A/N: GAH! You have no IDEA how hard I tried to make this chapter. It was sooo hard. I have no idea when the next chapter (MIllard) will come, but maybe not until Jnauary because I need a good idea and time and i have neither, especially since there is lots of other stories to be written (got a oneshot probably ocmign soon)

I do hope you can forgive my slow updates but at leats it is not abandoned it is always worked on i promise

Also, I notice I feature a lto fo Ymbrynes in my stories, including this one. It is because a) I am obssesed with these underrated characters and b) When finding new charges i do believe other Ymbrynes can be important sources and helping hands.

Emma Bloom

"Am! You came! Thanks the birds for that." The Bluejay in the huge oak tree screeched, landing next to the Peregrine Falcon on the tree branch that stretched out over the roof of a blue abd red circustent

"No problem, Lilly. So what are we dealing with? You talked about a female peculiar selling peculiar children, yes?" The Peregrine Falcon croaked in response, looking down at the brightly coloured Circus tent. Miss Peregrine, the human identity of the falcon, had been contacted just a few days earlier by Miss Bluejay, who wanted her help catching a Peculiar woman well known for kidnapping peculiar children and selling them. "Is she going to take someone from the circus?"

The Bluejay nodded. "Tonight. My source says she's been in contact with a girl, around thirteen, who work as a fire-eater here, offering her a new job. The girl said yes. Most likely it's not the job the girl imagined."

The falcon nodded slowly, listening to what the other bird was saying. "And what do you need me for? I'd be more than happy to take care of the girl once this whole ordeal is over, I know you got a full house, but I don't see why it would require me being here now."

"I need you because the woman already know me. She tried to steal two of my children a few months back, and it was just barely that I managed to get them back before she shipped them off to god knows where." Lilly explained, and even though they were in bird form, Alma could see the fear in her eyes. She couldn't imagine the feeling of having to rescue some of your children from one of these types, it must have been a truly horrid experience."Anyway, the moment she recognise me she's gonna run for it, no doubt about that. I'm gonna help you best I can, but I need you to lead the action itself."

The Peregrine falcon nodded, understanding the dilemma. They wanted to save the girl and in best case scenario also catch the peculiar woman so they could get her convicted by the council and deported to a punishment loop, but none of that was going to be if the woman realised she had Ymbrynes after her. It was like letting an escaped spie know interpool was chasing him, quite literally.

"LET ME GO! AAAAH!" A young girl screamed out, the sounds rising to the skies and scaring both the birds in the tree, who immediately sailed down to a lower branch to try and see what was happening back on the ground.

A young girl, maybe eleven or twelve years old, with long blond hair, was being pulled away from the Circus tent by two large, muscular men who was holding a leg and an arm each. Both men were carefully staying away from her hands, which were both put aflame, burning up a pair of dark blue gloves she'd been wearing and reducing them to nothing but ashes

"That's her! That's the girl! They're taking her!" The Bluejay screeched in panic, hardly calming down as the girl was being brought out of sight from the two birds position. "We need to get her before they drive off!"

The Peregrine falcon nodded in determination, both of the birds flying down to the bush underneth the tree and landing in the dresses hidden wihtin it, quickly regaining their human forms ocne they were inside the dresses and knew they wouldn't show up naked. While it could be very useful to be able to turn into a bird it came with the disadvantage of clothes not following your body. Turning from bird to human without being seated within a set of clothes would mean turning up stark naked as a human.

"Hurry up Alma!" Miss Bluejay exclaimed, impatiant, already quite some ahead of her Ymbryne sister already. "We can't let them get away with the girl!"

"I am trying, Lisel, I am! It's not easy for me to run!" Alma stumbled forward best she could, but truth was that it was very hard for her to move at any kind of speed with her limping leg, and she was starting to fear the kidnapers would have time to get away with the girl before she got to them. She couldn't allow that. "Go ahead! I'll come as soon as I can!"

She had expected her sister to pick up speed, running even faster through the woods, but she didn't. Instead, Alam's words acted like a spell, and she came to a sudden, complete stop.

