STRQ

Alternate Ending

A/N: This is an alternative ending to this story (Artemis is still a goddess in this one). Enjoy!

"What are we going to name her?" Artemis asked as she held her daughter.

"Ruby," Qrow replied. "That is her name... Ruby Rose-Branwen."

Artemis smiled and a few days later, she was out of the hospital. During those few days, she held and fed her daughter, but then, Qrow and Artemis had an argument.

"I don't care about what your family will say Artemis!" Qrow growled at her. "She is your daughter! What am I supposed to say to her when she asks about her mother?! Tell her that she abandoned her! All because she was born?!"

"You know about the ancient laws, Qrow!" Artemis told him as his frown deepened. "I can't raise my child, I'm sorry."

"Then why have a child in the first place?" Qrow snarled. "Don't you love her? Don't you love me? Was all that talk of the future real!?"

Artemis backed up and, with tears in her eyes, said, "Please listen, Qrow!"

"NO!" Qrow told her. "If you want to leave then so be it! I don't want to see your face around here again! I don't care if you are Ruby's mother, leave and never return! You don't deserve my love, my loyalty! Say goodbye to your daughter, Artemis, for it'll be the last time you'll ever see her, for she isn't going to Camp Half-Blood."

Artemis did so, and Qrow called Tai saying that he needs him to take care of Ruby for a bit.

5 years later

A 34 woman with silver hair and eyes, wearing an aqua blue dress, walked into a bar and the first person she laid her silver eyes on was a dark haired male with red eyes and a black cape with a  sword leaning against his table.

"If you're here to take me to Olympus, I'll kill you," Qrow told the woman as she got closer.

"Now, now Qrow," the woman said as the Huntsman stopped drinking and froze. "Is that anyway to speak to an old friend?"

"Maria?" Qrow asked as he looked at the woman.

"Yes," Maria replied. "Its me. My mother, Selene, told me what happened... I'm so sorry Qrow."

Qrow put his drink down and said, "I don't need your pity, Maria, all Artemis really cares about is what her family thinks of her, her hunters, and the damned laws... If she didn't want to have Ruby, then she shouldn't have slept with me."

He took another drink of his whiskey and Maria said, "That is why I'm here, Qrow. I want to help you raise Ruby."

"Why?" Qrow asked. "My daughter is just fine as she is right now. She thinks of me as her Uncle and..."

"Put a damned sock in it, Qrow!" Maria told him as she took his drink away. "It's killing you inside isn't it? Not having her call her father, her real father, 'Dad'?"

"It doesn't matter what I want, Maria," Qrow told her. "It's what's best for her. Besides, my job has me travelling around the world practically 24/7... I can't raise a child like that."

Maria's eyes widened as she realized why he isn't raising his own child and so she said, "You're afraid of love, aren't you?"

When Qrow didn't respond, she continued, "You're afraid of loving a single person and them leaving you..."

"I've cursed Aphrodite more times than I could count," Qrow whispered. "I cursed her that she won't ever have good children with good men, that she won't ever be found beautiful again, I cursed her voice to make it sound like the very people she despises... This world is full of fears, it's full of pain, anger... Sometimes, I just want it all to end... But Olympus doesn't feel that way. I was betrayed by the one I thought that I would always be with, and for what? Godhood? Power?"

Qrow took his drink back from Maria, took a sip, and continued, "Then the woman I had a child with, that I fell in love with, left us... So yes, I'm afraid... I'm afraid of falling in love with another person. I'm afraid of the maternal love I have for my little daughter... I don't want her to have the burden of my name..."

Qrow began to cry and Maria said, "Let me help, Qrow, I'll be there for the two of you... I swear on Chaos that I'll do as I say for the rest of my days."

10 years later

"Mom! Dad!" a 15 year old Ruby said with a smile as she saw her father and mother walking up to the house.

"Hey Rosebud," Maria said as she hugged her daughter. "Sorry we were late coming back, there was more Grimm than we anticipated..."

She was cut off by Ruby who dashed and turned into rose petals and jumped on her father saying, in rapid succession, "Didyoumissme? Didyoumissme? Didyoumissme?"

Qrow hummed and said, "...Nope."

Ruby knew her father was joking by the smile on his face and said, "Oh yeah... There's a woman with my eyes and hair waiting for you."

He then looked at his wife and said, "You take Ruby out to kill any Grimm nearby... I'll take care of this."

As Maria took Ruby away, Qrow brought out his sword and said, "Alright Moon Goddess! You can come on out now!"

Artemis walked out of the woods and said, "Hello Qrow."

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. "I thought that I told you that I never wanted to see you again?"

"Father wants to meet my daughter," Artemis told him.

"Oh so now you want to have her be in your life, along with being a pawn for Olympus," Qrow told the goddess. "Well it ain't happening, you had your chance and now, it's come back to bite ya."

"Please Qrow," Artemis said. "I'll protect her..."

"And turn her into you?" Qrow asked. "I want her to find love, to have a family that will love her, not toss her out like you all did to me! So get lost Goddess, or next time I see you... I'll make you fade."

Qrow then walked away and Artemis fell to her knees and began to cry, all the while muttering, "What have I done?"