Chapter 6: Dad

"I'll do it!" Weiss declared. Ruby's head shot up from her desk

"Go Weiss!" She yelled, half asleep from Professor Port's rambling. Blake elbowed Ruby, silver meeting gold. "He's boring. I mean Yang's already out!" They glanced at the brawler who was indeed fast asleep. Blake rolled her eyes.

"That's no excuse, Ruby." She told the girl, who deflated.

"I know." Ruby sighed and watched Weiss fight a Boarbutusk with little interest. Her mind was still stuck on what was about to happen.

"Mr. Xiao Long. A pleasure to see you again." Ozpin nodded his head.

"Cut the bullshit, Oz. Ruby is here." Taiyang Xiao Long stalked up to the headmaster's desk.

"Indeed she is. How about you take a seat and we can talk about Miss Fall if you wish." Ozpin said.

"Fall?" Tai's eyes narrowed. "You mean Rose-Xiao Long." He told Ozpin, who shook his head.

"No, it says on her paperwork "Ruby Fall" and not "Ruby Rose-Xiao Long". I can produce a copy of the file for you if you w—"

"Ozpin. Ruby is fifteen. She's too young to be here at Beacon. She should be at home, with me. From what I hear, she spent her life in Anima fighting Grimm." Tai spat.

"And that is one of the reasons I accepted Miss Fall into Beacon Academy. Her sister and she are much more experienced at fighting the creatures of Grimm than most first years here. It was an obvious choice, rather then wait several years for her to apply later." Ozpin spoke. Tai's face suddenly became a visage of rage.

"You... You want Ruby for the war against Salem, don't you?" He whispered, tone colder than Mantle's winter.

"I simply want Miss Fall and her older sister to become excellent huntresses. They both have outstanding potential, and I see bright futures for them both." Ozpin told Tai.

"Bright futures?" Tai growled, eyes narrowing. "I'll give Ruby a bright future, full of a loving family she never had. I'm withdrawing Ruby from Beacon." He told Ozpin, calming himself.

His rage returned when the headmaster shook his head. "That cannot be done. Miss Fall did not list you as her guardian. You have no right to do so."

"She is my daughter. Ruby is all I have left of Summer, Ozpin. I don't want to see her turn into her mother!" Tai snapped.

"Summer was a hero, Tai. I believe that is what Miss Fall aspires to be as well." Ozpin stated.

"What Ruby is aspiring to be if she stays in Beacon is DEAD!" Taiyang roared, slamming a fist on Ozpin's desk and the glass surface cracking.

"Mr. Xiao Long, if you do not cease your aggressive behavior I will have to ask you to leave." Ozpin said evenly, brown eyes hard.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a damn student, Ozpin." Tai was full of fury "You don't understand that I'm a grown adult who needs to protect his children. Of course, you'd never know that feeling. Its probably been too many centuries for you to remember!" Tai spun on his heel and walked out of Ozpin's office, leaving the headmaster sitting at his desk.

Ozpin sighed and swirled the contents of his mug around. "I know your pain, but you know I need Ruby in order to save humanity." He spoke quietly into his mug before sipping from it. "You're grieving for Summer has never ended, has it?" He set the mug down, staring at the descending elevator. "I can only hope it does not drive you to recklessness."

Ruby was silent at dinner, pushing around her dessert with a fork. She had gone for a piece of cake at the insistence of Yang, and the silver-eyed girl couldn't deny they were very good.

"Hey girls!" Ruby spun around to see her father walking towards them. "You're all finishing up dinner?" He asked.

"Mhmm!" Ruby hummed, taking a bite at last. Now the cake seemed unappetizing as the source of her anxiety was right before her.

Taiyang walked next to Ruby and opened his arms. Ruby hesitated, but knew what he wanted. She stood up and hugged him. The hug was different from Blake and Cinder, theirs was tender and full of love. Yang's were warm but she was enthusiastic and the hugs made her feel like she was about to be snapped in half with the strength of it. Her father's hug was warm, yes, but it carried a sort of protectiveness and another unknown feeling to it. When Ruby wanted to break apart after the hug seemed to last long enough, Tai refused to let go for half a beat before releasing her.

"So, have you had fun here so far?" Tai asked.

"Yeah. Classes are alright." Yang said and Ruby nodded along.

"Good to hear." He smiled but rested a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Can I talk with you, Ruby? In private?" He asked. Suddenly Ruby could hear alarm bells ringing in her head, yet she silenced them. He's my dad, I don't know why I'm being like this! She thought and nodded. "Great! I know just the spot." He said, guiding her away.