"I can't! She's going to drive off the moment she sees me, and then she is going to have another child to sell!" Miss Bluejay exclaimed, her voice high pitched and fearful and her hands balled into fists at her sides, shaking. Standing there, in the middle of nowhere, dressed in a fluttery summer dress, she looked so young, and Alma could see the pure terror in her eyes. "She tried to take my children, Am...she can't get away." It's a plea at this point, her sister's voice breaking as she spoke, and Alma nodded.

"Don't worry, we're going to get her, and we'll get the girl back." She promise, trying to imagine how she'd felt if someone tried to kidnap any of her children, but immediately backtracking as she found the feelings exposed too dark and ugly to hold onto.

Miss Bluejay looked like she was about to give a reply, or perhaps a thank you for the comfort Alma offered, but then her head turned sharply to the right. "Did you hear that?" She asked, looking back at Alma expectantly, her blue eyes suddenly sharp and focused, pained fear chased away by other, more dominating instincts.

Alma listened, try to hear what her sister discovered, but coming up with nothing. She couldn't hear anything at all.

"I don't hear anything…" She started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Schh! Listen closely!" Miss Bluejay was still listening closely, slowly moving closer to a few bushes not too far away. Despite not believing she was really hearing anything, Alma obeyed, movign along with her sister and listening for the sounds that she didn't really believe existed.

A moment later, they'd reached the bushes her sister had been aiming for, both of them coming to a stop and Alma wondering what they were to do now, and if the mission was already ruined and the kidnappers gone.

"They're here." Miss Bluejay insisted, and Alma wanted to tell her to stop it already, because it was becoming ridiculous, but the reprimand fell flat as her sister instantly parted the bushes so they could see what was on the other side.

Standing only meters away from the bushes, was the two men they'd seen carrying away the girl earlier, both of them eagerly focused on a slender woman with long, silver coloured hair standing in front of them. It looked like she was giving them instructions, repeatedly pointing to the back of the large van parked nearby, and the men nodded eagerly each time she pointed.

"They probably keeping the girl locked up in that van. I'll distract them, and you get the girl?" Miss Bluejay quickly asked, all fear and horror blown away as she tried to focus on her task.

"Absolutely." Normally, Alma would have argued that she'd make a better distraction, especially as the bird she'd turn into is decidedly bigger than Miss Bluejay's, but she can see the determination in her eyes, and she knows she needs this. Besides, the fact that they'd recognise her would help her divert their attention. "I get the girl, you try to catch the woman, and we'll meet up again back at the circus."

Holding up three fingers, Miss Bluejay started a countdown.

3…

Taking a deep breath, Alma ready herself for what's to come. It wasn't often she was put in such direct hands-on combat situations in her line of work, but she was absolutely confident that she could do it. Had to do it. She was the kidnapped girl's only hope.

2…

Alma think of the little girl she'd seen the men carrying away from the circus. Thirteen, her sister had told her she was, but she had looked so much younger in the arms of the kidnappers, blue eyes wide open and hands burning furiously as she screamed at the top of her lungs for someone to save her.

Alma was going to save her now.

1…

Without as much as a second of thought to anything, Alma get up from her hide out and run. She plow through the thick green bushes and out into the open on the other side, sprinting across the grass faster than she'd ever thought possible. All her focus is on the van and on the girl that she was going to rescue.

She was not going to disappoint her sisters. She could do this.

The screams and hollers of the men and the woman who now noticed their existence fade into the background as she opened the doors and climb into the small, dark space behind them.

Once the door closed behind her, she allow herself to pause. Standing completely still and just focusing on taking a few deep breaths, the adrenaline rush slowly fade away and she feel herself relaxing somewhat. She needed to be calm and collected for the next part of the mission, so she doesn't rush herself.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Once she is ready, she call out. The question sound absolutely ridiculous as it echoes back at her, far too mundane and simple for such a situation, but Alma knows it will undoubtedly be effective in attracting the child's attention.

" Don't hurt me! I promise I won't do anything!" The voice is small and squeamish, and as her eyes slowly become accustomed to the darkness she can see the little girl sitting in the corner, her arms tied above her head in an uncomfortable-looking position. "I promise!"

