Chapter 12

Twenty-One Years Ago

Taiyang was so damn smooth. Too smooth. Summer was not one to fall for smooth-talking though, or a guy with chiseled abs for that matter. No, she fell for him because of how fun he was to be around. It was about how he was a nice person and how they understood each other. And his abs. He could be a bit bumbling at times - he took Summer to the same restaurant for their first date as he had done for Raven, not expecting Qrow to say anything - but on the whole he was pretty great. They had only been dating for a little while but they had had some great times.

Their first trip to Patch was shocking. There was the usual small stuff with Taiyang showing Summer his home and introducing her to his family and some of his friends. That was not at all a surprise. What blew Summer away was how they were treated in public. Everywhere they went they were mobbed by fans. Elsewhere they had been forced to deal with the occasional paparazzi and the odd autograph seeker, but on Patch the attention was constant. They did not much care about Summer either. Everyone wanted to meet the hometown hero. Taiyang had not seen all that much success in his career to that point, but on Patch he was treated like a conquering hero.

Summer was amazed that Taiyang did not let the attention go to his head. He was happy to pose for a few pictures and sign some autographs, and never showed a hint of arrogance. If anything he was a bit amused by it all. Every public appearance the pair made started with an hour of Taiyang engaging the fans. Then he very politely told everyone that it was time for him to focus on his date. Just like that the crowds would evaporate, the disappointed fans dispersing as quickly as they had assembled. They knew they would get another shot at a picture or autograph, so they could leave their hero alone for a while.

The Patch GP at Grand Patch saw more of the same. Just to get from his car to the team's garage Taiyang had to walk a gauntlet of eager fans. He never stopped moving, signing autographs as he walked, chatting with the admirers. After practice on Friday Taiyang went up into the grandstands across the track from the pits and signed autographs for hours. He did the same thing again after qualifying on Saturday. His performance had been poor with a mechanical failure causing a crash before he could set a good lap. Still he went up amongst the fans with a smile on his face, remaining with them until well after sunset. After such a trying day, Taiyang could have been forgiven for just going home and going straight to sleep. Instead he took Summer out to dinner, signing more autographs at the restaurant.

The following day the race did not go any better for Taiyang. He got caught up in a collision that was not of his own making and was out on the first lap. Most drivers would immediately head home after that kind of frustrating weekend, but even before the race was over Taiyang was signing autographs in the infield. He went to celebrate Summer's podium finish, then signed more autographs. To Summer it seemed he must have signed something for every inhabitant of the island.

That night he did head home, but only to home-cook dinner for he and Summer. His cooking was incredible. Summer was a lousy cook - well, she made pretty great cookies - but Taiyang was like a five star chef. Summer asked how he got so good at cooking. He told her it was down to a lot of practice. She asked why he bothered. He admitted he did it to impress girls, the same reason he did a lot of things. Summer was most certainly impressed.

"Do you sign all those autographs for the girls?" Summer teased.

"No actually." Taiyang replied. He was being entirely serious. "I do that because it's the right thing to do. For some reason a lot of the people around here look up to me. I don't get it, I haven't done anything that great, but if they want to make me a hero the least I can do is give them some of my time."

"Isn't it exhausting?" Summer asked.

"It is, but that doesn't really bother me." Taiyang said. "Seeing how happy it makes them makes it all worth it. As long as they respect my personal space and stop when I ask, it's fine. Still, I don't usually cut them off, no matter how many. I only asked for some privacy because you're here. I've got to give some attention to my date."

"You're incredible, you know that?" Summer laughed.

"You're not bad yourself." Taiyang said with a wink. "You're better looking than me too."

Taiyang was so damn smooth. Too smooth.

Present Day

Ruby was not ready for the attention she received upon returning to Patch. Wherever she went in public she was swarmed by hordes of rabid fans. Now she knew how Yang felt. Pyrrha had experienced something similar in Mistral, but it had been quite a lot tamer. Ruby was still a rookie with little success to her name, but already she was being treated like a superstar. Sure, Yang had it worse, much worse, but Ruby still found it smothering. In the week leading up to the race she stayed at home. The one exception was a visit to Signalstone with the team for a test session. Then it was right back home. Yang and Pyrrha may have been equipped to deal with the fans but Ruby was not there yet. Even when not the center of attention she hated large crowds.

