Chapter Text

A small pause in his story telling gave Ruby time to regain her balance. She still sat next to her father, but he seemed very far away. His shoulders hunched, head hanging low. Something had shifted in the room, while he had spoken, as if the sun had been covered with clouds. It filled the corners of her vision, but she couldn't discern its shape. It moved with her line of sight. Suddenly, it moved out of line with her vision, and in front of her, a ghostly fog shrunk from the rest of the room into a single spot before them.

It moved like wet ink being pulled across parchment, raising from the ground, forming a vaguely human-like shape. Small and thin, it moved towards the bed, red eyes glowing and locked on Qrow.

Sitting down on it, Ruby half expected the bed to shift under its weight. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should be frightened by what she was watching. Instead, a sense of melancholy filled her heart.

The huntsman raised his eyes to the spectre as it shifted into a cross-legged position across from him.

"Can you see it?" Ruby whispered.

"Yes. I haven't always been able to, but since your mom died, I have."

The spectre turned its head to the side, and reached out with an inky hand to rest it on Qrow's shoulder. At the moment it touched him, the shadowy depths contracted into a definitive form. Still obsidian, it's form was of a young woman of small stature and medium length hair. At her shoulders, movement whipped and twisted, reminding Ruby of her own cape caught on the wind. Red eyes faded into silver gems glinting in the sunlight.

With a sigh, Qrow dropped his head once more and the phantom of her mother dissolved instantly, like a Grimm under her scythe.

"That was mom, wasn't it?"

"As close as a spectre can copy her."

"But how? Why? I-" she sighed and caught her father's tired gaze. "I don't understand."

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"You and me both, kid. This spectre has been haunting me since I stepped foot into Beacon. It does something with Grimm- blinding them, I think, kind of like Ren's semblance- but I don't know where it comes from, and I have no control over it."

"Does it affect your aura levels?"

He shook his head. "Not a bit."

Ruby raised a quizzical brow. He sniffed.

"Like I said, kid, I don't understand it either."

A pause filled the room, and Ruby found her eyes being drawn back to where the spectre had sat mere minutes before. Qrow seemed disinclined to continue the discourse, but Ruby had so many more questions to ask. Finally, she couldn't contain herself.

"How do you know that Mom's, well,... dead?"

Qrow sunk his head further, but didn't respond.

"You didn't see a body, right? How do you know something didn't happen to her? Or that she wasn't taken captive? Or- or- or something?"

Silence descended on the room, and she started to regret her outburst. After a time, Qrow took a deep breath, pulling his shoulders up, and looked sideways at the young woman.

"I asked the same questions- thought the same things- for years. I even went back out to what was left of that little town a year later, to try to track her down. Even if it was just her body that I found, at least that would have been closure.

"I found nothing.

"Ozpin insisted from that moment on the airship onward, that she had died. Oz usually was right about that kind of stuff, and after about three years of trying, I chose to stop. To- To try and spend as much time as an uncle could spend with his niece."

Ruby took in his words, in silence. She broke eye contact with Qrow, and looked down at their hands. In a small voice, she continued.

"Why did you leave? Why did you want Taiyang to be my dad?"

He let go of her hand, and she startled, until she felt it under her chin, gently guiding her head up, to meet his eyes. The huntsman stared hard at her.

"I never wanted to leave. Or to give up being your Papa."

He heaved a deep sigh, and his eyes softened.

"Ruby, I felt like there was no safer choice for you. The people who tried to kill me, and who succeeded in killing your mother- they knew who we were. They knew my name- and they knew who your mother was. If not by name, then at least by her silver-eyed trait.

"Combine that with my semblance- You might as well have had a neon sign pointing at you."

His hand dropped, along with his gaze.

"I told you when I began- these are some of the things I'm not proud of in my life. There are many, but these are some of the harshest ones to face."

Qrow ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back.

"But I think it's time to face them.

"When I woke back up, I didn't know where I was..."

