Chapter Text
Radio silence.
Qrow hadn't heard a goddamn thing from Raven since he kicked her out of the house and dropped her off at the apartment.
"Whatever."
The memory seeped into his brain everytime he thought about contacting her. He tried calling three times this weekend. Nothing.
He had to know. He had to see it for himself.
Before he went home after work, he casually stopped by her place. He knocked on the door and waited. The silence sat heavy on his chest. He used his spare key and hoped to the Brothers that she was just in the shower or otherwise too preoccupied to answer the door.
"Rae?" he called out.
The air was still. The room dead.
Qrow's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He checked her room and the bathroom.
She wasn't there. She was fucking gone.
All of her toiletries, some of her clothes, it was all gone.
"Son of a bitch!" Qrow slammed his hands on the counter so hard it rattled the whole kitchen.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.
This was all his fault. His own fucking fault. He forced her to stay in Vale and poked her and prodded her until she met her family. He convinced Yang to give it a shot and try to get to know her. He kicked her out of Beacon and yelled at her, rubbing her biggest mistakes in her face.
He might as well have handed her a suitcase and told her to skip town.
Qrow fished his scroll out of his pocket and aggressively tapped the screen to find Oz's contact information. If anyone could talk him off this ledge he's climbed up on, it's Oz.
His finger hovered over the "call" button just as the door opened.
Qrow released a heavy, crushing breath. “Oh thank the brothers, you’re here.” Even he could hear the relief in his voice.
Raven dropped her duffle bag by the door. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I was looking for you," he said, pocketing his scroll. "I thought you had… uh…”
Rae crossed her arms and shrugged. “I just needed to get away for a few days. Clear my head. I was only gone for the weekend.”
“Right.”
“Surprised you still wanted to see me after how angry you were.”
“Yeah… about that… listen, Rae, I-”
Raven lifted a hand to stop him. “No, it's fine. You don’t have to apologize. Because, well, you were…” She trailed off and mumbled something unintelligable.
“I was…” Qrow prompted.
“You know, you were-” She gestured as if to say "you can fill in the rest."
“You can do it, come on.”
“You know what I’m trying to say.”
“But you haven’t actually said it yet.”
“You were right! Okay! You happy?”
Qrow smirked, “Only wish I was recording when you said that.”
"Well, now I’m definitely not saying it again,” Rae said with a hint of a smile.
Rae scratched her head and continued. “I guess I just needed a wake up call. I overreacted to the whole thing. And for that I am…" she had to force the word out, "sorry.”
“I appreciate that, Rae," Qrow nodded. "But I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to.”
“Yeah…" Rae rubbed the back of her neck. "I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Come on. I’ll drive you to Beacon," Qrow offered. "Yang is supposed to be meeting Blake there this afternoon.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Anytime, sis.”
Raven stomped up the porch stairs of Beacon and waited to be let in. She was not looking forward to this. She was never very good at apologies. Or communicating. Or feelings. What the fuck was she even supposed to say?
She'd have to figure it out soon.
The door creaked open and Qrow gestured for Raven to go ahead of him. She stepped through the door to see Ozpin standing at the living room table, casually sorting through the mail.
He looked up at the sound of the door opening and smiled. “Hello, Ms. Branwen. It’s nice to see you again.”
The formal greeting made Raven's stomach turn. “Hey,” she said shortly.
She was not in the mood for further conversation. Luckily, Ozpin took the hint and returned to his task.
Her brother, however, had another idea.
Qrow nudged her and kept his voice low. “Maybe you should start your apology parade with him.”
“What?" Raven snapped her head around. "That wasn’t part of this.”
“It is now.”
Raven scoffed, “That’s such bullshit.”
Qrow shot her a pointed look. “You owe him one and you know it.”
“It’s possible I was a little too harsh, maybe.” Raven crossed her arms in silent protest.
