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As if telling her to shut up, the evening sky split into a sudden downpour. Scowling Ruby flicked her hood over her head and picked a new street to search at random.
She hoped Qrow had gone for whisky tonight. Plain beer wasn’t enough to keep him from staggering all across Patch, and he had a class to teach tomorrow- a class someone would probably be checking in on and would probably not be happy if they found her uncle squinting through another hangover.
Puddles were already forming on pavement. Ruby stomped through one, breaking her reflection into dancing bits of light and color.
Hunts were no fun when they were for drunk uncles instead of Grimm.
Luckily the next puddle reflected a bright blur of neon pink and blue. Looking up in relief Ruby hurried across the street towards the familiar sign, buzzing faintly as it flickered over a badly maintained bar front.
Prying open the door Ruby ran smack dab into a wall of smoky heat, wonderful compared to the cold damp she was escaping from. Heads turned curiously. Most of them were familiar, and all of the familiar ones smiled or nodded once they managed to focus on the red hood.
One of the people to greet her was the person behind the bar, tall and broad with iron rings gangling from her curved horns.
“Hey, Rosie girl!” She called over the muted hum of low voices. “How about the usual to warm you up?”
Grinning, her spirits rising a little bit, Ruby slipped gratefully inside.
“That would be great, thanks.”
A tall glass of warm milk was waiting by the time she crossed to the bar and hopped up on one of the tall stools. She cupped it her hands, startled by how cold she’d gotten in just a few minutes, and took a long drink to chase out the chill.
Technically, again, she wasn’t old enough to be in a bar yet. Yang would have a fit if she knew Ruby was a regular at a back ally place like this.
Things like that didn’t bother the people here though, and it wasn’t like she’d ever tried sneaking in.
This wasn’t her first time wandering around looking for one particular person who’d had too much. Wasn’t the first time the weather had been nasty either, and it’d only taken the one time peeping in half frozen for her to be semi-adopted by the owner, like the stray dogs and cats that also got something set out for them.
After that stopping here had become a sort of monthly routine. Once she’d even found Qrow here- Ruby got the feeling he’d started avoiding it after that.
Apparently the horned bartender noticed the dip in Ruby’s moon because a second later she was reaching under the counter for a fresh pack of cookies.
“Out looking for him again?” She asked, sliding the treats over.
Ruby took the cookies with another mumbled thanks. “Yeah, um,you haven’t seen him, have you?”
The bartender shook her head. “Not for a while. But I’ve heard someone like him might be down closer to the harbor, where it’s all nice and damp and miserable.” She gave a fake shiver in disgust. “And the scent of fish reigns supreme.”
Didn’t sound like much fun to Ruby, who bit angrily into her snack and chewed like the cookie had personally offended her.
Leaning over the counter the bartender eyed the empty floor beside Ruby. “No fuzzy friend today.”
“Nope.” Ruby finished off her snacks and washed them down with last of her milk. “Didn’t want to drag him out in this, or carry him the whole way like last time.”
Grinning, the bartender ruffled Ruby’s hair. “You’re a sweet girl, Rosie. Want another round?”
But Ruby’s throat had gone tight.
She could barely smile as she shook her head, hopping off the stool and pulling her still damp cloak around herself.
“Thanks, but I’d better go.” When the bartender looked ready to object Ruby explained. “He’s got stuff to do tomorrow. Getting him ready for that is already gonna be pretty hard.”
Sighing, the bartender waved as Ruby headed off. “Best of luck, then.”
Ruby paused at the door just long enough to wave back, and wave at the handful of others who saluted her goodbye as well.
Then it was into the cold and wet again.
The cold and wet that felt like it had gotten colder and wetter while she was snug inside.
“Harbor.” Ruby reminded herself, turning her back on the way she’d come and aiming deeper into the dark part of town, grumbling under her breath all the way. “Great, thanks uncle Qrow. Just how I wanna spend the last bit of my weekend…”
As the stench of dead fish got worse, a small voice in the back of her head pipped up.
She didn’t have to do this, after all.
Yang had never asked her to. Tai had never asked her to. Heck, not only had Qrow never asked her to, he’d never even said thanks for dragging his butt home!
