A/N: This chapter is for the stargate time traveler. I know you have been waiting for this for so long and you will be happy it is finally here. I hope you like it.

Chapter Twenty

New Home?

Christmas had finally arrived. None of the sisters ever really got excited about Christmas because their parents were never there to celebrate with them so it was not fun for them but this year was even worse as they knew they were going to be separated which is why the younger two clinged onto Esmie as they walked into Ada's office the morning they were due to leave. Their social worker smiled at them.

"Great news we have found a placement for you together!" she told them and all three girls beamed as they were told that but she never told them who was taking them in feeling they might refuse and the girls didn't ask they excitedly got into the car wondering what their foster mother would be like.

They drove for twenty minutes and then arrived at a block of flats. Neither girl had even stepped inside a flat before but they didn't really care where they were as long as they were together, They all stepped into the lift and went to floor five before they followed the woman to flat twenty six. The door opened and the girls got the surprise of their life.

"Miss Hubble?" Ethel said wearing a shocked expression that both her sisters mirrored as they realised Mildred Hubble's mother was at the door.

"Come in, come in it is chilly" she told them as the social worker told the three girls to walk in which they all did really confused.

"Take a seat, I will be with you in a moment I just need to talk to your social worker, Mildred is going to come in a second" Julie told the girls who were so shocked they didn't sit down. Mildred came out of her room as Julie was still with their social worker.

"What is going on Mildred Hubble?" Ethel asked rudely and Mildred sighed. She wasn't even grateful when she had given her a home.

"I convinced my mum to foster you all, I didn't want you separated and us Cackles girls have to stick together right?" Mildred replied ignoring the fact Ethel was being rude. Sybil, who liked Mildred, smiled.

"Thank you Mildred" Sybil said but then fell silent as Julie appeared and she became shy.

"What are you three doing, you are silly, the sofa won't bite you know" Julie told them monitoring to the sofa as she saw them standing around. Ethel was going to protest but she was tired so she sat down and her sisters followed suit.

"It is nice to have you all here" Julie smiled as she looked at the blonde sisters and looked at Ethel's baby bump as she smiled. When none of them said anything she carried on talking.

"Esmerelda right?" Julie said looking at the girl sat in the middle.

"And this little one must be Sybie" Julie went on looking at the smallest girl hiding behind her sister "and Ethie, is that right?" Julie asked them all but all three girls gasped.

Esmerelda had not spoken yet but when she heard what Julie said she finally spoke for the first time since she had got to the flat.

"Hey...you just called them Ethie and Sybie only I can call Ethie and Sybie, Ethie and Sybie" Esmerelda said glaring daggers at Julie.

"What?" Julie asked really confused. Mildred smacked her hand to her forehead...she had forgotten to warn her mother against that.

"Oh sorry mum, I forgot to mention the Hallows have this nickname thing...they don't like anyone else using their nicknames" Mildred explained. Julie turned her gaze to her daughter and glared.

"Now you tell me" Julie said annoyed.

"Sorry...I didn't think..." Mildred gulped knowing it was her fault her mother had got off to a bad start. Julie turned back to the sisters who were still glaring at her before she spoke.

"I am sorry about that I didn't realise, I will call them Ethel and Sybil if you wish" Julie replied smiling.

Esmerelda kept glaring at Julie not trusting her at all, she knew she was up to something and she didn't like it.

"Why did you even agree to this?" Esmerelda asked rudely.

"I wanted to help you" Julie replied not sure what Esmerelda meant.

"Oh yes because Ethel must be your favourite person with all the times she has hurt Mildred, I don't know what your game is but I am not having it" Esmerelda told the woman before standing up.

"This isn't going to work, can we be moved?" Esmerelda asked not wanting to stay with Julie.

"Esmie..." Ethel said looking at her with tired eyes.

"I am not having it Ethel, she is going to hurt you I know she is, I think we best move somewhere else" Esmerelda replied but Sybil replied.

"No Esmie,,,they will separate us again" Sybil said as she started to cry. Julie saw the tiny girl crying and started to walk over to her but Esmerelda blocked her from getting to her and spoke to Sybil herself, hugging her.

"Don't cry Sybie...we will stay, I am sorry yes?" Esmerelda said hugging her sister gently and Julie was upset. Did Esmerelda really suspect she was going to hurt her?

"I wasn't going to hurt her Esmerelda" Julie told her with a sigh.

"Of course you weren't, I know what adults are like, they always hurt you in the end, maybe not physically but they hurt you inside, it is what they are best at" Esmerelda replied as she kept her arms around Sybil and Julie gasped at that.

Esmerelda truly believed all adults would hurt her? Had she never had a faithful adult in her life before? It would seem to her she hadn't.

"Do we have to call you Miss Hubble?" Ethel suddenly asked trying to ease the tension.

"No of course not, Julie is fine" the woman replied with a smile towards Ethel. She looked around for a moment as she tried to think of something to say and then she remembered something.

"Do any of you have any allergies? I need to know so I know what food not to make" Julie asked them sweetly.

"Oh what is the point in telling you, you won't even remember" Esmerelda replied seeming to be doing everything to be rude to Julie.

"I am not your parents Esmerelda, now tell me, I don't want to make any of you sick" Julie replied raising her voice slightly in anger at Esmerelda's annoying behaviour.

Esmerelda went into a strop then. She folded her arms and scowled because she had being told off and Julie knew she was going to have problems with her, but Sybil giggled and spoke.

"Don't be stroppy Esmie" she said to her sister grabbing her arms causing a strange reaction from her.

Esmerelda visually flinched and then pulled her arms gently out of Sybil's grip before she held onto them with her own hands, it was almost as if she was in pain.

All anger Julie felt towards the girl went away in that moment and she only felt concerned for the girl, she knew something was wrong with both, or one of her arms for her to have such a strange reaction.

"Esmerelda are you okay love?" Julie asked her softly not wanting them to get into an argument. Esmerelda looked up at Julie, letting her eyes meet hers before she spoke for the first time but for once not shouting, for once she spoke gently and softly.

"I will make you a list of everything we don't like and are allergic too and Ethel can't eat a lot of things because of the pregnancy, would that be helpful?" Esmerelda asked her as she made eye contact and Julie felt her heart break at the look on her face.

"Yes thank you that will be wonderful Esmerelda" Julie said smiling at the young girl even if she was worried about her. She then turned her attention to Ethel and spoke.

"I am a nurse Ethel, if you need anything, anything at all just ask me, okay?" Julie told her wanting the girl to know she could go to her.

"Are you going to be delivering the baby?" Sybil asked innocently and Julie laughed shaking her head.

"No, that is a midwife, a nurse looks after all different types of people" Julie explained to the girl sweetly.

"It is okay Julie...I assume you won't have time for me" Ethel said with a sigh knowing she was always pushed aside by adults but Julie replied.

"I would always have time for you Ethel, and your sisters and Mildred, what happened to you was awful" Julie said as she looked at the girl with such a look of compassion even Esmerelda could not say anything bad to her in that moment. "I want to help you with the baby, I don't care what people think of us, I will make sure you both have everything you need" Julie told her with a smile and Ethel beamed at her, knowing this was only temporary and willing herself not to get attached.

"You don't have to worry anymore girls, everything is going to be okay" Julie told the girls with a huge smile. Ethel and Sybil smiled back but Esmerelda did not seem to know how to smile as hers was faked, which worried Julie much more.