Bumbleby

Chapter Three

BLAKE'S POV

It has been a couple months since Sun and I started at Beacon, and in those months, Neptune, the crabby girl - who is named Weiss, Scarlett and Scar have joined our little group. Yang still won't let me help her with her work, and no one has figured out where Ruby is getting her cookies. My family love those two, and Weiss, though they've never met. None of them know I'm a Faunus and I'm keeping it that way for a little while longer.

I'm currently at Ruby and Yang's house along with Weiss, all of us attempting to do our homework until Yang gets up and leaves the room, completely frustrated. This isn't the first time this has happened.
Ruby sighs from her bed and goes to get up but I'm already on my feet.

"Let me talk to her." I give Ruby my best kitty eyes with a little smile.

"Thank you." Ruby smiles back, going back to her homework. And munching on a cookie... Seriously with the cookies.

I grab my books, along with Yang's and head off to find her. It's difficult to hear properly with the ribbon but I manage to find her outside, sitting in the middle of the large dry dirt patch where she, Ruby and their dad practice karate.

"Hey Yang," I greet quietly, sitting next to the blonde whose head is in her hands. "Let me help you."

"How? How can you possibly help me?" Yang growls but there's no anger or venom behind it, just frustration.

"I'll read the task to you, let you think it through, then you tell me what to write." I shrug. I figured out on our first day that she's dyslexic but I haven't asked because it's not my place. "I don't want to see you fail, Yang. No one does."

"You'd do this for me?" Yang peaks a look up at me, her lilac eyes full of insecurity. I just nod with a smile, trying to assure her it's okay, and it seems to work. "Okay."

In no time, both our loads of homework are complete. Weiss finished ages before Yang and I finally went back in and has left already, waving to us before she left.

"All done." Yang says proudly, stuffing her things back into her backpack.

"That's awesome, Yang." Ruby hugs her sister and offers her a chocolate chip cookie. Yang rolls her eyes but takes the cookie and eats it. "Oh yeah, Uncle Qrow is coming to stay for a little while while dad goes on a mission."

"Really? When?" Yang asks with raised eyebrows while I'm confused because this Qrow fellow hasn't been mentioned before.

"Today." A deep, slightly slurred voice startles everyone but I think the high pitched squeal from Ruby startles everyone even more before the man in the doorway is tackled in a hug by both the girls.

I can't help but laugh as the tall man struggles on the ground with the girls hugging him tight.

"Can I please get up?" The man - Qrow - laughs awkwardly, raising an eyebrow at me for help but I just shrug helplessly. "Ruby, I know where your cookie stash is, and I'm more than prepared to destroy it if you don't get up."

That threat gets the small girl up on her feet, dragging Yang with her, desperate to keep her cookies safe. The man gets up on his feet, dusting himself off with an eyeroll at his gullible niece, making it clear her doesn't really know where the cookies are. His hair is short and black, streaked with a little bit of grey, and some stubble on his jaw. He has a slight slouch but he'd be very tall if he stood to his full height.

"Uncle, this is our friend, Blake Belladonna." Yang introduces me. I give Qrow a small wave.

"A Belladonna? Don't suppose you know Ghira and Khali, do you?" The man asks, then it hits me. This is the same man who has been helping trying to stop the rogue Faunus with my parents.

"My parents." I tell him, watching his eyes go to my bow then back to my eyes.

"Tell em, I say hey." Qrow smiles, ruffling Ruby's hair and leaving the room.

"You know our uncle?" Yang asks me as we all sit on her bed.

"Never met him before but he has helped my parents a lot." I shrug, pulling my feet up to my body. "The reason for it is... Complicated."

"Well, now you can put a face to the name when he's mentioned." Yang tilts her head with a warm smile.

"Very true." I smile back, playing with the bottom of my shirt. "I should go home now, see you two at school tomorrow."

"Bye Blake." Ruby hugs me while Yang gives me a fist bump.

Just as I'm about to leave the large cabin like house, Qrow stops me by the front door, my hand resting on the handle.

"They don't know about you, do they?" Qrow asks. I search for any hint of a threat in his tone but hear none, so I nod. "I won't tell them but you should. They're really understanding girls."

"With my past, maybe it's best only a few know." I look up into his red eyes with a heavy sigh. "I know what you help my parents with, so you know why I can't tell them. Not yet."

"We'll get him soon, kid." Qrow moves away, his hands tucked in his pockets. "I promise you'll be free of him soon."

"Thanks Qrow." My smile is tight, I'm trying to believe him but it's hard. Not because of just meeting him, but knowing what the man he's after is like. "See you later."

"See ya, kid." Qrow wanders off and I slowly leave the house.

The bus ride home is quiet, just how I like it because I can read one of my many books. My mum is home when I get there, my dad most likely in a meeting in his office on the opposite side of the complex that is our house.

"Hey mum," I hug her after dropping my backpack down by the front door. "I met Qrow today."

"You did?" She asks, clearly puzzled by my words but not unhappy.

"He's Ruby and Yang's uncle." I tell her, placing myself on the couch, mum on the chair next to me. "He promised he'll find Adam."

"Their uncle is a skill Hunter, he hasn't failed so far." That bit I already know as they've had him mostly on surveillance and tracking other White Fang members. "Adam won't hurt you again."

My eyes trail to the soft rug. I wish I could believe that but this person likes to weasel his way into people's head. Like he did to me, and many others. I don't tell mum about my worries and doubts, she's already doing so much. I'm just worried that the next person Adam hurts isn't me, it's a friend... or my family.

"How were the girls?" Mum distracts me from my thoughts.

"Good, they and Qrow say hello." I smile at her as she beams at me. "I'll be in my room."