To be fair, Qrow never said much of anything when she found him, generally just lots of noncommittal noises. Sometimes he looked like he’d be sick if he tried opening his mouth. Ruby would rather go un-thanked than get covered in barf any old day.
Steps slowed.
Ruby came to stop at the edge of another puddle, leaned over and shielded it until the water stilled enough to mirror back a hood and a shadowy face.
She was twelve. She shouldn’t be out here on her own, even with her scythe ready at the small of her back. Qrow was supposed to be an adult, supposed to be the one taking care of her, not just on the training field but in general like Tai and Yang always were.
Usually were, Ruby corrected herself.
At least they were when Yang wasn’t off looking for the woman Ruby would bet didn’t share half her features out of freak accident.
Or when Tai wasn’t avoiding looking Ruby in the eyes and shutting himself in his study or his room for hours, missing meals, never talking about it afterwards, never taking off his smile.
Tai. Hah, she didn’t even know when she’d stopped calling him dad.
Tilting her head back Ruby let her hood fall back let the raindrops soak into her hair and face.
Why did everything have to be so messed up?
When Summer didn’t come home, that’s when. This was all Summer’s-
Ruby took a step back.
She spun, semblance surging, ready to run until she found streetlamps and keep running to the edge of town, out and across to Vale beyond Vale to a cliff and a forest where she could always count on finding a few Grimm.
A little extra practice wouldn’t hurt anyone. Except Qrow, and he wasn’t supposed to be her problem anyway.
He’d… He’d never told her not to come looking for him, had he?
Or been angry when she found him. Or even annoyed.
Just sling his arm around her shoulders, toss some bills on the bar table she’d found him hunched over, sometimes ruffle her hair as they both staggered slowly out onto the street.
He acted like he didn’t care who saw him drinking, but never took a sip from his flask if he thought someone was watching. She was pretty sure the effort he put into his classes meant he didn’t really want to get fired, either.
And at least he let her help. Not like Tai, not like Yang.
Head and shoulders thoroughly drenched Ruby tipped forward again with a groan and turned, sullenly continuing her trudge towards the harbor.
Summer dying might be a big part of why she was in this mess, but she couldn’t blame her mom for trying to help people. Shouldn’t blame her. Didn’t want to. Did anyway.
Point was, Summer was gone.
All Ruby could do now was try to keep things from getting any worse.
Today that meant wandering around in the dark and the rain with one hand covering her nose, searching for a man in red cape the same color as hers.
Tomorrow it would mean waking up with bright eyes, as if tonight had never happened.
But tonight was still here, going on eleven with three hours down the drain and just a rumor to chase from strange bar to stranger place that probably didn’t even count as a bar. Boardwalk replaced pavement as she reached the harbor. Rotten patches and sparkling bits of glass replaced puddles, broken bottles nobody swept up and places where people had broken through old planks.
Ruby jumped over the gaps and crunched through the glass. At least that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about, combat ready boots were also good for this. A real rain jacket would have been nice though.
After the second time getting nothing but suspicious glares, she stopped asking if anyone had seen a guy in a red cape. People here seemed like they liked keeping their secrets and didn’t want to get involved in someone else’s. Explaining that she was looking for her uncle only made it worse.
Ruby switched to just hoping in, scanning all the darkest corners, checking for back doors, and then stepping out again before any of the shadowy shapes could rouse themselves to toss her out.
“On the bright side, I’m covering ground a bit faster.” She told herself after backing out of a really nasty building. “So that’s something.”
Still wasn’t what she was looking for.
Pulling out her scroll to check the time brought more good news. Battery at two percent and less than a quarter to midnight. No calls. No texts. She should have been in bed hours ago, but Yang wouldn’t notice that until she got back around morning, and Tai might not even make it to breakfast tomorrow.
Snorting in disgust Ruby shoved the scroll back in her pocket before reaching back to run her fingers reassuringly over Crescent Rose.
“Just you and me, girl.” Her breath misted in the cold air. “Let’s try not to get mugged or kidnapped or whatever, ‘kay?” She held on long enough to feel the icy metal warm up a little under her hands, gave the scythe one more pat and got back to work.
