Chapter 30

The first full day of Reese's new life started slow. She slept in late, much later than even Velvet on a slow day. When the young girl finally emerged, blinking blearily into the open, breakfast was long past. Kali had no objections to making a lovely brunch however, nothing heavy, just some waffles. After all, lunch was coming up, and today was a shopping day.

As far as progress went, Kali considered it a successful day. Reese was her usual silent self at first, speaking only when spoken to, and with a little encouragement eventually filling a cart with new possessions and decorations for her room. New sheets, curtains, pillow cases, a lovely lamp - that was more Kali's doing than Reese's - and after a tad more prodding, a stuffed bear. The toy finally inspired the ghost of a smile on her cute little face. Some new clothes joined the pile. Though Reese had a decent amount in her luggage, in the opinions of Kali, Blake and Velvet, more was always better.

Lunch brought forth a new snippet of information. Reese liked donuts. Or at least, donuts were the first thing she had the confidence to request. Either they were one of her favorite foods, or she was simply testing the waters, growing more comfortable with the idea that she could now do that. It was a small but important step, a baby one, an appreciated one. They rounded out the trip with some grocery shopping. With Kali cooking for them, the pantry and fridge seemed notably sparse, and with a new mouth to feed, they decided to go all in, filling another cart to the brim with what felt like half the damn store by the time Blake hefted it to the checkouts. Included were several bags of corn chips, Reese had asked nicely and they were discounted. Another baby step.

After arriving home, Reese assisted with carrying everything into the apartment, as best she could at least. She was only able to manage one or two bags at a time, but she insisted, silently, holding out her arms to be filled. Blake resisted giggling. Reese looked so determined, and it was another step in the right direction. Eventually the car was unpacked, and the groceries were stored in their respective locations. That just left Reese's new things.

"Why don't you do something fun while we get your room set up?" Blake suggested as Reese spun around on one of the breakfast bar stools, still comically blank faced. "It'll be cramped in there with all of us, and we've been dragging you around all day." Reese stopped spinning to shrug.

"That sounds lovely." Kali answered for her. "Is there anything you want to do Reese?"

Reese stared at the floor for a moment, before shrugging again. "Can I go for a walk?" She finally mumbled, looking up at Blake.

"As long as grandma keeps an eye on you, sure." Blake nodded. "Stay safe, have fun." She looked to Kali, who beamed, before she and Velvet walked off.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to walk to?" Kali asked cheerfully.

Reese almost smiled.

Kali followed Reese down the sidewalk. After leaving the building Reese had hurried forward, not rushing away, merely putting some space between them. It did not worry Kali. When Blake had hit her more independent phase, she did the same, keeping herself within Kali's sight, but otherwise wishing to appear alone. It had stung back then, at first, but once she caught on, it was simply another aspect of Blake to handle. At least she was not yelling and shunning her like other teenagers. No, it took a few more years before that began.

Reese stopped by a road crossing, waiting for Kali to catch up before reaching for her hand. Kali smiled as she took it, looking both ways for traffic before stepping forward, allowing the girl to lead her across. To her delight, Reese did not let go when they reached the other side, instead continuing to pull her forward, through the open gates of a nearby park. Kali had been so fixated upon Reese she did not even notice their destination.

"This is a lovely place." Kali cheered. "The gardens are so well done, and Summer loves the play equipment."

"Who's Summer?" Reese asked suddenly.

"Summer is the darling daughter of Yang Xiao-Long and Winter Schnee." Kali replied. "You can call them Aunt if you like."

"Are they your daughters too?" Reese asked.

"No." Kali giggled. "Though if I stay long enough, I may have to adopt them. They are lovely people, and Blake considers them family."

"But they're not really." Reese suggested.

"What makes you say that?" Kali asked.

"Isn't family when you're...you've got their blood?" Reese fumbled.

"Reese, family isn't such a simple thing." Kali responded. "You can be related to someone, and not consider them family, because family is more than who popped out of who."

Reese giggled and Kali almost stumbled in shock. Reese smiled, really smiled for the first time since they had met, and giggled at that too. "Momma used to say family was love, not life." The smile was gone as quickly as it had come, and they stopped. "Is that what she meant?" Reese looked up at Kali with watery eyes.

