Snow had always looked so beautiful to Winter. Even when she was just a little girl, there was always something magical about the beautiful white flakes dancing in the sky. Whenever there was a snow storm, it never failed to captivate her full attention and make her feel like she was on another planet. So, it wasn't a huge surprise when she caught herself looking out at the snow, with Jaunes words flying right over her head.
"I'm sorry, Jaune, what was that? I had trouble hearing you" Winter told him, forcing herself to pay attention to the boy who was sitting in the opposite bean bag chair. It was odd thinking that he'd been coming to see her every week for months now.
He was her first real client, and if she was being honest, one of her favorites. Watching him grow and change had been one of her favorite parts of her job. She didn't just mean his attitude either. Jaune had recently started a bit of a growth spurt, and had grown a good inch or two taller since she'd first met him. He'd also started to gain a bit of weight, finally looking a bit less like a string bean.
"Oh, sorry- I mean, I'm not sorry. Right. I was saying that robotics had been so much fun! I met a lot of cool people and they're all showing me new equations, how to code, and a ton of other stuff! Every meeting is funner than the last!" Jaune gushed, almost bouncing in his chair. Instead the beans shifted under him, throwing him around. Over the past few months, the two of them had gotten used to the bean bag chairs, but they were still unpredictable to say the least.
"I'm glad to hear that, Jaune. You seem a lot happier lately" Winter pointed out. Jaunes face turned a little pink as he turned away, trying to hide his smile.
"You really think so? It's been really fun, but it's still a bit weird being around people who think like me, ya know? It feels like, well, almost like I don't deserve this" Jaune looked down at his lap for a second, before his eyes widened at what he was doing and he looked back up at Winter.
Jaune had been doing a great job of recognizing when he was being too shy or apologetic, and had been doing an amazing job correcting himself. It filled winter with a huge sense of pride. Because it wasn't like he was acting or anything. He was simply trying his best to be better, and the results were showing.
"Why do you feel like that?" Winter questioned, leaning forward, the beans shifting under her weight.
"I guess it just feels like it's all gonna disappear any moment. I find some people that I like, who like me, so I think I'm waiting for them to realize their mistake. To kick me out, and to make me go back to how it was before," Jaune got quiet. Winter could see how much he wanted to look away, how scared he was of what she might say. But somehow, his eyes never left hers.
"I'm sure it's a bit weird, but doesn't it feel good having people you can be yourself around, who understand what you're talking about, and like you for you?" Jaunes shoulders relaxed, and he gave a small smile.
"Yeah, I guess it does"
"Good. Then go with those feelings. You earned a spot on the team, you're trying your best to learn, you're making friends, and I think you're where you belong right now. I can't tell you it's always gonna be fun or that you're always gonna get along with everyone. But, I can tell you to enjoy it right now. To make friends and have fun. You like what you're doing right now, so don't let negative thoughts get in the way of that, ok?"
Sometimes Winter felt like her whole job was giving inspirational speeches to kids. It wasn't though. Most of her job was listening, and knowing when to give inspirational speeches. It felt a bit awkward at first, just telling kids stuff like that. Sometimes they listened, other times they didn't. Jaune was the type of kid to listen and learn from everyone though, and the smile on his face said as much.
"I think that sounds like a good plan" he chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair and looking out the window at the snowfall.
"I'm glad you agree. Oh, that's our time," Winter said, looking at the clock on the wall. She managed to stand up, mostly without difficulties, before holding out her hand for Jaune. The boy took it, letting her pull him up, "Same time next week?" Winter smiled, walking him to the door. Jaune was moving his hands a lot while he talked, taking them in and out of his pockets like he was nervous about something.
"Oh, I thought my mom emailed you. Since I've been doing so much better lately… we're gonna try and only meet once every month"
Crap. She knew that. Heck, she'd read the email again on her computer right before he'd come in. Winter gave a smile and shook her head, "I must've forgotten, my bad Jaune" Winter tried to laugh it off, but Jaune still seemed nervous about something.
"Winter, what if… What if I need you more than once a month? It feels like you're always there for me, I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost you" Jaune was looking at the floor now, but she could still see tears in his eyes. Winter kneeled down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"This is good for you Jaune, it means you're doing better, and that's great. Plus, if you ever need me, you know where I am. Night or day, all you have to do is give me a call and I'll be there for you. If we need to meet more often, then that's what we'll do, I'll keep your spot open for you" Winter tapped his chin with her finger, getting him to look at her.
Winter was smiling, trying her best to give off even half as much positive energy as Yang or Ruby did. It seemed to do the trick, because Jaune joined her, wiping his eyes on his sleeves.
"Alright, as long as you keep my spot open for me just in case" Jaune laughed, "See you next month, Winter. Oh, and have a great Christmas!" Jaune told her with a big smile on his face as he walked out the door and down the hall.
Winter stood in the hallway, watching him go. She usually opened the door for him and got to work on something else, but this felt different. Winter was fully aware that she was going to see Jaune again, that they'd still talk and see each other. But at the same time… She felt like he didn't really need her anymore. Sure, here and there he would probably ask her for advice or something, but that isn't the same. Watching him walk away, a little confidence in his step, it made her realize something. For the first time in her career, she'd helped someone get over their hurdles.
