{Walter}

"What ya got there?" Jenny asked as she sat down on the couch next to me.

"It's a feather," I answered. I was in kind of a mood after Victoria had her episode and another appearance of Alastor.

"Yeah I see it's a feather, where'd you get it? Did you like to go bird watching?" Jenny said.

I rubbed the back of my neck unsure of what to say. So I lied, "I found it."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Does it matter where?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Guess not, just curious that's all."

There was an awkward silence until Victoria started howling in pain. We ran upstairs and saw Victoria rolling around on the ground and sliding on her back like she was trying to scratch it.

"It hurts, it itches and it burns! Make it stop!" She whined.

Jenny walked towards Victoria and Victoria's eyes went wide and she shook her head. "No, stay right where you are."

Jenny looked confused. "Why?"

"Just stay there please," Victoria pleaded.

"I can help you-" Jenny started.

She shook her head again. "I'm sorry. I don't think you can!"

I walked towards them. "Victoria, take a deep breath and relax."

"How can I relax when I feel like I have a bone sticking out of my back? I know it's not broken but that's what it feels like," Victoria said.

"Let me see it," I said.

She blinked. "Huh?"

"I said, let me see it," I demanded.

She sat up and turned around and lifted her shirt up. I gasped when I saw what looked like the beginning of a wing starting to form. When I touched it the wing disappeared back into her back as if nothing had happened. Once that happened, Victoria let out a sigh of relief, "Man that feels better. I have no idea what you did but that seemed to work."

Jenny sniffled. "Hey no fair! I could've done that!"

Victoria turned back around and looked at her. "There are some things that you might not be able to help me with."

Jenny looked at me and snarled, "This is all your fault! Fuck you Walter!"

"What the hell!" Victoria yelled.

She went to get up and run after Jenny but I stopped her. "Don't, I'll talk to her."

I ran downstairs. "Jenny, wait!"

"Why?" She snapped. "Ever since Victoria started dating you she stopped needing me. I mean I knew this day would come but…"

I paused. "Let me get this straight. You're having some sort of empty nest syndrome? You know Victoria's a grown ass woman right? Think of it this way, when you started dating David did you need anyone then?"

"I didn't, but Victoria's different!" Jenny insisted.

"How is she different?" I asked.

She took a breath and let it out. "Growing up Victoria needed someone to be there for her when things got tough. I was there, Jaxon was there, but it was mostly me because Jaxon has more of a life than I do. I would've taken her with me after I left home but I didn't have the means to take care of another person. I was barely making ends meet as it was.

"At least I was there to patch her up when things went south in her life. Now that she's grown I still patch things up for her. I feel like I'm her mom more so than her actual mother and I want her to look at me as a mother figure even if I'm just her bigger sister."

"You are a mother figure to me," I heard Victoria say. I turned to her standing at the bottom of the steps with tears in her eyes. "You've been more of a mother figure to me than my own mother was. It's just there are some things that you can't help me with."

Jenny walked towards Victoria. "But I want to be able to help you with everything! I need you to need me."

Victoria looked down and stood there for a moment. Then she sighed, "I do need you, just not for everything. Besides, Walter's right, I'm a grown woman and I need to do things on my own. Why do you think I didn't move in with you when I needed a caretaker?"

"I… I…." Jenny stammered. Just right when I thought she was going to run to Victoria and hug her, she said, "I gotta go."

She ran out the door so fast that one would think that she was on fire.

"For fucks sake!" Victoria groaned.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"Now she won't talk to me for a couple of days! She's done that before when she's gotten upset with me," Victoria said. "I mean I get that she doesn't want to take her anger out on me but it still hurts."

"I get it, I really do. I was like that with my younger sister at one point in her life but I knew that once she got older, I had to let go. It doesn't mean I can't be there for her, I just needed to let her live her life the way she wants to," I said. "Jenny should do the same. Although I do admire her for helping you out the best she could."

Victoria nodded. "Uh-huh…"

I changed the subject, "Anyway are you hungry? I could fix you something to eat."

"Sounds good to me," Victoria said.

