. Her children had learned to cope without her, and now that she was back in their lives and sober, she had realized she didn't really know how to do it. Despite her intentions, she had been little more than a bystander in the meeting. Her guilt had locked her up and Whitley had done the heavy lifting. As she wallowed in pitying self-retrospection, inspiration suddenly struck, and she briskly left her guest room to find Whitley. No more being a bystander in her children's lives. Willow Schnee was going to start being proactive.

Whitley was still seated on the couch when she returned to the living room, tapping away at a laptop he had set up on the coffee table. Willow gently cleared her throat and asked, "Where are the locations that you're thinking of setting up the White Fang at?"

Whitley paused in his typing and looked at his mother with faint surprise. "Well, while I wanted them to pick a location that they wanted, I was going to try to steer them towards a couple places that are mostly ready to go. The most likely candidate is an old dust distribution center that we already own. According to the records, it belonged to a competitor that Father either forced out or bought out. Either way, the deed is already ours, and even though it's been sitting empty for years it's still set up as a distribution center. Warehouse, offices, everything an aid center would want. Some squatters are living in it, and I've been trying to entice them to move out, but they're being stubborn. Why do you ask?"

"I'd like to be the one to show Ghira and his people the places you have in mind. And I think I can handle the squatters too, if it comes to that." Willow said, face set with determination.

"That would help a great deal, but are you sure you can handle the squatters? They've been peaceful so far, but if push comes to shove they may shove back," Whitley said, looking at his mother with some concern.

"I'll be fine, Whitley. I was quite adept at smooth-talking potential business partners many years ago, and though I haven't gotten a lot of practice lately, I'm sure I can make some sort of deal with them. I already have some ideas."

Whitley frowned, but acquiesced. "Take someone with you at least, please. The city is overflowing with people and Vacuans have a rightfully negative opinion of us."

"Son, I have aura training and can use the family semblance. Besides, Klein figures into my plans, and I'll be meeting with him. I'll be fine." Willow spoke with such fierce resolve that Whitley had no choice but to agree. He had never seen his mother be this assertive about anything before. It made a welcome change of pace from the withdrawn alcoholic she had been for most of his life.

"Ok, just be safe, Mother."

"I will. I'll be back later."

And so Willow found herself, fifteen minutes later, navigating the crowded streets of the City of Vacuo. She had dressed modestly, so she wouldn't draw too much attention to herself, and despite her earlier assurances to Whitley, had slid a compact handgun into a cleverly concealed holster just in case. She was sure she wouldn't have to actually use it on anyone, but its sleek weight gave her comfort anyway.

She had rarely set foot outside of the Sahra residence since she had gotten to the city, and had forgotten just how cluttered it was compared to Atlas. Where Atlas was all clean-lines and engineered purpose, Vacuo was a haphazard sprawl of buildings that had gone up with seemingly no clear plan in mind. And there were thousands of people crammed into every street. It was loud, smelly, and overwhelming. Willow felt herself growing more nervous as she traveled and frequently checked the directions she had put into her scroll.

As she neared the building Whitley had told her about, she started to scan the crowds for signs of Klein. She had messaged him, asking him to meet with her, and he had heartily agreed. She paused on the side of the street as her eyes jumped from face to face, searching for Klein's distinct bowler hat and mustachioed face. Her gaze paused instead on the profile of a rugged, dark-haired man that stuck out from the people around him. He walked with his hands jammed into the pockets of his trousers, which rumpled the fringe of his jacket in the process. There was a lethal looking sword strapped horizontally across his lower back, partially obscured by a red cloak. He emanated an air of easy grace and danger that made her shiver, and then he turned enough for her to get a clear view of his face.

That's Qrow Branwen. I don't think I've ever thanked him for all the time he spent with Weiss's team. I should say something, she thought as she started to raise her arm to call out to him. Before she could, however, a number of people screamed, and she was jostled as the crowd suddenly surged and nearly knocked her off of her feet. As fear rose like an acidic wave in her throat, decades old reflexes took over and she started to activate her aura. She felt the familiar hardening around her, and then it shattered as something slammed into her. Ice-cold pain impaled her, radiating from just below her ribcage.

A dirty, disheveled man was panting in her ear as he twisted the knife in her side. She felt it grate over one of her ribs and she nearly passed out. "Yer a Schnee," he leered. "Don' matter what happens to me if'n my blade drinks enough of yer blood before I die. Your family is full of monsters," he spat, driving the blade deeper still.