There were only so many bars and speakeasies on Patch. Unless Qrow was deliberately sneaking around, which he shouldn’t be able to do by now even if he’d only been drinking beer, she’d have to run into him eventually.
Sooner rather than later, preferably.
A second later Ruby jumped as a door ahead of her was smashed open.
Light, people, and angry yells spilled out onto the dock, bringing her up short at the sight of her first ever real bar fight- complete with waved bottles and chairs and… a giant gleaming sword. Being swung around by a guy with a grin on his stubbly jaw, dark red cap flicking in tatters behind him.
The crowd parted a little around Qrow as he staggered somewhat upright, spitting at someone Ruby couldn’t see. “Ssslopppy.” He sneered, giggling to himself. “Is that you real name, huh? Ssssloppy Joe- sorry wait- Jolene?”
“You bloody drunken ass lunatic!” Someone yelled back and the crowd rolled over Qrow again.
Scythe unfolding as she ran, Ruby dived right into the middle of the brawl, heart thudding in her chest.
Flat of the blade, flat of the blade- the chant ran through her head as she tried to swat people aside gently. Not all of the shadows rushing at her were trained. Even the ones with their Aura’s activated were dripping blood and sporting bruises.
If she wasn’t careful she could kill someone in this. Scattering people left and right, another thought came to her.
If she hadn’t gotten here, Qrow might have-
No she had to focus.
Trip one, plant scythe and swing over it to kick down another, smack three back with one sweep and wince when a giant splash told her she’d knocked them off the docks. Wince again when a giant sword went whizzing by her ear.
“Hey!” Ruby yelped, really, really hoping her uncle wasn’t too drunk not to recognize her cloak. “Cut it out uncle Qrow! I’m trying to break this fight up, not help you win it!”
There was a thud behind her. Glance around Ruby saw her uncle sitting on his butt on the wet ground, squinting blearily up in surprise.
“Sss…Ssummer?”
Ruby froze.
The next thing she was on the ground too, hissing as glass shards rained down around her head and shoulders.
Stupid drunks and their stupid endless supply of empty beer bottles. Dizzily Ruby fell into a rolling dodge, coming up swinging. She lashed out to knock them back but found only air, then she realize Qrow was gone, then she heard the scream.
Her blood went cold. “Qrow stop!” Rose petals exploded and she slammed her small body against her uncle’s arms where they gripped his fully extended scythe.
It worked. His aim went off, singing through the air above the head of the guy he’d been aiming at.
“Are you crazy!?” She hooked the legs out from under Qrow, sent him spilling back down on grimy ground. “These guys aren’t trained! That guy’s already injured, you’d have cut his head right off!”
The little girl voice brought everyone else to a sudden stop, probably just because it wasn’t expected.
Then what she’d said filtered through a few sodden brains.
And finally, finally they seemed to see the professionally forged weapons, the easy way the man and little girl were holding them.
Shadows swore and backed off. The ones who were less hurt or drunk grabbed their friends, dragging them back inside the door they’d all first come spilling out of. Three dripping wet shapes were fished out of the water, in the end only a couple of shapes were left lying in the cold, friendless or overlooked or both.
All the while Ruby shook as she held her uncle’s unfocused gaze with accusing eyes.
It didn’t take long for Qrow to look away.
The door swung shut one last time, leaving them alone in the dark. The sound took the iron out of Ruby’s spine.
She was trembling so hard she could barely fold her scythe, nearly dropping Crescent as she slipping her back into harness. Ruby fell to her knees a moment later not caring about whatever slime she landed in. She was numb from her finger tips to her head. She just, needed to catch her breath again.
Following her own advice she took a deep gulp of air. It stank, of fish and beer and worse things.
The beer smell got stronger as Qrow scooted hesitantly over.
“How’sss your head?” His hand patted her hair, worried but not as delicate as he probably meant. “Didn’t get through your Aura, right?”
Ruby reached up to shove his hand away.
“I’m fine.” She snapped. “You’re the one whose head is going to hurt in the morning.”
Qrow nodded in agreement, messed around with his cape until he could drag it over his arm and hold it over Ruby like a very sad, very bedraggled tent. “’m your drunkle Qrow, afffter all”
He glanced down at her hopefully. Ruby kept her head down, wiped her face on one sleeve before standing up.