On Wednesday it got a little insane. Ruby looked out the window of Yang's house, where she had been living for months now, and there were fans and media camped outside. The place was in the middle of nowhere, at least half an hour from the nearest large town, and yet here they were. It had already been too much for Ruby, but now it was intolerable. She left in the evening, heading for a hotel adjacent to Signalstone. There she switched clothes with a similar-looking friend who returned to the house after dark. The crowds followed the decoy and Ruby could finally be alone. She was a prisoner in her hotel room as any attempt to venture out would reveal the charade, but she could live with that for a while.

Just after midday Thursday there was a knock at Ruby's door. Had she been found out? Careful not to make any noise, she crept to the door and peeked through the peephole. She was relieved to see Pyrrha standing in the hallway holding a bag. Ruby opened the door. "Hi Pyrrha." She said with a fake smile and some feigned cheerfulness. "What's up?"

"I know it's been tough for you this week, so I brought you some lunch." Pyrrha replied. "Can I come in?"

"Of course!" Ruby stepped out of the way and waved Pyrrha into the room. "Thanks! You're so thoughtful."

"You don't have to thank me." Pyrrha said. She walked over to a table placed near the window and placed the bag on it. "I got some for myself too. I know it's nothing like what you've been dealing with, but the paparazzi have been all over me since I won in Mistral. I thought we could have a nice quiet meal here together."

"Togeth...uh...yeah...that's a good idea." Ruby stammered, her face reddening.

"Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asked, noticing Ruby's discomfort.

"No...uh...no!" Ruby replied. "It's just I...kind of feel bad that you have to deal with the cameras all the time. The media and the fans only take interest in me when I'm here. You have to deal with it no matter where you go."

"Oh, well, don't worry about it." Pyrrha said. "I'm used to it." She slid the table closer to the bed. There was only one chair in the room so Pyrrha directed Ruby to the chair while she sat on the edge of the bed and started unpacking the food, starting with a pair of soda bottles.

"What did you get us?" Ruby asked.

"Fish and chips." Pyrrha replied. "I've never had it before but I hear it's a local specialty."

"Patch is famous for it, well, infamous really." Ruby admitted. "It can be really good or really bad. It's never healthy."

"Oh, that's unfortunate." Pyrrha sighed.

Pyrrha slid a closed container in front of Ruby. She slowly opened it, not sure what awaited her. What she found could hardly be called fish and chips. The fish was grilled rather than fried and looked juicy and delicious. The chips were thick and golden. Together it smelled fantastic. "I've never seen fish and chips like this." Ruby gasped. She grabbed one of the plastic forks Pyrrha had provided and tore off a piece. "I've never tasted any like it either."

"Sorry, maybe I should have gotten something else." Pyrrha sighed.

"No, this is great!" Ruby exclaimed. "The best!"

"Really?" Pyrrha asked. She took a bite of her own meal. "Wow, this is very good. I should have fish and chips more often."

"If you get it from anywhere else, you'll be in for a rude awakening." Ruby warned as she continued to devour the meal. "Thanks so much for getting this!"

"Anything for a friend." Pyrrha smiled. Her method of eating was rather more dignified than Ruby's, but it was clear that she too was enjoying the food.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Ruby said.

Pyrrha blushed. "I'm not that great, really." She insisted.

"Of course you are." Ruby said. "Have some confidence in yourself."

"I could say the same to you." Pyrrha said. "You're a great driver and a great person. You just need to believe it. I'm proud to call you my teammate and friend."

"Wow Pyrrha I…" Ruby started, turning red again.

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked.

"I…I..." Ruby continued to struggle. "...I don't know what to say. You're so nice." It was not quite what she wanted to say.

"Well, it's true." Pyrrha said. She paused. "The forecast calls for rain Sunday. I bet you win this one."