At some point, he woke for a few moments and fell asleep again. A little while later, he woke up and stayed that way.

His eyes were dry, for the time, and the nurse had been polite enough in encouraging him to eat some of the bland food brought in. No visitors, no Ozpin. No Summer.

He needed to get to Ruby.

Tentatively, he moved and stretched. The wound was barely together, and might reopen in the trip, but he was going to take that chance. Knowing they had started him at Vacuo, he was slightly disoriented to see the lush greenery outside of his window. They must have transported him to a hospital in Vale.

Even closer to home.

Standing, he worked to get on his clean huntsman gear that someone had brought in. It was obvious who, when Ozpin entered. Qrow was already at the window, the pane pushed back, and poised on the sill.

"You know you're not healthy enough."

"I'll heal at home."

"With your daughter."

"She can't be mine. Not anymore."

"What do you mean, Qrow?"

"She's going to be Tai's."

"Why? Don't you think Summer would have rather-"

The young man rounded on him, pausing him with a motion.

"Don't talk about what Summer would have wanted! She's dead, Oz. And it's my fault!"

"How could you possib-"

"You know that I get a sensation when my semblance is extra strong. I felt it when we came out of that tomb. It's the only reason the Grimm would have been there. She knew who I was."

"She?" He shook his head, "if 'she' is who I think you're implying, we need to talk about what happened immediately. Qrow, please stay. Tell me what happened in Vacuo."

The young man turned out to the green lush forest stretching out before him.

"Once I heal, I will come and tell you. I- I need to go home now. I need to make sure my daughter is safe. And stays that way."

He didn't wait to hear Ozpin's response, as he was already gone, in his avian form, heading home.

Qrow wasn't surprised when he felt the tentative stitches come apart under the stress of the journey. Due to both the fatigue, injury and pressing weight of guilt, his trip took longer than he had anticipated. It was nearly sunset when he hopped over to a tree, reverting his form. Too tired to move, his back carefully supported on the tree trunk, he hoped that someone would notice before he tried to bleed out again.

Hands full with baskets of fresh fruit, Tai was soaking in the cooling breeze and the colors cast upon the darkening sky. As he rounded the outside edge of the house, he could hear the girls playing and laughing inside.

He was completely unprepared for the sight he came across.

A large dark avian figure rested at the base of a nearby tree, easily eclipsing the man nestled deep within it. The figure's red eyes turned to look at Tai as he neared. Summer and Raven had been the ones unafraid of Qrow's spectre, but Tai had never been that comfortable. However, when it's eyes met Taiyang's, the feeling of dread he remembered and expected was replaced instead by an overwhelming sense of deep sadness that reached his core.

On careful inspection, he could discern Qrow Branwen deep within the smoky darkness of the spectre. Absently, he recognized the posture of the ghostly figure as one of protection and comfort, it's abstract wings sheltering the unmoving huntsman.

Fear of the spectre was quickly outweighed by the sight of his still friend.

Placing his fruit to the side, he steeled himself. Summer and Raven were the only ones he had known to pierce the darkness of Qrow's phantom before. Plunging into the shadowy depths, however, Tai was amazed to meet no resistance or substance to the monstrous figure. Before him, the lanky huntsman had his legs pulled tight to his torso. His forehead rested on his knees, arms loose around his legs, and in one hand he clutched a blood-stained white cloth.

Tai reached out, resting his hand on Qrow's shoulder. Slowly, the man raised his head, his eyes heavy, red-rimmed and unseeing. Around them, the clouded darkness fell and retracted to the huntsman's tight form.

A breeze blew, but instead of refreshing, it chilled to the bone, and Tai shivered.

"Qrow?"

"Tai," his voice was deep and gravelly, full of emotion. The blond man felt heaviness rest on his heart.

"She's not..." his voice faded and his gaze fell back to the cloth in his hand, tears forming again.

Instantly, Tai knew in his heart what white cloak Qrow clung to so desperately belonged to.