Willow was fast losing consciousness, the icy pain in her side throbbing as the world swam and started to turn gray. She could no longer understand what the man was snarling at her, and she tried to form words of her own as she met his wild, bloodshot eyes. A fine spray of something hot covered her face, and then the man seemed to be choking on something, his throat bulging around a weird object that protruded through his adam's apple. Willow's last coherent thought before the darkness took her was that the thing was the tip of a sword, and then the world went black.

Qrow was wandering the streets of Vacuo, as he was wont to do when he was thinking things over. His nieces and their team were going off to Atlas soon, and he was staying behind. He didn't like the idea of them roaming the fallen city, even though there were going to be plenty of licensed Huntsmen there. He was just nervous, he guessed, about the possibility of them disappearing again. He didn't think he could bear going through that sort of grief a second time.

As he walked, hands morosely stuffed into his pockets, he caught sight of a striking woman who was staring at him from across the way. He paused, startled. That's Willow Schnee. The hell is she doing out here on the streets? She had raised her arm, as if to beckon him over, and then chaos erupted. He felt the jarring buzz of his semblance, a sensation that felt as if his entire body had been hit in the funny bone, and which he knew through painful experience heralded bad luck. Shit. The people crowding the street surged and he heard someone yell something about a knife.

Instinct kicked in and Qrow drew Harbinger, eyes darting through the seething mass of people. Through a brief gap in the crowd, he saw Willow, standing transfixed as a man rammed a long dagger into her side. Shit shit shit. His first attempt to cross the street was stymied by the sheer number of bodies that were running back and forth, and he had to force his way through, roughly elbowing people out of the way. As he cleared the press, he saw that Willow was now collapsed against the man who was shouting obscenities about Atlas and the Schnees. Qrow lunged, aiming for the man's arm, trying to incapacitate him, but then he felt that whole body tingle again as his foot slipped on some loose sand. His thrust went high and took the man through the nape of the neck. Harbinger was not a weapon meant for finesse, and the blow nearly decapitated the man. He saw Willow get soaked with arterial spray and he pulled his weapon free, sending the man's head tumbling to the ground. Qrow winced at this, but his next priority was making sure Willow was alive.

He dropped to his knees and cut a ragged chunk out of his cloak, stuffing the red cloth tightly into and around the stab wound. The material went a darker shade of crimson as it started to soak up Willow's blood. He then undid his belt with his free hand and cinched it as tightly as he could around the wounded woman, trying to keep his makeshift bandage in place. With the immediate first aid taken care of, Qrow swiftly looked around for any more signs of danger or potential help. The dead man lay next to them, a large pool of blood soaking into the hardpacked ground from the stump of his neck. A group of people had circled around them, gawking at the blood and spectacle. Qrow pulled out his license and shouted at the crowd.

"Licensed Huntsman! This woman needs immediate medical attention! Clear a path!" As the crowd wordlessly parted, he scooped Willow up, being mindful of her wounded side as he did. Dumb bastards would rather watch than help, he thought as he carried Willow down the street. Few people would meet his eyes, other than the occasional defiant Vacuan. The refugees he saw from Atlas shied away from his gaze completely.

"Mr. Branwen!" A voice suddenly called. "My word, what has happened?" A roundish, shorter man wearing a bowler hat called out as he rushed to Qrow's side.

"Klein, some nutjob attacked Willow. I was on the other side of the street when it happened, couldn't get to her in time. She needs help, ASAP."

"Set her down, set her down," Klein said, gesturing emphatically. He pulled out his scroll and typed for a moment, and then knelt by his mistress's side. "Help is on the way. That bandage your doing?"

"Uh, yeah. Not great at first aid, best thing I could do on short notice," Qrow said. He kept a watchful eye on the crowds that were still gathered, hand hovering by the hilt of his weapon.

Klein sighed. "Well, it slowed the bleeding. Not sure about the cleanliness of the cloth you used, but it's better than nothing." The older man rewrapped the wound, settling the bandage more securely. "I wish I had my equipment with me. I was told to meet Miss Schnee here and was waiting when I heard the commotion. Terrible business, this." He wrinkled his nose, his eyes turned crimson, and his voice gained a rougher accent. "I 'ope the bastard that did this was taken care of?"

"Yeah, he's dead. Was trying to wound and capture, but I fumbled my strike," Qrow said, blinking at this abrupt change in demeanor.

"Good. Scum like 'at deserves the worst." Klein wrinkled his nose again, and his eyes changed back to light brown. "Dreadfully sorry. Sometimes my other selves come out without warning."