He wasn't a super confident macho man by any means, but that wasn't what he wanted to be. Jaune needed the confidence to speak his mind, stand his ground, and to be his own person. He might not be there yet, but he was well on his way. She'd given him the tools he would need to get there, and she was fully confident he would get there in no time at all.
When Jaune left the hallway Winter finally went back into her office and closed the door. Winter sighed as she paced around her office, her mind wandering for the thousandth time today. She checked her phone and noticed she'd gotten a text from Qrow, but she didn't look at it. Instead she dropped her phone on her desk and walked away. She ended up looking out the window, watching as a blanket of snow fell over the city.
In Atlas, snow was a pretty common thing to say the least. But it never lost its beauty for Winter. She pictured her and Weiss going outside and making snow angels, snow men, and anything else that started with the word snow.
A soft knock echoed through her small office, snapping her out of her memories, "Come in" Winter called, turning to look at the door. Jaune was supposed to be her last appointment for the day, or- was he? For some reason, Winter couldn't remember.
The door opened slowly, revealing the towering figure of Dr. Ironwood. He had a soft smile on his face alongside his stiff posture as he walked into her office. He took a seat on her couch, turning to look at her from across the room.
"How're you doing today, Winter?" he casually asked, his relaxed eyes on her like a hawk.
"Doing fine, I guess. Why do you ask?" Winter asked, resting her arms on the top of her chair. Dr. Ironwood wasn't the type of man to stroll into someone's office without purpose, something Winter had learned with time. It was best to simply ask him for his motives, otherwise it turned into a long talk. Winter usually liked those, but not today. Today, she had things to do.
"Right to the chase then? Fair enough I suppose. Winter, you've seemed a bit… Distracted the past few days. Has everything been ok?" Dr. Ironwood talked with an odd mix of authority and care. It was clear that he didn't want to push you and really did care, but also that there wasn't any other option than to talk.
"Distracted? What do you mean?" Winter asked, a little hurt by the accusation.
"First of all, you've shown up on time the past few days"
"And that's such a bad thing?" Winter questioned, trying not to sound too much like a brat.
"Normally, no. Heck, if Amy showed up on time every day I'd be over the moon. But you? On time for you is the same thing as Amy showing up an hour late" Dr. Ironwoods face was full of concern now, which made Winter feel even worse for how annoyed she felt, "It's not a bad thing if it's something you're trying for. But you run in every morning like a tornado looking like you don't even know where you are"
Winter stood quietly, watching her breathing and trying to calm her heart rate. She knew she shouldn't be getting frustrated, after all, he was right. But there's been something wrong with her lately. Everything seemed to get on her nerves that wasn't a kid.
"Then there's the fact that you also forgot to email me the files I asked you to" Winter felt her heart drop, instantly feeling a huge pit of worry form in her belly.
"I'm so sorry sir, I completely forgot! I'll get right on it!" Winter cried as she started her computer, pulling out her chair in a rush.
"Winter, stop for a second and think. Did I actually ask you to email me anything?"
"What- Of course you did, you just said so!" Winter babbled, her brain feeling a tad bit fried.
"No. I didn't. I never asked you to email me a thing. Normally, you'd know that without missing a beat. So, what's been on your mind?" He asked as he gestured over to Winters big leather chair she sits in for most of her meetings, "The fun thing about working with other psychologists, is that we can usually see when people are acting weird. That, and we get free visits" he chuckled lightly as Winter groaned, walking from behind her desk and plopping into the chair.
Dr. Ironwood smiled at her as she sat there, feeling confused and annoyed. Talking to Dr. Ironwood was never a bad thing, but lately things had been different for her. His smile made her more angry than anything, and made her want to keep her mouth shut just to spite him.
That was about the time when exhaustion hit her. It was something that happened now and again these days, she'd be fine and then? Boom. She could hardly stand on her feet. Maybe it had something to do with her comfy chair, but keeping her eyes open suddenly seemed like a challenge. Her defences were gone, and suddenly Dr. Ironwood seemed a lot easier to talk to.
"I've… Been having trouble sleeping lately" Winter said simply, all of the fight and pomp had left her voice behind, leaving only exhaustion and sadness.
"Any particular reason why?" He asked casually, like it wasn't a big deal she wasn't sleeping. Heck, maybe it wasn't to him?
Winter was about to give some half assed excuse, but then Winter remembered who it was she was talking to. What this man had done for her and how much she owed him. She owed him the truth, or as much of the truth as she could give.
"Nightmares. I've had them every night for weeks" Dr. Ironwood perked up after hearing this.
"And what happens in these nightmares?" He probed carefully. Winter leaned back in her chair, the nightmares were burned into her mind and probably would be forever.
