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“Xiao Long-Rose residence. Summer speaking.
Oh hi Clover! Is everythi-
RAVEN DID WHAT??!! Ugh, what’s her bail?
I’m on my way.”
The drive within Sundered Rose was dreadfully silent. The only sounds Ruby heard from her spot in the passenger seat were the intermittent wooshing sounds of the opposing traffic, an occasional deep angry puff of air through a nose, and the crumple of leather as her mom gripped the steering wheel tighter and tighter.
“I am going to kill your aunt.” Summer growled as she drove.
“Mom, I think that might be a little extreme.” Ruby answered.
“She promised me Ruby.” Summer barked, though not directed at Ruby. “After last time, she promised me she would stay out of trouble. And what does she do?”
“She gets into a bar fi-”
“She gets into a bar fight!” Summer yelled, slamming her hands against the steering wheel in exasperation. “And with that Cinder woman no less. I know we don’t like her because that woman was horrible to you and Penny, but actually fighting her in the middle of the night is too far.”
Summer let out another sigh, within it a twang of pain and betrayal. “She promised me Ruby. She’s never broken a promise to me before. She better have a good explanation for this.”
The rest of the drive to the police station was devoid of all words. Ruby heard her mother take a final deep breath as they parked, calming her anger. Together, they walked inside, chilly from the cold night winds.
A woman with platinum blonde and brown hair shaved at the sides was writing at the front desk inside the station. She looked up toward Summer and Ruby when she heard the door open. “Oh hey, you’re Qrow’s niece and like his sister-in-law right?” she said, pointing her pencil eraser between them.
“Technically not in-laws but that’s not a bad way to put it.” Summer answered, trying her best to put on a friendly smile.
“Your name is…” Ruby pondered for a moment. “... Harriet right? Err... Uhm, Officer Bree?”
“Harriet’s fine for friends of Clover’s.” answered Harriet. “You’re here for Raven, right?”
Summer let out a loud, disgruntled sigh. “We are, yes.” Her now strained smile made her words sound slightly constricted.
“Alright well, come through those and I’ll call Clover to lead you down.” answered Harriet, gesturing toward the metal detectors.
The wait was short, Summer and Ruby only in the lobby for a minute or two until Clover arrived. “Hey Sum, hey Ruby, right this way.” he said, gesturing with his head down the hall. “Summer, I know you're probably mad, but you shouldn’t-.”
“I shouldn’t be mad that she got into a fight and that I have to drive to the police station at 1 am?”
“Well, about the fight part no. See, she-”
“Clover, I want her to explain herself to me.” Summer’s eyes were locked forward on the hallway as she walked down it. “Please just take me to her.”
Clover let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. “Sure, she’s over here in a cell with Cinder.”
“Wait.” Summer sharply looked toward Clover. “You put her in the same cell as Cinder?! Why!?”
“Well I was trying to tell you on the phone but you hung up too fast. She wasn’t fighting Cinder.” Clover answered.
“What do you-” Summer was suddenly interrupted by the laughter of two women, one of which she recognized as very familiar.
“Oh man, and there was that guy who kept trying to grab your ankles?” the distant laughter laced voice of Raven shouted.
“I know right? What was he trying to do?” said another woman’s voice who was similarly giggling.
“And he was so shocked you kicked him in the face! What, did he think you were gonna be like ‘oh he must be trying to rub my feet’?”
As Summer, Clover, and Ruby walked, they passed their first jail cell, and inside were five men and two women. All of them were covered in bruises, most of them had black eyes, and one of the men had a particularly bad cut on his right cheek while another was nursing his shoulder.
“Yeah, what a fucking moron. I dunno who was the dumbest, that guy, the guy who kept bear hugging you even after you threw him over your shoulder twice, or that chick who thought she could fight you when you clearly could throw her scrawny ass through a wall if you wanted.”
“I’m shocked you didn’t mention the-”
“WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!” yelled another voice.
“Oh lighten up, Winter. We’re bonding here.” Raven answered just as Summer, Clover, and Ruby caught sight of Winter sitting at a desk.
“Do it quieter! This is jail, not Cinder and Raven’s Girl-Time Hour!” Winter yelled, mockingly gesturing by waving her hands in the air. Ruby couldn’t believe how much relief washed over Winter’s face when Winter looked over at them. “Oh thank God. Please tell me you have bail money.”
“We do.” Summer answered, hints of anger in her voice, as she, Ruby, and Clover walked into the room with the cell that held Raven and Cinder.
Neither one had a scratch or bruise on them, save for a mark on Cinder’s wrist that was shaped like a hand.
Ruby wasn’t surprised to see some disgust on Cinder’s face when Cinder saw her. Similarly, Ruby wasn’t surprised to see the fear and horror that washed over her aunt’s face when her aunt saw Summer walk in. “H-hey Sum.” Raven nervously choked out. She turned to Clover. “I thought I said to call my brother.” she whispered.
