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Angelica sighed as she rested her head on the steering wheel, preparing herself for the sight she knew she was about to walk into. After a couple of moments she gained enough composure to get up and opened the door and walked into the bar where she would find him. As she opened the doors the thoughts of those drunk or close to becoming drunk flooded her mind. ‘Mywifeleftmeandtookthekids......idontknowwhatiamdoingwithmylifeanymore....thatgirlwillbedrunkenoughsoon.....whatsthepointofthis.....’Angelica shuddered as she remembered why she avoided bars, but she couldn’t go back now. As she walked to the slumped figure at the counter her mind was assaulted by the accusing and curious stares,‘Freak’‘Whatissomeonelikeherdoinghere?’‘Bitch’‘Idtakehertobedevenwiththosefreakywings’‘Mutant’She ignored the hateful messages that were directed at her as she gave a small, sad smile to the man that had called her. His normally sandy, blonde hair was sleek with grease and sweat, his face was trapped in a frown that seemed to overwhelm his normally handsome features. Johnny hiccuped as he spoke, “I’m feelin’ perfectly fine!!.... *hiccup* I dont kno why my friend here *gestures wildly to the bartender* says I had to call you to go home.... *hiccup* I’m perfectly somber!!” *hiccup*A single tear falls before she can stop it, but she quickly gets back control of her emotions, as she thanks the man that helped her find her brother-in-law. The man gives a sad smile as he accepts the money Angelica gives him, as he speaks,“I’ve seen too many good men lose themselves to a bottle, I’m so sorry you have to see this Miss....”She doesn’t bother to respond to the mans words, having seen far worse in her lifetime. After guiding Johnny to the car Angelica sat still, waiting until she could get her emotions back under her control. Across the seat from her Johnny’s feelings were chaotic and erratic, and they seemed to drown Angelica with the raw emotion that he seemed to be feeling. Angelica didn’t know what to say to give comfort to Johnny, because how could she comfort him when she needed comfort herself? They stayed in silence until two soft, breathy words broke the silence,“.....thank you”Angelica started and looked over to her companion, not sure if she heard him correctly or if she had imagined it, but after looking at Johnny’s face she saw the emotion and pain on his face but there was also something small that wasn’t there before....comfort. Johnny knew that she didn’t know what to say to make it better, that nothing could make it better. For he lost his soulmate and she lost her sister but being here with someone that loved her the same way that he did was a comfort to his heart. Knowing that the memory of Bette wasn’t just in his mind but in the mind of another how cared. The drive home was quiet but not uncomfortable. As Angelica parked in the driveway she looked over at Johnny and saw that he was asleep. Chuckling softly she opened the door and carried him inside the apartment. As she opened the door she heard rustling and saw Ben Grimm stand up and look over at her. Seeing the sleeping man in her arms, he sighed and took the man from her. After clearing his throat, he spoken in a soft, gravely whisper,“Whatever Johnny did, I don’t wanna know....otherwise I might crack his head open for leaving his kid again.”Angelica sighed and decided that now wasn’t the time for arguing, although she made a mental note to talk to him about it later. But right now she needed to check on Ben. As she watched Johnny get tucked into bed by his friend she saw that there was no malice or contempt in his actions towards him, there was nothing but gentleness and care for his friend. For the first time that night Angelica was able to smile, a real smile. After a moment of calm Angelica walked out of the room towards her nephews bedroom. Angelica softly knocked on the bedroom door before waiting a moment for a response. When no response was heard she slowly opened the door and peered inside. What she saw in the bedroom broke her heart, laying on the bed was Ben curled up into a ball silently crying in his sleep. Angelica sat on the edge of his bed as she entered into his dreams. ‘Momwhereareyou.......im lost.....dontleavemeplease....idontwanttobealone....imnevergoingtoseemomagain’‘Benyouarenotalone.....iamhere.....iloveyou......youaresafe....butitstimetosleepnow.....illstayhereuntilyouarereadytosleepagain....andiwillbeherewhenyouwakeup’As Angelica came out of Bens dream she heard