A/N So, I had this idea for a story a while ago, but never got round to actually writing it! XD Anyway, I was thinking about it today and I thought I'd start it. Hope you enjoy it! :-D
I'm using my laptop to write for the first time in ages (usually I use my tablet or more often phone), and so I'm struggling to find some of the keys! XD Hopefully I'll manage alright. :-)
Ellie is portrayed by Gwen Currant and Ella by Nelly Currant.
Mike POV
It was the middle of the night when they arrived.
I had just woken up to a knock at the door, and opened it to find two young girls, probably only nine or ten, along with a very annoyed-looking social worker.
"Mike, I need you to take these two," she said desperately. No one else will have them, and we've already been to five other care homes, and..."
"It's OK, don't worry, I'll take them," I said, interrupting her. "I'm not sure where they'll sleep, but..."
"OK," said the social worker, who I assumed was new, as I didn't recognise her. "Thanks. I'll email you about them in the morning. Bye."
And with that she was gone.
"OK, you two," I said, trying not to show my shock at the fact I had just been left with two children who I didn't even know the names of. "Come with me."
I put my arm around the shoulders of the more slender of the girls, and she immediately fell to the floor.
"Please, don't hurt me, I'll..." she began in a panicked voice.
"It's OK, I won't," I said calmly, trying to reassure her that everything was OK. I turned to the other girl, who looked like she was in pain. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head, suddenly grabbing my arm to support herself.
"OK, let's get you two into the office and then we can work out what to do, yeah?" I said, giving her a small smile.
She nodded, before, turning to the other girl, still on the floor. "Ellie, come on, come with me."
Ellie shook her head. "No, just you, not him."
I interrupted the conversation, realising I hadn't introduced myself. "I'm Mike, Mike Milligan." I turned to the girl still holding me for support, looking at her questionally.
"I'm Ella," she said. "Ella Johnson." She turned to Ellie. "And this is my older sister, Ellie."
Ellie looked up at me. "I'm not much older," she said. "We're identical twins."
I nodded, having worked that out already. "Do you want to come with me, then?"
Ellie nodded, hesitantly, before getting up and following me and Ella into the office.
"Right," I said once I'd sat Ella down and Ellie had sat next to her, curling herself into a small ball, their arms round each other. "What did your social worker tell you?"
They looked at me blankly.
"The woman who was with you," I said. "What did she tell you?"
"Nothing," said Ella, to which Ellie nodded in response.
"Right," I said. "Well, this is a care home, where we look after children if their parents can't. It's called Ashdene Ridge, and you'll live here now."
"Forever?" asked Ellie.
"Until you're old enough to look after yourselves," I said. "Most people leave when they're sixteen."
They nodded.
"Right, if there's nothing else you want to know," I paused as the twins shook their heads, "we'll find you a room."
"OK," they said together, before looking to each other and back to me.
"Come on then," I said. I went to help Ella as she got up, catching her as she fell.
And I accidentally pushed Ellie away.
She screamed.
Suddenly there was a thundering of footsteps, and Ella went over to Ellie, who was struggling to breathe.
I quickly turned around and blocked the door to the office, knowing the last thing they needed was for all the kids to start asking questions.
"What's going on?" asked Tee, being the first one downstairs. She looked to the twins, seeing them through the glass. "Who are they?"
"They've just arrived, they need peace and quiet," I said. "Could you send everyone back to bed for me?"
Tee nodded, stopping the rest of the kids as they came to the bottom of the stairs and sending them back the way they had come.
I gave her a smile of thanks, before I went to see the twins.
"Breathe, Ellie," Ella was saying, holding her sister tight. "Deep breaths, the same as me."
Ellie nodded, resting her head on Ella's shoulder, calming slightly.
"Girls," I said gently, quietly kneeling down beside them. "Do you need a minute?"
Ella shook her head, still trying to calm Ellie, before she turned to me. "Please help."
I gave them both a reassuring smile, knowing how scary this must be for them.
"Ellie," I said gently. "Ellie, look at me."
Ellie looked up.
"I didn't mean to push you," I began, "and I would never hurt you." I gave her another smile. "Try and breathe like your sister, yeah?"
Ellie gave a small nod, trying her best to breathe in time with her sister.
I sat with them for a few minutes until Ellie's breathing was back to normal.
"Are you alright?" Ella asked her.
Ellie nodded, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It's OK," said Ella, before they hugged each other tight.
"Girls," I said, interrupting them. "Do you want to come to your room now?"
They both shook their heads, obviously needing a bit more time to calm themselves.
I gave them a reassuring smile to show them that was OK, before I waited for them to be ready.
We never did get upstairs.
Ellie still wasn't ready to go more than half an hour later, so I showed them into the quiet room, letting them get comfy as I went to go and find them a blanket.
When I came back, a pink fleece blanket in my hand, Ellie and Ella were curled up on the sofa together like two kittens, making it hard to see where one of them ended and the other started.
I gave a small, sad smile, draping the blanket over them and watching as they snuggled into it, their heads resting side by side on a cushion.
"Night night, girls," I whispered, before I left the room and went back into the office, wanting to watch them for a bit to check they were alright.
And I didn't leave my chair all night.
A/N So, that was the first chapter. I hope you liked it. :-) There are some mysteries in this at the moment, but a lot will be revealed in the next chapter where Mike gets the email from their social worker. I'm waiting for a character (Linneagb is giving me one for the story as another resident) which is why I ended it here, but hopefully it won't be too long until I can write the next chapter. There are also polyvores on my polyvore account (snow-pony), so you can go check them out if you want. :-) Really hope you liked it, please review! :-D