It was horrifying and unreal to watch the little girl shaking in fear, curled up in the corner and trying her best to hide even though she was completely exposed. With her big blue eyes she looked at Alma as though she was the devil herself, there to bring her with her to hell itself.

She had never had anyone looking at her like that before.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to save you." Slowly, Alma moved towards the girl, her hands held out in front of her to show she meant no harm. The girl, however, didn't seem to believe her, and as she came closer, her hands caught fire, prompting Alma to back off once more. "Please, I mean no harm. Don't burn me."

Alma had thought the girl would relax if she backed off, but instead the girl only seemed to get even more desperate as she inched closer to the doors, squirming and trying to get free from the ropes that was most certainly not going to untie themselves.

"I can't control it! Please don't go!" The girl was scared, but seemed to be willing to trust Alma, since she didn't really have much of choice. She wanted to escape, and the woman in front of her was her only chance at freedom.

As she reached out to let down let down the girl, Emma's, arms, Alma watched in amazement as they stopped burning all on their own, and she didn't even have to fear getting burnt as she untied the ropes. The girl looked decidedly thankful once she didn't have to hold her arms over her head anymore, and practically threw herself at Alma.

Surprised and more than a little shocked that the girl was suddenly hugging her, she quickly recuperated and hugged her back best she could. 'Emma' was short, for a thirteen year old anyway, and her arms looped around Alma's waist while her face snuggled into the lower part of her chest, her savior's arms landing awkwardly on her meager shoulders as she attempted to snuggle closer.

It only took a few moments before Alma could feel the little body shivering, and noticed the cold wetness seeping into the fabric of her dress. It was as if someone had dipped the girl in a bucket of cold water, and it worried her. She definitely shouldn't be this cold.

"Please don't leave me here!" The girl whimpered as Alma pulled the girl away from her, holding her out in front of her so that she could see her properly. She was obviously terrified, and looked as though she was about to cry.

"I won't. I'm going to get you out of here, I promise." Alma hadn't even had the presence of mind to think of getting out of the back the van yet, but she knew they were going to do it somehow. First, however, she needed to check that the girl was alright. "How are you feeling?"

"Cold." Emma replied slowly, shivering even more as she looked at Alma with tired, glossy eyes, but not searching out the other's embrace anymore. "When will we leave?"

"Now, if you think you can walk." With a sigh, deciding to momentarily ignore her fears about the girl's health, she tried to rab Emma's hand, pushing the door open with her other hand and praying the clearing would be empty so that they could make a safe exit.

"I can always walk. I would be stupid if i couldn't walk." The thirteen year old girl decidedly make herself free of the other woman's grip and stumble out of the the car, barely landing on her feet in the grass below after making the short jump, and not getting many more steps before her legs gave in completely, and she fell forward.

"You okay Emma dear?" Seeing the girl fall over, Alma wasn't late to join the girl, offering her hand to help put her back on her feet. The girl, when not terrified, obviously valued her independence like any normal teenager, so Alma tried not to be too caring, only offering some basic help since the girl was clearly not well.

"Perfectly fine Miss...wait, how did you know my name? Have you also been spying on me!" Emma had grabbed Miss Peregrine's hand, but quickly released it again as she tried to back away from the older woman, obviously scared that Alma might try to kidnap her or exploit her as well.

´"I'm not going to kidnap you. If anything, I want to put you in safety. My friend's been keeping an eye on you, because she feared these men would come after you like they did with her children." Slowly backing away from the girl again, Alma tried to explain what was happening, and hoped the girl would soon start to trust her again. She looked so tired, shivering cold and with the small flames she lit up in her palms flickering as though she was struggling to keep them alive, but despite this Alma couldn't rule out the possibility that she could become very dangerous if she wanted to.

"Her children? They tried to kidnap her children from their mom?" Emma seemed honestly shaken at this, flames dying out and her hands lowering as she seemed overtaken with empathy for the poor children. "That's so mean. At least i don't have a family."

