Chapter Eight: Third Chances

The Past

Taiyang knew he should've been able to respond to Yang's prompting. It wasn't fair that she suddenly needed to grow up and take care of her little sister because their father couldn't take up the responsibilities he should have. It wasn't fair that she had to be the adult in the room because Tai wasn't strong or motivated enough to put in the effort his children needed.

He'd been there before, falling into a deep depression because his wife had disappeared without notice, abandoning him and his daughter for whatever reason she'd come up with but hadn't bothered to share. But when he'd fallen hardest, Summer had been there to pick him up, stepping into the void left behind by Raven. She'd treated Yang as her own, and never once forgotten that love when Ruby came along, always being the mother her children needed her to be. Her love and support prevented Tai from succumbing to despair, and thus Yang had always seen her father in a positive light.

He fell hard for Summer just as he had Raven, but Tai often felt dependent on Summer for his own happiness. The sight of her smile, the sound of her breathing, the feel of her sleeping beside him… those things weren't merely part of his life now, but part of him, and seemed irreplaceable.

And when she was gone, when part of him was missing, he wasn't able to go on without it, even with two small lives depending on him to do just that. Only by Yang's fierce determination and what little energy Tai could muster did they manage to hold together. He wondered how it had affected his daughters; Ruby may have been too young to understand it all, but Yang would undoubtedly recall seeing Tai falter, and have reason to question his strength and reliability. He hated to think what it'd be like, to see his daughter disappointed in him, to know that he'd failed her, to know she had reason –good reason- to doubt him.

Tai shifted his focus. He may not have had his wife –either of his wives- but he had his daughters, and they were part of him now too, and he a part of each of them. He may never recover the missing piece of himself, but he could fill the gulf just the same. As Summer stepped in to pull him out, Tai used the thought of his children to force himself back up when he'd fallen. He had to keep going for their sake and ensure Yang didn't grow up too fast without him.

There were stumbles, to be sure; things he had to try and things he had to learn as sole provider, but he had what he needed. It may not have been enough to remove the pain of his loss, but it was enough he could forget for a time and smile at his daughters. He had children; he wasn't alone. He would never be alone again.

They were all he needed now.

Today

Fox was quiet for a long time, and Velvet was patient with him, indulging him his emotions, letting him compose his thoughts and speak his piece. Coco's apartment gave them comfortable places to sit and privacy from a bunch of refugee onlookers –or worse, their former teachers and classmates- and for nearly the first hour of their stay they'd barely spoken to one another. Fox knew he'd have to account for himself eventually, but even for all his preparation he wasn't sure where to begin.

Velvet knew she wasn't the first woman he'd loved. She knew that at one time his partner's death had been what made him so cold and withdrawn before she met him, and very nearly ruined their first meeting because of how difficult it was to accept a replacement. Yet Fox had been able to move past that, to not project his own sadness onto Velvet or allow her to accept any blame for his own failings, and to welcome her into a team when she didn't feel she belonged, jumped ahead of other first-years onto a second-year team. Fox put his sorrow aside and helped her through her doubts and gave her support, and she found her place in her teammates and her happiness… happiness that in turn would become Fox's happiness.

What Velvet hadn't known was the woman Fox loved before was the same woman who tried to kill Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, the former one of Velvet's closest friends and the latter the girl Velvet had been tending to. No doubt Velvet was displeased with Coco for having kept that piece of information to herself, but her attention was first on Fox, and how he'd been torn… and possibly how he'd been tempted.

She was patient, but only to a point. Eventually, rolling her feet back and forth on Coco's couch, Velvet finally spoke up: "If you're not going to talk, maybe you can listen instead."

Fox nodded and settled in. Velvet sat up a little straighter, taking a deep breath before she began in earnest. "I don't know if she was always the person she is now, and I believe that whoever you saw before, whoever you loved- that person is just as real as the one we saw today, going after Yang and Coco. I believe that she once had the same values you do, or at least aspired to the same things you wanted. I know that Coco and Yatsuhashi once believed in her too, and you can't inspire that kind of confidence if there isn't something good in you that other people can see."

