"So… he… just left? Are you kidding me?! What are the odds that we both fell for deserters!"

"Tai, please." Summer turned her large silver eyes onto him, delicate hands fisting the white hood, dragging it further over her face, a nervous tic that she still hadn't shaken from their training days.

"Summer, how can you just-!" Tai growled and scratched at his stubble, looking haggard. "Fuck… just…" he released an abrupt laugh, that held no humour, "both of them? They both just upped and left us? Haha, I bet Raven would've done the same the instant she found out if she wasn't the one pregnant."

"Tai!" their old leader admonished. She cast fearful eyes to the ceiling, where the creak of a bed could be heard. The blonde, sighed, catching the hint, and retook his seat, putting his head in his hands. "Right… right, it took me forever for her to get to sleep today, and she'll leap at the first chance to listen in on her new aunt…" he cast a look at the woman's stomach, "who may be carrying her new cousin."

Summer folded her arms around her stomach, feeling the bump she took care to disguise. "I knew he wouldn't be pleased... actually, no, he was happy, for a short while, but…"

"His semblance…"

"He got angry, for a bit." She sighed and wrung her hands. When she saw how Tai did a double take, she quickly explained. "Qrow was upset I hadn't told him earlier because he said that his bad luck could've hurt, or killed the baby, me included, in a worst case scenario – and that we're both still at risk…"

Tai leant back and sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Damn… so he's playing a tragic hero and has dashed off…" He blinked and his eyes softened on his friend, seeing her tense expression. "Did he say anything about when he might come back?"

"Mmm," she hummed, "he was vague about it – I think he intends to when they're older, and they have a better chance to withstand his semblance. But… I think he'll stay on the outskirts…" Summer sighed, a chocked noise congested with heartbreak.

Tai was up in an instant when her hands came to swipe away the tears, rubbing soothing circles on Summer's back, cooing. He caught the sound of the door creaking, and saw a flash of golden hair. He sighed and called out, "Yang, sweetie, go back to bed." He heard a small whine, but the violet eye at the crack vanished. "Good grief…" Tai paused when he heard a small giggle, glancing to see Summer with a small smile on her face.

"You're good at this – you used to be such a wild card in school, and would become uncomfortable with even a few tears from one of us, but here you are, comforting me without a second thought…"

"I've had a lot of practice – Yang's still getting used to balancing when she's walking, so it ends in a lot of tears." He gave a small embarrassed chuckle, his hand stopping in its motions.

"Tai?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I stay? I… I don't want to be on my own right now…"

Tai pulled the woman into a hug, humming gently. "Stay as long as you want."

A/N: I am a very big fan of the theory that Qrow is Ruby's biological father. 'nough said.