Rockstar Parents

-of-

The H&M Chronicles

Prologue

All three girls stared questioningly at each other. Everything was over. There was nothing left that would keep them together. Their missions were complete. Then what was it that kept them standing there in a cold, distant, manner?

A child.

With tiny hands, a small girl reached out for the tall blonde to pick her up. Haruka picked her up without hesitance, aligning her nose with Hotaru's. The two smiled as Hotaru laughed innocently.

" We're going to go play on the swing. " Haruka said as she escorted the young girl with her to the playground. It didn't seem fair to the blonde to make Hotaru behave when all of the other children were running wild.

" Now what? " Setsuna asked, relieving a heavy sigh out.

" I'm not sure but I don't think we can walk away from this without Hotaru. There's no way I'm willing to give her up for adoption when I know she loves us with all of her tiny heart. " Michiru took a seat at a nearby bench. " Haruka would make such a great mother. " The aqua-haired girl had this heart-warming expression on her face as she looked upon the two with admiration.

" Hai, but would she make a good father? " Setsuna questioned, with a smirk widening by the moment.

" What do you mean? "

" You two love her. I think that much is very clear. And, while I love her too, my life is extremely demanding of me. I think we can work this out. What if I set you guys up to be the 'real' parents of Hotaru? "

" How would you do that? "

" Oh, you know, tampering with legal documents… I've got a knack for it. " Setsuna joked. " Seriously, it wouldn't be a bad idea. But, it would require you two to fulfill the role… having a child can be more demanding than fighting daemons. "

" You know I would, Setsuna. I would gladly give up my career as a violinist, or at least compromise it, just to be a good mother. But that's a lot to ask of Haruka. She's a rising star in Japan. She just met with a few big-name sponsors last week. They're going to sign her for a multi-million dollar deal. "

" Wow. All that hard work paid off. "

" It did. I could never impose that upon Haruka. This was her dream: to race. I couldn't be the one to take that away from her. "

" It's not like she can't race. It's more like she has an additional responsibility. " Setsuna shrugged. " Is there anything Haruka can't do? "

" You know she can do anything she puts her mind to. But I'll be okay with being a single parent, Setsuna. I would hate to have Haruka end her dreams when she hasn't even tasted them yet. "

" I will ask her. Don't you worry. "

Haruka was inevitably nervous. She had been pacing the corridor for quite some time. There were so many thoughts running through her head and so little time for her to get them out. Tonight she had scheduled an emergency meeting with her sponsor, to … discuss a few things.

" Tenoh! " A brown-haired, older man held his hand open to his office. " Please, come on in. It's a little late to be having a meeting. I take it something is wrong. Is there anything I can do for you? "

" Yes, sir. It is somewhat important. I know I have already agreed to sign on to your company's advertisement campaign but I have an issue that has come up. " Haruka knew that she had to be firm in what she wanted and she had never wanted something more in her whole life.

" An issue? I don't understand. "

" Yes, an issue. Are you aware of Michiru Kaioh? "

" Of course, the famous violinist. Who doesn't know her? "

" Hai, well, Ms. Kaioh and I have been talking for quite some time. We're not only good friends but also… well, we've been seeing each other for a couple years now. "

" Oh. "

" We've always wanted children of our own but, we've decided to adopt. There's no point in having children when there are tons of kids who need parents already. None of that matters, the point is, we have a new addition. On top of that, we're going through some changes at home. Moving in, buying a house, getting prepared for Hotaru… "

" I see. " The man stood up. " Are you trying to tell me that this is going to affect your racing? "

" Naturally. "

" If that's the case then I suggest you don't adopt this… Hatoari… or whatever. You've signed with one of the biggest names in the industry. You can't be wasting your time changing diapers and taking your child to school. This is a serious deal, Mr. Tenoh. We don't settle for anything less than what we already indicated. This is your choice. "

" I apologize. I understand. " Haruka murmured.

It was late. Michiru had stayed up most of the night waiting for Haruka's phone call. She had called the blonde's cell phone once or twice but it was futile; Haruka simply wasn't answering. Her eyes drifted to Hotaru who was sleeping contently in her own bed.

Setsuna should have never asked her. Racing is her life dream. To take that away from her, would hurt me the most.

There was a knock at her door and Michiru fixated her gaze to the front door. I wonder who could be here this late at night? Michiru walked over to the peep hole, staring into it. Ever since she had sole possession of Hotaru, she was more careful in every action she made, knowing it could affect the safety of the small girl.

" Haruka, what are you doing here so late? " Michiru asked, all too happy to see Haruka, though she hid it well.

The blonde looked worn out and tired. " I needed to talk to you. "

Michiru let the other girl in, closing and locking the door behind her. " Are you okay?"

" Me? " Haruka asked, incredulously. " Why wouldn't I be okay? "

Michiru stood, a bit dumbfounded. " Setsuna told me that she asked you … "

" Michiru. " The blonde placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. " I'm never better. Where is she? " Haruka looked towards Michiru's bedroom. " Ah, asleep, of course. " Haruka made her way to the back room.

" Haruka, I didn't mean for her to ask you. I know you have so much going on right now. I didn't mean for her to put you on the spot. " Michiru followed the blonde, who inadvertently found herself laying next to Hotaru, who was fast asleep on the bed.

" Come lay with us. " Haruka motioned for her to lay on the other side of Hotaru. Michiru did as was requested of her; she rarely objected to Haruka's requests. " I told the sponsors about Hotaru."

" I'm -- " Michiru suddenly became scared of the blonde's reaction. She didn't mean to push her away by asking her to commit to Hotaru.

Haruka placed a finger on Michiru's lips. " I told them that I needed to make time for Hotaru. They didn't want to settle on having my attention split between them and Hotaru so I had to make a decision, for myself. "

" I never expected you to make one on behalf of us. " Michiru admitted quietly. " I would never have you give up your dream. "

" I'm sorry. I couldn't give up my dream. " Haruka mumbled, lowly. Michiru's stomach seemed to have hit the floor at those words. Even though she knew Haruka would pick racing as an instinctive reaction, the words still hurt to hear. " I couldn't give it up because I realized it was no longer my dream; I have a new one. And my new dream is to be there for Hotaru as much as possible. To be Hotaru's … 'father', if you will. I know I can't deny the fact that I love everything about her. I love her smile, her laugh, her little fingers. And I know she loves us. " Haruka leaned back into Michiru's pillow, placing her cheek against Hotaru's forehead. " I will be here for you just as much as I will for Hotaru. Besides, if you can compromise with being a famous violinist and give up your life's dream, then I'm sure I can get sponsored again and race on the side. "

Michiru was near to tears when she heard Haruka's confession. They were great friends but this was simply something she would never forget. Haruka wasn't just a friend; she was a great one.

" Thanks, Haruka. Thank you so much. " Michiru watched the blonde close her eyes. Knowing that both Hotaru and Haruka would be sleeping with her tonight, made her feel like she had everything she ever cared about, within her reach. And that was a comforting thought.