Chapter 103: Don't Be Sorry... Be Better

Beacon's Airfield

"And that should be the last one." Raven handed back the stack of paperwork, her signature or initials inked on each page half a dozen times. She looked over her shoulder. "You're sure you got the son of a bitch secured?"

"Positive, ma'am." The Atlesian officer followed her gaze, the two watching as a mix of Atlesian and BPD soldiers carried what looked like a metal coffin to an idling bullhead, Tyrian's bruised, unconscious face barely visible through the narrow barred opening at its head. "Huntress Goodwitch made a point to show us all the footage of his bout with Khan. We've got him tranqed to the gills and the only way out of that containment cell is through outside intervention, which we are on high alert for."

Raven nodded. "Good. Still, I'm surprised Ironwood or Winter didn't come to collect him personally."

"I'm sure they wanted to, ma'am." the officer assured. "Unfortunately, both the General and Specialist Winter are busy with… inventory."

Raven rose a brow at the man's brief stumble but didn't comment. "Understood. Let me know if you need any more help."

"Will do, ma'am." With a quick salute, the officer boarded the bullhead with the remaining soldiers. Raven and her men watched as the craft lifted off, zipping off towards one of the cruisers hovering over the city.

To her side, Shay clicked his tongue. "Rubbing elbows with Atlas's best and brightest. What the hell'd you drag us into, boss?"

Raven gave him a side-eye. "Would you rather go back to pillaging villages for pocket change?"

Shay snorted grinning. "Hell no. The bars wouldn't let us back in." A few snickers echoed his sentiments.

Raven rolled her eyes, turning to face her clan. "All of you get your asses back to base and in a bunk. We still have a lot of packing to do before we leave civilization, and you're all chipping in no matter how tired or hungover you are."

There was some good-natured groaning as the group started walking to where they'd parked the clan's trucks. They didn't make it more than a few steps before Raven called out. "Hey."

The men turned back in surprise. Raven crossed her arms, one side of her lips lifting in a slight smirk.

"Good job tonight."

Now it was the clan's turn to roll their eyes, a couple scoffing and waving her off as everyone turned to leave.

Each one, to a man, hid a grin.

Shay was the last to go, sending Raven a questioning look. Raven just shook her head, glancing to the side of the airfield. Shay followed her gaze. His eyes widened briefly before looking back to her, giving a firm understanding nod before moving on.

Raven watched until her men were out of sight. Then she sighed, turning to face the path back to Beacon.

Professor Ozpin stood there, waiting.

Raven made her way over, quickly glancing around the airfield. Save the two of them, it was empty.

Raven spoke before Ozpin could. "What's the word from Qrow?"

The Headmaster's brow furrowed slightly, the man looking a bit miffed. "No change as of his last report. Haven's security remains oblivious. We are ready to move at any time. Now…" He fixed Raven with a hard look. "What did you mean by 'I am right?' What happened with the Spring Maiden to change your mind?"

Raven shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "I don't know for certain, but…"

Raven was concise with her words. She told the Headmaster a barebones version of her and Yang's spar, telling him only the sheer fact that they both needed Percy's healing power. She spoke of Yang's brief misidentification, revealing the existence of Percy's photo… and her older sister.

Ozpin's eyes widened. "And… they truly look so alike?"

"Enough to scare Yang. And frankly… I can't blame her." Raven's shoulders rolled uncomfortably. "I'll admit I noticed some similarities between the Maiden and Penny, but… this girl… the likeness is… unsettling."

Ozpin nodded absently, his eyes distant as he moved his cane in front of him, leaning on it heavily. "Yes, I… I would imagine so."

A beat of silence passed as Raven watched Ozpin fall into deep thought. Before he could get too far, she crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing. "I may be wrong, this could all be a coincidence."

Ozpin blinked, coming back to himself with a slight shudder. "Yes… yes, I'm aware." He took a deep breath, giving Raven a brittle smile. "Still… an old man can't help but hope. And it has been quite a while since I felt this much at once." His shoulders lifted in a soundless chuckle. "Such a terrible, wonderful feeling."

Raven hummed, choosing not to comment.

Ozpin took a moment to organize his thoughts. "I know you do not wish me to speak with her." His lips twitched faintly when Raven bristled. "But if I could give you a few questions to ask her…?"

Raven's shoulders relaxed minutely. "I can pass them along, but I won't force her to answer."

"Of course." Ozpin accepted respectfully. He gave Raven a meaningful look, smiling. "Thank you for telling me this, Raven."

Raven looked like she'd sucked a lemon, but nodded all the same. "Don't mention it. Seriously. Now…" She took a deep breath, shifting gears. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but… have you made any headway with Cinder?"

Ozpin's smile faded, the grip on his cane tightening. "Very little, I'm afraid. She barely responds to any questioning by Ironwood's people, and when I attempted…"

"... that bad?" Raven asked after a moment.