"They're always the same. They start out with my sister and I playing, we're both kids. Then we break something, I never remember what though. That's when my dad comes in. He sees what we've done, and he gets mad… Really mad. He hits me first, and I can always feel it sting in my sleep, but it never wakes me up. I'm on the ground and I can't get up for some reason, like I've been tied down. Then, he, um" Winter hesitated, not sure if she could keep going. Dr. Ironwood sat there silently, waiting for her. She was glad he wasn't pressuring her, but it felt like she had to keep going now.
"Then he starts to choke Weiss. I try and get up to help her, but I'm stuck. She's trying to scream for help, but can't. She's struggling, and my father has this sick grin on his face and starts to laugh. Then, Weiss stops struggling, and I wake up" Winter finished, feeling like she was still in her nightmare.
Dr. Ironwood sat and looked at her for a while, not saying anything. It made Winter feel a bit uncomfortable, like she should say something else, but there wasn't really anything to say.
"Your father can't get you here, you know that. You said these were a recent development as well, right? So, did anything happen that might trigger this?" Dr. Ironwood asked, his eyes scanning her for a reaction.
This, naturally, brought Winter's mind back to Halloween. To the call she'd had with her sister, to realizing she'd missed her sister's call for the first time, to her telling Qrow no…
"My sister told me that my father had grabbed her. She said it wasn't bad, that he'd apologized, but I just can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. That I've failed her."
"Winter, you haven't failed her. Not at all. You're living your own life out here, and you can't always be there for her. As much as you try, sometimes you can't protect her from the world. Even if you were with her, that would be the case" Dr. Ironwood explained calmly, treating her gently like he would a piece of glass.
"Dr. Ironwood… I don't know. If I was there, she wouldn't be going through any of what she has been lately. The tutors, constant supervision, the stress? All of that was on me before father made me leave. Before I threw it all away and forced Weiss to take it on for me"
"Winter, you didn't force anything on Weiss, your father did. You can't take all the responsibility for something that he's doing. That doesn't seem fair, does it?" He remarked as he sat up straight, daring her to look away from his eyes. Sadly, she did.
Winter sat there, looking at the ground, not sure what to say anymore. His words made sense, but she still felt so responsible for it all. After all, wasn't she?
They say in silence for a minute before Dr. Ironwood spoke again, "You're taking the next two days off, right?" he questioned out of the blue. Winter looked at him, confused.
"Yeah, I did. Why?" Winter asked, her defences starting to come back up.
"Does that have anything to do with this?" He asked her, leaning towards her and resting his chin on his hand.
"I don't see what that has to do with anything" Winter scoffed, crossing her arms.
"All I meant was that I think it's a good thing you're taking time off. I just don't think you did it to get the rest you really need though" He replied, making Winter tense up.
"Again, I don't know why you're asking me this. I'm taking personal time off, and I don't need to give a reason" Winter countered, she could feel herself starting to get worked up again.
"I'm not asking why you're taking the time, those reasons are your own. All I'm asking you is to please, rest a little bit. Think about what I said here. And please, just don't do anything reckless" He told her before standing up and walking to the door.
"Oh, and you're going to the Christmas party, right?" He wondered as he opened the door.
"I don't know if I'll be done with everything by then. But maybe." Winter shrugged. Honestly she hadn't planned on going to the party, but she didn't wanna burst his bubble, but parties of any sort weren't exactly her thing.
"Come on, there's gonna be free food and drinks! It'll be a Christmas eve to remember! Plus, Amy's told me she's gonna be heartbroken if you aren't there" Dr. Ironwood grinned at her, knowing he had her trapped.
"I'll try, ok? That's the best I can do. I should be back by then, but I can't promise anything" Winter begrudgingly relented, making Dr. Ironwoods smile even bigger.
"That's all I can ask. And, Winter?"
"Yeah?" Winter questioned, sass in her voice. Though he didn't seem to notice or care.
"You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?" he asked, his tone dead serious. Winter sighed, and couldn't help the small smile that came onto her lips.
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for listening" She said, feeling at least a little like her old self.
"Good. Then, whatever you're up to the next two days, I wish you luck" and like that he was gone, leaving her to think.
Winter stood up and walked back over to her window, and cast her gaze over the city yet again. Yes, she'd been stressed lately. She hadn't gotten a full night's rest since before Halloween. But that didn't matter. After almost two months of planning, it was finally time. If the next two days went smoothly, then she'll be grinning ear to ear for the next month.
-Authors Note-
Ok, so I think I might've lied. I thought about it, and there's actually just gonna be one big arc left for this story, this one. After that there may be a chapter or two and then a small epilogue. So this is the last big arc for this story, which is sad but also really cool! It's been so awesome writing this for you guys and seeing it through is gonna be such a huge milestone! That being said, it's still gonna take awhile to get there!
Huge shout out to TheRedRoster for telling me to put character tags in the story. It helped a ton and increased readership a good bit, which was awesome! If anyone else has any suggestions, comments, or questions, please tell me, it's always appreciated! If you think I know it, chances are I don't!
***So I'm not sure why, but for the second time this thing has cut out the name . I think I fixed it, but honestly I'm not really sure. So if it doesn't get cleared up, thanks for putting up with it! Another shout out to the Shadow977 for pointing this out!
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy, see ya next week!