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Chapter Forty
Trouble
Ethel and the baby were both perfectly healthy after the birth so Ethel did not have to stay in hospital long. She was already going to be discharged the next day. She still had no name for her daughter but she knew it would come. She was currently rocking the baby as her sisters, Mildred and Julie sat by her, watching over both Ethel and the baby. Out of nowhere there was a popping sound and Triton and Ursula Hallow appeared out of nowhere having just used a transfer spell.
"Mother, father" Esmerelda commented, not happy to see them at all. Ethel held her daughter closer to her, knowing whatever was going to happen meant trouble.
"Esmie darling how are you?" Mrs Hallow asked her as if the girl had just being to her grandmother's and just returned home and was not being fostered in a completely different area. Esmerelda though was not going to play games with them today.
"Why are you here?" Esmie asked. Despite the face Ethel was almost ready to go home she was still fragile after the birth and did not want a fight.
"We want you back darling we miss you, we heard Ethel...had...that thing" Mr Hallow said not even looking at Ethel or his newborn granddaughter as they spoke. Ethel felt her heart hurt at the word he used to describe her baby.
"It is not a thing, it is a baby, your granddaughter" Esmerelda said disgusted at the way her father had just described her niece.
"That doesn't matter right now, we want you and your sisters back" Mrs Hallow replied. Sybil looked at her parents becoming upset. She didn't want to go back with them.
"Do you actually want us back because you love us or because of our family name?" Esmie asked them knowing they had never loved her, Ethel, or Sybil and knowing it had more to do with their family status.
Baby Hallow looked at her mother with wide fearful eyes. She was clearly sensing the tension.
"It is okay baby" Ethel whispered holding her closer and kissing her head
"Of course we love you Esmie, don't worry we have found a nice family for Ethel's ….baggage" her father said, finding saying 'baby' hard to say when associated with Ethel it would seem.
Ethel in that moment actually had to refrain from being sick. They wanted her and her sisters back but wanted to get her daughter adopted off. It was actually sickening.
"I beg you pardon?" Esmerelda asked her parents with a look of amazement. She must have misheard, they couldn't actually be suggesting what she thought they were suggesting.
"We will personally check out the family, we will make sure it goes to a good family" Ursula replied as if that made what they were planning any better.
"You...you are sick….you are disgusting" Esmerelda said. She always knew her parents were low but in that moment she thought even Agatha Cackle was less low that the two people stood before her.
"Ethel can have another baby when she is older" her father replied as if it would be the same.
"NO, Ethel wants the baby" Sybil said with tears streaming down her face
"She can't have it, it shames our family name" Ursula replied as she looked from her older to her youngest but blanked her middle daughter.
"Wait a second so let me see I have this right, you come here after months, you don't ask how Ethel or the baby is and then you expect us to skip away home with you merrily? Are you insane?" Esmerelda asked not able to understand her parents.
"Esmie we are not arguing about this, stop being silly" her father said grabbing hold of her to try and force her along. That was what did it. The tension made the newborn baby start crying in fear. Ethel rocked her trying to stop her crying but she was looking right at her grandparents and crying.
"YOU ARE SCARING HER STOP IT" Sybil shouted as she heard her niece bawling her head off.
There was more commotion then. Mr and Mrs Hallow had a hold of Esmie as she fought with them, they were all shouting and it had turned into a heated argument. Julie stepped in trying to calm everyone down.
"Can we stop this please?" Julie asked as she looked at her foster daughter's parents.
"Who are you?" Mr Hallow asked looking her up and down looking disgusted.
"I am Julie Hubble, the girls foster mother" Julie replied looking at the parents darkly.
"Oh yes the non-witch" Mrs Hallow insulted "And her stupid daughter who got me fired" Mrs Hallow went on as she spotted sight of Mildred. The baby was still crying but Ethel had calmed her a little.
"I got you fired because you deserved it" Mildred replied willing to fight with them all about this.
"That is of no relevance now, we want our daughters back" Mr Hallow replied wanting to take the girls and leave. Sybil was crying and Esmie let some tears fall.
"Esmerelda Hallow! Crying is for the weak, you are a Hallow, act like it" Ursula scolded her as she saw the tears. Mildred had no idea why but she felt so protective of her foster sisters and the new little baby.
"Hallow Hallow Hallow! Do you ever speak about anything else? Your daughter was attacked! How can you be so heartless as to throw her out because of that, Ethel has carried that little girl for nine months, without any help from you two, she gave birth, without any support from you two, and now you come here and think you have the right to force Ethel to give up the child? What kind of people are you?" Mildred said knowing she shouldn't really be getting mad at their parents but fed up of them and their stupid family name.
"What would someone like you know about it? You never grew up in our world" Mr Hallow shouted thinking she had no right to talk
"I don't have to grow up in your world to know what is right and what is wrong, I am sure there is nowhere that says in the code your daughter has to get her baby adopted if she is raped" Mildred glared not scared of them even if they were powerful.
"Mildred cares deeply for the girls now, she is trying to protect them, can you please leave? Ethel needs her rest" Julie said trying to remain calm.
"Not without our daughters" Triton told her nor prepared to leave until he had got his way.
"LEAVE, WE ARE NOT GOING" Esmie cried and Ursula grabbed her arm hard again as way of punishment. Julie instinctively stood forward to protect Esmie and then Mr Hallow went to cast a spell at her. Sybil, who had never been the brave one without help because of her confidence issues, sensed what was going to happen and stood in front oo Julie.
"No Sybil!" Julie said only just managing to get them both out of the way.
"Using magic against someone without powers breaks nearly every rule in the code!" Esmie said glaring at her parents as she hugged Julie and Sybil who were shaken up.
"Leave now or I will tell the Great Wizard" Mildred told them prepared to do just that.
"You wouldn't dare!" Mrs Hallow said just as a nurse rushed over.
"Is everything alright here?" she asked looking at the girls and adults. Esmie spoke up then.
"No, they are threatening us" she told the nurse just wanting them to leave.
"The baby and mother need peace and quiet, please leave or I will call the police" she said hearing the baby crying fearfully and knowing she had to get rid of them for her patients safety.
Knowing they had no choice and everyone was against them they nodded with a huff.
"We will be back, this is not over" Mr Hallow said before disappearing. Ethel cried gently to herself and Esmie rushed to her protectively.
"Are you okay Ethie" Esmie asked her and Ethel shook her head. Julie took the baby to calm her as Ethel just cried onto Esmerelda's chest. She was scared and heartbroken about what had just occurred.