First things first.

I am SO SORRY about how long this took to publish. Taking a little over two weeks to write another chunk of exposition isn't even remotely fair to those of you reading this. And it's because of that I'm holding myself to a new standard going forward. I will make a solemn promise that I won't let it go any longer than 2 weeks- at the VERY MOST- before giving this story an update. To be honest, if the only thing stopping me from writing more often is new video games coming out when I'm not busy with work, then I probably need to rethink my priorities somewhat. Doesn't stop new releases like God Eater, Pokemon, DLC for games I play, Dragon Age, etc. from distracting me unfortunately. I'll do my best to minimize the distraction it causes though.

Anyways, onto this chapter. Unfortunately it is just more exposition, which a good majority for this segment of the story will be. Gotta give reasoning and buildup to the rest of the fic after all. That aside, the ending to this chapter was...a little difficult for me to finish, for reasons that many will probably get once they read through. I hate that it happened, but everything does for a reason.

Leave a follow if you want to see where this story goes, and/or a review if you feel there's anything I could work on or questions you may have. I can't promise I'll answer every single one in case it causes spoilers, but either way, enjoy!

Frost and Neo silently waited inside what appeared to be the kitchen/dining area of the house while waiting for the man that had let them in. Moments later, the man entered the room with a slightly downtrodden look on his face, which did not go unnoticed by the pair. Neo gave Frost an inquisitive look with the silent question of if he knew what that was about, to which he shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head with equal amounts of confusion. Neo chose to speak up as the man walked over to the counter to pull what looked like the makings of some tea off of a shelf before starting to prepare a kettle on the stovetop.

"Excuse me, sir?" Neo started with a gentle tone, so as not to sound imposing. "Is something the matter? It almost seemed like you were expecting someone when you answered the door earlier."

"Hmm?" The blonde man answered as he turned to address Neo while finishing setting the kettle in place to heat the water inside. "Oh, sorry. I almost forgot you two were there for a moment. If I space out like that again just let me know." He walked over towards the kitchen table as he motioned for the other two to also take a seat. He sat with his hands clasped in front of him for a few moments after they were all seated as though thinking of the words to say. "Now as for why I seemed the way I did at the door…there's something I need to ask the two of you first."

The other two gave each other another look of confusion before turning back to the man, Frost being the one to speak up this time. "Absolutely, that's only fair. You probably don't know who we are, so we understand the hesitation to open up to complete strangers."

The man gave them a silent nod of thanks before proceeding. "My name is Taiyang Xiao-Long, and I am Ruby and Yang's father. What I need to know…is who exactly the two of you are to my daughters. Are you classmates? Friends? Why should I tell you about what is probably going to be one of the most tragic times in their lives when that is an invasion of their privacy?"

Neo and Frost both flinched somewhat at the sharpness to which Taiyang delivered his questions. It was clear that he cared deeply about his daughters, but this went beyond a normal father-daughter relationship and this was good, but now this left Neo and Frost with an awkward explanation to give.

"You may want to brace yourself, sir. This could take some explaining." Frost stated simply as Taiyang leaned forward to clasp his hands in front of him while resting his elbows on the tabletop.

"I have time."

Taiyang stared plainly at the two children in front of him before reconsidering his description of them as children. These two had clearly seen things ahead of their time, as was evidenced by the hardened looks they carried. These two had not lived the best of lives, Taiyang had seen that many times before in his travels as a Huntsman in his earlier years. That, and the stories they had told him of how they had gotten wrapped up in the criminal underground of Vale and sequentially the assaults on both Vale and Beacon. He took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair, both arms now crossed in front of him.

"So what you're telling me is that you," Taiyang stated as he gestured towards Neo, "used to work with one of the most dangerous men in Vale, the women responsible for the collapse of Beacon, as well as assault and nearly kill one of my daughters; and the reason you did not blow the whistle on them sooner is because of your concern for your friend here," Taiyang said as he turned his attention to Frost, "who, while he also worked for those same people, defected and turned in knowledge to the authorities of Vale and met my daughters and her team, but also did not report those same criminals when he discovered they were on Beacon's campus due to his worry for you?"

