A/N: Another story in my guardian series. Hope you enjoy.
I Will Love You Forever
Ethel and Sybil walked into each other as they set the knifes and forks out and both gave each other a look before Esmerelda turned around giving them each a plate of pasta as the three of them sat down. Sybil was over for a sleepover and the three of them were spending time together happily.
"Good food Esmie" Sybil told her sister as she chewed her dinner happily.
Esmerelda smiled slightly, forced down a few pieces of pasta and then lowered her cutlery clearly something on her mind.
"I need to tell you both something" Esmerelda told them both clearly on edge.
"What is up?" Ethel asked taking a sip of her apple juice to wash down her pasta.
Esmerelda fell silent thinking over how best to word it before she replied.
"I have been seeing this guy at work and we have decided to start dating" Esmerelda said not wanting exactly to say the word boyfriend as it made it sound a whole lot more official. Neither girl spoke for a few moments until Sybil squealed.
"Awesome, is he cute?" Sybil asked her sister with a smile.
"Well obviously or I wouldn't like him would I Sybil?" Esmerelda replied shaking her head with a chuckle, glad the girl had taken it well, she moved her gaze to look at Ethel. The girl was sat there holding her fork in her hand and just staring at Esmerelda like she had just told her she was adopting Mildred Hubble.
"Isn't it great Ethel? "Maybe they will get married!" Sybil told her sister already gushing at the very thought.
Ethel contintued to stare for a few seconds before she threw her fork down and stood up and then walked towards her bedroom on the other side of the flat, slamming the door in the process. Esmerelda and Sybil both glanced at each other in shock, Esmie had not expected Ethel to be thrilled at the idea but she had not expected this reaction either.
"What is wrong with her?" Sybil asked looking at the door that had just slammed.
"I don't know I am going to check on her, stay here and eat your dinner Sybil" Esmerelda told her sister as she stood up and walked to her other sister's bedroom door before knocking.
"G...G...G...GO...A...A.A..AWAY" Ethel shouted in response but Esmerelda was shocked to hear her sister was in tears, she could hear it in her voice, she opened the door and walked in gently closing the door behind her.
Esmerelda looked at her sister sadly, the girl was lying face down on her bed sobbing into her pillow, Esmerelda felt awful now she had not expected such a bad reaction from Ethel. Esmerelda sat on the side of the bed next to her and touched her on the back gently.
"Ethie" Esmerelda said in a concerned way.
"Please leave me alone" Ethel told her sister as she sobbed more.
"I can't do that Ethie, I could never leave you when you are so upset" Esmerelda told her sister rubbing her back. "Tell me what is wrong" Esmerelda then said not really understanding why Ethel was so upset.
"I have gotten used to living here...I really love living with you... I don't want it to end" Ethel told her sister talking into her pillow.
"Why would that happen Ethie?" Esmerelda asked still really confused about what her sister was talking about.
"You have a boyfriend..." Ethel said if possible crying more as she said the last word.
"So?" Esmerelda asked still clueless as to what her sister was so upset about.
"So you are going to forget about me and spend all your time with him and then you are going to get married like Sybil said and have kids and there will be no room for me in your new family" Ethel told her sister through her sobs.
Esmerelda could almost have smacked herself for this reaction not even crossing her mind, sure Ethel was a lot calmer now and they got on much better but Ethel will always have them trust issues, she will always be waiting for this to end because everyone else in her life has let her down and hurt her and of course Ethel was thinking it was happening again.
"Ethel that is not going to happen" Esmerelda told her sister "We have been dating a week, I don't think we will be getting married anytime soon" Esmerelda reassured her sister but the girl continued to bawl.
"Ethie come on look at me" Esmerelda told her sister. Ethel did not sit up but she did turn her head to look at her so her eyes were facing her.
"I took you in because I wanted to and I love you" Esmerelda told Ethel stoking her blonde locks.
"But you didn't have a boyfriend then" Ethel replied as she sniffed.
"Ethel, you are my sister and you and Sybil will always always come first, I am not going to put you on the streets because I have a boyfriend, no matter what happens you and Sybil are my number one priority" Esmerelda told Ethel stroking her hair more. Ethel lifted her head cuddling into her but still clearly had something on her mind.
"But what if it gets serious and you want to move him in, or you want to move in with him" Ethel replied clearly still worried about this.
"I wouldn't do something like that without consulting you first about it" Esmerelda replied to Ethel trying her best to reassure her.
"B...but you love him..." Ethel went on just waiting for all this to breakdown.
Esmerelda kept stroking the younger blonde's hair as she thought before she finally spoke. She didn't want to get this wrong.
"No I don't love him...I barley know him, I like him yes but I don't love him, I love Sybil and you but not him, not yet, it takes time for them feelings to grow" Esmerelda admitted to Ethel and the younger girl leaned into her more her sobs disappearing if she didn't want her she really could just kick her out, Ethel was sixteen now anyway, so the fact she wasn't meant to Ethel she was happy to keep her.
"Sorry for freaking out so much" Ethel apologised knowing she really had over thought things again.
"I should have known you would be upset, but everything will be the same for us, I only get to see him when I am at work, I don't even physically have time to see him out of work anyway" Esmerelda told Ethel with a smile.
"Good I don't want him to steal you from me all the time" Ethel replied and Esmerelda chuckled at that before kissing Ethel on the head lovingly.
"Right now I don't know about you but I am starving, shall we go finish our dinner?" Esmerelda asked her sister. Ethel nodded and took the hand her sister offered and they stood up walking out her room together to finish their food, Ethel feeling so much better now she knew Esmerelda was not kicking her out and she will always have her home for as long as she wanted it.