Velvet was correct; Neo had been well-liked by her teammates, even if they could only ever speculate on her thoughts. Fox could hear her heartbeat and measure the lengths of each of her breaths, and knew when she was genuine in her intent. She may not have wanted to be a hero or a guardian or even a huntress, but she'd wanted to use her talents, and she'd decided to use them for good.

Velvet continued. "But somewhere along the way she changed, or she forgot, or she stopped caring-"

"She never stopped caring," Fox interjected. He was surprised he vocalized his thoughts; it was very rare he interrupted or talked over her. He knew how difficult it had been for Velvet to speak her mind, especially at first, and how easily she had held her tongue and desperately tried not to be noticed, even with her teammates. At times, even with him.

But those days were in the past. "Because she decided not to kill someone?" Velvet inquired. "Because she wasn't willing to kill Coco –or maybe even kill you- just to get to the person she was really after?"

Velvet wasn't trying to be cruel, only to assert herself; Fox could hear it clearly in her tone and in her pulse. She was only trying to remind him that he shouldn't forget the crimes Neo had attempted –and implicitly, the ones Neo committed- because at one time Fox had loved her.

"What do you want me to say?" Fox asked her. "That I disapprove of the person she's become? That I stopped feeling the way I felt then because of what I know now?"

He did disapprove. He wasn't sure what he felt for her now, because there was no longer a clear way to explain his thoughts. He simply couldn't let go of how he'd felt before he lost her, and how he'd felt long after, and how he'd felt very shortly beforehand, when he'd told Coco that he'd never truly moved on from that love, merely found a different love that filled the void her loss had left. Fox tried not to think of Velvet as a replacement, or as a second choice… just the person he loved now, the part of his life that had once been filled by someone else, been lost, and now filled by her.

But Velvet forced his hand. "I want you to say that you understand what she is now. I want you to accept that things have changed for her. And for you."

That last part was very pointed. She wasn't simply asking him to move on, but to accept what he had. She was making it clear where she stood, and asking Fox to clearly state he was with her. Not in so many words, but with the way he and Velvet could listen to each other, they'd always know what message their words were meant to convey. They simply couldn't be subtle when they heard the pace of every heartbeat and the strength of every breath.

Fox was quiet for several seconds. He didn't want to simply give up on Neo. Not because he wanted to rush back to her arms, but…

He felt himself clench his fingers, recalling her hand slipping from his, hearing her soft gasp as she fell into the open air and down towards a horde of Grimm…

"I just wanted to help her," Fox explained. "I just wanted to show her she could come back. I just wanted her to know she wasn't alone."

Fox had known what it was to be alone. Even when he had two close friends at his side, he'd been alone, processing his pain and suffering each day without anyone to fall back on, because someone so important as to become part of him was gone, and he thought gone forever. Even with Coco and Yatsuhashi trying to help him, he'd felt alone until Velvet managed to pull him back.

"I know," Velvet acknowledged, "I know you did. And you tried. She chose this for herself, Fox. I know you understand that."

Fox wished he knew more. He wanted to know how she'd survived, where she'd gone, who she'd met, what adventures she'd gone on, and why she'd become who she was now. He wanted to know it all, but more than anything else he just wanted to listen to her again, and hear what no one else could.

Yet she ran. Maybe she had her reasons, maybe that was just who she was now. Fox wanted to believe there were extenuating circumstances, but none that he could think of that justified trying to kill someone while they were wounded and helpless.

He and Coco had differences, and Fox was still upset she'd withheld this information from him. But he couldn't ever imagine wanting to do her harm. And for what? What had Neo hoped to gain from it? There was so much he didn't know that he wished he could understand. For a very long time, he'd been the only one who'd understood her. Whatever she was now, whatever she'd become, he still didn't want her to be alone if there was any hope at all to remind her of the better person she'd been.

Velvet understood him, and knew what his silence meant. She was waiting for him to accept her terms, and the longer he hesitated, the more she wondered if she might lose him to the woman he'd loved before.

Some small piece of him may have wanted that, for things to be like they were before. Some part of him wished he could simply pick up where he left off, but he tried to convince himself he had more honorable intentions: just to help her, so she wouldn't have to suffer with all her losses alone. He could think of nothing worse than being alone with despair, and no greater guilt than knowing he could help pull her out of it, only to stay his hand and leave her behind.