They walked through the halls before standing at a locked door. Her father took out his Scroll and waved it, causing it to unlock and reveal a staircase. He led the way up and Ruby was left guessing until they arrived at a door that led to the roof. Tai sat down and Ruby sat as well.

"So what is all of this about?" Ruby asked, tugging her cloak a bit closer to herself.

"I wanted to see my baby girl. I can't believe you came back to us after all these years." He smiled "You look just like your mother..." his smile fell to a sorrowful look.

"I... do?" Ruby asked. Taiyang nodded. "Where is she?" Ruby added. Her father tensed and his hands curled into fists.

"She's... not with us anymore." His voice carried through more pain than Ruby ever felt before.

"Oh..." Ruby whispered. "I'm sorry, dad." She reached out and touched his hand.

"I am too. She was amazing." He sighed, blue eyes swimming in tears. "You can come to Patch with me and visit her grave. I'm sure you'd be excited to be home again."

Ruby hesitated, thinking to their house in Anima. "Sure," she agreed, he was her father "I'd love to go." Seeing his eyes light up made her feel better.

"Really? I can take a break this weekend and pay for a flight to Vale. You can come home!" He seemed excited now, taking her hand "You'll be safe there!"

Ruby froze "...Safe?" She asked. Tai kept his smile and drew her in for a hug.

"I love you, Ruby." He sighed. Ruby fought a bit, but this hug was stronger and his arms locked around her.

"I love you too, dad." Ruby replied automatically, but now the warning bells were loud and abundantly clear. She tried to break free, but the blond man refused to release her. "Dad? Can you let go...?" She asked. Taiyang moved his arm so his fingers ran through the hair on the back of her head. "Dad. Let go." Ruby said. Still he refused to.

"Tai, let go of Ruby." Her savior came in the form of Blake. The faunus's gaze was unreadable as Gambol Shroud's ribbon blew in the breeze.

"Sorry..." he apologized and let go of Ruby, who scrambled to Blake's side. Her sister grabbed her hand before moving a step in front of her. "How did you get up here, Blake?" He asked.

"I wanted somewhere quiet to read." Ruby knew it was a lie, and so did her father.

"On a roof?" An eyebrow rose. "And that doesn't explain how you got up here."

"I climbed a tree and jumped onto the roof." Blake explained.

"Can you go somewhere else to read? Ruby and I are spending time together." His voice carried an undeniable edge to it.

"Blake, we should get back. We still need to unpack." Ruby knew the real reason Blake was here, and felt grateful.

"Alright. I love you, Ruby." Tai said, standing up and walking past the two siblings. Blake was quiet for a second, before Ruby looked around.

There was no way they'd get spotted on the roof. "Blake, take it off." She said. Blake vehemently shook her head.

"I could —"

"Nobody can see us from here. I promise." Ruby reassured, reaching up to grab at her sister's bow. Blake's own hands drifted up and removed the bow, releasing a sigh of bliss when the fabric was gone from her ears. "Thank you." Ruby smiled. "You were there the whole time, weren't you?" She asked. Blake chuckled.

"Of course, I'd be a bad sister if I wasn't." Now Ruby laughed.

"Is that a jab towards Yang?" She asked.

"I have no idea what your talking about." Blake smiled.

They sat down on the roof together, Blake slouching so Ruby could get at her ears. Gold eyes were closed in bliss from her sister rubbing said ears.

"Maybe we should go back..." Ruby murmured, looking at the sky. Blake's soft purrs ceased.

"No, lets stay a few minutes longer. We don't know when we'll be able to do this again." Her sister argued.

"We can always come back up here." Ruby told Blake.

"But we don't know when that will be." The faunus said.

"Alright," Ruby relented "Just a bit more. But we really do need to unpack." She added. Blake nodded.

"I know." She agreed.

"So where did you vanish off to, Blakey?" Yang asked when the two sisters arrived back to their dorm.

"Nowhere special." Blake responded.

"C'mon, let's unpack!" Ruby cheered. Weiss got up from her bed.

"Finally!" She declared, and they got to work.

All that was left was the beds.

"Bunk beds?" Ruby asked Blake.

"Bunk beds." Blake nodded.

"Bunk beds!" Yang cheered.

"No!" Weiss said.

The other three looked at the heiress. "I think we outvoted you, three to one." Blake stated, already gathering Ruby and her's books to use.

"Fine." Weiss sighed.