Prequel

Here we were again. Sat in the same too cheery to be real room waiting for another couple to come and reject us. I'm actually surprised they still have us together. Sure they promised Grandpa that when we're put up for adoption we were going to stay together but that was before he died and that was before 5 months as well as 7 couples passed us over for children who didn't come with already attached siblings and issues. Nobody want dysfunctional kids let alone 3 dysfunctional kids.

You see there's several reasons why nobody would want us whether we were together or apart and I think that's why they've tried to adopt us out together so far. They know as well as I do it's not going to happen.

Our mom was never a nice person. She always went after the wrong man, she didn't like working and she loved drinking. Until I was six I basically raised myself. My dad left before I was born so I never met him, not that I'd particularly want to.

When I was six I noticed something changing with my mom, a few months later she walked into the house we were living in, after being gone for a while, passes me a bundle of blankets, then left again.

That bundle changed the way I lived, I was only a few weeks from being seven yet I found myself sole charge of a new born baby boy. I named him Mattie.

After two years I realised Mattie wasn't like most children his age we saw at the park. He didn't make as many noises as most babies and he only ever communicated with pointing or hand signals. He didn't react to noises and when I called his name he didn't bat an eye. Just after his second and my ninth birthday I took him to a free clinic a few miles away explained that my mom was working and told them about Mattie. After that they did a few tests. Turns out what I had suspected at just 9 years of age was true.

My little brother was deaf.

The library became a very valuable resource after that. I looked up everything I could on his condition then took out as many sign language books as I could and started teaching myself and Mattie as much as possible.

We were doing fine, mostly. Mom spent most of her time out with boyfriends while I looked after and taught Mattie as much as I could. We always avoided the friends mom brought home. You never knew what they were going to be like, sure you had the few good ones but they were few and far between compared to the rest which we avoided completely.

And this went on for a year or so but just a few months before Mattie's fourth birthday it happened again. Mom left for a few days nothing unusual. Came back and dumped into my arms another bundle of blankets. This time though it was a pink blanket.

Mattie and I worked together to choose her name.

Gracie-May.

Nothing really changed to much I just had an extra little person to look after.

I always loved my brother and sister and did the best I could to look after them by this time I was 10 years old and sole carer for two children under the age of five one of which was deaf.

Two years after Gracie was born a woman came to the door. Our mom had died in the bar the night before. That was the first time we were taken into care we were only there for a couple of days before they found our grandpa. Our mom's dad was 78 when he took us in. That was the best year of lives so far. He helped Mattie learn how to start reading lips. He taught Gracie-May about Disney movies and brought her princess dresses. And me, he helped me come to terms with my sexuality and the life I've led so far. We were with him just a year before he died and we ended back in care.

If they split us up I know that Gracie-May would be adopted within the month. She' what every prospective parent wants. Her dark brown hair falls down her back in ringlets while her bright green eyes sparkle and light up whenever she's smiling which is near permanently.

But Mattie would end up in some home for disabled kids and I'd end up in some young adults home with a load of runaways or something. I just can't let it happen.

I can't let them split us up.

I made a promise to my little brother and sister that I would always protect them no matter what.

And that's what I'm going to do.

I'm not going to let anyone make me break my promise.

-K&B-

A/N - Please let me know what you think.

This fic is a sort of sequel/future fic to my story What Friends a For but you don't really need to have read that to understand this.

It is from an OC point of view and is likely to be several one shots spread over time. If anyone has any ideas for what they would like to see please let me know.