"I really hope so." Ruby said. "But I'll have to beat you first."

Practice was less than promising. Signalstone was even more of a power track than the previous two had been and the Schnee powered cars dominated. Even Ciel was fast. Winter and Weiss took the top two spots as was becoming usual with Penny third. Coco, Velvet, Emerald, Mercury and Ciel locked up what remained of the top 8 spots. Rain - the great equalizer - was forecast for Sunday, and if it did not come it was surely going to be a runaway. Unfortunately that forecast was looking less and less sure.

Qualifying showed a little hope for the drivers lacking Schnee engines. Sure, Winter, Weiss and Penny were secure at the top, but the other Schnee powered runners were much closer to the rest of the field. Ciel had returned to mediocrity while the others looked much more beatable. As the end of the session approached Yang, Blake, Ruby and Pyrrha all looked to have a shot at a top 5 starting position, and the track was only getting faster as more and more rubber was laid down.

Ruby went out for one last run. She knew the top three were unassailable but fourth was a legitimate possibility. She crawled through the left-right chicane near the end of the lap - Bridge - then got a good run out through the sweeping right-hander called The Cut. Ruby thundered down the frontstretch and crossed the line to start her lap. A few seconds later she tapped the brakes for the first corner, Woods. She swept through the right-hander then as she accelerated out she eased her car to the right side of the track to line up for the next corner. It was a flat-out left-hand kink called Moor. Ruby slid her car through Moor then was very hard on the brakes for one of the track's tighter corners, an acute right-hander called Saint.

Ruby hit her apex and got a good run out of Saint. Again she eased to the right side of the track, lining up for the flat-out left-hand kink called Church. Through Church and onto the long straight that followed, Ruby's car gained speed. As the track climbed slightly uphill she was approaching top speed before slamming on the brakes for the sweeping right-hand School. The track crested the rise mid corner and Ruby's car squirmed. She controlled the oversteer and got a perfect run down the short straight before the following corner Mall. Ruby slowed for the tight right-hander, probably a little more than she had to in order to ensure she got a good run out onto the track's longest flat-out stretch. She flew through the flat-out left-hand kink called Monastery. The engine screamed as she careened down the straight toward Bridge. As she braked for Bridge she nearly locked up the front wheels but eased her braking just in time to prevent it. A pair of quick flicks to the left and then right got her through the agonizingly slow chicane before she floored it out into The Cut. She rounded the corner on the edge of the track and the edge of traction, crossing the line to complete her lap.

Ruby's lap had been shockingly fast. She was still a full second off Winter's pole time, but she had somehow put herself third on the grid despite her car's lack of power. Everyone was shocked, the press, the team, the other drivers, the fans, everyone. Well, everyone except Pyrrha. She just walked up to Ruby and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "I knew you had it in you." She said with a smile. Pyrrha could afford to smile. She had managed seventh. Behind Yang in sixth she was the third of the non-Schnee powered runners. Penny held onto fourth with Coco in fifth. Velvet was eighth with Mercury ninth and Emerald tenth. Suddenly it looked as if the race would be far more interesting than originally anticipated.

Ruby was the focus of the post-qualifying press conference. The top two qualifiers may as well have gone home as just about every question was directed at the local hero. Just a few days before that sort of attention would have been overwhelming for Ruby, but Pyrrha had given her some advice: "thank the team, thank the sponsors, then be yourself." Of course it was not quite that simple. Ruby would have to be careful about what she said so as not to offend anyone, but the idea that she could just be herself was comforting. She did not have to be perfect. She just had to be her.

It was all going very well. Ruby was even having a little fun and the reporters seemed to draw off that. Then came a question her sister had faced, one that Ruby knew she would eventually have to answer, but that she was not quite ready for. A local reporter stood to ask his question. "We reached out to your father about you racing here this weekend but he refused to give a statement." He started. "How do you feel about him, given that he doesn't support your career choice?"

