Warren sat comfortably on the living room couch, finally finding a moment of peace in the chaotic Hare household. The white-haired boy had managed to claim the TV remote and was about to start his favorite show when the front door suddenly slammed open with such force that the pictures on the walls rattled.

Through the doorway stormed Brenda and Warren immediately noticed the way her shoulders were tensed and how her hands were clenched into tight fists at her sides. But what really caught his attention were her eyes - they were rimmed with red and glistening with barely contained tears of rage.

"Brenda? Is everything okay?" Warren called out cautiously, recognizing the warning signs of one of his sister's temper flares. She didn't even acknowledge him as she thundered past, her footsteps heavy on the wooden floor. The staircase creaked as she stomped up it, heading toward the second floor where most of the bedrooms were located. Warren bit his lip, debating internally whether he should follow or let her cool off first. he had learned to read the sister's moods pretty well over the years. But Brenda's default response to most situations was anger, and she had a tendency to lash out at whoever was closest.

Still, he couldn't just sit there knowing one of his sisters was hurting. With a resigned sigh, he set down the remote and headed upstairs after her. He could hear doors slamming even before he reached the second floor.

"Brenda?" he called again, softer this time, as he approached her room. The door was shut tight, but he could hear muffled sounds from within. Something between angry muttering and choked sobs. Warren knocked gently.

"Hey, want to talk about it?"

"Go away, Warren!" Brenda's voice came through sharp and strained. Warren tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked and carefully pushed the door open just enough to peek inside. Brenda was pacing back and forth across her room. Her face was flushed an angry scarlet that nearly matched her outfit, and tears were now freely streaming down her cheeks despite her obvious attempts to hold them back.

"I said GO AWAY!" she snapped, Warren instinctively took a step back. Her hands were trembling as she pointed accusingly at him. "Don't you dare try to fix this! Don't you dare try to be the good brother right now!" Warren held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I just want to help-"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" Brenda's voice cracked as she shouted, making Warren wince. She advanced toward him, her tears falling faster now. "I don't want your stupid plans or your meddling or your- your-"

She seemed to choke on her words for a moment before her expression darkened.

"If you don't get out of my room RIGHT NOW, I swear I'll make you regret it!"

Warren knew his sister well enough to recognize when she was past the point of reasoning. Whatever had happened to upset her this much, she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Pushing further would only make things worse. Warren slowly backed away from the doorway.

"Okay." he said softly. "But when you're ready to talk... I-"

Brenda's only response was to grab her pillow and hurl it at the door. Warren quickly pulled it shut, hearing the soft thump of the pillow hitting the other side. Through the door, he could hear her angry pacing resume, punctuated by occasional sniffles and muttered words he couldn't quite make out.

The next morning, Brenda was in the kitchen, aggressively chomping down on a bowl of cereal. Her mood had improved somewhat from yesterday's explosive episode, though bits of irritation still lingered. But then again, that was her default mood. The kitchen was surprisingly empty for once.

The peaceful breakfast was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Warren appeared in the doorway, still in his pajamas, his hair messy from sleep. The moment their eyes met, something strange happened. Warren's eyes widened slightly, and he took an immediate step backward, as if he'd just encountered something dangerous.

"I'll... uh... come back later!" he mumbled, practically tripping over his own feet as he retreated from the kitchen. Brenda raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior but ultimately shrugged it off.

"What a dork..." she muttered, returning to her cereal. Living with Warren meant being used to his occasional weird moments. Later that afternoon, Brenda sprawled across the living room couch, mindlessly flipping through TV channels. Nothing particularly caught her interest, but it was better than dwelling on yesterday's frustrations. The sound of approaching footsteps made her glance up just in time to see Warren entering the room. The moment he spotted her, he practically powerwalked past the couch, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. Without a word, he disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time in his haste to get away.

This pattern continued throughout the day. During the typical bathroom queue, Brenda found herself standing in line between Bippa and Bertha. Warren appeared at the end of the hallway, clearly heading for the bathroom line, but upon seeing Brenda, he spun around so fast he nearly collided with the wall. He practically sprinted back to his room.