“Come on. We gotta get you home.”
“Can’t st-sssstand.” Qrow protested as she tried to tug him upright.
Ruby ignored him, jaw clenching as she heaved him off the ground. “Well I have to get home.” She grunted. “And like it or not you’re coming with me.”
It felt like trying to get a dozen sacks of potatoes to move on their own. Boney, swaying potato bags that really needed a shower. But she’d done this before, maybe not with this far to walk back or after just a mess of an evening, sure, still it was definitely not impossible.
She started reconsidering that assessment a measly number of blocks later, when Qrow sent them both crashing to the ground for the fifth time in a row.
Helping him back up only to watch him go pale and double over and vomit spectacularly, Ruby decided her usual strategy might not be the best one for this night. At least, not if they wanted to get back home before Yang did.
Propping Qrow up against a wall Ruby folded her arms and furrowed her forehead in thought.
“Okay… okay, no calling for help.” She checked again to make sure her scroll was definitely dead. Yep. “Not like there were many options there anyway. No big loss. We could maybe make it to a police station?”
Her faintly aching head reminded Ruby of why that wouldn’t be a good idea. If there was any blood on Qrow or his weapons there’d be questions, and if it got back to Signal that her uncle had nearly chopped up some civilians while drunk- well, Qrow wouldn’t have to worry about being sober enough for work anymore.
No police, then.
Growling in frustration Ruby reached up to wrench at her bangs.
“Thiiiink.” She pleaded with her brain. “If I could just have a few hours to get him a little more sober, or get a ride from someone who wouldn’t care how hammered he was…”
Hmm. Who did she know, and kinda sorta trust, who wouldn’t care about Qrow being drunk or call the cops on them?
With a sigh Ruby let her hands drop and dangle bonelessly.
It was still going to be a long walk.
Turning to gather up Qrow again, Ruby realized he’d been staring at her. Dark red eyes filled with tears as he offered her an unsteady grin.
“You, you know what.” He slurred. “She used to, do that too, that face thing. Angry frown.”
Ruby glared at him. “Did she also have to carry your drunk butt home in the rain?”
The grin melted off Qrow’s face.
“…no.”
He tried to heave himself up using the wall, only escaping a fall when Ruby wedged herself under one arm. She pretended not to notice when his breath started hitching. She guessed he was thinking about Summer again, how pissed she’d probably be if she could see them now, or maybe she’d just be disappointed.
God knows Ruby was plenty of both already.
She let out a slow breath as they wobbled steadily up the street.
Moping wasn’t doing Qrow any good. Wasn’t making things easier for Tai or Yang either, honestly, so it wouldn’t help her either. Even if she really, really felt like it.
Having to be mature sucked. She sighed, hefted her uncle’s weight along. “Let’s just get to the bar, okay?”
Qrow perked up at the word ‘bar’ and Ruby fought back the urge to dump him on the ground. “I’m pretty sure they’ll have a place to stuff you.” She went on, grinding his alcoholic hopes underfoot. “And something nasty to pour down your throat and help you get sober-ish.”
“Blagh.” Qrow made a face as he reached back to grab for his sword.
Elbowing him sharply, Ruby glowered. “Put that back.” He ignored her. “Qrow come on, we don’t need to get into another fight with you like this.”
She winced as metal pinged and scrapped across pavement.
Qrow tried to plant the sword tip in time to their wavering strides. “It’ss not f’ fighting.” He attempted to lean on his makeshift cane, wide grin plastered back onto his equally plastered face.
“Look!” He crowed. “I’m mister professor Ozzzin and I’ve people to stare at cryptic-crip- crippledly!”
Dragged him around another corner Ruby grunted. “That’s mean.”
Tilting his head Qrow went back over what he’d just said, mouthing it to himself. “Oopss.” He giggled. “I, I ssaid it wrong, Robin. Cryptically.” More giggles as he gave up leaning on his sword and waved it airily before them instead. “How drunk am I?”
“Really, very, drunk. And my name’s not Robin.” Up ahead a blue and pink light appeared, glowing like a beacon of hope in the dark.
Ruby frowned. That was kinda over dramatic. Could people get drunk just off of beer vapors?