There were gasps from some of those present. For one thing, the reporter was sure to get a talking to, or beatdown, from Yang. To that point the press conference had been upbeat and fun. Now it had taken a serious and somewhat depressing turn. Ruby could have refused to answer or given some stock response, but she decided the best way to put the issue to bed was to give a real answer, a heartfelt answer. "It is a bit sad when I think about it." Ruby admitted. "I do wish my father was more supportive of Yang and I. But I'm not mad at him or anything. I don't blame him. Racing was responsible for lots of good things in his life but it also took away so much. It's only natural that he'd want us to stay away. I'm sure he's just afraid." She paused and wiped away a stray tear. "Maybe one day he'll change his mind. That would be a dream. If he doesn't, that's okay too. I love my dad and I know he loves me, and that's what really matters."

There was a brief silence, then the reporter sat down. A few people clapped, as encouragement if nothing else, then the press conference moved on, picking up with its earlier celebratory mood. The assembled press seemed satisfied, even impressed by Ruby. For her the answer had been cathartic. After answering a whopper like that just about any question thrown her way would be easy.

Race day saw the promised rain. The skies opened before dawn and as the start of the race approached it was still pouring. As the cars sat on the grid before the race Ruby was mobbed by reporters. After her amazing qualifying run and her speed in the rain at Mistral she was suddenly the favorite. Before she would have shied away from the attention but armed with Pyrrha's advice she took it in stride. As the grid was cleared for the cars to roll off she was almost disappointed rather than relieved. As Ruby strapped in with the help of a mechanic something concerning happened - the rain began to ease.

Ruby was worried the rain might stop entirely but as the cars rolled around the track for their parade lap the intensity of the precipitation steadied. The drivers lined up on a very wet grid. Most tried to position themselves to be out of the worst of it, but some of the grid spots were submerged in large puddles that were unavoidable. Ruby's spot on the left side of the second row was one of the better ones, with most of the puddles on the right. Weiss, on the right side of the first row, was not in that bad a position, assuming she could get to the middle of the track before the large puddle that loomed about halfway to the first turn.

The track was probably too wet to race safely but as the drivers formed up the flag was waved at the back to signify that the race would start. The drivers focused their attention on the lights hanging from a gantry above the start line or on additional lights that hung on posts along the right side of the circuit. The start line was just at the exit of The Cut so most of the cars were lined up in the corner. That would make an already tricky start even more difficult. The lights started. One red, two, three, four, all five red...lights out! Tires spun, struggling to find purchase, and the cars squirmed away from their starting positions.

Winter got a characteristically perfect start from the pole and leapt away from the pack. Just behind Ruby matched her and pulled even with Weiss. Ruby pinched Weiss to the right side of the circuit, forcing her through a particularly deep puddle. That slowed Weiss enough to allow Ruby to get the position. It also slowed the entire inside line, allowing Coco to pull even with Weiss as they approached the corner. There was another puddle and the inside line was slowed again, allowing Coco into third. Pyrrha swept around the outside of Weiss and completed the pass as they ran through Moor. Behind them, in the blinding spray, was a mad scramble for position. Yang managed to slip into the outside line behind Pyrrha and in time to get around Penny. Penny and Velvet followed, then Sun who jumped both Emerald and Mercury after the pair had awful starts.

Up at the front Ruby was right on Winter's transmission as the pair entered School. Ruby darted right but Winter blocked and Ruby was forced to pull up short. Coco broke her momentum to avoid striking the lead pair and Pyrrha was able to sweep past as they rounded the corner. Ruby followed Winter into Mall, hanging back and bit to get a run on exit. Winter's car slid to the edge of the grass on exit, its driver just barely keeping it in line. Ruby saw her chance. She used her extra momentum to close right up to the back of Winter's car, almost touching it as they cut through Monastery. Winter had the power advantage but Ruby stayed tucked in behind her, using the draft to keep pace. Winter knew what Ruby was planning and hugged the left side of the track as they approached Bridge. Ruby popped out to the right, braking later and drawing even as the pair entered the tight left. As the track swung back to the right Ruby was still there and pulled slightly ahead as they curved through The Cut. When they cars arrived at Woods Ruby secured the lead. Over the next few laps she only pulled away.

