Okey dokey :) Yes, I'm starting a new fic... And yes I will be updating the others too, it's just the plot bunnies are attacking me to no end about this one and I just had to get it down before I went insane (not that I'm not there already) :D

The Wonders of a New Family

Chapter 1: "Why can't I just live with you?"

My bag was packed, ready to go. Though I don't want to, not one bit. Ben had told me that there would be people like me there, where I was going.

"Why can't I just live with you?" I had asked him.

"There are rules Alex."

Stuff the rules. I thought as I dashed into the back of the black jeep. It was raining hard and it was generally miserable. I did my seatbelt up and Ben got in the front. He turned the key in the ignition and the jeep burst into life. I took one last look at my home, it looked sullen. The 'For Sale' sign was being battered about in the wind, it didn't belong there. I belonged there with Jack.

She'll be back for me one day, I hope. We left the house behind and were soon travelling on the motorway to my new location. The rain had stopped by the time we'd got to the house. The sign at the end of the long driveway said 'Crystal View House' in big black, bold lettering. I could hear the stones crunching under the tyres. I tried to see what the house looked like and I finally saw it. It was huge. It was one of those buildings that were stunningly old. It was sort of Victorian. There was ivy growing up the walls, the large double-glazed windows looked new against the old brickwork. The bricks seemed to be a patchwork of colours ranging from red to a dark grey. There was a red door and a woman was stood at it.

I heard Ben turn off the engine and I undid my seatbelt and opened the door carefully. I stepped out, not noticing the murky puddle below me and stepped right in it. The water went straight through my trainer and I jumped out of it as quick as possible. I should have been looking where I was going.

The woman who had been stood at the door was now walking over to Ben and I. Ben had grabbed my rucksack from the boot and passed it over to me. I slung it over my shoulder and felt it thump against my back.

"Hello, you must be Alex. My name is Anita Drake. I'm the head social worker here at Crystal View House." She had a soft voice that matched her flowing brown hair that came to her shoulders.

"Hi," I replied.

"Hi." Ben said from behind me, he stuck out his hand for Anita to take and she did, shaking it vigorously.

"Come inside and I'll show you to your room Alex and you can meet everyone else here." Her voice seemed cheery, very... very Jack-like.

I followed Anita into the hallway. On the left was a shoe rack with about a hundred pairs of shoes on it, okay so that was a bit of an exaggeration, but there were a lot of shoes. On the right was an old picture of what I guessed to be the house a long time ago.

She walked up the stairs, the soles of her shoes tapping on the wooden staircase. I followed her up. The walls were covered in pictures, mainly in colourful crayon. They were pictures of families. I wondered if they were what the other children here were looking for.

"So, here's your room Alex." She opened the door and my attention snapped back towards her. The room was painted a light blue colour. Inside there was a chest of drawers, a small wardrobe and a bed with a table beside it. I went in and sat on the bed. The duvet was a chequered pattered of blues that matched the walls.

"Thank you." Anita left me to unpack and Ben came and sat next to me. "Are you sure I can't live with you?"

"Yes, I'm really sorry." He sighed and passed my bag to me.

Unzipping the bag I pulled out the few items of clothing I had brought with me, the picture frame of Jack and I and a few bits and pieces like my Chelsea football posters. I could feel Ben's eyes on me as I wandered round the room placing all the items as I wished.

"I need to get back to the 'bank', Alex."

I sighed. Ben was the only person I had right now and I really didn't want him to leave.

"Sorry, I'll keep in touch, I promise." Ben stood up, adjusting his suit that he was wearing.

I followed him back downstairs, watching as he shook hands with Anita and said thank you for looking after me. I sat down on the bottom step and watched him walk out the door.

There were shouts from the other end of the hallway where I could see the kitchen. Two boys were coming in from outside. One had a football in his hand. He had mousey-brown hair and pale greeny-brown eyes. His skin was slightly tanned much like my own. His shirt was covered in mud. It was a Fulham F.C shirt, Chelsea's rival football club. Taking off his trainers the boy with the football shirt on came up to me.

"You must be the new boy, my name is Josh. This is Matt," He pointed to the boy behind him; he had black hair and light hazel eyes. His skin was light compared to Josh's.

"Alex," I told them, my voice came out cold, I hadn't expected it to be like that. My voice obviously didn't affect the boy in front of me as he smiled and charged past me, Matt following closely on his tail.

I heard them close one of the bedroom doors shut and then I went up to my own. I shut the door quietly and lay on my bed in the sort of quietness.

So what do you think? Good, Bad, Mediocre please tell me :)