"I want my mama!" Cat screams. She stomps her foot on the hard floor and screams even louder. "Mama!"

"There's no point in getting yourself worked up, dearie," a nurse says, bustling past. "She'll most likely be here soon."

"She won't, my mommy hasn't seen me in months!" Cat wails bitterly. She glares. The nurse looks shocked.

"Well! If looks could kill!"

Cat sits down and waits for Lisa. She'll be along the children's ward soon to take Cat home. Cat doesn't really know where home is. Lisa comes in with a smile beating the Cheshire Cat's. "Cat, there's good news! A lovely couple are going to foster you."

"Why?"

"Because they're very nice and would like to take care of you!" Cat nods.

"Okay." There's a long journey until they reach the big country house with yards and yards of land, with horses and little ducks wandering about. The car stops and Cat makes no attempt to get out.

"Come on, Cat, we have to meet your foster parents."

"No we don't," Cat says warily. She moves over. "We can go home right now."

"Well, we aren't, so get out of the car."

"No." Cat says defiantly. She digs her heels in.

"Why not?" Lisa asks. She sees Cat eying the ducks. "They won't hurt you! I'll carry you in case though, if you'd like." Cat nods. Cat jumps as she hears a voice behind her.

"You're a bit old to be carried. Put her down, Lisa!" Cat grabs onto Lisa for dear life.

"Come on Cat; do as Mrs Williams tells you."

"No!" Cat screams.

"Young lady, you will do as you are told! Walk right this second."

"You see, Mrs Williams, she's scared of the ducks."

"Nonsense, she must have fed the ducks before."

"Ducks are dirty!" Cat thrashes about. "Mama wouldn't let me."

"Well, I'm your mama now and you will do as I say. Now down!" Mrs Williams pulls her off. Cat kicks her in the shins. She's forced to be put down and her hand is grabbed roughly. "Thank you, Ms Moto. You may leave now."

Lisa hands Mrs Williams Cat's case and then drives away, leaving Cat stranded. She looks up at Mrs Williams. "You will call me mummy," she says in her broad British accent, "and you will have a little sister now, too. Her name is Marie." Like the posh cat in the Aristocats, Cat thinks. "You will do as she says as well. She is three."

Cat mumbles a response and is shown her room. "You may spend time here doing hobbies, etcetera, but breakfast, lunch, dinner, and talk time in the evening is with the family."

"Mommy?" Cat asks. Mrs Williams turns. She bends down to Cat's height.

"Yes, dearie?"

"What about mommy?" Cat asks, struggling to pull out her ponytail. Her brunette hair cascades down her shoulders.

"I'm right here, Cat, no need to worry."

"No, Mrs Williams-"

"Mummy," she corrected "it's mummy now."

"What about my mama?" Cat whispers. She asks if she can use the bathroom. Mrs Williams nods and Cat is shown the way. She squirts some of the coconut soap on her hands and rubs them together, creating a foamy monster in the sink. She turns the faucet on and rinses, and then starts to cry. Afterwards she washes her face and dries it on the soft towel. Apparently it's time to meet Marie now.

"Say hello, Cat, this is my daughter, Marie."

"Hi," Cat mumbles. She waves. "I like your hair." Cat says, eyeing the scraggly pigtail. She's just trying to make conversation.

"Okay, good girl. It's time to go over some ground rules, okay?" Cat nods even though she feels sick and smiles weakly.

Jade yawns again and is getting bored of Miss talking. The project is to make the person feel good about themselves so they have to write all the good things about that person on a scrap of paper, and then will tie them to balloons once they've been read.

Jade is so scared. Even with Beck, she finds it hard to believe he'll find anything nice about her. She's terrified of more rejection.

"I'm a lightweight better be careful what you say

with every word I'm blown away.

You're in control of my heart"

The last bit of information makes Jade panic. "Then, we'll be talking about ourselves for a bit." She doesn't want to talk. She doesn't even know what to say.

She looks at Beck as he writes, a triangle of pink tongue sticking out. She writes her first word.

Smart
kind
funny
slightly weird
handsome
compliment-y
interesting
my friend

Beck is taking longer to write his list and Jade gets anxious. He finishes in the nick of time and they swapped. Jade skims over the list. She feels her cheeks flush and she stifles a smile. Beck grins at her.

Pretty
smart
different
headstrong
funny
vampire-like
just a bit girly
responsible

"So," Beck starts. "I'm a good person cause I'm your friend?"

"Well that does make you pretty awesome!" Jade beams. Beck smiles and goes to get the balloons for them. Jade slips her note into her pocket. She tears another piece and places that in the balloon. Beck smiles at her and hands her the balloon. "Do we have to blow them up ourselves?"

"No, Miss said that she'd put some heli-something in the balloon."

"Okay," Jade says slowly. She can't wait to get home and read the note over and over again.

A/N:

Anyone else got Monday Blues? :( Haha. Thanks for reading. Only 8 days till my two week holiday :D