Ozpin sighed heavily, showing his frustration. "She flew into a rage, trying to force Maiden's power to the surface again until she passed out from the strain. Just hearing my name agitates her." He took a deep breath, standing straighter as he collected himself. "Ironwood has made some progress, if only slightly. A few names and locations, but nothing major yet. What worries me is that, while she's coherent, her mind is growing… muddied."

"Because her Maiden powers are halved?" Raven questioned.

Ozpin's frown deepened. "Partly. Her condition is… unique, and I have no clue on its full effect on her mental state. Some I could chalk up to her stress for failing Salem, but… frankly, I'm more concerned that she's been… modified in some way."

Raven's brow shot high. "Modified?"

Ozpin nodded. "She has a tattoo on her upper back that… feels off to me, for lack of a better term. And in the past, Salem has had a penchant for… experimenting with those who follow her." For a moment, Ozpin's expression shifted to a true scowl, his eyes darkening. It was gone in a blink, the Headmaster shaking his head. "Unless something changes soon, it looks unlikely that we can count on Fall's help. We may have to hope that Winter and Spring are enough on their own."

It was Raven's turn to scowl, humming as she thought. "What about the brats who were following her? Anything from them we can use, maybe help break through Cinder?"

A saddened look crossed Ozpin's face. "What little they've said only collaborated with what Roman already gave us. Mercury is the son of a deceased assassin, Cinder intended to recruit the father and having to settle for the son instead. Emerald is an orphan that Cinder took under her wing. Ms. Sustrai let slip her mother's name, but the woman appears to be a dead end. Regarding Cinder or Salem, they've both been tight-lipped since their capture, Ms. Sustrai rather vehemently."

Raven grunted in frustration. "Give me what you have on them." At Ozpin's surprised look, she said, "Despite what Roman claims, he's not the be-all, end-all when it comes to underworld information. The clan has a few sources he… and you… don't. It might be a long shot, but it can't hurt to double-check."

Ozpin's surprise melted into a warm smile. "I'll have Glynda send you what we've gathered. Again, Raven, you have my thanks."

"You can thank me by making good on your promises," Raven said sharply. She took a heavy breath, looking away. "Is there anything else, or can I go?"

Ozpin shook his head slightly, still smiling. "No, Ms. Branwen, I believe that's all. By all means, have a good night."

Raven snorted as the Headmaster turned to leave, giving her a parting nod. "Right." She watched as Ozpin started up the path back to Beacon, his cane clicking against the cobblestone.

Raven remained in place, watching the Headmaster go until he was out of sight. She looked over the airfield, again making sure she was alone. She could hear the roar of her men's trucks on the edge of her hearing, fading away until the only sound left was the cicadas on the wind.

She let out a sigh, breathing in the crisp night air. She turned and walked to the opposite edge of the airfield, folding her arms on the railing as she watched the twinkling lights of Vale's sparkling cityscape. A troubled look marred her face, her brow furrowing further with every passing moment.

She stood there until the lights of Beacon behind her started to wink out. With a frustrated groan, Raven's shoulders fell in defeat. She pulled out her scroll, tapping it briefly before putting it to her ear. Her fingers tensed on the railing as the scroll rang, only stopping when she heard the click of a connection.

"Hello?"

Raven steeled herself. "Hey, Tai."

"Raven?" Taiyang sounded surprised. "Not that I'm complaining, but it's a bit late for a call, isn't it? Something go sideways again?"

"No, the world's not ending yet. I figured you were already in bed, but…"

"No, it's all right. I was still up. I'm trying to work through all the paperwork my sub at Signal saved for me. Seems he's having trouble deciphering some of my students' handwriting."

Raven let out a small huff of a laugh. "Sounds about right." She pushed off the railing, closing her eyes as she tilted her head back to the sky. "Listen, Tai… is it alright if I portal to you right now? I've got something I need to ask you and I'd rather do it face to face."

"Well… sure, Raven." Taiyang sounded concerned. "That's no problem."

Raven let out of breath. "All right… I'll be there in a second." She ended the call with no warning, waving an arm through the air. A swirling mass of scarlet storm clouds appeared before her. She hesitated for just a moment, then stepped through the portal-

-and was met with a ghost.

The moment she stepped out of the clouds and looked around, Raven felt like she'd been sucker punched again. She's expected to appear in Taiyang's guest quarters at Beacon, or maybe one of the professors' offices that he'd commandeered for paper-grading.

Not in a fireplace-lit living room, with a photo of Summer's bright smile shining from the wall across from her.

"Rae?"

With a start, Raven realized that she'd frozen, just staring at her lost love for who knew how long. She tore her gaze from the photo, letting the portal fade away to show Taiyang sitting on the couch behind her, paperwork spread out over the coffee table. He frowned at her, worried and apologetic.

