A small sigh of contentment escaped me as I leaned up against Dean. Barbara was gushing over her new toys, and Mr. and Mrs. Steansfield were in the middle of a conversation with some of the other adults. Despite being surrounded by noise on every side, the two of us were in our own little private bubble at the center of it all. His arm around my shoulders gave me a gentle squeeze, and I glanced up at him with a smile.

"You're cute when you're so relaxed." That comment made me blush a little. "I mean it. It's so rare to see you like this. Even when you got here, I could tell you were worrying about Amy." That in turn got a pout from me, even as he raised a hand in a sort of defensive position. "I mean that expression is cute as well, but come on. You were constantly checking your phone. Only reason I could think of is that."

"So what if I'm worried about her? Someone has to be." Reaching into one of the small pockets sewn into the dress, I pulled my phone out and checked it. Nothing from anyone, even as Dean let out a sigh. "What? You know how she can be, if she had her way the only places she'd ever go were school, home, and the hospital."

"You're not giving her enough credit Vicky." He gave me this look, the one I'd come to recognize. It was the 'Calm her down' look. "She chose to go to the party by herself, without you prodding her into it. That'll be good for her, enjoying herself away from you."

"But… what if someone asks her for a private healing session? Or to do some plastic surgery or something?" I still remembered how uncomfortable it made her after she first got her powers. It was entirely my fault. I told people about what she could do and several people jumped at the chance to get a superpowered makeover. It'd taken a bit of work to snip those requests permanently in the bud.

"She can handle it Vicky. Honestly, having people focused on her instead of on you is probably a good thing." I opened my mouth to speak before he cut me off, one eyebrow quirked up. "You can't tell me you've not noticed how she follows you like a little lost puppy at parties. The only time she doesn't is when I'm with you."

I let out a small groan and leaned back on the couch, rubbing the bridge of my nose. He wasn't wrong, and that was the frustrating bit. "We take care of each other, and we're sisters. Of course we're going to be close."

"She uses you as a support blanket Vicky." That got an actual glare at him from me, even as he stayed firm. "Anyone who's known you two for a while could tell. She needs this, to get used to not having you around. And she'll be fine, Wendy's not gonna let her get too uncomfortable. So relax, and just try to enjoy the party."

"I was relaxing until you brought Amy up." There was some satisfaction in seeing him wince at that. He was right as well though. Wendy wasn't a bad girl, maybe a bit too much of a clout chaser, but not bad. Amy would be fine. I was just about to go back to leaning against him when my phone chimed quietly in my skirt.

My hand snapped down and I pulled it out, reading who the text came from. "It's from Wendy." Getting a distinct feeling it wasn't good, I quickly unlocked it and read what was said.

Wendy (7:42)
You free to take a call? Need to tell you something.

"I gotta take this." I got up and started towards the front door, Dean gave me a nod even as he frowned. My button hit the call as soon as I was outside on the porch. Snow at some point had started to fall while I was inside, a thin layer of white covering the ground as I brought the phone up to my ear.

"What's up Wendy?" I started the conversation as soon as the call went through.

"Okay, so, promise you won't be mad at me, because I didn't do anything. I told her not to bring her along, but she brought her anyway and I knew it would be bad but my Mom wouldn't listen a-" An exasperated sigh escaped me as Wendy started to ramble on, making excuses for a situation I didn't even know. Worry started to bubble up in me all the same as it was obvious something had happened. I knew I should have gone.

"Wendy! I promise I won't be mad, just tell me why you needed to call." I started to pace back and forth on the porch, my other hand wringing the fabric of my skirt.

"Okay… You know my cousin Emma, right? Pretty sure you mentioned meeting them before." The name rang a bell, and it took a few moments to connect the dots. The photoshoot… Oh, that couldn't be good.

"Yeah, I met them at a photo shoot. She had a few friends with her, Sophia and Madison I'm pretty sure… What the hell did they do to Amy?" It was easy to put the dots together. Amy wouldn't take something lying down, but considering what those three said to that girl in the wheelchair… It would get ugly very quickly.

"She brought her friend Sophia along. Emma for her part usually understands to keep her damn mouth shut, but Sophia? Yeah no. Anyway, my brother stuck his foot in his mouth and asked Amy how she got her powers." My hand tightened in my skirts as that particular topic got brought up. "Sophia jumped in to tell him not to do that, he brought you up, she insulted you, Amy stepped up to defend you, then Sophia insulted her, and the two almost got into a fight. I had to kick Sophia out."