Qrow cut into her musings as he sagged suddenly.
“Almost wasss.”
Knees and back creaking under the doubled weight, It took a few seconds for Ruby’s brain to register that. “What are you, ugh.” Heave ho, another step closer to the half way point. “Talking about, now, Qrow?”
A vein started pulsing in her temple as Qrow rested his chin on her head, slumping a bit more.
“Robin Branwen.” The sleepy hum rumbled up from his chest. “That’ss what she want’d to name you first. But I.” He yawned, hugely and loud. “Aaaah, heh. I ssaid no. ‘Be a terrible father.”
Staring down at their feet Ruby realized she’d stopped walking.
A pat on her shoulder. “An I wass right, wasssn’t I?” He almost sounded proud.
“Lookit this mess. You shouldn’t be out sso late. But you are ‘cause of me- couldn’t never come home and face you if I wass your dad.”
He started whistling a tune absentmindedly. Something from a cereal commercial.
Ruby’s eyes burned.
Her mouth was dry. She couldn’t talk.
Another yawn. “Issh that the bar?” Qrow had apparently just noticed the building right in front of them.
Ruby nodded and bent her head down as they moved forward again.
Somehow she got them through the door, flailing sword only getting stuck twice before the bartender hurried over to take it off Qrow’s hands. And somehow they ended up in a back room, drunk man sprawled across a couch too short for him, little girl sitting on the floor with a plastic bucked at the ready.
Her hands were shaking.
She couldn’t remember if she’d said thank you to the bartender, for letting them stay. The bar would close in little while, close earlier for their sake, and then they’d get a ride home and be back without anyone having to know what they’d been up to.
There was a sharp snore from the man on the couch. Ruby flinched, hands curling into fists.
He’d been drunk. Qrow had been drunk, she shouldn’t bother with anything he said when he was like this.
Taiyang was her dad.
Tan, blonde, violet-eyed Taiyang Xiao Long. She didn’t have his name, she didn’t have his looks.
He and Yang were warm and gold, Summer’s cloak had been white, but Ruby’s Aura was red as her cloak.
Red like Qrow’s cape, older and threadbare, falling off the couch and dripping over her shoulder. Red like Qrow’s eyes, and the eyes of the woman Yang was looking for. Qrow’s twin sister, Tai’s first love, Yang’s mom.
Her… aunt.
Taiyang was still her father. Was her father like Summer had been Yang’s mother.
But the guy drooling onto an armrest behind her was half of the reason Ruby had been born. And Summer had asked him- Robin Branwen instead of Ruby Rose- scythe swinging inches over someone’s head- ‘But I said no’-
Ruby lurched and heaved into the bucket.
Throat and noise burned to match her eyes now.
Another retch got rid of the cookies and milk, squeezed out a few tears as she finished, fumbled around for a tissue to clean up with.
Sitting back gingerly Ruby tossed the used tissue in the bucket and tried to focus.
Qrow would be dead on his feet tomorrow. She’d have to set everything out for him, fresh clothes, she might have to wash them first. Make sure whatever papers he’d dropped off that afternoon went back to work with him.
Settling into the familiar pattern, Ruby felt the knot in her stomach loosen up a little.
Breakfast would be easy. Just coffee and toast, she’d ask Yang to check in on him at lunch break and make sure he ate something then.
Then there was her own stuff to do, take a shower, try to finish that essay she’d been putting off. No morning walk for Zwei this Monday, she felt a twinge of guilt at that. Maybe she could sneak him into class again in her bag? He loved going on trips…
Eyes popping open, Ruby shook her head when she realized she’d dozed off.
There wasn’t going to be much sleeping for her tonight. But Qrow should be good now for a few days, hangover doing what none of the rest of them could when it came to keeping him out of bars.
She could sleep when she got home from school tomorrow, today, in twelve or so hours. That wasn’t so long, was it?
Her eyes blinked blearily open again.
Just get them home, that all she had to do.
Get Qrow tucked into bed and hope to god he’d forget the last part of the night by morning.
He might be a crappy uncle, maybe even a cope-out dad, but Ruby didn’t want him to be too ashamed to come home at all.
She didn’t have enough family left to let him slip away too.