Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, its characters, or its soundtrack.

Author's Note:

This oneshot draws some inspiration from the lyrics in Red Like Roses Part II, composed by Jeff Williams.

I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone,
I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong.

It's been a long time since I've written anything, and this piece is the first I've ever done for RWBY. Much like the dark turn the show has taken, this will be emotional and depressing. Hope I did it justice.

Shattered

There was a distress call from Summer.

Taiyang's message burned in his mind.

She never made it back.

His clenched fists tensed further, causing his short nails to dig painfully into his palm.

Impossible.

He pushed his body to its limits with another burst of speed.

Summer couldn't be gone.

Qrow skidded to a halt in front of the door. He took a shallow, shaky breath, attempting to pull himself together. Turmoil reigned in his mind, scattering his every thought save for one: pure silver eyes set in a pretty face framed by black and red bangs.

With growing trepidation, he pushed the door open. Darkness greeted him. Darkness, punctuated by a shock of bright gold hair exuding a dim glow. Taiyang's lilac eyes met his own. And the anguish he'd expected to see hit him squarely in the gut.

"Tai…" Qrow stepped closer to his friend, bracing himself for the inevitable.

"Summer is dead…" Taiyang croaked hoarsely.

The truth cut deep into him, but the pain he'd expected never came. His heart should have shattered, yet all he felt was a growing, freezing emptiness. And through the frost, he heard himself whisper. "How?"

Taiyang shook his head. "I don't know. She-" He paused, trembling. "They...they couldn't even find her body!" His aura flared briefly as he rose with his voice. "Shreds of her cloak was all that was left of her..."

Silence stretched out to fill an unnaturally long moment. Qrow took a tentative step forward. Numbness spread through his entire being as he took another step towards his former teammate. A heartbeat later, he found himself embracing his friend. It should have been awkward, like the ambivalence he'd felt towards Taiyang ever since Summer had gotten together with the man. At times, the smoldering jealousy in his heart had threatened to burst into flames. And at other times, he'd felt glad that his friend was able to make Summer happy. But this embrace felt right, much like the camaraderie that they'd once had.

"Qrow...there's something you should know…"

The foreboding tone sent Qrow stepping back. The hollowness in his friend's eyes chilled his already frozen heart. "Tai...don't…"

"She would have wanted you to know…"

"Please...don't say it…"

"Summer...she-"

"DON'T SAY IT!"

"She loved you."

The words froze the very air around Qrow. No. Impossible. Taiyang had to be wrong. He remembered it vividly: the softness of her lips, the sweetness of her breath, and the look on her face after. A look of complete shock and pain that he had read all too clearly. He smiled without humour. "We were her teammates. She loved all of us."

Taiyang shook his head somberly. "She loved you. I can never forget the time when she fell gravely ill. That fever had her unconscious for days. And the first time she opened her eyes, your name was the first thing on her lips. She reached for me, and said, 'Stay with me, Qrow.'"

It was impossible. They had been partners. They had been best friends. But he knew, from the pain in her eyes that night, that she did not reciprocate his love.

"She never told me what happened between the two of you, but I know this: even when she was with me, you still had her heart."

Qrow stared blankly at his friend. His mind reeled from grappling with the revelation. None of it made any sense to him, but Taiyang's eyes were dark with grim certainty. None of it made sense, unless...

"Dad?" A quiet voice floated into the room as the lights flickered on. The two men turned in unison to spot the young girl in the doorway, wearing Taiyang's eyes and hair. She rubbed at her eyes blearily. "Uncle Qrow?"

"Yang…"

"Uncle Qrow!"

A streak of black and crimson flew past Yang and attached itself to Qrow's legs. Qrow found himself staring down at silver eyes that burned bright with innocent glee. "Ruby." He tried to remember how to smile.

"Dad? Uncle Qrow?" The young Ruby looked between them with an air of confusion, unable to comprehend the grief that hung heavy in the room. "What's wrong?"

"Ruby," said Taiyang quietly. Ruby turned to focus her attention on him. "Your mother...she-"

Qrow caught a glimpse of tears as the man turned away sharply, unable to utter the cruel words that would destroy his daughter's world. Once, Qrow would not have found it in his heart to say the words either. But with his heart lost in the cold and yawning void within...he knelt down such that he was at eye level with the toddler. "Ruby," he said very slowly. "Your mother. She is gone."

"Gone?" Ruby repeated with curiosity. She cocked her head to one side, staring at him with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Yes," he answered. "Gone. She's not coming back. Forever."

A sharp gasp punctuated the air. In his peripheral vision, Qrow saw Yang run up to her father and tug at him, demanding a confirmation. But Ruby...she merely blinked. And a slow smile started to spread on her lips as she shook her head. "Mom will come back. She promised."

It was the conviction, the shining unshaken belief in those eyes that finally shattered him. Choking back a sob, Qrow turned away, no longer able to look into the silver orbs that were a perfect replica of Summer's.

Little arms reached out in an attempt to hug him. "Mom promised she will come back," said Ruby proudly. He could hear the smile in her voice, and it nearly tore him into pieces. No! Stop it! Summer is dead! He wanted to scream, but the words were caught in his throat. He had never been able to raise his voice at Summer. And now he found it just as impossible to shout at her daughter. Instead, Qrow mutely pulled Ruby closer, willing himself not to give in to the tears that were threatening to spill.