The final straw came when Brenda was trying to reach a mixing bowl from the top shelf in the kitchen. When Warren walked in, she figured she could ask him.

"Hey, Warren, could you-" she began, but before she could even finish her request, he had already backed out of the kitchen like a spooked rabbit.

"What is his PROBLEM?!" Brenda snapped, her temper flaring once again. She stormed into the living room where several of her sisters were gathered.

"What's wrong now, Brenda?" Beverly, who was folding laundry on the couch, looked up with concern.

"Warren's being completely ridiculous! He's been avoiding me all day like I'm some kind of monster!" She complained. Blair lowered her mirror to give Brenda a pointed look.

"Sigh...Did you scream at him again?" Bella asked.

"That has nothing to do with this! He's just being a wimp!" Brenda protested, her face flushing.

"You did yell at him pretty badly." Bodhi observed calmly from her meditation corner. "I could feel your negative energy from two rooms away."

"Yeah, i was like, totes in the hallway when that happened. Warren looked like he had seen a ghost." Blair added. Beverly set down the shirt she was folding.

"Brenda, sweetie. When you threaten him-"

"I didn't threaten him!" Brenda interrupted, but then paused, remembering her words from yesterday. "I mean... not really..."

"You told him you'd make him regret trying to help you. I heard it clearly. We all did." Bella said.

"Replacing these thin walls are on my to-do list." Bethany said.

"You know, you always say that but-" Brie was about to say before getting interrupted.

"That's different! He was being nosy!"

"He was trying to look after you. And you scared him away. Again." Beverly sighed.

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy? He's the one acting like a baby! I was upset yesterday, so what? He should just get over it!" Brenda's voice rose, her hands clenching into fists.

"Perhaps if you showed more awareness of how your anger affects others-" Beatrice began.

"Oh, shut up with your nonsense! I don't need this from any of you!" Brenda said.

"And that's exactly the issue, You never want to hear when you're in the wrong." Beatrice said.

"WRONG? I'm not wrong! He's the one-"

"Being afraid of his own sister? Having to tiptoe around your temper? Is that really what you want?" Beverly cut in, her usually gentle voice taking on a stern edge. Brenda opened her mouth to argue further, but the fight suddenly drained from her. Instead, she let out a frustrated growl and stormed toward the stairs, her footsteps thundering against the steps.

"Real mature, Brenda! Just storm off instead of facing the truth!" Bertha called after her.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Brenda shouted back, slamming her bedroom door hard enough to shake the family photos in the hallway. The sisters left in the living room exchanged worried glances. They could hear Brenda's angry pacing above them, a sound they'd all become too familiar with over the years.

"Should we go after her?" Blair asked. Beverly shook her head.

"Let her cool down first. She needs to realize this on her own."

"Her aura is particularly turbulent today, Perhaps some meditation crystals..." Bohdi suggested.

"Not now, Bodhi..." Beverly sighed, picking up another shirt to fold.

Brenda laid on her bed, physically and emotionally drained. Her earlier rage had burned itself out, leaving behind only exhaustion and an uncomfortable hollow feeling in her chest. Memories of the day replayed in her mind like an uncomfortable movie. Warren's frightened expressions. His hasty retreats. The way he practically ran from her presence. Each recollection made her stomach twist unpleasantly. She let out a long, frustrated groan, pressing her palms against her eyes until she saw spots.

"I hate this! I hate when he gets like this..." she muttered to herself.

"You mean when YOU make him get like this." came Belinda's voice from the other side of the bedroom. She was arranging heart-shaped pillows on her bed.

"Nobody asked you." Brenda snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

"All you have to do is apologize, you know. Just tell Warren you're sorry for blowing up on him." Belinda continued, unfazed by her sister's tone. Brenda shot up from her bed, face reddening.

"I told you to stay out of this! If you don't shut up, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Belinda interrupted, turning to face her sister with uncharacteristic directness. "Threaten me like you threatened Warren?"