Raven spoke before he could. "Tai." She glanced around the room, her chest aching as she found more photos on the walls, almost all of them containing Ruby and/or Yang at various ages. When her eyes landed on one of Yang smirking at the camera, wearing a cap and gown and holding her Signal diploma, Raven was finally able to fully snap her attention to Taiyang. "I didn't realize you'd gone back to Patch," she said, cursing herself for the slight quiver in her voice.

If Taiyang noticed, he gracefully didn't comment, instead looking around the room himself, smiling sheepishly. "Signal's principal called me. Said I had to come back and fill out a new lesson plan if I was going to take any more time off." He gestured to the paperwork before him. "Figured I'd stay the night and get some work done since I was in town."

Raven nodded. "Makes sense." Curious, she picked up one of the papers he had finished grading. A quick scan made her grin. "'The Many Mannerisms of the Greatest Grimms'? Already preparing them for Port's monologues?"

Taiyang smiled blandly. "The assignment was just to write an essay on any Grimm they had seen in real life, or pick one to research if they hadn't. It's not my fault if some of my students are more creative than others."

Raven breathed a laugh, putting the paper back. Then her eye caught another, a handwritten list on the corner of the table. Her brow lifted at Ty's handwriting at the top. "Potential transfers for Menagerie?"

Taiyang's grin grew more genuine. "Ghira's thinking about opening a proper Huntsman school on Menagerie. He asked me if I knew anyone who might want to jump ship from the faculty."

Raven nodded. "Ambitious."

Taiyang watched her, growing curious. "Yeah…you could say that. Now, you said you had a question for me?"

Raven stiffened. "Right. Well, um…" She struggled for a moment, grasping her forearm with her other hand. "Yang and I finally… talked. Properly, I mean. About… everything."

"...ah." Taiyang grimaced. He sat down the paper he was holding and reached under the coffee table. "I suppose that explains this." He lifted into view a burned and bloody jacket, holding it by its ripped but dry back.

Raven jolted in surprise. "What the- It was supposed to go in a trashcan! I sent that here?"

Taiyang nodded. "Yeah, and scared the hell out of me when you did. Thankfully Roman texted me back when I asked him and Qrow if they knew where you were." He dropped the jacket back into what Raven now saw was a laundry basket half under the table. "I'll ask what the hell is going on with Sienna Khan later. For now…" he fixed Raven with a firm look, gesturing to the armchair beside the couch. "I know your portals only screw up like that when your mind is somewhere else. You must have really wanted to talk to me."

Raven's silence was telling, as was her inability to meet his eyes.

Taiyang sighed, looking back down at the jacket. "I gathered myself that the… talk went badly. How bad was it?"

Raven felt her shoulders sag. She sank into the chair, pressing both hands against her face, and tipped her head back. After a moment she let one drop, managing to give Taiyang a weak smirk. "Would you believe me if I said it could have gone worse?"

An hour later found the former teammates staring tiredly into the fireplace, letting the crackle of the flames fill the silence. A small collection of empty bottles sat on the end table between the couch and the armchair, Taiyang having retrieved some of Qrow's stash once Raven got to Yang's question regarding using portals to find Summer. Raven had pulled her legs up into the chair, sitting cross-legged as she nursed her current beer, having just finished covering Yang and Ruby's… assumptions. Taiyang drank the last of his as he stared up at the ceiling in contemplation.

After a long while, he let out a deep sigh. "Yeah… yeah, that sounds about how I remember it." He put a hand to his head, fingers digging into his hair. "That was a bad day."

Raven's hands gripped her half-empty bottle tightly, turning lost eyes towards him as she braced herself. "Why didn't you just tell them?"

Taiyang gave her an incredulous look. "Tell them what, exactly?" he asked skeptically. "Explain the whole bomb thing right then and there to a screaming eleven-year-old, with nothing to back me up? The cheater thing was more believable."

Raven grimaced at his look, feeling judged. "Just… something! For Gods' sake, Tai, they thought… up until two weeks ago, they still thought-"

"I am well aware of what my daughters thought of me," Taiyang interrupted, a bite to his words. He caught himself before he could speak further, setting aside his empty bottle. His voice was calm when he once again spoke. "That whole fight kicked off because Yang got sent home from school for fighting. Some brats were picking on Ruby for looking different from me and Yang, for not sharing our last name. Yang shut them up with her fists." He gave Raven a long look. "Yang was always a rough child, but she really hurt those kids, Rae. When I tried to talk to her about it… well, the next thing I know, I'm getting screamed at, Yang demanding to know why I cheated on you.

"Before I can even process that, Ruby comes in and Yang starts screaming at her. Before I can stop her, I hear my eldest daughter say the words 'Why were you even born' to my youngest. Suddenly, Ruby's running out the back door sobbing, Yang's running after her begging for forgiveness, and I'm left standing in the kitchen like a moron wondering what the hell just happened."

Raven sat there as silence filled the room, at a loss for words. She tried to speak once, twice, then dipped her head, thinking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned to him and spoke in a small voice.

"Do you hate me, Tai?"