Kali felt her heart ache. "I think so dear. Family is a bond, it must be cherished and nurtured. It is a sacred and beautiful thing that can very easily be broken." Now it was Kali's turn to tear up, kneeling down and taking Reese's other hand. "Family is what you make of it Reese. If you know someone for so long, that you love them, love them like you love your parents, and they love you back just as much, are they any less your family?"

Reese looked into her eyes, lower lip trembling, before she swallowed, blinking away her tears and sniffling. "I can have more real family?" Reese asked, voice wobbly.

"Of course you can dear, it's why we want you here." Kali pulled forth a handkerchief, dabbing Reese's wet cheeks with care. "My daughters want to start a family of their own, but they wanted to give someone else a family too. Because they're wonderful, beautiful people, and I'm proud of them. And I'm proud of you for giving them a chance." Kali beamed as Reese gradually smiled, for the second time that day.

"You are?" Reese looked hopeful, joyful even, like a whole new girl. It was adorable, and a massive step forward.

"Of course I am sweetie." Kali held open her arms, and after only a moment's hesitation, Reese stepped forward, willing snuggling into the loving embrace. "I'm proud of you because you're being so strong, you're trying so hard, and you've put your faith in us. You've already come so far, a little longer, and you'll be smiling and running around like a girl your age should."

Kali sat on a nearby bench, Reese having found the play equipment, thankfully unoccupied. It was peaceful, and nostalgic, watching Reese play, for the first time seemingly without a care in the world. Blake was never one for play equipment, but she did enjoy climbing, so they would go for hikes into the forest, searching for trees and steep hills to scale. Once Blake claimed to be a wildcat, chasing her prey. Kali called her a wild-kitten instead. And she never stopped.

A cheer shook Kali from her reverie, and she looked to the source, a skate park just across the way. A dozen or so teenagers were watching one of their own skate from side to side on the...half pipe? Is that what the kids called it? Kali had only the occasional mention in movies and TV to go by. They seemed pretty...swood? That was the new word was it not? "Swood...kids are strange." Kali laughed aloud.

Kali had always wondered if Blake would turn out like them, outgoing but rebellious. She adopted the style, and some of the attitude, and spent plenty of money on skateboarding stuff. But she never did go out often. Not since her friendship...relationship with Ilia had ended. She had still worn skinny jeans, but gravitated toward more leather than she had before. In truth it inspired Kali. Perhaps it was worth sacrificing some comfort, if only to feel a little younger. She loved her kimonos, but all the women she met just looked so damn good in those tight outfits and thigh high boots...wait, where was Reese?

"Reese, sweetie, are you okay?" Kali called, standing. "Reese!" She called again, worried.

"I'm up here." Reese replied.

Relieved, Kali approached the play equipment, circling the structure until Reese came into view, sitting at the top of a slide. "What are you doing up there?" The equipment had two slides, a spindly one and a long one, and Reese had been going down both of them last she saw.

"Watching them." Reese pointed at the skate park, just in time to see a skater pull a handstand, much to the amusement of his friends.

Kali looked from the spectacle back to Reese to see her eyes shining. "Do you like skating?"

"I dunno', I've never tried it." Reese shrugged. They continued to watch the teens as more joined the fray, skating about, jumping, occasionally falling but never faltering. One by one they would get back up, brush themselves off and try again. There was something admirable about that.

"Would you like to?" Kali inquired.

"Huh?" Reese responded.

"Skate, like them." Kali gestured toward the teens.

Reese bit her lip, looking away from the skaters. "I wouldn't be good at it." She mumbled, notably downcast.

"Maybe not at first, but with practice, you can be good at anything!" Kali tried to encourage, though Reese seemed unconvinced.

"Can we go home now?" Reese finally requested.

Kali heaved a small sigh. At least Reese called it home, a small step, so very small. "Of course sweetie." She waited for Reese as she slid down one final time, offering her hand for the girl to take, which she did, allowing them to walk side by side back onto the path. "Wanna' help me put dinner on?"

"Sure, what is it?" Reese asked.