It was hard to move forward when he kept trying to hold a hand that always slipped through his fingers. It was hard to believe someone he'd loved could have fallen so far. It was hard to accept that he might've lost her a second time and done nothing.

It was harder hearing disappointment in each breath Velvet took. It was harder to know the woman he loved had reason to doubt him. It was harder trying to imagine living without her by chasing after something that –by all appearances- he'd already lost. Velvet was a part of him now too.

"Yes, I know," Fox finally said. "I get it. I just… I guess I don't know how to stop loving someone. I used to know how to be alone. I don't anymore."

Velvet nodded. "And you're not, Fox." She lifted herself from the couch and walked over to him, so close he could make out every detail of her through every breath she took and every beat of her heart. So close he could see her, at least in his way.

"I couldn't possibly deserve you," Fox muttered to himself.

"You must be better than you think you are," Velvet assured him, sitting down beside him, resting her head to his shoulder and embracing him at his side.

The past had come calling, and for a brief moment, Fox had faltered. Velvet took hold of him and kept his feet on the ground, and kept him from chasing after a ghost. That was how he'd remember this day's events.

"What will you do if she comes back?" Velvet asked.

He knew what she wanted him to say. He knew she hoped, no matter how complex his feelings might have been, he at least knew right from wrong. She wished that, no matter how much she might enjoy the power of his feelings for her, his feelings for Neo could eventually change or even fade.

"I'll try to help her, convince her that she's done wrong," Fox said. "But if she won't be swayed… it'll be like you said. She'll make her choice."

He couldn't completely hide his doubt, and she heard it. He knew she heard it. But she seemed content that he'd had strength and resolve enough to say it, even though it troubled him. Maybe she understood how hard it was to move on.

For the moment, however, there was the night ahead, and the two listening to each other's heartbeats, finding their common element, and slowly but surely forgetting their respective doubts.

After a night of observation, the medics patched up Taiyang and –though they offered to let him remain, cramped though the barracks could be- he and Yang were on their way. They were each longing for a shower and a change of clothes and a good night's rest in their cottage, and while Coco wasn't eager to have Tai leave right after they'd patched things up, she took it upon herself to see them off.

It was a strange feeling, at first, trying to walk alongside the father and daughter as they engaged in their banter. She felt a bit out of place, especially whenever Tai realized Coco had been left out and tried to include her in their conversation. Yang seemed accommodating of her, but Coco wasn't sure where to contribute in their ongoing and escalating warfare of puns and bad jokes. Presumably this was how the Xiao Longs dealt with injury and assault: attempts at humor.

Terrible as their puns and Dad jokes might've been, Coco felt some genuine difficulty separating from Taiyang when he made his way to the ship back to Patch. No matter how grimy he was after his unplanned stay in Vale, Coco didn't want to let him go. She'd finally told him she loved him –and he told him he loved her- just hours beforehand, and she wanted to soak all that up and savor its taste as long as she could.

She was sure some of those looking on -boarding their own ships away from Vale- wondered what they saw when she embraced him, but that was a thought far in the back of her mind now. Whatever doubts she'd had, whatever concerns might've once troubled her were the opinions of people who weren't in Taiyang's embrace and didn't know his love. She needed nothing more than his love to find contentment.

Yang prodded her dad in the back. "Guys."

Tai nodded. "Okay, sweetie."

When he released his embrace, he took his time in letting go completely, his hand sliding down Coco's arm and taking her hand in his own, holding it just a bit too long, like he had that on that first trip into Beacon, pulling her into the Bullhead. He looked her in the eye again, only barely managing to tear himself away and turn around.

Then he turned right back around and kissed her, holding her close for just a few moments, the cool breeze over the sea pushing her caramel lock against his messy blonde hair. She brought her hand up to hold his cheek and make the moment last just a little longer.

Finally –for real this time- he let her go and boarded the ship with his daughter, putting a protective arm over her shoulder as they returned home together.

Coco wasn't sure how long it'd be until she saw him again, but at least when they parted this time she was confident she would.