Taiyang blinked, his new drink paused halfway to his lips. He gave Raven a shrewd look but found only tired curiosity looking back. "Where'd that come from?" he finally asked, his voice carefully measured.

Raven shrugged, trying for nonchalant. "Some of the things Yang said… just got me thinking. I know me and Summer put you in a rough position, making you the girl's father sooner than you thought you'd be, if ever. You always seemed fine with it… but I thought Yang and Ruby were fine all this time, too." Her lips twisted, an uncomfortable expression flashing across her face. She looked at him expectantly. "So…?"

He considered for a moment, then sat his drink down on the table. He tilted his head back against the couch, looking skyward and thought.

Raven waited. When it was clear Taiyang didn't have an immediate answer (a damning response in and of itself), she finished off her drink, reaching for one of the unopened bottles sitting on the coffee table.

"I love you."

Raven froze, her head snapping up incredulously.

Taiyang gave no notice to her shocked look, powering on. "Despite not knowing me before Beacon, you and Summer never treated me any different from Qrow and Roman. You had my back for years, pulled my ass out of the fire more times than I could count. You all are the only family I've ever had. Damn it, Rae, you're my sister. And for that, I'll always love you."

"...but?" Raven asked trepidatiously, her heart beating heavily in her chest.

Taiyang took a deep breath. "But… Rae, there have been times over the years…" He crossed his arms, his gaze growing distant. "Having Ruby look up at me with Summer's tear-filled eyes, asking when Mama was coming home."

Raven flinched.

"Sleepless nights when one or both of the girls were sick. Having everyone and their mother gossip about me whenever I went into town." He turned to Raven, giving her a significant look. "Having to explain and help Yang through her first period."

Raven grimaced, blushing as she shrank back into her chair under his stare like she wanted to disappear into it.

Taiyang smirked at her squirming, but his face quickly fell as he looked back to the ceiling. "Realizing that I bungled it so bad with her that Yang took it upon herself to help Ruby through hers, and not figuring that out until long after the fact. Hell, just watching Yang basically mother Ruby, wondering what the hell I'd done so wrong that my eldest had to help me co-parent."

He let out a frustrated huff, heat entering his voice. "And then there's all the problems caused, all the questions asked that I easily could have answered, but I kept my mouth shut to keep my promise to you. Which, of course, just caused more problems, to the point my girls practically ripped each other apart. I-" Taiyang cut himself off before he grew more agitated, his arm rising like he was going to slam his fist on the couch arm, only to let it down slowly a moment later. He instead picked his bottle back up, taking a long drink. He took a deep breath, his voice calm but rough. "Yeah, Rae. I always regretted it later, but… yeah. There were some days… some days when I truly hated you."

The room fell silent once more, broken only by the crackle of the weakening fire. Taiyang kept his eyes up, watching the shadows cast from the flickering fire dance across the ceiling. He emptied his bottle with another long drink, letting it dangle from his fingertips. As the frustration continued to leak away from him, Taiyang let out a sigh, an apology on his lips.

"I'm sorry."

Taiyang jolted, his jaw snapping shut. It then fell open as he turned sharply to Raven, finding her huddled in on herself in the armchair. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees as she stared morosely into the flames, her eyes glistening.

For a full minute, Taiyang could only stare. "Wow," he finally managed, amazement in his voice. "Yang really got to you, didn't she?"

Raven didn't respond, if anything, tightening her grip and folding further into herself, a shudder running through her body.

…

"...well… don't be."

…Raven's brow furrowed. She turned, giving Taiyang a bewildered look.

Taiyang took a steadying breath, his eyes on the fireplace. "Don't get me wrong; I wish you hadn't left. I wish Summer was still here. I wish I'd had more help when they were younger, that the girls hadn't gone through all the heartache they did. But…" he chuckled, a soft self-deprecating sound. "Maybe I'm being selfish… but I got to watch those girls grow up. I got to be the one they looked up to, the one they first turned to for help. I… I got to be a dad. Yeah, there were a lot of bad days… but for each bad day, there were a hundred good ones. Ruby and Yang are my pride, my joy, and…" He gave Raven a fierce look, fire in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I stole that from you, Raven… but I will never regret any of it."

Raven held his stare for a long moment. Then she huffed a small laugh, letting herself relax. Her legs slid down so she could sit properly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Tai. I'm the one who put you in that position, and you stepped up."

She clicked her tongue, looking into the fire. "I made my choices. This is just me living with them." She watched the fire crackle for a few seconds. "I have to ask, though. Like you said, a lot of your problems would have been solved if you just told them the truth. Why didn't you?"

Taiyang frowned. "I wanted to. Hell, in hindsight, I should have. But I made you a promise. I'd only been a solo parent for about five years before that blowout, so part of me thought it wasn't my place to-" he suddenly stopped talking, his brow furrowing. He scowled briefly, growling to himself as he set his empty bottle down with a loud thunk! He leaned his elbows on his knees, shaking his head in frustration. "Rae, I could make excuses for myself all night. The truth is, when Yang confronted me and Ruby broke down crying, I didn't know what to do. So… I did nothing. I just froze. And by the time I pieced together some shred of an idea of what to do, things were already getting back to normal, and I was too chicken to rock the boat." He chuckled to himself again, no humor to be found. "I fucked up, plain and simple."