Taking a breath through my nose to calm myself down, I considered how much trouble I'd get into if I broke Sophia's legs. Probably way too much, even if I really wanted to. "Okay… So why did you call me? Amy could have told this when we both got back home." Though knowing her she'd have just lied and said it had been fine.

"I'm calling you because I'm kinda worried about her. Right after Emma took Sophia to the bus stop, she got up and left. Seemed pretty upset about everything. Insisted she could just take the bus when I said someone could drive her. But it's snowing now, and I don't have her phone number to check up on her…" She trailed off, and I let out a small sigh. Yeah, that sounds like her.

"I'll give her a text to make sure she's alright, and then let you know." Rather than stay on the line with her, I just hung up. It wasn't nice to her, but I couldn't text Amy while on the call. I didn't bother with anything fancy, just quickly typing something out before hitting send.

Victoria (7:45)
You okay? Wendy told me you left the party early.

Amy (7:45)
I'm fine.

Typical. Amy never was open about how she felt. I always had to coax, or sometimes pry the truth out of her. Grumbling to myself, I typed out another message.

Victoria (7:46)
People who are fine don't leave parties early.

Amy (7:46)
I made things awkward, better I leave so they can enjoy it.

Victoria (7:46)
You were supposed to enjoy it.

A minute passed, with me staring at my phone waiting for the reply. Of course, she'd feel like that. I'd feel like that. That's a perfectly normal thing to feel. Just… dammit you were supposed to have fun and relax.

Amy (7:47)
It wasn't a party meant for me, I'm not gonna be selfish and ruin someone else's party.

Victoria (7:47)
Where are you right now?

I stared expectantly at the screen for a minute, then two. A moment passed where I wondered if the signal died or her phone died, but no. She left me on read. A loud and frustrated groan escaped me, even as one hand came up to run through my hair. The door opened behind me, and I turned to see Dean step out and shiver slightly.

"Sometimes I wish I had your forcefield." My expression betrayed how not in the mood I was, even as he stepped over to me. The concern on his face stopped me from saying anything further. "So what's the situation?"

"Some bitch started a fight with Amy at the party. Apparently, she insulted me for some reason, and Amy defended me. She felt guilty about causing a scene… I think, and left. Now she's gone off on her own into this weather, and won't tell me where she is." Going back to my phone, I tapped in another message to my stupidly stubborn sister.

Victoria (7:50)
I'm serious Amy, where are you?

Amy (7:50)
Enjoy your night with Dean.

"... Seriously?" Dean came closer and I showed him the text. He hummed, hands shoved into his armpits for warmth as he read it. My eyes turned to stare out at the street, as the snow began to come down heavier. "She's seriously not gonna tell me where she is right now? What if she catches pneumonia or something!"

"Probably feels guilty about everything. Including dragging you away from the party you were meant to enjoy." Dean's common sense was not appreciated at this moment in time. My fingers tapped away again over the screen, as a bit of desperation was coming over me.

Victoria (7:51)
This isn't the time for this Amy, the weather's getting worse. Please tell me you're at least on your way home?

Again, a minute passed with no response. The hand that had been working my skirt came up to my head, nervously worrying through my hair as I continued to stare at the screen. Dean chimed in, his voice trying to be reassuring. "She's probably just waiting for the bus."

"No Dean, she isn't waiting for the bus. Or maybe she is but isn't planning on going home." I practically barked at him. I started pacing again, gesturing with my phone as I spoke. "I've told you how she is. She doesn't take care of herself. So she's just not gonna tell me. Either she's somewhere out in this weather, or she's planning on heading to the hospital. Just… Ugh." My hand dragged itself across my face.

"If she's going to the hospital she's not going to get pneumonia?" He tried to offer some comfort, but I just turned to glare at him.

"It'll just make her mood worse! She thinks I don't notice, but I do. She doesn't actually like hospital work, hates talking about it, never seems happy about having to go. This was supposed to be a night to enjoy herself! Let alone what might happen if she's not gone to the hospital, in this weather! She can't heal herself. Her outfit's warm, but it's not meant for… this!" The thought of Amy shivering in the coat I gave her, trudging through the snow made my decision easy.