The words died in Brenda's throat. she slowly sank back down onto her bed, the fight draining out of her once again. She stared at her hands, remembering how they'd shaken with rage yesterday when she'd threatened Warren.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked quietly, her voice small and uncertain.

"Well, saying sorry would be a good start." Belinda said, her expression softened.

"I'm terrible at that." Brenda admitted, picking at a loose thread on her bedspread.

"Oh! well I know exactly what you should do! Go to his room, sit him down gently, look into his eyes, and tell him how sorry you are. Make sure he knows how much you love him! Maybe seal it with a sweet kiss-"

"Ugh, gross! He's our brother, not my boyfriend! What is wrong with you?" Brenda recoiled, her face twisting in disgust.

"On the CHEEK, silly!" Belinda rolled her eyes, throwing a pillow at her sister. "I swear, you can be so dramatic sometimes."

Brenda caught the pillow, her face burning with embarrassment. She glanced around the room awkwardly before burying her face in the pillow to hide her reddening cheeks.

"Just... go easy on him." Belinda suggested more gently. "Warren...He tries so hard to be there for all of us, even when we're at our worst. Especially when we're at our worst."

Brenda didn't respond, but her grip on the pillow tightened slightly. Deep down, she knew Belinda was right. She'd let her temper get the best of her again, and Warren had paid the price. Now she just had to figure out how to fix it. If she hadn't already damaged things beyond repair, that is. The thought made her stomach clench uncomfortably. She might be terrible at showing it, but she really did love her dorky brother, even if her anger issues often got in the way of expressing it properly.

She took a deep breath and got up. it was getting late. this was usually the time Warren would go to sleep. She better make her move now.

Warren was going through his nightly routine. Stretching his arms above his head as he prepared for bed. The day had been exhausting, mainly from all the strategic maneuvering he'd done to avoid Brenda. Just as he was about to climb into bed, a soft knock at his door made him pause. Opening the door, Warren felt his entire body freeze. There stood Brenda, but something was... different. The usual fire in her eyes was dimmed. She wasn't standing with her usual commanding presence; instead, her shoulders were slightly slumped, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

She almost looked..defeated? she definitely looked a lot calmer now.

"Can we talk?" she asked, her voice lacking its usual sharp edge. Warren's first instinct was to slam the door and barricade it with his desk, but something about her demeanor made him hesitate. Swallowing hard, he stepped aside to let her in. Brenda sat down on his bed and patted the space beside her. Warren eyed the spot as if it might be booby-trapped but, deciding that refusing might trigger her anger, carefully lowered himself onto the mattress.

"So..." Brenda began, staring at her hands in her lap. "About yesterday... and today..." She started recounting everything that had happened, from her explosive outburst to his subsequent avoidance of her.

When she finally looked up at him, Warren couldn't help but shiver slightly, but what he saw in her eyes made him pause. The usual anger was completely absent, replaced with something that looked suspiciously like... remorse?

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering him a small, genuine smile. an expression so rare on Brenda's face that Warren had to resist the urge to check if he'd accidentally wandered into an alternate dimension.

"I'm sorry, Warren." she said softly. "I'm really, really sorry. I never meant to make you afraid of me. I don't want you to fear me or... or hate me. You're my only brother, and I-" her voice cracked slightly.

"I don't want to lose you because I can't control my temper."

Before Warren could process what was happening, Brenda wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. His brain short-circuited completely.

'WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHO IS THIS AND WHAT DID THEY DO WITH BRENDA?' his mind screamed. As if to further break his reality, Brenda pulled back slightly, looked him in the eyes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I love you..." she said quietly.

"I... uh... love you too?" Warren managed to stammer out, still trying to determine if he'd somehow fallen asleep and was dreaming this whole thing. Brenda sighed and hugged him tighter, resting her head against his shoulder. A light blush colored her cheeks as she realized how nice this felt. Maybe being affectionate wasn't so bad after all.

"Um... Brenda?"

"Just a little longer, please." she murmured. Warren sat there, rigid with confusion but not daring to move. He complied with her request, though his mind was racing at light speed.

he made a mental note to check Beatrice's lab later for any signs of sister-replacing experiments, just to be safe.