Raven contemplated this. Then she gave the same kind of laugh, leaning forward and mirroring him. "Not like you're the only one."

Taiyang nodded, briefly closing his eyes. "Okay," he eventually said. "My turn. Did you ever actually consider coming back?"

Raven froze. Her eyes shot to Tai's, finding lavender eyes staring coolly into her own. She swallowed down whatever instinctive action wanted to burst from her mouth. She cleared her throat, giving a brittle, broken smile. "Right for the throat… huh, Tai?"

Taiyang's face gave nothing away, a mask of cool neutrality. "I've never had the guts to ask before, but I've always wondered." He inclined his head towards Raven, waiting.

Raven held his gaze for a few seconds, then looked away with a shuddering breath. She sat there, and truly considered. A memory eventually came to mind, one she wanted to stomp back down… but as Taiyang kept up his expectant look, she found her voice.

"... A few years back," she started, her voice quiet. "After about the thousandth time reaching for Summer and failing… I had a bit of a breakdown. I was alone in the woods, with no clan for miles, so… I just started screaming. At myself for failing, at Summer for leaving, just… venting, like she was right in front of me. And I remember yelling… 'our daughters are waiting for you. They need us.'" She shook her head minutely. "Us. It just slipped out. I think that's the first time I admitted to myself how… scared I was of facing Yang and Ruby without her."

Taiyang gave her a knowing look. "And you never admit when you're scared."

Raven shot him a cutting look… then looked down shamefully. "Yeah… not even to myself. I think that's when I started telling myself they didn't need a mother anymore. Admitting otherwise was admitting I was just… too cowardly to raise them without her." She ran a hand through her hair, pulling roughly whenever her fingers caught. "Gods, I'm an idiot."

"Yeah, you are."

Raven looked at Taiyang in surprise, then let out a short breath through her nose, grinning ruefully. "No pulled-punches tonight, huh?"

Taiyang just shrugged, his expression neutral. "Not much else to say, Rae. You fucked up. You know you fucked up. And now you, me, and everyone else in Yang and Ruby's lives are having to deal with the fallout." His eyes then softened, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "But… you're here now. You're trying. And somehow, despite everything, it seems like the girls seem willing to give you a chance. So… what are you going to do?"

Raven bit her lower lip. She considered reaching for an unopened beer again, but thought better of it, folding her hands in her lap. She took a slow breath. "I think Yang and I made some progress tonight. She wants to talk again, at least. So… we'll keep doing that and figure out where we stand. Ruby, though…"

Taiyang nodded in sympathy. "Yeah. You've thrown her one hell of a curveball."

"I don't even know where to start." Raven let out a huff, falling back against her chair. "But I have to do something. Yang made that clear. It's just… Yang may not have remembered me, but she at least knew I was her mother. I'm starting from scratch with Ruby." Her eyes lowered, her voice growing soft. "How can I show her I love her when we have nothing?"

"... I wouldn't say that there's nothing."

Raven perked up, turning curious eyes to Taiyang. The blonde gave her a subtle grin. "Whenever Ruby had a nightmare, Yang would sing her this little lullaby. I'd never heard it before, but it always calmed her right down. Even as they grew up, I sometimes caught them humming it when they were distracted or focused on a task. When I asked Ruby what song it was, she just smiled and said 'It's the song Mom sang when we were little'."

Raven's eyes blew wide.

"Now, Summer was an amazing woman. She was a brilliant tactician, an awesome fighter, a loving mother, but," Taiyang grinned at Raven, mirth in his eyes. "We both know she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."

Raven felt a lump form in her throat. Her eyes started to sting, making her look sharply away, clearing her throat painfully.

Taiyang gave her an understanding smile. "You want my advice for talking with Ruby?"

Raven could only nod.

"Just be honest with her. Say what you need to say, don't hide anything, and if she has something to say to you, listen. If there's any middle ground to be found, let it be on her terms." He paused, taking the chance to lean over and put a hand on Raven's knee. "Ruby has a big heart, Rae. I know there's a place for you in it. She just has to figure out where."

Raven took a shuddering breath. She slowly moved her hand, putting it over Taiyang's and squeezing. "Thanks, Tai," she murmured wetly. Then she blinked rapidly, roughly clearing her throat. "Well," she said forcefully, brushing Taiyang's hand off her knee and standing up."I think that's enough emotions for today. I should get back to the city before the clan manages to burn it down."

She barely raised an arm to form a portal when Taiyang said, "You don't have to." She looked down in surprise, finding him reaching for another assignment to grade before flashing her a sympathetic look. "It's not like I'm short on space at the moment. You could take a shower and sleep in a real bed tonight, as opposed to that couch in the warehouse."