The cars from Schnee Automotive, and the other Schnee powered entries for that matter, were not well suited to the conditions. Yang passed Weiss on the second lap. On the third Sun made his way past Velvet. Penny and Coco swapped positions two laps later. All the while Ruby increased her lead. Pyrrha battled with Winter. She was faster and it was only a matter of time before she took the second position. Winter was smart enough to recognize this and on lap 9 she pulled aside as the cars approached Bridge, allowing Pyrrha to take the spot and chase after her teammate. Pyrrha was faster than Winter but no one was faster than Ruby.

On lap 11 Neptune tried to pass Mercury. He ducked right on entry to Woods and drove straight into a puddle. His car hydroplaned and slid wide, slamming into Mercury and taking both off the track and out of the race. On lap 26, blinded by spray, Velvet crashed into the back of the lap down Adam on entry to School, ending both their races. Mechanical issues took out a few more competitors but the leaders were unaffected. Yang managed to take third from Winter on lap 32.

On lap 39 of 65, Ruby noticed something alarming. There was no water on her visor. The rain had stopped. Over the next few laps the track began to dry out. The process was accelerated as the sun broke through the clouds. Ruby's advantage was gone. On lap 46 she ducked into the pits for dry tires, followed that same lap by Winter, Yang and Coco. Pyrrha, Weiss, Penny, Sun, Emerald and Blake pit the following lap. It was a whole new race. Ruby was still just as fast as Pyrrha, much to her relief, but Winter was charging. She set new fastest laps circuit after circuit. On lap 50 Winter passed Yang for third. On lap 56 she passed Pyrrha for second. There was a large gap to Ruby but at the rate Winter was closing, she would be right there by the finish.

Ruby saw on her pit board the Winter was second and closing. It was disheartening. Ruby had been on her way to her first win and now a quirk of the weather was going to rob her. As fast as Winter was closing, she would not only catch her but blow her away. No, it was not going to be so easy. Ruby was not going to let it be so easy. She redoubled her focus and began pushing the car harder and harder each lap. Winter was still faster, but not by as much. Ruby could still win. Then Winter start speeding up. Now the racing line was entirely dry and she could bring all that Schnee horsepower to bear. Ruby pushed harder still. It was going to come down to the wire.

Ruby crossed the line to start the final lap. Winter was right behind her. They ran through Woods line astern. Ruby got a better run and pulled away a bit through Moor, but then Winter's power came into play and they were right back together by Saint. Again Ruby got a better run out of the corner and pulled away through Church. As they approached School Winter closed again, ducking right to look to pass. Ruby was not fooled by the decoy move and maintained her line. Winter ducked back in line and followed Ruby through School and Mall. Ruby got a good run out of Mall but Winter did too. She was close as they rounded Monastery and headed down the long stretch to Bridge. Ruby held her line. Winter would pass her or she would not. At this point there was little Ruby could do.

Winter moved to the left, throwing up a slight spray of water from the still damp part of the track. She and Ruby braked at about the same time. Ruby's car, on the dry line, slowed normally. Winter's did not. She slid wide into the grass as Ruby cut to the inside and swept back into the lead. Winter was lucky not to get stuck in the mud and rejoined well behind. Ruby cruised around The Cut and crossed the line to take the victory. Behind the top three of Ruby, Winter and Pyrrha, Yang finished fourth with Weiss fifth and Coco sixth. Penny, Emerald, Sun and Blake rounded out the top 10.

Ruby pumped her fist in the air as she coasted down the frontstretch. The crowd roared, easily loud enough to be heard over the scream of the engines. Track workers rushed to the edge of the track, waving their flags and cheering for their hometown hero as she rolled around for the cooldown lap. The fans surged forward to get closer to their hero. Crowd control broke down entirely. By the time Ruby reached School the fans had breached the barricades and flooded the track. The drivers were forced to slowly pick their way through the sea of cheering humanity.