"She's not coming back."

"Dad! Dad! Look! Wuby gave me dis!"

A blonde, energetic 3 year-old bounced on her toes just outside the front of their home with a makeshift toy in her hands.

Tai had realized that beyond being distraught, Qrow was seriously injured and incapable of motion on his own. Supporting the man's weight, he used himself as a crutch.

"That's sweet, Yang, baby, but Dad is trying to help Uncle Qrow.

The bundle of energy stilled, her head cocking to one side. Staring down the injured man, she asked, "Are you okay, Unca Qwow?"

Tai answered for him.

"Not right now, dragon. But he will be... better soon. Can you help Dad right now?

Yang nodded vigorously, her energy levels returning.

"Can you open the door for me?"

Springing into action, she reached for the door, flinging it wide open and moving to keep it that way.

"What happened, Dad?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. I'm sure your uncle will tell us when he can."

Moving to the couch, he slowly lowered the barely conscious man on to it. As he leaned Qrow back, the man let out a sound mixed with a yell and growl.

Rolling him forward, Tai noticed the growing deep red spread across his back and cape. Quickly, he sprung into action, removing the stained gear, and resting the injured man on his stomach.

Qrow's cry had startled Yang, and she stood back as her father worked. Ruby, however, came at a pace, eyes wide. She intuitively stood just outside of the area her uncle was working in.

"Papa?"

Her little voice broke through all noises of the house. Slowly, Qrow's eyes slid open to slits, pinpointing his daughter's location in the room instantly. Still on his stomach, he reached out his unencumbered arm towards her. With no delay, she was standing at his side, her hand in his.

"Papa?" Her eyes were starting to well, not knowing why she should be scared, but scared nonetheless. Qrow cupped her cheek, while the little girl still clasped his hand. Tears were steadily rolling from his own eyes, but he tried to smile.

"Hey, Petal." He croaked out. His voice cracked and broke. Coughing slightly into the pillow he used to support his head, he noticed he was again coughing up blood.

Swallowing, he turned back to his little girl. Forcing a smile into place, he tried to talk with her.

"Miss me?"

She clutched harder.

"Thought you might." His voice finally failed him, and instead he just watched her, as she went back and forth between watching her uncle as he worked, and her father, as though checking his current condition.

He tried his best to hide the flinches and grimaces as Tai worked to restitch the wound, but some were uncontrollable. Each time his face reacted to the pain, he felt the little hands in his grip tighten, and saw her eyes grow wider.

"...be okay, sweetheart..." he managed. Finally, Qrow felt the tension on his back release, and turned as far as he could to look at Tai. The blond man stepped back, and made eye contact with the huntsman.

"It's done. Best I can do, Qrow. There wasn't much skin that wasn't shredded from where you broke the previous stitches."

The man nodded, and opened his mouth, but the effort of speaking resulted in a coughing fit. Hissing through his clenched teeth, he tried to quell the pain in his back.

Tai placed a hand on his shoulder, and kneeled down next to Ruby to meet Qrow's eyes easier.

"Tell us what happened later. Sleep now. We'll all be here in the morning."

The man nodded his thanks. Turning to the kids, Tai gestured to them both.

"Ok girls, let leave Uncle Qrow alone for a bit. He's hurting a lot, and needs to be able to heal."

Yang nodded, her eyes wide, still standing back. Ruby, however, didn't move. Instead of trying to pry her away from her father, he gathered up Yang. The usually resistant girl followed without protest, and was easily brought to her room. With a kiss to the forehead, Tai promised to return once he got Ruby.

In the short time between gathering up Yang and returning from her room, he entered the living room to see that Qrow had shifted on to his good side, facing the back of the couch, with Ruby out of sight.

Upon closer examination, he spotted the one-and-a-half year old curled up into her father's chest, her little arms around his neck. Qrow held her tight, his back trembling as tears fell uncontrollably, his face buried in his daughter's hair.