“'Maybe'?" Qrow asked. "You screamed at him and cursed him out for literally no reason. And that was after you accused him of pretending to run a charity that he spent his whole life building.”
“Alright, fine, I’ll do it. Just get off my back, will ya?”
Qrow waved her on, like a parent trying to get their anxious child to jump into the pool. Raven dragged her feet over to Ozpin and cleared her throat. “Hey, um, Ozpin.”
The man looked up, his expression curious.
Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be.
And she never thought it would be easy.
“I just wanted to apologize for being an ass to you since- well, basically since we met." Every syllable was forced, stilted, like she was forming the words for the first time. "I didn’t exactly bring out the welcome wagon so… for that, I am… sorry.”
Somehow, she managed to get the point across.
Ozpin simply smiled. “It’s alright, dear. Thank you for apologizing. I appreciate that.”
Raven didn't miss the subtle side eye that Ozpin shot her brother's way. She rolled her eyes as she strolled back over to Qrow.
These two were going to be a royal pain in the ass.
It appeared as though she would have to get used to seeing Ozpin around. Unfortunately.
Qrow had an unbearably cocky smirk on his face. “Was that so hard?” he teased.
“Yes, actually, it was.”
Qrow clapped a heavy hand on her shoulder and lead her into the kitchen. “You haven’t even gotten to the hard part yet.”
Raven groaned. Nothing she hated more than her brother being a cocky bastard because he knows that he's right.
Little prick.
At least Yang really deserves an apology.
Yang wasn't sure this day could get any worse.
It started with a panicked study session during lunch — a math test she forgot she had today — which lead into her being all out of sync for basketball practice, and ended with her trying to start her car to head over to Beacon only to find that her car battery was completely dead.
Luckily, she was able to avoid the "you need to take care of your vehicle" lecture from her dad by calling her uncle. He helped her change the battery no problem and swore he would keep her secret.
She was relieved to finally be walking up the porch steps to Beacon, ready to leave this terrible day behind her and spend some down time with Blake.
Unfortunately, her string of bad luck wasn't over yet.
Qrow let out a heavy sigh as they approached the door, and Yang could tell there was bad news coming. “Hey, Firecracker, hold up. There’s- uh- something I gotta tell you.”
Yang stopped just shy of the door. "Okay…?"
"Your… your mom's inside."
"What?" Yang's eyes went wide. "Why?"
"She wanted to apologize to you."
Yang stared at the door in awe. She hadn't heard from her mom all weekend. A part of her thought the whole ordeal was over. Uncle Qrow made it sound like Raven wasn't ever coming back. It had only been a few days, but Yang was already starting to make peace with the idea.
She was even starting to get used to the shadow of regret that stayed in the back of her mind.
She wasn't ready to face her mom now.
"But… I don't…. I'm not sure…"
“For what it’s worth, kiddo, I think you should at least hear her out," Qrow shrugged. "She seriously owes you this.”
Yang glanced at the door then back at her uncle. He nodded and opened the door for her, gently ushering her inside. Qrow pointed at the kitchen, indicating that her mom was waiting for her there.
"I'll be right out here if you need me," Qrow promised.
Yang took a deep breath and nodded. She knew her uncle always had her back.
She approached the door carefully, like a rabid dog might suddenly dart out of the room and bite her. When she peeked into the kitchen, she saw her mom sitting impatiently at the table — her arms crossed, leg shaking. As soon as she came into view, Raven slowly stood up. Cautious, so that she didn't scare Yang off like a skiddish animal.
“Hi,” Yang said awkwardly.
“Hey. Did- did you know I was gonna be here?”
“Uncle Qrow just told me as we were walking in.”
“Right," Raven nodded. "I won't be here long, I just...” Raven ruffled her own hair and shifted her weight onto her front foot. “Uh, look Yang, I’m not really good at this sort of thing, but I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.” The apology was delivered with conviction, without an ounce of hesitation. “You know, when we met I was shocked by how much you’d grown up.”