Even without his ability to read emotions, Dean could tell what I was thinking. Letting out a sigh, he turned to head back inside the house. "I'll tell everyone you have to go, your sister needs to be picked up due to the snow."

Floating up a bit, I stopped him just long enough to peck him on the cheek. This, this right here was the reason I dated him. "Thanks, you're the best."

He gave me a slightly sad smile, before heading back into the house. In turn, I floated off the porch. The snow was coming down faster now, flakes sliding off my aura as they hit it. The layer on the ground was probably around an inch deep. If not for the circumstances, it'd probably be something to enjoy. Brockton very rarely got snow. As I took to the sky though, it rapidly proved to be my enemy. I could make out buildings and roads by the lights, but finer details quickly blurred together into grey.

Squinting, I pulled my phone out and opened up the map app. Comparing myself to home, I quickly started flying in that direction. If she was just there I was gonna be mad… Scratch that, I'll be mad regardless of where she was. What was she thinking!?

The memory of our interaction before leaving the house came back. The hug I gave her, and the words. I made her promise to try and enjoy herself. My grip tightened around my phone. I bothered her to try and make more friends. The first time she tries by herself, it goes wrong because of some bitch. Amy won't see it that way though. She'll blame herself. It's a pretty stupid question to ask what she's thinking.

Letting out a frustrated growl, I pushed a bit harder, to fly a little faster. The first stop, home. I couldn't let Mom know something was wrong. She wouldn't understand. She never really understood. Floating around the house, I peered in her bedroom window. Lights were off, sheets were made, she wasn't in there. Groaning, I pulled away and tapped the address of one of the city's hospitals in.

It didn't take too long to get to each of them, but she wasn't at either of them. She wasn't due to come in today. That left me uselessly flying above the city for almost an hour, squinting at the sidewalks in a vain attempt to spot through the snow. A few times I managed to spot a red scarf fluttering in the wind and swooped down. Only to realize it wasn't her, it was some random girl or guy just trying to get home. Everywhere I looked between the hospitals, Wendy's house, and home, there was no sign of her.

Floating above the city, surrounded by the white, I let out a scream of frustration. Squinting down at my phone, I pulled open my texts. Nothing new from her. My eyes settled on the call button, and I wanted to scream again at the fact I hadn't thought of that sooner. Floating down to where the wind wasn't as loud, I settled in underneath a billboard as I waited for her to pick up. "Come on… come on Amy…"

"Hey, Vicky." Amy's voice came through, in a tone I recognized. Emotionally exhausted. Despite that, all I could feel was relief at the sound of her voice… and then worry as she let out a high-pitched squeak of a sneeze.

"Amy! Where the hell are you?! It's basically a blizzard out here!" I practically shouted into the phone at her. Dammit Amy you deserve better than wandering around in this!

"I've got a headache, can you not yell?" I winced a little as she said that, imagining her holding the phone away from her ear. "I'm not outside right now. I wandered into this little cafe ages ago. The place is called Babel. They make good hot cocoa."

I could literally hear her sip from whatever mug she had in front of her. She was sitting in a cafe. Drinking hot cocoa... Part of me wanted to be angry, but I just couldn't be. She sounded too exhausted for me to be mad at her. "Look, just stay there. I'll come to pick you up. No way you'll get home before nine otherwise."

She made an affirmative noise but didn't say anything else. "Stay there." Hanging the phone up, I let out a small sigh. Floating up into the air, I managed to get an address for the cafe on my phone. Next to Ridgewell Park, a couple of miles away from Brockton General. How long exactly did she walk to get there? Or did she take a bus? Either way, I started flying over, I was just glad she was out of the snow and somewhere warm.

It was a quick flight over, the patch of white and green making it easy to find it. A sign glowed out the front of it, an image of a castle tower next to the name. Floating down to the mostly abandoned street, I opened the door and stepped inside. My eyes scanned the entire cafe, ignoring it as I tried to spot Amy. It took a moment, but I spotted the red scarf hanging partially visible at a corner booth. Plus, I heard her sneeze.

Hurrying over, I rounded the edge of the booth and got a good look at her. She frankly looked like a wreck. Her hair was a frizzy mess, probably got wet with snow then dried. Her eyes were rimmed in red and a bit bloodshot, and her nose was equally as red. Nursed in her hands was a cup of hot chocolate, mostly empty. Her expression was just… blank, staring down at the cup. "Thank god, Amy you gave me a heart attack. Are you okay?"