Tai knew that trying to take Ruby to bed at that point would only hurt them both. Instead, he grabbed a blanket from a nearby chest, and placed it over both of them. Resting his hand on his friend and brother-in-law's shoulder, he saw the man's eyes open, and send a tear-filled gaze to Tai. The man nodded once, and moved to leave them to each other.

Even as he put the lights out, he could hear the sobs from his friend in the eerily silent house. As he went to open Yang's door, he paused to wipe away the tears gathering in his eyes for the woman who had always been like a sister to him and a mother to his daughter. Tonight was not going to be the night to tell Yang.

For the next three days, Ruby was hardly away from her healing father.

Finally, near the end of the third day, Qrow attempted to sit up. Leaning heavily on his knees, he looked thin and feeble; two things Tai never would have associated with his friend before. Ruby and Yang played outside for the first time since Qrow's arrival, and both fathers watched them intently.

"I'm going to have to leave soon, Tai."

The huntsman's voice startled Tai out of his reverie.

"Qrow, you're hardly alive. Besides, I don't know how Ruby will handle it."

"That's just it, Tai. I can't be around. I... I need you to be her father."

Tai whipped his head around to thinner man, mouth agape.

"You can't be serious."

Qrow's head sunk further, and his eyes were squeezed shut. "Tai. Please, just... trust me."

"So you can do the same thing as Raven?!"

"Absolutely not. But-"

"You want Ruby to grow up without her father."

"No-"

"Because it's more important-"

"That's not-"

"- for you not to get hurt-"

"Will you SHUT UP?!"

Tai paused, and withdrew as the huntsman rounded on him, eyes glinting in fury. After a moment of intensity, his shoulders dropped in defeat, and he sighed as his head fell.

"Tai, I told you what happened in Vacuo. That woman; she knows my name, who I am. And she recognized Summer. Combine that with my semblance-" he looked back up, his eyes sad.

"She'll never be safe if she's my daughter. The more she believes it, the more she's safe. The more the town believes it, the more she's safe. I wasn't here throughout Summer's pregnancy. People could easily assume she's yours. We kept our relationship quiet, so it would be fairly easy for people to-"

"But what about her?" Tai's voice was quiet, and it broke through Qrow's line of thought.

"She'll always be my daughter, Tai. And when she's old enough to be able to protect herself from m-" he paused and swallowed, "from the things that follow me, I'll tell her. It'll be her choice then as to how she feels about it."

"That's not fair, Branwen."

"I know. But it's the only thing I can give her to keep her safe."

"Give? You're taking away a part of her identity!"

"But I'm giving her a chance to live and grow in a steady family, with a sister who loves her and father who doesn't have to fear about the monsters following him home to her, a memory of a mother who died loving her. And a doting uncle who'll always be there for her when she needs him."

The blond man turned away from his friend, and returned to watching the girls play. His voice cold, he continued.

"If I say yes to this, Qrow, she's going to be my daughter. There will be no changing your mind till she's an adult. Do you understand that?"

"I do. And I can't afford to change my mind. Her safety is more important to me than the pain it'll cause me now, and the pain that it'll cause her later."

"She may never forgive you for leaving."

"If she's more like me than Summer, she won't."

"You'll miss some of the biggest parts of her life. You already missed her birth and first steps. But you'll miss even more. Her first full sentence. Her first day at school. Her first fight. Her first crush. Her graduation from Combat school."

The huntsman dropped his head into his hands. Muffled by the motion, his voice was still clear.

"I know. I've thought about it all."

Suddenly, Tai remembered the first night that Qrow clung to his daughter tightly and cried.

"You knew before you got here, didn't you?"

Qrow raised his head and nodded.

"That first night. That wasn't just because of Summer."

He shook his head. "No. I- I was grieving for something I'll never get to have."

"But you could! You could choose to stay here, be with your daughter, stay out of all this- this- shit with Ozpin!"

"It's too late for that, Tai. It was too late the moment they knew my name! Every minute I'm here, I'm risking every person's safety."