Instinctively, Raven wanted to reject the handout. But between the fight with Yang, the emotional talks, plus knowing, knowing, there were more sideways situations just around the corner…

Raven sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "If you're offering…"

Taiyang simply nodded, picking a red pen up off the table and focusing on the papers before him. "The girls' bathroom is the third door on the left. I think they keep some spare clothes in the closet with the towels."

Raven grunted in acknowledgment, patting Taiyang on the shoulder as she passed him, only to then press a hand to the small of her back. Moving after sitting so long seemed to wake up every bruise and sore spot she had. She toughed it out as she crossed the room, hearing the scratch of pen on paper behind her as she reached the stairs.

"We haven't touched Summer's room."

Raven froze on the third step, her eyes going wide as she stared straight ahead.

Taiyang didn't look up from his papers. "Ruby and Yang go in there now and then to sit on her bed and think. I go in every few months to dust and change the sheets. But for the most part, we've tried to leave things just as she left them."

Raven didn't respond. She stood there for a time, her eyes locked on nothing. Then she continued up the stairs slowly.

The bathroom was right where Taiyang said it was, not that she needed directions. She'd watched this house from the outside enough to roughly know its layout. She stripped her burnt and torn attire, letting it fall unceremoniously to the bathroom floor. She paused briefly in front of the mirror, momentarily distracted by the mishmash of Ruby and Yang's hair and hygiene products cluttering the countertop before her eyes were drawn to her reflection.

Miraculous though Percy's healing had been, it had only gone skin deep. Though the cuts and minor bruises were gone, Raven's torso and upper arms remained a sickly collage of deep reds and purples. Most notable was a softball-sized welt ebbing from the center of her collarbone, and trails of dried blood crusted from formally-split skin. Raven's eyes lingered over each mark, eventually falling on the scars littering her arms before she forced herself to look away, turning on the water.

She mechanically started scrubbing away at the blood and grime, the warm water soothing her aching muscles, but only just. She had just started washing her hair with one of the half-dozen bottles crowding the shower box when she heard the click of the bathroom door opening. She paused, glancing over her shoulder through the glazed glass, but the door shut just as quickly as it had opened.

When she stepped out of the shower, a fond grin tugged at her lips. Where her ruined clothes had lay now sat a folded fluffy blue sleep robe, far too big for her.

"Big dumb softy…" she murmured to herself when she towed off, slipping the oversized robe on and tying it twice around her waist. It dragged on the floor behind her as she stepped into the hall, dimly lit by the firelight glowing from downstairs. Raven's eyes lingered on the doors she knew led to Ruby and Yang's rooms, feeling an odd temptation to snoop around that she quickly shoved aside. She walked quickly past them to the guest room, her hand gripping the doorknob… when she stopped.

She stood there for a moment. Her eyes slowly drifted to the side, her head turning slightly until she could see a door at the far end of the hall. She looked down at the carpet, heaving a great sigh. Her arm fell limp at her side.

Her feet moved on their own. Before she could reconsider what she was doing, she was through the door and shutting it behind her, leaning back against the aged wood to take it all in.

The room was surprisingly bare, All things considered. Just a bed pressed into the corner of the room, a bedside table, a dresser, a vanity, and a workbench which sat under the window. Moonlight shone down across several tools packed haphazardly in one corner of the workbench, along with the remains of… something disassembled beyond recognition. A thin layer of dust lay over the furniture, suggesting that Taiyang's next dusting day wasn't too far away.

Raven stood there, frozen, her soft breathing amplified by the room's dead silence. Her eyes drifted up, spying an unmoving ceiling fan. She flipped the switch by the door, just so the soft whirring as the fan spun to life could end the quiet. She stepped further into the center of the room, spinning in a small circle.

She was brought up short by what she saw lying across the bed: a simple white cloak.

For a moment, Raven was dumbfounded. The presence of the cloak itself wasn't that surprising; she was sure she'd find two or three just like it hanging up in the closet. But its placement, laying haphazardly over the covers as if Summer had just tossed it there moments ago… she found it hard to believe Taiyang would go to the trouble of changing the sheets just to replace the cloak.

Then she remembered Taiyang's words and pictured in her mind's eye Yang and Ruby coming into this room, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling the cloak into their lap, just… holding it. She felt the urge to do just that, then turned sharply away.

Her eyes instead fell on the vanity, ignoring her reflection in the mirror. There wasn't much there; a few bottles of nail polish gathered neatly in the corner. A hairbrush was left in the middle of the counter, alongside a small glass spritz bottle of amber-colored liquid.

Raven felt a grin tug at her lips, walking over to the vanity and picking up the fragile bottle. She rolled it in her hand, chuckling to herself. Despite her name, it always amused Raven that Summer didn't care for the smell of roses or any other flowery scent. On the rare occasion she wore perfume, Summer always instead favored…

Favored…

The grin slipped from Raven's face as she wracked her brain. She… she couldn't remember what Summer's perfume smelled like.

