Summer listened to the gears ticking above her head as she sat in the headmaster's office. She smiled.

Gods, I've missed that sound.

She glanced around the spartan clocktower as she sunk into the comfortable leather chair, sighing in bliss. Nothing much had changed over the years, save for the chair she was currently sitting in. Or, the man before her.

Years of running the most prestigious academy on Remnant (according to herself anyways) had changed him. He was more subdued, drank copious amounts of caffeine, and didn't get enough sleep. That last one was met with constant badgering from both herself and Glynda- which he promptly waved off citing his caffeine intake and the fact he didn't need it the same way a normal person did.

Must be nice just to be able to wave your hand and have your fatigue disappear — damn wizard.

That wasn't the only thing, either. Countless meeting with Councils both in Vale and abroad led to him creating a persona. His 'Headmaster' persona- One of a stoic, if occasionally flippant headmaster that either provided comfort or immense frustration, depending on who was talking to him at the time. It had to be draining, but it was something she rather appreciated at this moment.

Her father quietly sipped on his beverage as he looked through several documents on his computer. Summer looked at it and felt her finger twitch. She would never forget the hell he had put her and Glynda through.

Her father had the…' brilliant' idea that Beacon needed to switch from paper documents to digital in order to 'save resources.' When he first mentioned it, Summer didn't think anything of it. Oh, how naive she had been to think he'd never get payback for all her angst as a child. Summer shuddered.

If I ever see another 'student incident report' again, it will be far too soon.

Her father moved on from glancing at the no-doubt essential documents to look at herself. His usual self-assured smile was present. She loved that smile. It wasn't one that stretched from ear to ear, but it didn't have to. That small smile gave her more reassurance than any amount of comfort from anyone else- even her daughters.

Especially after what I've done.

He looked out the window at the sun as it was about to kiss the horizon. His eyes grew wistful as he spoke.

"Did you know sunsets are one of my favorite things in this world? While, rather obviously, their beauty is exquisite, they seem to speak to me in a way nothing else does." He chuckled at a joke she wasn't privy to. "They remind me despite how impossible the odds, such beautiful and wondrous things still exist. Do you like them, Summer?" Dad asked.

Summer quirked an eyebrow at the question. It seems he was in one of his…moods. Whenever he stayed up too late or drank too much caffeine, her father got all...introspective-y.

"Hmm, I guess so. I've never really been one for romantic cliches like sunsets." She chuckled. "Though, you know how much of a sucker I am for roses."

Dad raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? I took you more as a sunflower girl."

Summer snorted.

"Nah, sunflowers aren't my thing. They're too bright, plus they like destroying my garden when I forget to plant weed killer. Oh, and they would clash horribly with any of my outfits. And I think Tai is allergic? I'm not sure on that last one since he was sneezing too much to hear right when I asked him."

Her father's stoic expression broke for a second as a smile bloomed. "Summer, the only thing I regret not teaching you is how to deliver snark with a straight face. It would carry you so far in life."

They shared a brief laugh as the sun sunk lower into the horizon.

Her father's smile died as he looked back out the window, and his 'teacher' face emerged. Summer sighed silently. That was the expression she was most dreading. Even after all these years, he had it down to a tee. Her father was gone; it was Professor Ozpin's time now.

"But, back to what I was saying." Ozpin adjusted his glasses even though she damn well knew they hadn't moved an inch. He was such a drama queen. "I believe the reason why I like sunsets is that they remind me of why I still fight."

Summer quirked an eyebrow. The resemblance to Ozpin's own was rather uncanny according to Glynda.

"Sunsets mark the end. For most living creatures, this end comes in the form of sleep to rest themselves during the night." His lips tightened into a straight line. "We don't have that luxury. Once the sun sets, for us, it's game over. She wins."

Ozpin glanced at the sunset before moving back to Summer.

"I fight to prolong the day. I fight to keep that ball of gas shining down upon this broken world. To make sure the inevitable night is pushed back one more hour, one more minute, one more second. Whenever I see the sun dipping below the horizon line, ready to give up and let the night finally consume the sky, I'm reminded of what's at stake. Why I can never rest in making sure the ever-present darkness doesn't consume us all." Ozpin straightened

So, Summer, I have a question for you- one I asked you once many years ago, but something it seems I must ask again. Why do you live?"

Summer refused to meet her Ozpin's eyes, finding some interest in the small stitch lines near the edges of her seat.

"My answer hasn't-"

"No." He cut her off. "I need to hear it from you again."

The gears above turned on, oblivious to the tension between the room's occupants below like they did on the first day the tower was built and will continue to until the tower no longer functioned.

