It was one fourty in the morning. It was a school day, Wednesday to be exact. Jude Jacobs was wide awake. He always wide awake. The night was cold, for it was the middle of December. Inside the house, it was absolutely freezing. His newest foster father never liked paying the electric bill, so the house was never a proper temperature.

Jude was sitting on an old mattress, his baby foster sister cuddled on his lap. The cold air had hit her face and made her sneeze. Ella wasn't his real sister. Only Callie was. Ella was just a baby that had grown very fond of the Jacobs children over the course of three foster homes. The social workers had tried to separate the infant from the two siblings, but that resulted in Ella going into a panic attack. She was prone to having them, and now, they were much more frequent

Jude quickly looked down to her. Her face was reddened with irritation from the cold. Her blue eyes glanced up to him. He felt his heart break softly. She didn't deserve this.

"I'm so sorry, Ella..." He whispered to her as he pulled her small body toward his. Ella was around two and Jude was practically raising her, now that his older sister, Callie had been arrested. She dug her face into his chest and whimpered softly, signaling him that she didn't feel good. He sighed and pulled the blanket closer to her. He had put her in her warmest clothing and wrapped her in a towel about an hour ago. He also had on layers of clothing as well. Covering them both was his comforter from his bed and some mix matched blankets that he had picked up from around the house. No matter how hard Jude tried, the icy chill still broke in. Jude laid back against the mattress and hugged Ella to his chest like a teddy bear. He needed to sleep, but their foster father had different plans. The door to the basement swung open and the foster father's shadow appeared in the door frame. Jude shuddered slightly. The alcoholic man approached them silently and leaned down. Jude tightened his grip on his baby sister, who was now weirdly mute. She was usually always babbling or whining, but nothing was heard. Their foster father was gripping something in his hand. It was a broken bottle. A broken bottle that was soaked in blood. Jude felt his eyes widen in fear as he opened his mouth the speak.

"Get up!" He yelled. He was drunk, for his words slurred heavily. Jude instantly scrambled up, still clinging Ella to his chest. The toddler in his arms poked her head up to see their fake father. She immediately started shrieking.

"Shut her up!"

Jude hoisted her closer and bounced her around, "Yes sir!"

"Don't you mouth me."

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to."

"That's all I ever hear from you! You aren't grateful for me! I provide for you and that damn baby and all I ask is for you to keep her quiet! Is that much to ask?!"

Jude felt the anger boil inside of himself. That man sent his older sister away, and put him through so much abuse, and terrified Ella to the point of panic. He doesn't do anything but that.

"You don't do shit! You never have and you never will! You damn drunk!"

That was when he knew he said to much. Before Jude could do anything, the broken bottle collided with his cheek and sent him to the floor. Jude just remembered the sound of echoed crying before his sight was sent into pitch blackness.

Stef Adams-Foster had a normal life. She had a beautiful wife, a nice home, three lovely children, and was the best cop around.

She was sleeping happily, cuddled up with her wife, Lena. The two had been together for some time now, and together had three children. Brandon was the eldest, from Stef's last marriage. Lena and Stef had adopted two children, Jesus and Mariana, when they were young. Now, they were fourteen, and Brandon was seventeen.

Stef was instantly woken up by the sound of her phone. Moaning, she sat up, snatching it from the end table. It was the station. There was a domestic abuse case that Stef had to handle. Sighing, she untangled herself from Lena, and proceeded to get ready to leave. It was two thirty in the morning. Stef predicted it was a wife and husband fighting in some junky neighborhood over drugs. She worked cases like that all the time.

Stef quickly went to her police cruiser and looked at the address. It was in a junky neighborhood, and after picking up her partner, Mike, they went to the address.

As the came upon the house, Stef's eyes went wide in disgust. It was an ugly looking house. It probably had termites and gross stains all over the place.

That was when the sound of a crying baby snapped her out of her trance. Being a mother and having maternal instincts, she instantly rushed out the car and toward the window, peeking in. A man stood there in front of the television. He looked obese, and very mean. In his hand was a bloody broken bottle. Stef glanced around to the other side of the room. Baby toys were all over the place. The crying picked up, and the man went over to another door, kicking it. That just made the noises louder. Stef felt sick. This man had locked a child in a closet.

She forced entry, her gun held up. Mike was right behind her, along with much more back up. The arrest was simple. The man did not put up a fight. Stef, once seeing that the man was in custody, instantly went to the closet door, opening it.

There sat a baby girl, her body busted up and bruised. Stef almost cried. After putting her gun away, she squatted down to the little girl's height, "Hey... Im here to help... Can you tell me your name?"

The little girl sat there in panic. Stef took the liberity and lifted her up into her grasp.

Something hit Stef. It hit her in her heart. As soon as the child was in her grasp, she started to cry. The baby felt right in her arms. Stef knew that this was her child. She had felt like that when she held Brandon for the first time, or when she hugged the twins when they met. This child belonged with her and her family.

Mike tore her away for her to see a preteened boy. His face was cut up, but from his outlook, he looked okay. He stared in horror as Stef gripped to Ella. He noticed all the bruising and blood right away and rushed to her.

"Oh my god! Ella! What did he do to you?!" He took Ella in his grasp and cradled her to him, checking her for any more injury. Stef watched, taking note of the name.

"What's going on here?"

Jude looked to the officer, "Our foster father... he's awful."

Stef nodded to him, trying her best not to make the kids anymore upset, "How long have you been here? Are there anymore kids here?"

"It was just me and my sisters, Ma'am. We've been here for about five months."

Her heart shattered. Five months?

"What are your names, hun? Where's your other sister?"

"Jude Jacobs, Ma'am. And this is Ella Bryers. My older sister, Callie, was arrested about two weeks ago."

Stef then decided to take the liberity and take them home with her. Lena wanted more kids anyways.

It was four in the morning when Stef was allowed to take Jude and Ella with her back to the house. By the timethey parked, Lena and all three of their children were outside. Stef had called, explaining the situation to her wife. Lena agreed to take them in for awhile.

Stef got out of the car, Jude clinging to Ella's sleeping frame. She approached the front door, hugging her wife as soon as she did. Lena gripped to her beloved, afraid to let go.

That's when she saw the two kids. Her heart grew in size. She just wanted to wrap them both up and love them to death.

"Lena, kids, this is Jude, and Ella. They will be staying with us."

After introducing everyone, they all went inside.

Lena escorted Jude to the living room, showing him the couch where he would sleep. She noticed the grunginess of his clothing and face. He probably hadn't showered in a week.

"Jude, if you want to shower, I can watch-..."

"No, it's fine."

Lena was taken back, before going at it again, "She's asleep. Just lay her down on the couch and I'll watch her from a distance."

Jude hesitated, before nodding, "And if she wakes up, will you come get me?"

Lena smiled and nodded. Jude then laid his baby on the couch, tucking her into the blankets Lena had laid out, before going up the steps to the bathroom.

Lena took a seat next to Ella, watching her small chest go up and own. She loved her, no matter if she had held her before or not. Lena adored her. Just like Stef, Ella was her child.

New Story because of a lot of muse! Callie will be added later on!