a deep inhale of breath before Ben rolled over and into her arms. Ben smiled in his sleep and cuddled closer to her until Angelica shifted and leaned back on his bed and held him. They stayed like this for a long time, while Angelica occasionally hums and rubs Bens back. Angelica waits until she is certain that Ben is asleep before she lays him back down and tucks him in bed. She stretches out her wings as she exits the room. After crossing the living room she checks in on Johnny and finds him fast asleep but restless. Angelica moves to touch his forehead and removes the pain from the alcohol in his system before projecting calm thoughts into his dreams. After he settles Angelica moves into the kitchen and sits down at the table. Angelica checks her phone and sees that it is 2:47am to her surprise and that she has 4 missed calls from her girlfriend, Jessica Drew. As much as she wants to call her back and let all of her bottled up feelings out but she knows that it’s too late to call her now. She sighs and turns off her phone, as she lays her head down on the table and cries. As the tears fall silently she thinks about all the things that she could have done differently, all the things that she has done wrong. If she wasn’t so caught up with her petty fight with Sharkman, Bette might still be here. If she was just a little bit faster her Sunshine might not be gone. As Angelica dwells in what could have happened her tears become heart wrenching sobs that shake her to her core. After she has cried until she has no more tears left, she sniffles and wipes her face. It’s 6:16am now and she hasn’t slept today, in fact she hasn’t slept much since her sisters death but she doesn’t plan on starting now. There is work to be done and she knows that if she lets down her guard just once, it could mean the death of someone else that she loves. After she cleans up in the guest room and puts on clean clothes she goes to the kitchen and starts to make breakfast for the boys. As she cooks she also straightens up the apartment because it always seems to be in disarray these days. As she finishes breakfast Johnny stumbles into the kitchen, drawn in by the smell of pancakes and bacon. After stumbling around some more looking for some Advil for his hangover he looks over at Angelica with a weird look on his face, he then opens his mouth and speaks,“Angelica, I need help.....I don’t wanna be like my dad, who was never around or just stupidly drunk. I don’t want that for Ben. I, I don’t have the strength right now and I know you are just pretending to for the sake of me and Ben, but that’s not the way to do it. I know you bottle up your feelings because you’re afraid that you’ll lose control of your powers but it’s tearing you up inside. I don’t want to make Ben lose both his parents and I don’t want to lose my little sis either....”Angelica froze as Johnny’s words trailed off, but the words were still there thundering in her mind. ‘Youarejustpretending......youreafraid......losecontrolofyourpowers....’Suddenly her thoughts were interpreted by a bone crushing hug. It was Johnny and it startled Angelica out of her negative thoughts as he spoke softly in her ear,“I know you’re over thinking again but I mean it. You need support just as much as Ben and I do. Go take care of yourself for once, let me try my best to prove that Ben hasn’t lost both of his parents.”Angelica didn’t know what to say so she just hugged Johnny tighter and simply nodded and left the kitchen. As she closed the door to her room, she felt the waves of emotion in the house dampen as the sorrow and pain was just a little bit less then it was before. It hadn’t changed much but it was a start for them all. As she leaned against the door she suddenly realized just how tired she was. After that she found herself on the bed were she curled up and fell into a dreamless sleep.
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Jackie's powersGeokinesisImpenetrable when goldControl a person by taking their heartSuper strength/durabilityFlight (later)Telepathy (now/later)Skilled fighter/negotiator/strategist Bette's powersFire creation/controlLight speedFlightHeat/burn resistanceAdvanced healingSkilled fighterCreation of oxygen around self Angelica's powersWings (flight)TelekinesisTelepathyEmpathyTeleportation (later)Increased strength/durability/healing/speedSkilled fighter/negotiatorSpeaks (almost) all languages Lexis's powersImpenetrable skinEnergy creation/manipulationTechnopathGeniusInventorSkilled fighterIncreased strength/speed/durability