With little thought, she pushed down on the bottle's nozzle-

"Raven? Are you almost ready?"

"Almost!" Raven looked herself over in the mirror as she attached the black-gemmed silver earrings. She glanced towards the bathroom door. "Remind me why I agreed to wear this death trap?"

"Because you look beautiful in it and I asked you to."

Raven stifled a snort. "Yeah, 'asked'. Right." The deep crimson number did make her eyes pop, but Raven felt like it would rip right in half if she took too long a step forward.

She'd just finished touching up her eyeliner when she heard the bedroom door open and close behind her. A glance showed a tiny figure with wild blonde hair scamper across the room and hide behind the nightstand. She turned, a question on her lips when someone beat their fist on the door.

"Summer? Raven? Is Yang in there? The little munchkin nabbed my hat and ran off."

Raven's eyes slid back to the nightstand. Wide, lavender eyes belied an impish grin, a wide-brimmed bowler hat clutched in tiny hands.

Raven looked back to the door, calling out. "Roman… did you lose my kid?"

"...no?" Came a meek reply, quickly followed by rapid footfalls retreating down the hall.

Rolling her eyes, Raven looked back to the one-year-old. "Yang Rose-Branwen…" she said, face blank as she moved to stand over the girl, hands on her hips. "Are you causing trouble for your Uncle Roman?"

The one-year-old giggled as she tried to hide the hat behind her back. "Nuh-uh!" she said, shaking her head, her short pigtails swaying with the motion.

Raven stared. Then she smirked… and lunged!

Yang shrieked into a giggle fit as she was lifted and balanced on Raven's hip. The Huntress took the hat out of her hands and plopped it on the little blonde's head. "Good job," she fake-whispered, pressing an exaggerated kiss to Yang's cheek, much to the little girl's delight.

Yang continued to laugh as the too-large bowler hat slid forward, covering her eyes. Her little arms circled Raven's neck, hugging her as tightly as the child could.

"I heard that."

Raven and Yang looked as the bathroom door opened. Yang let out a little gasp, babbling as she started leaning out of Raven's arms and reaching outwards.

Raven couldn't blame her. Summer looked stunning. Her silver dress shimmered in the evening light, her lips painted a pale pink. Her hair had been released from its usual style, flowing over her shoulders. The white cloak hanging off her back didn't match the dress at all, but it matched Summer perfectly.

Summer smiled fondly as Yang reached for her. Raven passed her over with ease, grinning as Summer lifted Yang high for a moment, the little girl briefly going weightless before being wrapped in a hug, releasing a shriek of delight as Roman's hat tumbled off her head.

As Summer followed through the motion, her dress tightened around her stomach, revealing the small but noticeable baby bump at her midsection.

Raven felt her heart flutter. "Are we sure Roman can handle watching her by himself while we go out?" She asked with a grin, picking up the fallen hat and tossing it on the bed. "He's already lost her."

Summer shot her a mock glare as she rested Yang on her hip. "He can survive a few hours of watching the baby. Besides, he's not really alone. Qrow will be home in an hour."

Raven arched a brow.

"... I also made sure Taiyang would beat us home by a few hours," Summer admitted sheepishly.

"And there it is," Raven chuckled, wrapping her arms around Summer so Yang was sandwiched between them. "Always thinking ahead."

"Someone has to," Summer humored. After a moment, she gave Raven a knowing look. "You're going to smudge my lipstick."

Raven just grinned. "Worth it," she murmured, leaning forward.

Evidently, Summer agreed, leaning to meet her halfway, the air around her filled with the scent of-

WHAM!

Raven gasped.

Cinnamon. Summer's perfume smelled like cinnamon.

Raven came back to herself slowly. She took deep, ragged breaths, finding herself leaning against the vanity, nearly on her knees. Her fist ached from where it had slammed the top of the vanity, the impact sending a bottle of nail polish rolling across its surface. The other held the perfume bottle in a trembling death grip that threatened to shatter it.

She felt a sudden urge to hurl the tiny bottle against the wall, forcing herself to place it back on the vanity. Her fingers uncurled from it painfully, the lightning scars on her hand almost mocking her as her skin tightened. She became aware of a few wet splashes on the wood beneath her, the feel of wetness trickling down her cheeks. Her head shot up to the mirror, showing her eyes shot wide, her pupils pinprick, tears flowing freely down her face.

A scowl quickly twisted her features, Raven shoving herself away from the mirror in frustration as she wiped helplessly at her eyes. A snarl escaped her as the tears refused to stop falling, spinning around and marching to the bed.

She ripped back the covers like they had offended her, practically throwing herself into the bed. She reached for the covers, ready to roll over and try to forget about this mess of a night, if only for a few hours-

She paused.

There was more in her hand than she intended. The fabric in her grasp was different from the blankets, thinner and silkier… and very familiar.