"It's ok. I'm just glad I was in the area, I'd hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been there," Qrow said. He could hear the thrum of a Bullhead motor, and the air was suddenly filled with flying sand. The aircraft hovered directly over him and Klein, and a stretcher lift descended from its underside. Klein quickly and deftly strapped Willow in, then gave a thumbs up to the man waiting in the belly of the Bullhead.

"There. They'll take her to Amity and tend to her wound. Thank you for rescuing her, Mr. Branwen. We're in your debt."

"Uh, don't mention it. I just wish I could have been there sooner," Qrow said.

"Lucky you were there at all. If you'll excuse me, I need to let her children know what happened."

Lucky… Qrow fingered the clover talisman on his chest, and wondered.

Willow awoke with a head full of cotton. Her thoughts were muzzy and indistinct, and her mouth was terribly dry. What happened? She thought, trying to marshal her thoughts. Memories crept in, an icy pain in her side, a man screaming at her, blood everywhere. She sat up suddenly and winced as she stretched out the stitches in her side.

"Whoa, easy there, you took quite a bit of damage earlier," Qrow said from a chair at her bedside.

Whitley was sitting next to him, wringing his hands in worry. "Mother! I'm so glad you're ok! I knew something like this would happen, I should have sent someone with you, I'm sorry!"

Willow eased back into her hospital bed, smiling at Whitley and Qrow. "I'm the one who was determined to go off on my own, Whitley. And besides, there was a dashing knight there to save me," she added, beaming at Qrow.

Qrow cleared his throat, embarrassed. "I'm no knight. Just glad I was there in time to stop that man from killing you."

"What happened to him?" Willow asked. Another memory surfaced then, her attacker's wild eyes bulging as a sword tip erupted from his throat. "Oh. You killed him, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Meant to take him down non-lethally so we could try and question him. Missed my strike though," Qrow said, shifting uncomfortably. "Listen, I'm glad you're ok, but I should go. This should be a family thing, yeah?"

"Nonsense, you saved my life. I need to find a way to thank you properly," Willow said.

"It's fine, really," Qrow said, getting up out of his seat and looking towards the door nervously. It opened as he did and Winter stalked in, radiating displeasure. Qrow sank back into his chair, defeated.

"What on earth were you thinking, Mother? Going off alone, in the streets of a city that hates Atlas and our family! And you!" Winter rounded on Whitley. "Letting her go without an escort! I can't believe the carelessness!" Winter was in a towering temper, bright spots of color flaring high on her cheeks.

"Ma'am, I'd like to remind you that there are other wounded being cared for and that it may be prudent to keep your voice down," Klein said as he entered the room behind Winter, sweeping his hat off in the process.

"And you!" Winter continued, not dropping her voice in the slightest as she turned towards Qrow. Qrow mentally braced himself for whatever Winter was going to throw his way. He had never gotten along with Winter, from the very first moment they had met.

Time stretched and Qrow reluctantly looked up to meet Winter's eyes. "Thank you," she said, much more softly. "I still think you're a scoundrel with no manners or social skills, but you saved Mother's life. So, thank you."

That was not what I expected, Qrow thought. He was sure that Winter was going to tear into him for not stopping the attack in the first place, despite that fact that it had been random chance he was in the area. Or was it? He absently fingered the talisman on his chest again.

"Yeah, well, couldn't just stand by and let her get murdered. I may be a scoundrel but I'm still a Huntsman," Qrow said with an edge of defiance.

"And one that I owe a dinner to, at the very least, for saving my life," Willow said from her bed.

Qrow's eyes widened ever so slightly in panic at this as Winter's eyes narrowed. "Uh, sure. We can figure out the details later? I really should get going, paperwork to fill out for the guy that tried to kill you and stuff. If you'll excuse me." And with that, he nodded curtly to the Schnees and left the room.

"Really, Winter, I don't know why you dislike that man so much. Sure, he's a little rough around the edges, but that's exciting, don't you think?" Willow's eyes were twinkling as she addressed her oldest daughter.

This cannot be happening, Winter thought to herself. No way is Mother interested in that hoodlum. She looked more closely at Willow, and noticed that, despite her life-threatening wound, Willow was in very high spirits.

"Mother, you're in an oddly cheerful mood for someone who was just nearly killed," Winter told her.

"I expect that may change later when it can sink in a bit, but really, that's one of the most exciting things that has happened to me in over a decade. I feel alive, Winter. I'm not in a cage anymore, drinking away the years."

"Ma'am, euphoria is a well-documented phenomenon in patients who have just had a near death experience. I'm sure you're feeling well now, but I expect that it will pass. Please don't dismiss the advice your doctors give you, and if you need someone to talk to, consider a therapist," Klein said, frowning slightly.