“You did.” replied Clover, crossing his arms. “I didn’t listen.”
“Traitor.”
“AHEM.” Summer loudly cleared her throat, crossing her arms deeper and firmer than Ruby had ever seen her do before. “Raven, explain yourself or I’m leaving you in that cell.”
“Look, Summer, I know how this looks, but these three guys were cornering Cinder!” Raven said, desperate to explain. “I wasn’t just gonna sit there while she was trying to get them to back off. And then one grabbed her, so she smacked him and it all went crazy.” A hint of regret made itself present in Raven's deep crimson eyes. “I’m sorry. I know I promised to stay out of trouble, but I couldn’t sit there and watch that happen.”
Ruby looked over to her mom to see her face soften, but only slightly. Just as Summer was about to push, Cinder interrupted with a loud scoff. “Wow Raven, you’re whipped to the pipsqueak’s mom? That’s pathetic.”
“Excuse me,” scolded Summer, rage gleaming in her silver eyes. “We’re having a conversation and you’re not a part of it. Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s rude to interrupt?”
“Oh, don’t you fu-”
“Hey, watch it.” Raven warned, glaring at the woman next to her in the cell.
“Look, Summer,” Clover whispered, drawing Summer’s eyes. “Raven’s telling the truth, okay? We saw the cam video, and just about everyone at the bar was vouching for them. As long as Cinder and Raven show up at their court date, that’ll be the end of it. They don't want to press charges, and if those people they beat the snot out of try to press charges of their own, a judge is going to tell them to beat it once all the evidence gets presented. Surprisingly, happens all the time around here when no one has any broken bones or serious injuries.”
Summer replied with a loud exhale. She turned to Winter. “I believe Clover mentioned Raven’s bail is 2500 Lien.”
“Why yes, yes it is.” Winter replied, sounding very giddy as she shifted in her seat.
“Who do I make the check out to?” Summer answered, pulling out her checkbook.
“Patch Island Justice Department.” Winter replied with a huge smile.
"Here.” Summer said, rapidly tearing the check from her book.
Winter eagerly grabbed it. “Let me just scan this and you can take her.”
When Winter returned, she grabbed the keys out of the desk, letting a somehow both happy and scared Raven out of the cell. Summer didn’t say a word as Raven shuffled over next to her and Ruby, opting merely to stare. She turned toward the hall, but paused to look at Cinder. “Do you have someone coming to pick you up?”
“Please, I don’t need charity or pity from you.” Cinder snidely answered.
“Hey,” Ruby barked out. She was a little surprised to hear that coming from herself. “My mom is trying to be nice to you.”
Cinder responded to Ruby’s chastising with nothing but a glare before turning her eyes toward Summer. “My anger management sponsor is coming.”
“Good.” Summer forced out a smile. “Have a good night. Come on Ruby, come on Rav-oof.”
As Summer turned, instead of the hallway being there, a very tall woman was. A very tall woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes that were somehow extremely beautiful and a little unsettling.
Summer let out a huff. “Salem.”
“Summer.” the woman huffed out as she looked down. “Almost didn't notice you down there. Still having trouble getting on roller coasters?”
“Not anymore thankfully.” Summer said as she plastered on a smug smile. “I’m surprised I didn't smell you walk into the building. You must be wearing a lot of perfume to hide your horrid B.O.”
Ruby felt her eyes go wide as she looked between her mom and this strange Salem woman. Was her mom talking smack to someone? She looked over at her aunt just as she heard some stifled snickering from her mom and the woman.
“I’m guessing you’re Cinder’s sponsor?” a now cheery Summer asked.
“I am.” the woman said. “I hope Cinder was behaving herself, all things considered.”
“She seems like she’s trying.” Summer answered, giving a brief glance to Cinder. “I gotta go, but it’s nice to see you Sally. We should get dinner sometime.” Summer continued, placing a friendly hand on the woman’s arm.
“We should.” the woman replied with a smile. “Have a good night Summer.”
As Ruby, Raven, and Summer walked down the hall, Ruby, perplexed, inched closer to her mom. “Uh mom, who was that?”
“Old rival from my track and field days.” Summer cheerily answered.
“Oh. You know, she kind of looks familiar.” Ruby said, placing a hand on her chin. “Do you have pictures with her in them or something?
“Maybe, but you probably recognize her from the hospital. Salem's married to Dr. Ozpin and occasionally goes there to see him or for work.” She started to chuckle. “It’s so nice to see her helping other people with their emotional struggles. She used to be quite the hot head herself back in the day. I remember the first time I beat her, she got so mad I thought she was going to try to end the world.”