Later that night...

Qrow stepped unsteadily over the threshold and was greeted by a dim lighting. The cramped apartment looked exactly the same as he had left it: messy, with clothes strewn all over the place. Stepping over a pile of clothing, he took another swig of wine.

Wine. There wasn't enough wine in the world to drown out the emotions tearing his head apart with all that pounding. Or maybe that was just the wine. Qrow wasn't too sure, but he was sure of one thing as he flopped onto the couch: there was enough wine for a person to drown in. He lifted his bottle again, only to find that his hand was empty.

"Where'd the damn wine go?" he growled, looking around. His gaze landed on the other end of the couch, where a bottle of wine lay on its side. "There we are."

As he reached across the couch, something fell out of his shirt pocket. A picture. His eyes immediately focused on the leftmost figure in the picture: a shy girl hiding in a white cloak.

Summer Rose.

And just like that, the fog in his mind parted, revealing the face of the woman he loved. Beautiful silver eyes shimmering with equal parts demureness and exuberance. Short hair that fell to her chin in a perfect blend of crimson and obsidian. A small mouth forever set in a little smile. And those lips - so enticing, so kissable, he could never forget the feel of them pressed against his own...

Five years ago...

"Qrow! Stop drinking!"

"Leave me alone, Summer," Qrow slurred, staggering away from her.

"Qrow!"

There was something foreign in her voice - a hint of anger. Summer had never been angry with him, despite all the trouble he'd used to cook up with Taiyang back in their time at Beacon. He turned to look at his former partner.

She had her hood pulled back. Her red and black hair fluttered lightly in the wind. Her lips were set in a determined frown. Qrow wondered if she knew just how dangerously attractive she looked, especially with the hard look in her usually gentle eyes. He took another swig of wine and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. Yes?

Summer stepped forward and wrenched the bottle out of his grasp.

"Hey, give that back." He swiped drunkenly at the bottle, missing by a few inches.

"Qrow Branwen," she said quietly. "Stop doing this to yourself."

"Doing what?" He made another attempt to retrieve his drink, but the huntress deftly stepped out of his reach.

"It's not your fault that you couldn't find Raven. Stop blaming yourself!"

Qrow gave her a sardonic smile. Oh, she knew him well. But that familiarity went both ways. "Not my fault, eh? Whose fault is it then?"

Summer opened her mouth. And closed it. Qrow noted with cruel satisfaction as she visibly deflated a little. "Can't find anyone else to blame, can we?"

"There's no one to blame. We'll...find her. Together."

He broke into a hard, bitter laugh. "Find her? Do you really think it's that easy to find her? I used to think that as her twin I would always be able to find her." He chuckled with dark mirth. "I was wrong. If my sister doesn't want to be found, she won't be found."

Qrow found the long grim silence oddly fitting. Even Summer, the most optimistic person he knew, had no words to offer against the darkness. For a moment he considered leaving her in the dark, but the alcohol had loosened his tongue. "She found me."

Summer's eyes widened. "She found you? But you said-"

"I lied."

"Why?"

"I had to," he said. "She told me that she won't come back, and she's not sorry for leaving. How do you think Tai would take that?"

A sad look of understanding crossed her pretty features. "You're right..."

"Of course," Qrow drawled. "Now, let me have my drink back."

"No," said Summer firmly. "Stop tormenting yourself, Qrow."

"Why? Do you really care so much about how I treat myself?" Even through the alcohol induced haze, he knew he had gone too far. The flash of raw pain in her eyes made him yearn to take everything back.

"Of course I do," she replied, eyes shining with unshed tears. Qrow found himself caught by her gaze. Without thinking, he moved towards her. It was wrong for her to be sad. He had to fix that. He had to do something…

"Summer…"

And he surprised himself by dipping his head and pressing his lips against hers. It felt every bit as good as he'd imagined, except better. Her lips were sweet like nectar, and far more intoxicating than all the alcohol he had imbibed. He pulled her closer, breathing in the floral scent that sometimes made him forget his own name. She leaned into him, her hands moving up his sides to rest on his chest.

A sudden shove sent him staggering backwards and back to his senses. Summer Rose stood in front of him with a hand pressed to her lips, staring at him with an expression of utter shock as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Summer, I-" I love you, he almost said. But the tears flowing down her cheeks told him everything he needed to know. "I'm sorry," he said instead. "That-that shouldn't have happened."

His words were met with silence. And for the first time, he feared that he had ruined everything they had. "I-we...we're still friends, aren't we?"

Her tears were still flowing when she finally whispered, "Friends."

She loved you.

"Summer…" He traced a thumb lightly over her picture.

Your name was the first thing on her lips.

A single tear landed on the photo. "I'm sorry..."

'Stay with me, Qrow.'

Another teardrop. "W-why...why didn't you tell me?"

Even when she was with me, you still had her heart.

"I-I love you…" Qrow sobbed. "Do you hear that? I love you!"

The young woman in the picture had no reply, save for the eternal little smile that touched her wide silver eyes.