Willow sighed. "I will, Klein. Thank you for your advice. Now, does anyone know where Weiss is?"

"She's with Jaune, they were going to drop in after we left, they didn't want to crowd you," Whitley said.

"The hospital wing also has a standing policy in place of no more than two visitors at a time, which we already broke, due to Miss Winter's insistence on seeing you," Klein added helpfully.

"Like they could stop me from seeing my mother," Winter glowered.

"Thank you, all of you, for coming to see me," Willow said. "I'm sorry I worried you." Her face darkened slightly. "What do we know about the man that attacked me?"

"He was a Vacuan. No name yet, but there are a number of reasons he may have done it. They don't particularly like us here," Winter said.

"But, Winter goes everywhere as she pleases! Besides, I didn't wear my best clothing, I thought I was being careful," Willow said, put out.

"Mother, Winter is a Maiden, and a high-ranking military officer. No one would dare do anything to her. You are not, and the blouse you chose had the Schnee emblem embroidered on the sleeve, if you hadn't noticed," Whitley told Willow with exasperation.

Willow thought this over. She had thought she had taken enough precautions, but obviously she had not. If only he had tried talking to me instead of attacking me. I knew we were hated, but enough for someone to try to murder me in broad daylight on a crowded street? Out loud she said, "We have more work to do than I thought we did to clear the reputation Jacques gave us."

Winter sighed. "Well, at least you're finally on board with that. Please don't take anymore unnecessary risks."

"Young lady, you are all taking enormous risks yourselves. As your mother, I cannot just keep sitting by while you do all the work," Willow said fiercely.

Winter looked taken aback at this, and Whitley smiled grimly. "She hit me with that earlier. I think she's finally coming out of her shell," the young man said.

"Well, whatever the case, you still need to be careful. It wouldn't do for us to lose you as soon as we got you back, would it?" Winter said, more gently.

Willow felt an upswelling of emotion at this. They still love me. After everything, the years I faded away and left them to their own devices, they still love me. "I will, I promise."

"Well, I had better be off. Work to do and people to see," Klein said as he donned his bowler hat. "Very glad that you made it, Ma'am. Please follow your doctor's instructions, they do know best."

"Thank you, Klein. And you take care of yourself, too," Willow told him.

"I know my way 'round a fight, if it comes to it. Never fear, Mum," Klein said, his eyes briefly turning crimson. He tipped his hat to them and exited the room.

"I had better go, too. Duty calls," Winter grimaced. "Klein gave you good advice, Mother. Listen to your doctors. And Whitley, if she tries to do anything like this again, please let me know," she added.

"I'm only trying to rebuild our company from the ground up, big sister. And Mother, believe it or not, is an adult who can make her own decisions. I won't babysit her if she's determined to do something," Whitley sniped.

"Fine. Mother, can you please let me know if you ever decide that you need an escort? I can assign a squad at any time," Winter said, annoyed.

"I will, I promise. Now both of you go, you've got plenty on your plates. I'm in good hands here," Willow said, making a shooing motion. Both of her children hugged her then, being careful of her wounded side, and left.

Willow eased back into her pillow, wondering how long it would be before Weiss and Jaune visited, and if she had time to get some more sleep. Whatever pain medication they had given her was keeping her head fuzzy. Deciding it would be best to stay awake, she instead took a sip of water from the mug on her side table and pulled out her scroll.

Headmaster Theodore, this is Willow Schnee. I'm writing to you about an incident that just occurred in the city, and which I'm sure you will be informed of by the appropriate parties soon, if you haven't heard of it already. I am fine, thanks to the actions of one Mr. Qrow Branwen. I was hoping that you could send me his contact information so that I may thank him appropriately…"

Willow smiled as she typed. Winter would disapprove, but honestly, she should thank Qrow properly for saving her. It helped that he was also quite handsome, in a rugged, ne'er-do-well sort of way. And, she hadn't been in a proper relationship for ages. Her marriage to Jacques had been a sham, and she missed the companionship that came with a healthy relationship. I wonder what kind of food Qrow likes, she wondered, humming softly to herself as she planned her outing with her savior.

Author's Note

Hey, quick update, I fixed a slight continuity error in the first interlude chapter. Jaune got his arm broken during that last fight in the attack, and then I have him playing guitar a couple days later? (what is this, amateur hour? *coughs*). Anyway, small fix, but it was made.

I also wanted to thank my reviewers, you all make this worthwhile, so thank you very much!

RWBYGLVol10, Kitsuna G, merendinoemiliano, Luffy L Deathwalker, Ethan Kironus, and the guests that have been leaving reviews, you're all awesome! Thank you again!