I got Victoria some food and as we were eating I couldn't help but think about Jenny wanting to be Victoria's Mom. It made sense and at the same time it didn't make sense. Victoria's a grown woman and I'm pretty sure that most parents that sooner or later their children will leave the house and have to stand on their own two feet. But I do understand wanting to protect Victoria because I want to protect her too.

***

{omniscient}

Jenny didn't drive home but she drove to a nearby McDonald's just to try and calm herself down before she made the long drive home. Tears flowed freely down from her eyes and she didn't even bother to wipe them from her face.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Taking a couple of deep breaths she muttered to herself, "Fuck! Why the hell does it have to be now? She needs me! She's got to need me! She doesn't have to lean on her boyfriend all the time! Ugh! I hate him!"

She took another deep breath and took out her cell phone and called Jaxon. On the third ring he picked up, "Hello?"

"Jaxon, it's awful," She sniffed.

"What? What's wrong?" Jaxon asked, with concern.

"I hate Walter!" She snarled.

"What did he do?" Jaxon said.

"He didn't really do anything except help Victoria out." Jenny answered.

Jaxon laughed, "You know jealousy isn't a good look for you."

"I'm not jealous!" Jenny protested.

"That's what it sounds like to me. What happened?" Jaxon said.

"Well Victoria was in pain because of something and when I went to go help her, she flat out refused. She refused my help Jaxon!" Jenny explained, "Victoria's never refused my help! Not once."

"Looks like you've finally run into something that you can't help with," Jaxon said. "Didn't you say that David wanted children?"

"But we're not married," Jenny said.

"This isn't the 1960's anymore and at the moment you don't need to be married to have a child. Fuck marriage anyway!" Jaxon said.

"But Victoria is my child!" Jenny whined.

"No, she isn't, she's your baby sister," Jaxon responded.

"Same difference," Jenny snapped.

Jaxon groaned. "Where are you?"

"I'm sitting in my car at the McDonald's around the corner from Victoria's house," Jenny answered.

Jaxon groaned again, "Okay stay there because you're obviously upset and I'm calling David to come get your car."

"But-"

"No but's Jenny. The last thing I need is for you to get into a care wreck. I'll be there in a few," Jaxon lectured.

Jenny sighed, "Okay."

Jaxon hung up and that was when Jenny realized that he was right. It was time for her to have a child of her own and let Victoria go.

***

{Delilah}

I smiled and I hadn't stopped smiling all day because I was able to be in the arms of my true lover, Ben. It was clear that Frank didn't want me in his bed anymore and he was also cheating on me just like I was cheating on him. So if I tried to use that to drag his name through the mud, he could turn around and do the same thing to me.

I just shrugged it off because as long as I had access to Frank's money and could live a life of luxury I was cool with it. But even so I had a feeling that Frank had something more in store for me.

The only time I stopped smiling was when I looked over at the clock on the nightstand. Ben looked at me and frowned. "What's wrong?"

I groaned, "It's 7:30 pm so that means that I have to go back home."

Ben snorted. "Let me get this straight, your husband allows you to cheat on him but he wants you home by a curfew? Why don't you just leave him and marry me instead?"

I scoffed, "No. Frank has more money than you."

"Is that what this is about?" Ben asked. "Because you seem really happy to be with me every time we sleep together."

"I know but I can't marry you. I need someone with money and Frank has that," I said.

He sighed, "Fine. So if I make more money than Frank then you'll marry me?"

I laughed, "Frank has more money than you ever will. He's a freaking billionaire!"

"So-" He started.

I shook my head. "Nope. It's not happening. I'm sorry but we can only be together this way."

He looked at me as if I kicked his puppy or something. I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell me, you're in love with me aren't you?"

He didn't answer me but he got up from the bed and left the room. I got dressed and just when I was about to leave he stopped me. I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He gave me an evil smile. "I'll make you mine one of these days whether you come to me willingly or not. I'm sure Frank would love to get you out of his hair. I might not have money but I have something else."

I narrowed my eyes. "And what might that be?"

"You'll figure it out soon enough. I want you to need me and I make it that way one of these days," Ben said. "But for now, until I have things in place, don't come around or I might take you a lot sooner than expected."

"You wouldn't dare!" I hissed.