"Hmm...how about pizza?" Kali suggested. "Do you like pizza."

Reese managed another smile. "I love pizza."

Exhausted, Blake and Velvet fell upon Reese's bed. Let it never be said that decoration was not a difficult job. They lay there for a time, resting, relaxing. Velvet's hand found Blake's, and she grasped it, lifting it to her lips for a kiss, prompting a chuckle from her wife, who moved to snuggle into her side. "You know, my room wasn't this fancy." Velvet observed.

"Oh really?" Blake inquired.

"Yeah, my bedframe was this ugly blue thing." Velvet elaborated. "I had a set of drawers that were white, and a big wooden toy chest. Complete hodge podge, mom always bitched about me not keeping it clean."

"Oh yes, speaking of clean rooms-" Blake started.

"I'll get to it later." Velvet laughed, pecking Blake on the cheek. "My curtains - hell if I know where mom found them - were these blue grey things with a bunch of race cars on them. I don't even like cars. I have no idea why they were in my room. And the room had a bunch of those glow in the dark stars stuck on them from the previous owners."

"I'll pick some up for our room." Blake joked.

"Ew, God no." Velvet scoffed. "Those things are horrible. They faded so much before we moved."

"My room was fancy, but not like this." Blake noted. "Menagerie started as a Mistrali colony, so the architecture stuck around, and mom and dad lived in a small mansion, still do."

"So what, paper doors?" Velvet asked.

"Some of them, over time and renovations a bunch got replaced with glass or wood, mainly for rooms that demanded more privacy or soundproofing." Blake replied.

"And your room?" Velvet inquired.

"Big, and neat." Blake answered. "I liked it darker though. Most of the house was bright from skylights, but I had thicker curtains. I always liked candlelight better, so dad had sconces installed for me...I need to thank him for that again."

"Candles and curtains, what could go wrong?" Velvet joked.

"Hey, I was careful." Blake protested. "I only spilled wax two or three times!"

"Oh that explains a lot." Velvet grinned.

Blake laughed, bumping Velvet's hip. "Down girl." She ordered, turning to wrap Velvet in a proper hug. Velvet tucked her head beneath Blake's chin. "When Reese is settled, we should go visit."

"You hate flying." Velvet noted.

"We'll take a cruise...or I'll face my fear again." Blake shrugged. "I have to someday. I wanna' go home Velv, it's been too long."

"Okay." Velvet agreed, planting a kiss on Blake's collar. "When Reese is ready, when you're ready."

Blake nodded. "Yeah...when we're ready."

The pizzas were delicious, a labor of love on Kali's part, and of hunger on Reese's. Two small pizzas were reserved for Blake and Velvet - meatlovers and vegetarian respectively - along with a large cheese and garlic for Kali, and cheese and bacon for Reese. Velvet expressed concern that Reese had bitten off more than she could chew, but by the time they had finished theirs, Reese had already rinsed her plate in the sink. Evidently the girl had an appetite. Afterwards she took a shower, and joined them to watch television until, with drooping eyes, she bid them goodnight.

"Bet you wish Blake was that easy to get to sleep." Velvet joked.

"Oh, I just resigned to being smug when my little kitten looked dead on her feet in the morning." Kali teased.

"Worth it." Blake shot back.

"Yes, I'm sure staying up til three in the morning reading The Forbidden Fortress was entirely worth it." Kali ended with a somehow even smugger grin.

Blake went pale and Velvet burst into hastily stifled laughter. "Oh my God, you went through Blake's smut?" Velvet balked.

"No, I picked up a stray book from the floor while gathering dirty laundry." Kali explained.

"And her undies too, oh God, ahaha!" Velvet cackled. She was cut off by a pillow to the face, which she clutched, falling over into her partner's lap.

Blake stared blankly at a red-faced Kali. "I want a divorce." She deadpanned.

"Too late now, she's already the dad of the family." Kali chuckled.

"No wonder they got along so well." Blake rolled her eyes.

"A fact I am thankful for." Kali noted. "We can send them off to golf while we sunbathe on the beach."

"I love golf!" Velvet cheered, still giggling.