Taiyang refused to look at his brother-in-law.

"Then, if that's the case, maybe it's time you leave."

Qrow gazed down at his hands, staring at the two rings that were new to his hand.

"Yeah."

Slowly, he used his knees as a fulcrum and lifted himself off the chair. Small groans escaped his lips, as he moved methodically through the room, gathering what little was his.

The sun was once more painting the sky with brilliant colors, casting vibrant hues on the rain clouds gathering on the opposing end of the skyline. Yang hung from her uncle's neck, babbling on about whatever bug Ruby had found earlier. Qrow held her hard as he kneeled, a small smile on his lips. When they parted, her flow of conversation abruptly stopped at a question.

"How long will you be gone?"

The huntsman's smile faltered slightly, but he maintained the same light tone to his voice.

"It's going to be a bit, Firecracker. I have a long mission in front of me."

Her lip pouted slightly. He tapped her chin lightly with the side of a knuckle.

"I'll be back before you miss me."

"Yang." Tai stood back in the doorway, arms crossed, stone-faced. "Come here, sweetheart."

The little girl obeyed, going to her father's side. Qrow turned his gaze to his daughter as she stood a little ways back, hesitant, with silver eyes wide.

"Hey, Petal."

His voice broke her out of her trance and she flung herself at him. As he clutched her to his chest, and felt her little arms around his neck, he willed himself to swallow the tears.

"Papa."

"Yes, Ruby?"

"No."

Qrow dropped his brow into the crook of her neck, and couldn't stop the few tears that escaped. Finding his voice, he finally spoke, deep and broken.

"I have to go." His grip tightened on her. "To keep you safe."

The two stayed locked in their hug in silence. As far as Qrow was concerned, he could live he rest of his life like this, and maybe he'd actually feel complete again.

Slowly, he forced himself to pull them apart. Tear filled gazes met each other, and he almost gave up then. Steeling himself, he continued.

"Ruby, I need you to do me a favor. Do you think you can do me a favor?"

The little girl nodded.

"I need you to play pretend. Pretend that Uncle Tai is Dad. Can you call him that? And listen to him like he's Dad?"

She looked hesitant.

"Just pretend, okay, baby?"

A pause, then the little girl nodded.

"Just pretend till I come back, ok?"

When she nodded a second time, he felt as if a door had been shut. There was no turning back now. He knew that by the time he came back, it would no longer be pretend to her. Tai would be Dad, and he would be Uncle Qrow. One look at Tai confirmed that he would support the illusion until it was real to his daughter.

No. He thought darkly. His niece.

With a deep breath, he cradled the little girls cheeks and forced a smile onto his face.

"That's a good girl. Ruby Rose, my Petal, always know that I love you. And that I will try my best to always be there for you. It's going to be a long time before I'm back, but please know that I am always thinking about you. I know you don't understand everything that's going on, and that's ok, baby. Please just remember, if nothing else, that I love you. More than anything and everything else."

He placed a peck on her the crown on her head and felt her little arms once more wrap around his neck.

"Papa, luff."

Giving her a quick squeeze, he gently extracted himself from her grasp, even as the tears threatened to fall, and went to his feet.

"I know, Ruby."

Looking up, he made eye contact with Tai.

You don't approve, but-, he thought.

"Thank you," is what escaped his lips. The blond man nodded, his face still angry.

Looking down at his daughter, he forced a smile back on to his face.

"Be good, kiddo."

A full smile reached the little girl's face and she lit up. He rustled her hair one last time, and started backing away a few steps. He took in the view, Tai in the doorframe, Yang at his side, and Ruby at the entrance a few steps in front of them all. He forced the smile to stay until he turned away and began his trek into the woods. As soon as he was out of sight and sound of the house, he allowed the tears to fall. The rain started to descend on him, and he decided to keep walking. It might have been easier and quicker to fly, but in that moment, he needed to feel human.

That walk was the longest he ever had to make