Slowly, Raven sat back up, gathering the cloak into her lap. Now that she held it, she was sure; it was a cloak, but not the cloak, the one Summer had owned long before team STRQ had ever met. The one Raven held was a spare, one of several copies Summer had bought in case the original was ever dirty or in need of repair. Functional, but of lesser quality.

But it was still hers.

Raven turned the cloak over in her hands, weaving it arm over arm until she was practically tangled in it. Once the whole thing was gathered in her lap, she just stared at it, her fingers clenching and unclenching in the fabric.

"... I messed up, Summer," she admitted quietly, the empty moonlit room her only witness. She swallowed thickly, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I…" She trailed off, any words she could think of seeming inadequate. She threw her head back in frustration, her eyes slowly drifting about the room as if for inspiration.

With a heart-stopping jolt, she found it.

A picture, sitting innocently on the nightstand, facing towards the bed. Three people in the backyard of the house, the trees green and full on a bright summer's morning. Summer, down on one knee, her arms wrapped around the other two. Yang, no older than five, grinning broadly as her hands grasped the straps of her tiny yellow backpack. Ruby, no older than three, half hidden behind Summer, smiling shyly at the camera.

For a long time, Raven just stared. Her eyes darted between the three figures, before lingering on Summer. In the captured moment, the Huntress's silver eyes held warmth, love, pride… and maybe, to Raven's imagination, a hint of challenge. With a bone-weary sigh, Raven lay down till her head hit the pillow, her eyes still on the photo. The cloak lay across her like a second blanket. She lay there, her face forlorn, thoughtful… before shifting rapidly to defiance. Her wet eyes sharpened, her hands balling up in the cloak. Raven turned her eyes to the ceiling, glaring towards the heavens in challenge as she said five words, as much a promise as a statement:

"I need to be better."

On the floor below, Taiyang finally looked away from the staircase. After hearing the loud thud, he's been tempted to rush upstairs and check on Raven. But as the minutes ticked by without hearing the low roll of thunder or feeling the telltale charge in the air, he let himself relax. He could ask his questions in the morning after both of them got a good night's rest.

With that in mind, Taiyang reached for the last of the papers he would grade for the time, committing that when the dying fire burned itself out, he'd call it a night. He read through the paper with practiced speed, red pen marking incorrect grammar and making notes in the margins as he went. It was an acceptable piece of work, he thought as he flipped to the next page. Nothing truly wrong or incorrect, but nothing spectacular either.

At least, until he reached the last page.

Taiyang started reading through it with his usual professionalism. Then, about halfway through the page, his brow furrowed. He sat up in his seat, starting again from the beginning. Disbelief colored his face, his incredulousness growing until he flipped the page over. As he looked at the amateur sketch covering the last page, he let out a groan of exasperated dread.

"Oh, just fantastic."

Dear Mr. Xiao-Long,

This isn't part of my assignment, but I'm including this because I need the opinion of someone who knows what they're talking about. No offense to the substitutes we've been having, but I know you know more than them, and my friends all think I'm exaggerating.

Last weekend my family went on a trip to visit my aunt and uncle's farm on the Southeast side of the continent. I told my uncle about the assignment and he said that on some nights a Goliath would wander up to the edge of the property (their farm is massive, so this is, like, miles away,). I think he might have been joking with me, but I still stayed up all weekend with a pair of binoculars hoping to see it.

I never saw a Goliath, but I do think I saw a new kind of Grimm! It flew north of the farm, flapping these massive wings and moving super fast! It was really far away and flying way up high, but it didn't look like anything in any of our textbooks. I sketched it out, but my friends all think it was a Nevermore or a Griffon. I know it can't be one of them, they have feathery wings, and this one was like a bat's! I watched it fly right off towards the ocean, faster than any ship I've ever seen!

I've had three people tell me some variation of, "It would be cool enough if you just saw one of those, why are you making things up?", but I swear I'm not! I think even my parents are getting annoyed at me for talking about this.

Please, just take a look at this sketch. You've seen something like this before, right? I mean, there's a Grimm of everything else out there. There has to be one of a dragon!

Betaed by Covert Weapon

A/n: You ever been focused on a task, know exactly what you're going to do, and then have a fleeting thought that just takes over and won't leave you alone until it runs its course?

Yeah, that's this chapter.

I didn't really plan on having a whole chapter dedicated to Raven like this, not at this point in the story anyway. But, the idea hit me, it wouldn't leave me alone, and, well, here we are. Plus, for a long time I'm feeling like my boy Taiyang hasn't gotten the spotlight enough in this story. Figured I should fix that.

I'm a little unsure about posting this one, but then I'm unsure about posting any chapter with heavy subjects in it, so maybe I'm on the right track. I'm sure you fine people will let me know what you think of it. Next chapter is already in the works, definitely going to be done before the end of next month.

I hope you're all doing okay, and I'll see ya in the next one!