Blake pushed the pillow back over Velvet's face. "I sunbathe nude mom."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Kali grinned. Blake rolled her eyes again, smirking. Kali decided now was the best time to broach an all important subject. "Hey Kitten?"

"Yes mother?" Blake answered in a faux accent.

"Do you still know how to skate?" Kali asked.

That got an odd look from Blake. "I guess...why?"

Kali grinned.

Qrow rinsed his mouth of toothpaste, spitting in the sink and watching the froth swirl down the drain. He felt less tired than usual today, but still, the weariness from an average day's work made itself known. He was not a young man anymore, and he felt it, in the aches and pains that wracked his joints. Few things were more pleasurable than the sweet embrace of his soft mattress at the end of the day.

"Qrow." Melanie called. And that was one of them. "Hey babe."

Qrow felt arms wrap around him from behind, and a small smile come to his lips as he lay his hands over them. "Hey, how was work?" He asked softly. The warm skin of Melanie's cheek met his bare back, hot breath tickling his skin in a sigh.

"I...think I'm in love with you." Melanie's voice trembled.

Qrow felt a pang run through his chest as he tensed. "That's...a big word Mel."

"I know." Melanie murmured.

"Are you sure about...Mel, I like you, I like being around you, but I'm nearly twice your age, why me?" Qrow asked.

"You're f-" Melanie started.

"Don't give me the 'you're fun' bullshit." Qrow grasped her arms, pulling them loose enough for him to turn around to face her. Melanie looked...scared. He wrapped her in a hug to soothe her, and she quickly snuggled into his arms. "Mel, I'm not an idiot. I know your type, and everyone I talk to says the same. You're not the kind to just attach yourself to someone, 'specially not like me. I'm fun, yeah, but that's not why you stick around. There's more to it than that, isn't there?" He waited, patiently, for Melanie to form her response, well aware that this would be one of the most important conversations they would have. It would either be the first of many, or the last.

"You make me feel." Melanie finally whispered. "Before, life was just...grief. Glynda helped me understand it. Yang, Blake and even Winter? They helped distract me. But you? You make it go away. You make me feel happy, you make me feel angry, you make me feel safe, here in your arms." She clutched Qrow tighter, nuzzling into his warmth. "You make we want to try again."

"Mel...I'm probably not the best choice for second chances." Qrow sighed, running a hand through Melanie's hair.

Melanie huffed. "Why? Because you're messed up? Because you drink?"

"Because I've got twenty years of baggage." Qrow answered. "I nearly died in the military. I had PTSD, I still have PTSD. It doesn't go away, it sticks in the back of my mind like a rabid dog on a short chain, and every day I worry about it coming loose. What if I lose it Mel? What if I open my eyes and you're the enemy? What if I'm cornered and you've got a gun? I won't know what's going on, I'll just react, like I was trained to. What happens then huh?" Qrow felt his voice thicken with emotion. He cupped Melanie's cheek, turning her gaze upward to meet his own. "When you show up with bruises and excuses that I 'didn't mean it' how are people gonna' react? They'll treat you like a victim again...what if it doesn't stop at bruises?"

Melanie gazed up at him with more warmth than he had ever seen in her eyes. Slowly, she reached up, cupping his face and pulling him down, her lips meeting his in a slow, passionate kiss, breaking it only to remain in close contact. "Pain and love go hand in hand. Nothing good ever came without a catch, and a few bruises are nothing compared to the agony of loneliness. I'm tired of it Qrow, and I know you are too. Even if the worst comes to pass I'll deal with it. But for the record I think you're stronger than that. I have faith in you, in us."

"Faith is a rare thing." Qrow noted.

"Hmm...wanna' share?" Melanie offered.

"Sure...right after I shave." Qrow nodded.

"Don't." Melanie rubbed his stubbly cheeks. "I like it rough."

"Oh?" Qrow quirked his brow, smirking.

Melanie rolled her eyes, then smirked herself. "Yeah." Reaching back, Melanie took Qrow's hands, guiding them lower, and lower, until they rested on her firm behind.

"Is this another test?" Qrow drawled.

"Maybe...wanna' push your luck?" Melanie teased.

Qrow grinned. "I'd love nothing more."