When Coco returned to the relief center, she found Fox sitting in his usual corner, waiting with her apartment key. Coco took a deep breath and steeled herself, anticipating what was about to happen. He didn't seem any more despondent than usual, so hopefully things were okay between him and Velvet. Things between him and Coco, on the other hand…

"I just want to get this out in the open," Fox told her. "Because I don't ever want us to doubt each other. I want us to call each other friend and be genuine when we do."

"I never had any reason not to be," Coco assured him.

"Then why didn't you tell me about Neo?" Fox asked her, cutting right to the point.

It was hard for her to justify, so she tried the most direct and honest approach. "I didn't want you to be hurt again."

"And now?" Fox pressed her.

"Now…" Coco thought on how to proceed, and again tried to be blunt. "Now we know who she really is. We don't have anything else to hide from each other. She's not our… friend anymore."

It was Fox's turn to be quiet, if only briefly before he could articulate his thoughts. "And if you see or hear from her again?"

Coco found it surprisingly easy to say: "I'll share it with you. I promise."

Fox nodded. "That's all I need." He seemed content to leave it at that, reaching into his pocket to return Coco her key, before pausing for a moment, considering on his course of action before he spoke again. "Velvet and I had a long talk last night, and there was a lot for me to think on. And one thing I decided is I can't be alone… at least not anymore. So I want you to know that wherever you go, and whatever you decide, I am with you. From now until the end."

Coco had always known Fox to be loyal and dependable, even at his lowest. But this was an unprecedented display of loyalty, especially after all he'd lost fighting under her command. Coco and Fox may have been at odds at times, but this was everything she'd ever hoped to hear from him. "Thank you, Fox."

He finished his action and retrieved her apartment key, holding it flat in his palm. When Coco accepted it, she wrapped both of her hands over his own, holding her friend for just a moment.

She relaxed her grip as Velvet and Yatsuhashi made their way over to join them at their corner table. Velvet slid in beside Fox, looking quite pleased to be there. Yatsuhashi, blissfully separate from all the romantic entanglements of the past few months and all the drama it had entailed, reported to them on the Grimm's movements inside Beacon, and how they might try to reclaim something from Beacon tower if they could persuade Glynda to give them the assignment.

Coco glanced from their table at Glynda eating with Port and Oobleck. When Glynda saw Coco's brown eyes on her, it was Glynda who averted her gaze. Maybe she'd realized her error in warning Coco, or felt bad for benching them and having to rely on the team she'd specifically taken off duty to defuse a hostage situation while she was chasing a false alarm. Maybe she just wasn't willing to fight anymore.

Coco was certain Glynda would agree to let them undertake a dangerous mission. Pulling off the hard jobs was what Team CFVY did, and confidently moving forward -whatever challenge life had to present her with- was what Coco did.

Coco lowered her shades to wink at her teammates and sauntered over to her former teachers to make her request.

Yang had finally taken to wearing the arm Ironwood had sent to her, and her dad had been on-hand to spar with her. He'd even remained on Patch for a full two weeks in a row, doing nothing but training with her and getting her back into fighting shape. Yang knew he wanted to go to Vale and see his girlfriend, but Taiyang just wouldn't leave his daughter now that she'd finally hit her stride.

As a child, she recalled seeing him in a state of depression, not unlike the one she'd fallen into after Beacon, where he could barely summon the energy to do the simplest tasks and withdrew from his loved ones while he processed his loss and worked through his pain. He started to recover after Yang had stepped up to take care of Ruby, concluding it wasn't fair for his daughter to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of someone she loved if he wasn't willing to do the same.

It still hurt him not knowing where Ruby was. Now that Yang felt herself pulled back, it was hurting her too, thinking about what lay ahead for her. Strange as it felt to adjust to her new arm, being without someone she loved was a far more difficult change to accept.

So she didn't accept it. She did something about it, and stepped out to the edge of the forest outside their cottage, to the grave marker where Summer Rose lay. Yang quietly mouthed the inscription: thus kindly, I scatter.

"Hey," Yang greeted, not sure which title to go with. "Just wanted to stop by and see you before I headed out again. I'm not planning on being back for a while, and wanted to let you in on some of the stuff you might've missed.

"Dad has a girlfriend now," Yang told her. "And you have no idea how weird that sounds when I say it. I never imagined it; the thought never crossed my mind. And I really didn't get it at first, because of how young she was, and… well, you know… Dad.