All the way around Ruby cried. She had long dreamed of this day but it was so much better than she had imagined. And it had come so much sooner than expected. A win at home, incredible. Ruby was able to compose herself by the time she reached the podium. As the trophies were presented she was able to smile and wave to the cheering crowd just below. They began chanting her name and the feeling was indescribable. As the national anthem of Patch played Ruby could hold back no longer and her tears flowed again. Champagne corks were popped and the drivers sprayed each other, though they were already soaked from the rain.

Ruby sprayed the last of her bottle over the exultant crowd. There was still champagne in there but no more bubbles to propel it. She turned back to the podium, to Pyrrha. "I couldn't have done this without you." She said.

"This one was all you." Pyrrha countered. "Enjoy it." Pyrrha bent down and hugged Ruby. To her surprise Ruby kissed her before pulling away to take a big swig of champagne.

Winter stood by, amused by the display. "Congratulations." She finally said. "You've got quite a career ahead of you Ms. Rose."

Even after the podium ceremony wound down the party was not over. Beacon GP celebrated into the night with the help of food and drink that seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Eventually the party had to end. The mechanics began packing up while Ruby took a seat off to the side, admiring her trophy. It was still hard to believe she had won, but there was the proof. Technically the team owned the trophy, that was part of Ruby's contract, but as he had done for Pyrrha's first win, Ozpin made and exception and allowed Ruby to keep it. Now she just had to figure out where to put it.

"Hey Ruby, congratulations again." Pyrrha said. She took a seat beside Ruby. Something seemed off about her. "That was a fantastic race."

"You did really great too." Ruby said.

"Only because of the tips you gave me." Pyrrha said.

"Your advice really came in handy when the track dried out." Ruby said. Then there was an awkward silence. "So...what's up?"

"Well I...um...uh…" Pyrrha struggled. "On the podium...you kissed me...is that some sort of Patch thing?"

"Uh...no." Ruby admitted. She started turning red. "I did that because...uh...I...well the thing is...I really like you."

"Me?" Pyrrha gasped. "You really like me?"

"How could I not?" Ruby asked. "No one's ever been so nice to me. You're so helpful and considerate."

"So all that...awkwardness...the other day was…" Pyrrha started.

"Yep." Ruby confirmed. "I hope this doesn't make things weird."

"No, it's alright." Pyrrha said. "It's just…"

"If you're not interested, that's fine." Ruby said. "I won't be offended."

"No, that's not...I…" Pyrrha took a deep breath. "I like you too."

"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed.

Pyrrha nodded. "You're friendly and genuine, and you're fun to be around." She said. "I've never met a driver like you. Hell, I've never met a person like you." She paused. "So, what do we do not? I've never really dealt with this sort of thing before, certainly not with a fellow driver."

"I have no idea." Ruby admitted. "I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go along."

Standings After Seven Races

1st - Winter Schnee - 37

2nd - Yang Xiao-Long - 31

3rd - Pyrrha Nikos - 29

4th - Ruby Rose - 21

5th - Weiss Schnee - 19

6th - Blake Belladonna - 12

7th - Penny Polendina - 11

8th - Nora Valkyrie - 5

9th - Coco Adel - 4

10th - Arslan Atlan - 3

11th - Reese Chloris - 1

11th - Lie Ren - 1

11th - Velvet Scarletina - 1

Inspirations

- Patch is based on Britain, and British fans are very passionate about their F1 drivers. Just watch the post race celebrations for this year's British GP.

- Grand Patch is based on Brands Hatch.

- Signalstone is based on Silverstone. Still proud of the name. The layout of the track is period accurate.

- There's always a chance of rain in the summer at Silverstone.

- The media, as always, is rude and unrelenting.

- The post-race crowd control situation is based on the actual 1987 British GP, just exaggerated a bit. Englishman Nigel Mansell won and the crowd lost it.

Inaccuracies and Anachronisms

- Fans would be unlikely to disperse just because the driver they were there to see told them to. People are assholes sometimes.

- The meal shared by Ruby and Pyrrha bears no resemblance to actual fish and chips.

- Given the location of the grid in 1987, the start would not have occurred as described. The start line was at the very exit of the final corner and most of the cars were lined up in the curve itself.