"I'm f-CHOO!" Another high-pitched squeak of a sneeze escaped her, leaving her rubbing her nose with a napkin. "I'm fine Vicky… You should have stayed at the party."

"Amy, Wendy called me. People who're fine don't leave a party to go wander the city in the middle of a snowstorm.'' I felt myself getting frustrated with her again. Even if she'd had a rough night, doing this of all things?

"It's not a snowstorm…" She glanced over and pulled back a curtain, peeking out a window that had been covered. "... Well it wasn't when I was out there." I opened my mouth to call her out when she just let out a sigh. "Just… Vicky, sit down. Please."

The slight desperation in her voice made me stop what I was about to say. … We can afford to be a little late getting home. I can blame the weather. Nodding, I slipped into the booth beside her. She slid closer to me as if huddling for warmth. A few moments passed like that before Amy started speaking again, her voice quiet. "I… was going to go back home. I got on the bus to go back home. But… I couldn't stand the thought of just sitting in my room, alone. So… I got off and went for a walk in the park… It really is pretty with the snow falling. When I got too cold, I just… came in here to warm up."

Nodding my head slowly, I took a moment to calm myself down. Looking around the cafe, I actually started to take it in. There was soft jazz music playing. It was pretty small, with some bookshelves set up on the sides and a lot of wood paneling. At the back was the counter, with what looked like a college-aged goth girl tapping away on her phone. The entire place was designed to be comfy. "You could have picked a worse place to warm up."

She made an affirmative noise and took another sip of the cocoa. Turning my eyes back to her, I slowly reached an arm out to wrap around her shoulders. Pulling her closer, she snuggled up against my side. I gave her probably a solid minute, before deciding to speak up. "Amy… Come on, talk to me."

"... It wasn't supposed to go that way." The exhaustion and sadness in her voice made me squeeze her. It sounded like she was forcing it out of herself. "Even if I… didn't wind up enjoying myself… I was supposed to at least be there. Try to be social. Make it to where you didn't worry so much. Let you enjoy your night with Dean. Make you… proud, I guess."

"You practically spend all your free time healing people, I can never not be proud of you. But you can't blame yourself for tonight, Ames." The nickname came naturally as I looked at her. "How were you supposed to know those two turbo bitches were gonna be there? I've met them both before, they're pretty awful. The two of them could ruin anyone's night."

"But it wasn't them who caused a scene." The styrofoam cup crumpled slightly as Amy squeezed it. "I'm the one who got angry and started shouting first. If… If I had just let Wendy deal with it, then maybe I wouldn't have made things awkward. I was trying so hard to fit in, I made some little girl a flower just because people wanted to see me use my power." But you hate using your powers casually…

"Amy, she insulted the both of us. It's understandable that you'd get mad. Hell, I'd have probably thrown her out a window for insulting you." I might still track her down and throw her out a window for causing this.

"But… there were more people involved than just me and her. There was Wendy, and Regina, and the kids and the adults… It was a full party that I just… made awkward. It was better I go. But… I wound up dragging you away from your night with Dean." She gave me this guilty look that just made my heart melt.

"I'd already said hi and played with the birthday girl. I'll have plenty of other nights to spend with Dean. It's not every night however that my little sister needs help." A small smile came over my face as she turned back to her cocoa, a faint blush coloring her cheeks in embarrassment. "... Though next time, just be honest that you're upset. It'd mean a lot less flying around in the snow trying to find you."

Another affirmative noise escaped her as she finished the last of the cocoa in her cup. Pushing it aside, her arms snaked around my waist as she fully leaned on me. In that same quiet voice, she spoke with a small amount of guilt. "Can we… just stay like this for a bit? Before we have to head home?"

"Sure Ames… We can stay like this for a bit." Giving her another squeeze, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. Just listening to the ambient music and the wind blowing outside.

A/N: Suuuuuup dudes. You get a new chapter 2 days after the last. I was actually fairly inspired and knew what I wanted out of this one, so it came pretty dang quick. All I can say is that I hope I got Victoria right. I asked a friend to give it a quick read over, and they didn't think I got her super wrong, but they're not a massive Worm nerd so... We'll see!