"But when we finally met up we had a good talk, and I really understood how she felt," Yang continued. "And then, when Dad was in trouble, she dropped everything and went to save him. She could've died saving him. How am I supposed to disapprove of her after I saw her do that? How am I supposed to think my Dad's done wrong when it's pretty clear he knows how to pick 'em?"

Yang put her left hand in her pocket, whimsically rocking back and forth. "I want you to know I'm going to go find my mother… I'm going to ask her why she left and I'm going to get an answer. I also want you to know, no matter what her reasons are, no matter what I missed out on, I'm glad you were there for me. I'll always be grateful you were there and loved me too."

Yang knelt down, kissing her left hand and pressing her fingers to the marker. "I miss you, S- Mom. I hope wherever you are you can hear all that I've told you. I hope you know how much I love you."

She stepped back into the woods, towards the cottage. By now the paint had probably dried on her robotic arm, and it'd be time to finish fixing her motorcycle for the journey that lay ahead.

When Tai watched Yang speed away on her motorcycle, he'd felt himself pulled in two directions. On the one hand, he was glad to see his daughter healthy again and going out to pursue her goal. On the other, his girls were gone from his house again, and though he'd known the day would be inevitable, it had still come far too soon. He may not ever truly be alone so long as his children were somewhere out in the world, but he could still grow lonely.

Fortunately, he had someone in mind he'd been meaning to invite. In between the various texts they'd exchanged to keep in touch, she'd mentioned wanting to find time to visit him and not always have him come to her. She'd been patient with him, and now that patience would finally be rewarded.

She was on the next ship out, leaving Tai to think on Yang's departure on her motorcycle, 'Bumblebee.' He'd have to ask her where that particular moniker came from, because he suspected there was a story there.

Still, eventually she made her grand entrance, knocking on his door. When Tai went to answer it, she slid down her shades and winked at him. "Hey, handsome."

Tai smiled. "Hey, Coco."

She stepped in, taking in the sights of the front room. Tai wasn't certain exactly how this meeting would go: he wondered if she'd become so used to city life and easy access to stores and restaurants and social settings she might be underwhelmed by his out of the way cabin surrounded by woods.

He started on the grand tour, and she actually seemed pleased by the sights. Coco snarked at his oddly tall kitchen cabinets, though Taiyang stopped himself from telling her the reason for it. She might find it cute to think about the single dad hiding cookies from his daughters, but he didn't want to think about Ruby and Yang right now. He'd always have them on his mind, but now that Yang was doing better, he wanted to devote his attention wholly to the woman he'd fallen in love with.

There was still so much left for them to sort out. Though Vale was a little safer thanks to her efforts and the daring of Team CFVY –to the point that Port and Oobleck had felt comfortable enough to visit Tai and leave the battlements for a day- she was no closer to being back in school, and that was still her goal: to become a huntress, and defend the world from dangerous threats alongside her three dear friends.

Tai recognized that goal, and knew where it had led last time. He might've preferred something simpler, something that kept her close to home, if only so he'd never have to go a day without seeing those brown eyes of hers' again, but he knew better than to try and dissuade her. That Coco wanted to share any of her life with him was good enough; before taking her hand in the Bullhead that day he'd never once believed he'd be granted a third chance.

Zwei curled up beside Coco as she cuddled with Tai on the couch, and when she scratched behind his ears, she'd completely won his approval. Zwei was a good judge of character, so that could only be a promising sign.

For a long time he just lay there beside his lover, but eventually, he opened his mouth and asked a dangerous question. "What's next?"

Before, that question might've posed a problem for Coco, when she was unsure where this had all been leading and what she should do and how others might respond. She had no such fear now. She kissed his cheek. "Whatever we want."

"Well I was thinking… at some point we'll need to tell your parents about me," Taiyang pointed out.

Apparently there was still something that could frighten her. Coco thought on his suggestion and asked: "Later, though, right? Not now?"

Tai smiled. "I'm in no hurry."

"No," Coco agreed. "Me neither."

And once more she put doubt from her mind, and turned to the happiness she'd found, no matter how unexpected or unpredictable it might've been, and held it close. The future may have had its share of uncertainty ahead, but the moment she was in now had all that she needed.