Yang scoffed, “Yeah. That’s what happens after fifteen years.”
Pain flashed across Raven's face. “I know. And that’s fifteen years with you that I can never get back. And I will regret that for the rest of my life.”
“If you regret it so much then why did you leave? Why didn’t you ever come back?”
Raven stopped dead in her tracks. She brushed her long black hair out of her face and tapped her fingers mindlessly on the table.
Buying herself a little time.
“You know, I- I asked myself the same thing everyday. But I didn’t know how to be a mom. I didn’t know how to raise a kid, take care of them. Hell, I couldn’t even take care of myself. Seeing how Summer and Tai looked at you- like you hung the sun in the sky-" Raven shook her head. "You were better off with them then you ever would have been with me.”
Raven looked shocked. She lifted her head and stared at Yang as if to ask Who said that? Did you hear that, too?
A revelation for both of them.
Yang crossed her arms against her chest. “Yeah, well, I wish you would have tried. You wouldn’t have been alone. We could’ve been…”
The words "a family" died on Yang's lips.
What the hell was she saying? She did have a family. Her mom and dad and uncle and sister were all the family she ever needed.
Vacations, holidays, movie nights. Basketball games, martial arts classes, (failed) dance lessons. Summer, Tai, and Qrow handled it all and found a way to make every moment count.
Because they always stuck around.
She just wished that Raven had stuck around, too.
Raven nodded, “Yeah… I wish I had tried, too. You’re all grown up now. And I can’t really help ‘raise’ you anymore. But… I’d like to be a part of your life, somehow.”
Yang hesitated. “I’m not really sure what that would look like at this point.”
“Neither am I.”
Raven stared at the floor, her eyes dim and defeated. No longer defensive or determined to be right or in control.
Ready to accept, with no caveats, that she made a mistake.
Maybe that's where they could start. By fixing a mistake.
“But that doesn't mean we can't try, right?” Yang smiled lightly.
Raven met her eyes and smiled back.
Yang rubbed the back of her neck. She wasn't really sure what "trying" would even look like. For the time being, she was just planning on hanging out with Blake for the night.
Guess I could extend an invitation?
“We- uh- we were just gonna hang out here tonight. I can’t- I mean- I’d have to ask Mr. Oz, but… maybe you could stick around?”
Raven nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Uncle Qrow was shocked to hear that the plan was for Raven to stay a little longer.
Yang went to grab Blake and the three of them hung out in the family room, watching movies and playing games, until dinner was called and Qrow took Raven home. It was a little awkward at times, but they managed to get through the night without incident.
Of course, one easy night wasn't going to fix all of their problems. But, for the first time since Raven showed up, Yang could see the rainbow after the storm.
Raven's visits to Beacon became a regular thing. Yang would invite her to game nights and group activities whenever she could. It allowed Raven to get to know Yang's friends and gave Yang a casual, less daunting way to spend time with Raven.
Knowing Qrow was always nearby to have Yang's back helped, too.
On this particular day, Yang asked Qrow and Raven to join her on the court. It was too cold outside to go to the park, and Yang needed to practice for her big playoff game coming up. The three of them took over the empty gym and started working on a few drills.
Raven bent down low, trying to stay between Yang and the basket. Yang dribbled forward, charging at her mom before crossing over to her other hand, creating enough space for an easy layup.
Qrow watched from the sidelines. "Nice, Yang. Your ball handling is getting better."
Raven put her hands on her hips and breathed heavily. "Why am I doing all the work here? Can't you play defense for once?"
"I'm coaching," Qrow shrugged.
"Sure you are. Get your ass out here on the court, 'Coach.'"
Qrow laughed as he finally joined the action. He placed himself under the basket while Raven stayed in Yang's face at the top of the key.
"Two on one?" Yang questioned. "This hardly seems fair."
"The game isn't always gonna be fair," Qrow said. "You gotta adjust."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever."