Neo and Frost gave each other a worried look as Taiyang stared at the two of them plainly. For a few moments they worried that Taiyang would throw them out of the house without getting a chance to see Yang or Ruby, mostly for Frost's peace of mind. Their worries were for naught however as Taiyang gave a hearty chuckle, much to their confusion, before relaxing a bit into his seat.

"Do you have any idea how much that sounds like one of those goddamn TV dramas? You couldn't write material that wild!" The man said as he got up to retrieve the kettle that had just started to whistle on the stove-top while also grabbing a few mugs and some tea bags for the three of them. "That aside, it's obvious that the two of you regret what happened, and also had no way of knowing what would transpire. With that, I'll admit that I'm pleasantly surprised that someone came by to see how Ruby and Yang are doing." Taiyang gained a look of sadness as he placed the tea bag in his mug of water for a few moments to let the flavour sink in. "It's been…quiet, since they got back. The only person who came by to check on them was their uncle, a drunk of a man named Qrow."

"We've met him before." Frost stated as a brief interruption. "He actually spoke to us briefly on the outskirts of Vale where they had some emergency facilities setup for those recovering from the assault before being moved elsewhere. He gave us the directions to this place, saying it would be a good idea to stop by before moving on to other things."

Taiyang gave another brief chuckle. "That sounds just like the old fool. To be honest, had you gotten here a day or two earlier, you might have gotten another chance to speak to him, but he was gone almost as soon as he showed up to check on the girls before going back to searching for Ozpin."

"Ozpin's missing?" Frost stated with a look of shock on his face as his palm slapped onto the table's surface in alarm. "How? Why?"

"That's just it, no one knows. Not even the other professors know why. When they searched the rubble of the tower, they couldn't find any sign of his body, even with Glynda lifting piles of rubble away with her Semblance while making sure nothing shifted much in the process. He was just…gone. So Qrow decided that he needed to both follow up on whatever they normally do, while hunting around to see if he could catch Ozpin's trail anywhere. So far, nothing."

"That's…not good." Frost bluntly spoke.

"That's the same thought on everyone else's mind that knows. But don't let word of that, or of your connection to those involved in Vale's and Beacon's collapse, get around too much. Not everyone would respond kindly towards that sort of knowledge." Taiyang stated before returning to his previous story. "Anyways, Ruby both seemed to be healthy after taking a couple of days to rest after what happened…but then it got worse. Yang's not the same after something happened involving her partner Blake, but she won't say more about it while she rests in her room. I've barely seen her speak whenever I bring her some food to eat. It's like she's given up, and I'm terrified at that thought because…that same thing happened to me when I was younger. Has Yang ever told you much about her mother?"

"Not at all, no." Frost replied with a shake of his head and a look of confusion. "Why do you ask?"

"Haven't you ever wondered why Ruby and Yang have different last names despite having the same father?"

"They have different mothers, seems pretty self-explanatory."

"Touché." Taiyang returned with a nod of his head. "But they never said anything about their mothers or anything that happened to them, correct?" With his answer being a duo of shaking heads, Taiyang took a deep breath as he braced himself. "It all started a number of years ago, shortly after Yang was born…"

"So neither of them has a mother, anymore?" Neo asked softly after they sat silently for a few moments, letting Frost and Neo process the knowledge they now had.

"Technically, Yang's mother is still out there somewhere. Why she left, I doubt I'll ever find out, let alone want to know after how long she left her own daughter alone. I just wish that they hadn't lost Summer so soon after as well. It broke me, and I couldn't be there like a father should when they go through something like that. Thankfully Qrow was still around to smack me into shape as well as protect them when I couldn't. I will never forget how much he's done for our family. I just wish he would tell me more so I could help-" Neo and Taiyang were jolted out of their conversation by the sharp sound of a fist meeting wood as Frost's fist slammed down into the surface of the table. Taiyang gave Frost a look of shock and confusion, while Neo's gaze turned into a glare as she stared at Frost's downturned head.