Emma kept a stoic impression, and Miss Peregrine marveled at the girl's ability to be both headstrong and vulnerable at the same time, but at the same time it made her vary and uncertain about how to act around to act around the girl. When she was vulnerable and small, she felt like hugging the girl and mothering her, but when she acted independently she found it better to keep a distance.

"They're not her biological children, not exactly. She runs an orphanage. " Alma tried to clarify the situation to the girl. "We actively look around for children with special abilities, bringing them with us to homes where they are supposedly safe from kidnappers or monsters that would otherwise come after us." She doesn't need to point out that the 'protection' offered was not guaranteed, because she had already revealed that some children where almost kidnapped. They did their best, of course, but Alma and her sisters were only humans like everyone else.

"You want me to come live with you?" The girl is trying to conquer the flames in her hands, again, but even trying to do so seem to drain her of far too much energy, and instead she is sitting down in the grass, afraid to topple over like she did when she tried to walk. She didn't know why the suggestion felt so wrong to her, but she did, and she could feel her instincts telling her not to trust the older woman whose name she didn't even know of yet. "What's your name, anyway?"

"My name is Alma LeFay Peregrine, but my children call me Miss Peregrine. I am offering for you to come live with me, or any of my sisters, and our children. Both us and our children are like you, we have powers beyond the understanding of normal humans." Alma didn't hesitate in offering the requested information, and more still, to the girl, knowing that someone needed a great lot of details so that they knew they were not being tricked. "I understand you are scared, i would be too, but I would never hurt you. I will not force you to do anything against your will, and if you want to just walk away and never look back, I will let you."

Emma stared at the woman, at Miss Peregrine, all shocked. She had never been offered the possibility of a choice, not ever. She hadn't chosen for her mom to run away, or for her dad to lock her up, or to work at the circus. She certainly hadn't chosen to be kidnapped by someone who claimed she wanted to give her a job.

All in all, Emma Bloom was girl who never in her entire life had had a choice, and now, she did. For the first time in thirteen years she could chose what she wanted to do.

"Will you be my mom?" It was ridiculous, but it was longing that had stayed with little Emma from that moment when she was six and her mother ran away, turning on her heels and never coming back. She wanted a mommy, had always wanted a mommy, and despite all the toughness on the outside the little girl on the inside could recognise her chance to have what she wanted, for once in her life.

Alma looked at her, equal parts shocked and moved. This little girl, who had barely trusted her at all up till now, wanted her to be her mother. To love and take care of her as she would a biological child. Alma had several charges already, that she loved and cared for with all she had, but none of them had ever asked this question. None of them had wanted her to be their mother. For them, mothers were painful memories of death an abandonment, nothing they wanted their Miss Peregrine affiliated with, and she respected that. It didn't stop her from thinking of them as her children, though.

"Yes. If that is what you want." She smile, opening her arms to invite the girl to hug her, barely breathing as she wait to see if Emma will take her up on the offer, or if she's going to turn away and dismiss her despite everything she just said.

It take one moment, two moments, and Alma is about to close her arms and accept that the girl didn't want a hug when she's suddenly rushing toward her, almost falling over in her hurry to claim that hug. Thin arms close around her waist, a pointy nosed face burrowing into her chest and though she can feel the girl's entire body shaking this time she doesn't think it's from being cold or poor health. She close her arms around the girl's bony shoulders, and for a moment, everything feels absolutely perfect.

"I always wanted a mother." The girl whispered, the sound muffled by the fabric of Alma's dress as she didn't loosen her grip in the slightest. Alma didn't try to make her loosen it, but pulled her closer instead.

"And now you got one." Alma answered back, thankful that the girl wasn't looking at her face, because if she did, she'd see the tears streaming down her chins in an unusual fit of emotion that she didn't know how to fight, nor if she even wanted to fight it. She had learned long ago that there was no point in trying to fight love, because it'd only make it grow stronger.

All children that Alma took care of was special, and each and everyone of them changed her perception of the world, added something to it that hadn't been there before, but this girl was something even more.

This girl made her a true mother. Not just a caretaker or a headmistress, but a real mother to a child who would call her mother.

It was something Alma hadn't known to wish for, but wouldn't trade for anything now that she had it. It made her feel complete.