Yang and Raven checked the ball. When Yang got it back, she took a second to survey her options. She knew she had her mom beat, easily. One strong charge and she left her mom in the dust. Her uncle was a bit trickier — taller, bigger, faster. Yang came to an abrupt stop and took a huge jump step back, maintaining good control of the ball through the whole move. A huge gap was left between her and Qrow, and she used the space to put up a clean mid-range jump shot.
Swish.
Yang let her hand hang in the air and smirked.
"Well, look at you," Qrow teased. "Where'd you learn that?" he asked as if he didn't already know.
Yang shrugged. "A little birdie taught it to me."
"Cute." Qrow grabbed the rebound and fed it back to Yang. "Check it up, Sunshine. Let's run it again."
Practice lasted for another half an hour or so, running drills and going through plays that Yang needed to be ready for her game. It was hard to believe that it was just one week away.
After a couple free throws to end the practice, Uncle Qrow checked the time. It was already well into the evening.
Qrow packed up his things and threw on his heavy maroon jacket. "Alright, I gotta head out," he grunted. "I promised Oz I'd be home before six. I'll see you later, alright, Firecracker?"
"See ya later, Uncle Qrow. Love you."
"Love you, too," Qrow said, saluting his family and shouldering his bag.
Raven waved him off before she pulled on her own hoodie and handed Yang her waterbottle. "You still wanna go to dinner?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm starving," Yang exclaimed.
"Good. Me too."
The two of them exited the gym and strolled down the street to a little sandwich shop that Yang recommended. They ordered at the counter and grabbed their fountain drinks before taking a seat to wait for their food.
Yang took a big sip of her soda.
"So, you feel ready for your game next week?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Yang said, the soda still sticking to the back of her throat. "Everyone is expecting us to lose, but if they think we won't play our asses off, they have another thing comin'!"
"I'll cheers to that," Raven smiled and raised her plastic cup.
Yang giggled and tapped her cup against her mom's. "Mm," Yang said, putting her drink down, "you are coming to the game next week, right?"
Raven's eyes went wide, like a shock through her system. Her expression softened and she answered confidently. "'Course, Yang. Wouldn't miss it for the world."
The gym was absolutely electric, buzzing with the hopeful energy of the underdogs. Yang knew that her team wasn't projected to make it out of the first round, which was why she invited everyone she could. The more green and white that filled the stands, the better.
Qrow shuffled into the bleechers with Oz, Blake, Summer, Tai, Ruby, Weiss, Oscar, and Mercury. Merc only joined in the fun because he wanted to opt out of going to an after school program — he tried to negotiate to stay at Beacon by himself, but that didn't fly with Oz. The rest of the gang was anxiously waiting for the game to start.
Yang and her team were still running through their warm up drills. They looked focused, all of them just as determined as Yang to prove the projections wrong.
Qrow just hoped that everyone Yang invited would get to share in their victory, too.
Qrow didn't even notice that his leg was bouncing so rapidly until Oz put a steadying hand on it. “It’s alright, love," Oz said. "She'll be here.”
Qrow laughed through his nose. Ever the optimist.
Maybe Oz was right, though. Raven was so excited to tell Qrow that Yang "invited her twice" — checking to see if she was really coming to the game after she asked the first time. Qrow didn't have the heart to tell her that Yang was checking with everyone. Probably her playoff nerves getting the best of her.
Yang caught Qrow's eye, a huge smile growing on her face as she waved frantically at the crowd. Summer, Tai, and Qrow all waved back. Yang's eyes bounced around the audience as if she were counting them.
Or looking for someone in particular.
Qrow swallowed the lump in his throat. He leaned forward, ready to ask Summer and Tai if they had heard anything from Raven all day, but the question died on his lips when a dark figure sauntered confidently up the bleachers. Raven smirked at her brother before turning around and waving back at her daughter. Yang's face lit up like a lighthouse in the night, her big smile returning as she regained her focus and finished her final drills.