"Frost! What are you doing?" Neo snapped at her friend. "We're trying to get answers and help, and here you are damaging people's property. What is wrong with you?!"

Frost was silent for a moment, before responding with a slight turning of his head towards the only hallway in the house that went towards the bedrooms. "My problem…is that while everything is going to shit, Yang- someone I've come to know as headstrong and a bit of a daredevil- is moping in her room while her teammates and sister are scattered to the winds without anyone keeping in touch with each other. Weiss has been pulled off to Atlas by her father; Blake has left for who knows where to run from her past; and Ruby's gone off to find answers. Is that all she's going to do until someone comes back to her? Sit and wallow in her misery when she thinks she's lost?" Neo started getting up to reprimand Frost, but after a silent exchange with Taiyang with him signaling her to stay seated with a small smile, she returned to her original position. "Back when I first got assigned with them after being questioned by Ozpin and Ironwood, they all in their own way tried to help me- to get through the wall I had put up to keep anyone out because I thought I didn't deserve the help after what I'd been a part of. If she's going to act the same now as I did then, then it's about time I returned the favour and snapped her out of this stupid funk she's put herself in." As Frost finished, he lifted his face with a determined expression to see a look of approval on Taiyang's face as well as a look of awe on Neo's face as she held a hand up to her mouth in shock. Frost blushed lightly as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Too much?"

Taiyang was the first to respond, his response being a hearty laugh as he clutched his side for a moment with a look of mirth on his face, a change he welcomed greatly after how the last few days had gone. "Kid, I don't know about you, but if you've got any of that spunk to spare, you mind giving it back to my daughter? I think I've got a good idea where her spark went after everything that happened. You went and snatched it when she wasn't paying attention." His expression became somewhat more serious after getting a few remaining chuckles out as he continued. "But I should warn you, while I appreciate the fire you have to get Yang back on her feet, you also should be careful about what you say. She's in a difficult place, and I imagine the two of you are somewhat familiar with that. Just…be gentle with some of your word choice, even if you have to be blunt about some things."

Neo and Frost gave each a brief look before nodding at each other before turning back to face Taiyang as they got up from the table. Frost gave his regular smirk while Neo smiled lightly.

"We promise, sir. We'll do our best to bring Yang back, and I'll do my best to keep this one," Neo stated with a thumb gestured towards Frost, "under control."

Taiyang laughed once more at the sharp shift in expression on Frost's face when he whirled to stare at Neo with a bewildered expression. "That's good. But before you go and do that I do have one last request." After a serious nod from the two of them, Taiyang continued. "The connection you two have as friends from what you've had to go through…don't lose that. I've seen people separate over smaller things, but if the two of you can still stay this close even after so much then your relationship should be able to withstand anything. Never forget that you have each other to back you up, and that there is always someone there when you need them. There was a time that I forgot that, but I don't think you two will likely ever have that same dilemma."

"We will…and thank you." Frost said with a gentle smile, something he did not do often. "Wish us luck!"

And with that, Frost and Neo started walking down the hallway towards where Taiyang pointed out Yang's room. The blonde man chuckled briefly as he downed the rest of his tea before getting up to gather the mugs and tea bags to clean up.

"Good luck…to all three of you. This will likely be one of the hardest conversations the three of you will have in your young lives." Taiyang watched out the window as a lone red leaf fell from a nearby tree to fall gently into the snow outside. "I didn't tell them everything that Yang and Ruby said happened after all. I just hope the boy can handle the news better than they did. The girl obviously never got to know anyone at Beacon, but him? He was there in one of his darkest times and had many people he came to call friends around to help him when he needed it. I hope it doesn't break him too much when he finds out one of them…is gone."