Ben didn't lose his evil smile when he showed me a gun that he had in his back pocket. "Try me sweetheart. I dare you to."

The driver that Frank sent me with pulled around and honked the horn. I slowly backed away from him and got into the car.

"Is everything alright Mistress?" The driver asked.

I nodded. "Yeah everything's fine."

I could tell by the look on the driver's face that he wasn't buying it but he just shrugged it off and drove me home.

***

I got home just in time for dinner. Lately my dinners with Frank have been rather quiet which is fine by me because I don't really feel like talking to him.

"Is anything on your mind?" Frank asked.

I looked up at him. "No, everything's fine."

He gave me a pointed look. "Uh-huh sure you are. This wouldn't have anything to do with Ben now would it?"

I shook my head. "No-"

"Oh please don't lie to me Delilah. Ben called me and he wants to make arrangements for you to stay with him. I mean I am thinking about divorcing you but not yet. I have one more planned for you and then I'll let you go," Frank said.

My eyes went wide in horror. "No! Please don't do that?"

"And why not?" Frank asked. "You don't love me, you've made that pretty clear. Besides, what do you bring to the table in this marriage? Do you have any ambitions on what you want to do for your future? I doubt it because I doubt you had any before you married me. You were just looking for an easy way into high society life weren't you? I can't say I'm not surprised considering your ex-husband's were rich but not as rich as I am of course."

"But… But…" I stammered. I had no idea what to say.

Frank smirked. "Oh don't worry your pretty little head. I'll give you enough money to be set for life. Hell, I'll even give you a job in a company if need be. Although the money should be enough as long as you don't blow it all in one go. You'll still be able to live the High Society Life."

He finished eating and left the room leaving me to finish my food in silence.

***

{Victoria}

My back has been killing me lately but it seems that whenever Walter touches it, the pain calms down. It keeps me from sleeping much as well. Thankfully, I managed to put my art commissions on hold until I got this issue under control.

Not to mention Walter's been feeling some back pain as well. Although I wonder if it's just sympathy pain.

Jenny seemed rather happy that I needed her help because Walter wasn't feeling well. It kind of creeped me out in a way knowing that this whole entire time she viewed me as her own child. She also tried to help Walter out and he wasn't too happy about that.

"Why are men so freaking stubborn?" Jenny whined as she helped fluff the pillows on the couch so I could sit down and watch Tv.

"Well maybe he doesn't want you touching his back?" I said.

"What? It's not like I'm going to get him naked or anything like that. Although now I've gotten a chance to observe him more he does seem like he's in good shape. That makes sense considering his line of work. I must say you two will make some gorgeous babies!" Jenny said.

I choked. "Okay, yeah at the moment babies are off the table for us because of health issues. No reason why you can't have a baby of your own?"

Jenny nodded. "Yeah David and I have been talking about it and I've stopped taking the pill. So hopefully soon you might have a little mini me running around."

I smiled. "That's good to hear and then you'll be needed by someone 24/7!"

I was going to say something when I felt a sharp pain in my back.

"Victoria!" Jenny panicked. "I'm taking you upstairs to Walter."

Jenny scooped me up and carried me upstairs and knocked on Walter's door. He answered it and groaned in pain. "What's going on?"

"Victoria needs you," Jenny said.

"Yeah, okay just put her on the bed over here," Walter said.

As soon as Jenny put me down on the bed Walter crawled back into bed and hugged me. The pain went away and Walter let out a sigh of relief. I looked at him and frowned. "Are you okay?"

He blinked. "Actually, I feel better now. All I did was hug you."

"Huh, interesting it's just like when you touch my back I feel better. Do you think that maybe we just need to stay together like this when the pain acts up?" I said.

"I don't know but it seems to help," Walter responded.

"Aww look at my babies!" Jenny gushed. "You guys look so cute together! Okay you guys stay here and I'll go get your phone Victoria and just call me if you need my help."

I didn't say anything until Jenny left. "I don't know why but she's creeping me out right now."

Walter nodded. "Yeah I was thinking the same thing. First she hated me the other day and now she likes taking care of me? She's weird."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah weird indeed."