Tai and Summer exchanged pleasantries with Raven, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. Qrow nodded at her as she sat down. “Glad you could make it, Rae.”
“Glad I could be here.”
Qrow clapped a heavy hand on Raven's shoulder and jostled her in a teasing way.
Meanwhile, on the court, the teams huddled up for the last time before tip-off.
Qrow was locked in, ready for the game to start, when his attention was broken by an unfamiliar voice coming from over his shoulder.
“Mr. Oz? Holy shit, it really is you.”
Oz's eyes lit up at the sight of this new visitor. Qrow laughed to himself. Although he had never met this newcomer before, he knew exactly what was happening. Should've expected this.
Couldn't take Oz anywhere without him being recognized by a former student. Of course it would happen at the school itself.
“Dear gods," Oz said cheerfully. "Opal Aurora. It is lovely to see you again.”
“Yeah, you too. You still working here after all this time?” Opal asked.
“No, actually. I had a bit of a career shift a while back.”
“Really? I figured you’d be teaching ‘til the end.”
“Yes, I get that quite a lot.”
Oz learned quite a lot about his former student in just the first quarter of the game.
The teams went back and forth in a fierce battle with several lead changes, including a last minute layup from Opal's own daughter.
As the teams took their breaks between the first and second quarter, Opal politely excused himself to join his family again. Qrow couldn't hide his teasing grin when Oz turned back to him.
“What?” Oz laughed.
“Do you know everyone in this town?”
“It feels that way sometimes, doesn’t it?”
Qrow laughed, too, brushing his lips against Oz's shoulder in the process. He regained his focus and cheered and clapped just in time for the second quarter to start.
The game continued to heat up, both teams refusing to give any ground. Yang dominated under the basket at both ends, making some key defensive plays and grabbing a couple pivotal offensive rebounds.
It was down to the wire.
10 seconds left. Score tied. Vale's ball.
They decided to run a pick play, by the looks of it. Bold move, Qrow thought.
Yang popped out from under the basket and picked the frontline defender before rolling off to the top of the key. The point guard was stopped dead in her tracks — their opponent caught on fast. Thinking quickly, the point guard shot the ball out to Yang who was practically standing alone.
Come on, Firecracker, you got this.
The defenders closed in. 5 seconds left.
Yang strayed right, then crossed over to her left, lining herself up for a perfect jumpshot at the elbow.
She took the shot.
1 second left.
Swish.
The cheers drowned out the sound of the final buzzer.
The rest of the team stormed the court, almost tackling Yang and the others in the process.
The stands vibrated with the screams and whistles and calls of the whole gym.
Ruby cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "That's my sister!"
Somehow, the players managed to calm down enough to line up and shake hands with their opponents before shuffling out of the gym. Yang couldn't resist the urge to stop in front of her family and pose for the camera. She flexed her muscles, which Summer happily captured in full.
Slowly, the excitement died down and the gang grabbed their things and headed to the lobby of the athletic wing to wait for their superstar.
Qrow was the first one to spot Yang emerging from the lingering crowd. “There she is," he announced. "Our player of the game.”
Their group clapped for her again.
Blake ran up and gave her a quick hug. “You were amazing today.”
“Thanks, Blake.”
Yang accepted hugs from Summer, Raven, and Tai, too. Tai ruffled her hair and said, “Yeah, you were on top of your game today. And you scored the game winner! The way you opened up some space for yourself was pro level.”
“Thanks, dad," Yang shrugged. "It was something I’d been working on.” She threw a knowing look at her uncle.
Qrow winked back.
Summer put a hand on Yang's shoulder. “Well, I think all that work deserves a celebration. We’re going out to dinner tonight, wherever you want.”
"I don't know. I kinda just want to head back to Beacon." Yang glanced at Oz, as if her statement held an unspoken question.
"That's perfectly fine by me," Oz nodded. "We can still celebrate. Perhaps we could order out?"
"Yeah, that sounds good."