"Summer."

Summer sighed and met Ozpin's eyes. The usual loving pools of brown seemed rather solid.

"To protect the innocent, slay the Grimm and love my family with every fiber of my being."

They continued looking into each other's eyes, and she had to wonder what exactly he saw within her own. After a moment that seemed to drag on for an eternity, though the gears said otherwise, Ozpin closed his eyes and sighed.

"So, why did I have to send someone to fetch you from your own house the other night?"

Summer studied the floor tiles with a zeal she didn't know she possessed.

"Qrow."

"What about him?"

"We…fought."

More like destroyed a decade's long friendship.

Ozpin hummed in thought.

"Really? I'm surprised. You two are usually-"

Summer's patience suddenly snapped.

"He confessed he was basically in love with me since Beacon, and claimed he never said anything so he didn't kill our 'team dynamic.' He also then gave me an ultimatum on whether or not I want to come clean with why I've pretty much lied to their faces for the past twenty years."

Summer let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. That had been...cathartic.

"...Oh," Ozpin said.

"Oh." Summer agreed.

The gears made their presence known once more as Summer waited.

"Putting aside Qrow's feelings towards you for now, which explains a lot looking back, what do you mean you've been lying to them?"

Shit.

Summer couldn't meet his eyes. Again.

Coward.

"I never told them about my semblance."

Summer swore she heard the gears pause for just a brief second before returning to their duty.

"What?"

Summer didn't have to look at her father's face to sense the disappointment.

"Summer, you told me you would tell them after your honeymoon! You promised me."

Summer didn't trust herself to respond.

Weak.

Ozpin let out a deep sigh.

"Is there any particular reason you decided not to?"

Summer stared at the hands folded in her lap.

Selfish.

"Summer, you are not a child anymore. Pouting and refusing to answer my questions won't cut it–not after all the progress we have made. You're not the same broken girl I saved that day."

Summer flinched.

Wrong.

"Summer, I'm just trying to understand why you didn't tell them. Even if you didn't right away, you've spent decades with them. There should have been plenty of opportunities somewhere in that timeframe. It's clear you love them and care for them." He said.

Ozpin eyes suddenly widened, then narrowed.

"Unless...you don't actually care for them."

Wrong.

"No!" She snarled. "I love them more than you can ever understand! I will spend the rest of my life with Taiyang, no matter how long that is. Ruby and Yang are my whole world– I will do anything, and I mean anything to keep them safe. Even Qrow and R-" Summer faltered but continued. "Even Raven. And, now– at least to an extent– Jaune has entered that circle. He has so many issues but still tries to live. He–" she faltered again, lowering her eyes to the grey tile. "He didn't give up."

The 'like me' was left unspoken.

"Sum."

She looked up.

The solid color had finally melted back into his usual loving pools of brown. Her father was back.

"Then tell them that. Exactly what you just said. Tell them you love them more than anything else. Even if you don't have the courage yet to say it, tell them you're sorry, and it's not because you don't care. It's because you don't trust yourself to reach out to the truth."

Summer looked away, so he didn't see her tears.

"Thank you–"

Pale, scared blue eyes locked onto her own as a broken teen spilled out his trauma, not of his own volition.

A shell of a man sat kneeling, pleading her to open her mouth and talk.

A beautiful woman stood underneath the moonlight, red eyes gleaming in the darkness. The usual confidence that dominated her eyes replaced by a rampant panic and fear.

Not yet.

"No."

Ozpin looked startled. Something not many could claim to have accomplished. Actually, only one could claim.

"I–I owe it to them. To her. To all of them. To own up to my mistakes. They've dealt with my bullshit for long enough. I–I need to do this. They deserve to know."

Summer leaned back her head and looked at the gears above. She watched as the things she never really paid attention to, the things she never even thought about, locked with one another–forever turning. They never rested, never stopped. But, they were never alone. They turned together.

"Dad."

Summer looked at the man that gave her his heart unconditionally and prayed to the Gods that he had some more compassion to spare.

"Come with me?"

Ozpin smiled. The smile that assured her that everything would work out.

"Of course, dear. Let's go fix this mess-"

He stood up and stuck his hand out.

"Together."

Summer bloomed.

"Together."

She took her father's hand.

Hey, guys. I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus, a combination of real-life stuff and a lack of ideas basically crippled my motivation/ability to finish this chapter. That's kind of unacceptable, so I'm sorry this is so late. Next chapter should be the end of all the Summer-angst and we should be able to dive back into all of the Jaune-angst after that. Woo. Also, I'm planning on making the next chapter really big. So, look forward to that.

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See ya next time!