The whole car ride Emma debated crying, after what had happened..again. She trusted someone and they broke that trust and lied to her, proving her point. She'll never find a family to love her for who she was, Lily was just another name on the list of empty promises in which over the years since she was two she had lost count of how many it now makes. She kept her eyes out the window avoiding the social worker who had taken her file for the time being to place her in a new foster home until she was eventually shipped back to maine.

The whole ride to the unknown house, Emma already decided that she would run away again as soon as everyone in the house goes to sleep. The social worker had pulled up to the house in the van, she parked in the driveway of the house parking.

The social worker glanced behind her at Emma as if to check if she hadn't jumped out of the car while moving giving her a snouty look along with a frown upon her woman retrieved the folder of papers that consisted of Emma's file, before exiting the car and opening the back seat car door to let Emma out.

The social worker said nothing as she made sure she walked behind Emma incase she were to run off, they walked up the pathway to the front door of the foster home. Emma could tell already there were many kids in the home which meant she wasn't going to eat much, yup she was going to run.

The foster mother smiled at her as soon as she saw her face while opening the door, she introduced herself as Ingrid. To Emma she seemed genuinely nice and warmly welcoming, however Emma knew deep down that whatever seemed too good to be true always is.

The social worker soon left after Ingrid escorted Emma inside the house, she could see multiple children running around shouting or sitting around. Ingrid had then talked about the house and the schedule to which Emma tuned out while looking around, she lead Emma upstair where the kids rooms were. She told Emma her bunk was down the hall to the right while she had broken up a fight between two young boys rough housing.

Emma walked down the hall and felt someone slip the video camera she had kept from when she was with Lily, it was a boy who turned it on and ran into the bedroom Emma was headed for.

"Give it to me" she protested while trying multiple times to make reaches to grab the camera from the boy from then on she knew would be a problem for her. The boy shoved her away multiple times grinning into the camera and laughing at Emma's expense.

"Give it back, Kevin" the lady Ingrid sternly told the boy from the hallway before she came into the room finding where Emma had gone, she glanced at her as if to make sure she was okay.

"The camera is Emma's, not yours" she stood closely next to Emma telling the boy, before she moved over to the boy. "We respect property in this household don't we Kevin" she held out her hand in which the boy 'Kevin' then placed in her hand the camera.

He replied with a sigh "Yes ma'am" Ingrid then motioned for him to leave the room, in which he obeyed.

Ingrid then turned towards Emma once more before holding out the camera to her. "Here you go Emma" she spoke softly with a calm smile on her face.

Emma then took the camera wanting it back with a frown, upset the boy had taken it.

Ingrid seeing this comforted her. "It's okay sweetie, I know you're new here but your gonna be just fine" she smiled comfortingly while she nodded her head knowing what she said to be true. She patted Emma's shoulder while walking out of the doorway.

"Okay lights out in fifteen, don't forget to brush your teeth" she announced in the hallway to all the children which echoed. Emma made moves to leave through the doorway but before she could the boy 'Kevin' blocked it hanging on the door frame.

"It's your choice sweetie, you can either give me that camera tomorrow or I can make your life a living hell" he chuckled as he finished nastily before brushing off the door frame and walking away.

Emma knew then and there she had to leave that very night, she knew without a doubt she wasn't giving up the camera and she wasn't most certainly going to be Kevin's punching bag. She wasn't going to go through that again, she still had the cuts, bruises and marks to show for it.

She was leaving that night.

The woman Ingrid had made sure everyone was sleeping and in bed and when she came into the room Emma sleeping in, Emma pretended to be just that. She had gained a skill in doing so by having a lot of practice in other foster homes.

Once Emma was sure the woman had left the upstairs and had gone to bed herself she slipped off the covers off herself and took her backpack out from it's hiding place. She then made her way towards the stairs moving a slow pace skillfully not making a sound as to wake anyone.

Once Emma had reached midway down the stairs she saw the door, knowing she was almost home free. As soon as Emma reached the first floor the living room light went on revealing Ingrid sitting on the couch drinking hot coco with one extra cup in front of her with a blanket over her lap.

Emma stood there in quick shock with her mouth open for a second before she closed it.

"I made us some coco, want to join me?" she spoke as if she wasn't mad that Emma had almost run out leaving with her the money from the state which all of the foster parents were only concerned about.

Emma gripped the strap from her backpack nervously wondering what the woman would do. "No" she replied cooly hoping the woman did not notice she was trying to run.

"Suit yourself" she sighed before continuing. "You know by my count there are fifteen separate subconscious signs or tells that a new foster child displays when they are going to run away on his or her's first night. In the brief time we were together you showed seven"

Emma then bit her lip nervously.

"Not that I blame you, when I was younger I did the same thing"

Emma's interest peaked a bit "You ran away?" she asked disbelieving.

"I tried to" she exhaled with a soft smile. "People in my life they uh..interviened. Do you want to know why?"

Emma was curious but wanted to make it like she didn't care knowing the woman was trying to relate to her. "Does it matter?"

"It did to me, they stopped me because they cared about me"

Emma knew it, figures she had a family. "Lucky you" Emma retorted not knowing how she could relate to her.

The woman looked at Emma wistfully and sadly. "No...lucky you, because now that you're living under my roof. I'm gonna care for you, the way they cared for me"

"Yeah well don't waste your time, I'm not interested" Emma told her not trusting knowing good well how often she had been burned by people who had said similar empty promises.

"Mmm-hmm. Suit yourself, go I won't stop you"

"You won't?" Emma questioned surprised glancing quickly at the door then back at Ingrid.

"No go on, more coco for me" the woman took another sip of her cup of cocoa while Emma slowly made moves towards the door as if testing what the woman said was legit. As she turned toward the door completely she heard the woman's voice again.

"I understand how difficult it must be to live under the same roof as someone like Kevin, who's deathly afraid of spiders." this made Emma stop and turn around and walk back towards Ingrid.

"Any spiders really, small spiders, big spiders even the rubber ones I keep in my desk in the drawer on the the box of staples, poor Kevin" Ingrid said with a soft voice dwelling.

Emma smiled at the thought thinking already of it happening.

"It's a shame you can't stay Emma" the woman said looking at her waiting for the girl to say something.

Emma thinking it may not be so bad her said. "Maybe...maybe I can hang around for one more day" she said glancing at Ingrid starting to like the woman.

Ingrid smiled at her decision, before shrugging her shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "Works for me" she smiled once more earning and flicker of a short grin from Emma.

Ingrid then asked Emma to sit down with her on the couch for some cocoa to which she accepted warily. Emma sat a little bit away however still close to Ingrid, while Ingrid passed the the other cup of Hot cocoa in which the girl took with a thank you.

Eventually Emma began to fall asleep on the couch Ingrid held a giggle at her trying to stay awake and suggested she go to sleep.

Ingrid and Emma soon went upstairs where Ingrid had gone into her bedroom to get ready for bed as Emma did. Ingrid came to check on Emma after to see that the girl was already in bed however a bit cold.

Ingrid then soon retrieved a blanket from her bedroom and placed over Emma carefully, as she finished spreading the blanket over her Emma snuggled into it softly turning in her sleep a bit.

Ingrid smiled softly before brushing hair out from Emma's face before turning off the hallway light sneaking a last glance at a sleeping Emma before going to sleep herself.

She was finally here, with her. Safe.

One thing Ingrid would make sure was that it stayed that way.