Oz, Summer, Yang, and Tai floated ahead, discussing where Yang wanted to get food from.
Raven hung back, looking after her family like she was admiring a painting.
“You okay, there, Rae?” Qrow asked.
“Yeah," Raven smiled at him. Not a hint of snarkiness to be found. She just looked happy. “I’m glad I was here for this.”
Qrow returned the smile. “Yeah, me too," he said, clapping a heavy hand on her shoulder.
And he meant every word.
So much for a "casual hang out" at Beacon after the game.
Once they pulled out the boardgames, everyone opted to join in. Even Cinder and Mercury played a couple rounds after they came out for drinks and pizza. The adults milled about the living room, occassionally having to step in to get them all to settle down.
Just like old times.
In between rounds, Yang wanted to get herself and Blake a refill. She stood up and asked the table. "Anyone need anything?"
"Oh, I need more soda!" Ruby announced.
"I could use some water," Merc added.
"I was gonna get more pizza…" Oscar said shyly.
Yang shook her head and laughed. Well, that's my fault for asking. "Coming right up."
When she stepped into the kitchen, Yang found her uncle making an attempt to tidy up a little. Throwing away empty boxes and used plates, organizing the leftovers, and putting away the unused silverware.
Qrow stopped his cleaning when he saw Yang waiting. "Hey, Firecracker. Did you need something?"
"Yeah, just a few drinks and a slice of pizza for Oscar."
"Go for it, there's still about half a pie left." Qrow gestured at the only remaining box as he threw away another. "What drinks do you need?" he asked.
Yang grabbed a new plate. "Uh, just more water for me and Merc and two sodas for Ruby and Blake."
As Yang picked out a slice for Oscar, she heard the ice maker running behind her. Before she could say anything, Qrow was already setting down two full cups of water next to her.
Yang smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow."
"Don't mention it."
Yang crossed her arms and leaned against the table as her uncle opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda.
"Hey, Uncle Qrow," she said slowly. "Do you remember when I was little and you found me trying to runaway… to look for my mom?"
Yang picked at the skin on her arm.
Qrow's movements became slow, his eyes distant. Thoughtful. He finished pouring two cups of soda before he answered. "Yeah, kiddo, I remember."
"Do you remember what you said when you found me?"
"Uh, 'What the fuck are you doing, you scared the shit out of us'?"
Yang laughed, "No- well, yeah, but after that. When I broke down and you hugged me."
Qrow set down the last of the drinks next to Yang's stash and sighed. "Sort of. I think I told you that you had two great parents who loved you and all that crap. And I told you that the ones who really care about you won't make you chase after them."
"They'll stick around, no matter what," Yang remembered.
"Yeah. Something like that," Qrow smiled.
Yang didn't actually have to ask him. She knew exactly what Qrow said to her that night. She tried, everyday, to burn those words into her memory, to forge them into who she was.
People leave. They disappear, they drift apart, they say goodbye. Sometimes there's nothing that can stop it. Sometimes it leaves a scar. Sometimes it leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
Was it my fault? Would they still be here if I was better, smarter, nicer, something?
But Yang was lucky. She didn't have to ask those questions about everyone in her life. Because they stuck around. Like Summer and Tai and Ruby.
And Uncle Qrow.
"I do think you were wrong about one thing that night," Yang said.
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What's that?"
"I don't have two awesome parents who love me. I have three."
Qrow laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, you do now. Raven didn't really count back then, though."
"I'm not talking about Raven."
Qrow's brow furrowed. Somehow he still wasn't getting it.
Finally, Yang just said it. "I was talking about you, Uncle Qrow."
Qrow's face went blank, like he wouldn't have guessed that if Yang had given him all the clues in the world.
Yang launched herself into Qrow's arms and hugged him tight. "Thank you for sticking around."
Qrow wrapped his arms around his niece without saying a word.
"I love you," Yang said.
Qrow hugged her tighter. "I love you, too, Yang."