Haruka sighed as she pulled into the driveway, seeing Hotaru sitting on the front steps.

"You okay Kid?" she asked as she got out of the car.

The little girl just shook her head and looked down.

"Aw, what's wrong?"

Haruka asked, kneeling down in front of her.

"The news….I saw…."

Haruka sighed and opened her arms, almost instantly having the child cling to her in response.

Wrapping her arms around the little girl she picked her up, carrying her inside.

"Where was she? What's wrong?" Michiru asked, almost panicked only to earn a sigh.

"Just on the porch." Haruka stated, taking a seat on the couch and pressed her lips to the top of the little girl's head.

"Want to talk about what you saw on the news?" she asked the girl after a few minutes, sending a look toward Michiru who paled.

"No!"

Both young adults flinched at the exclamation but only exchanged looks.

"Okay, Okay, no need to yell." Haruka replied gently, feeling the child shaking against her.

Michiru sighed and took the seat beside the two, running her fingers through the little girl's hair in an attempt to calm her.

"Sorry." the little girl sniffled after a while, earning a chuckle.

"It's okay firefly...You're just upset and rightfully so." Haruka replied, earning a confused look.

"Firefly?"

"Your name means firefly." Michiru responded softly, causing the little girl to smile slightly.

"I'm sorry I worried you Michiru-San….I just….."

Hotaru began, only to be hushed by the aqua haired girl.

"You just wanted to get away. I know little one." Michiru stated with a grin before adding "though I need to teach you not to scare me like that!"

WIth that the teen began to tickle the child, causing her to squeal with laughter.

Haruka watched in amusement, keeping the child from squirming off her lap at the playful attack.

Once Michiru stopped, Hotaru hugged her tightly.

Michiru returned the hug before stating "let's keep this little adventure to ourselves, hm? Setsuna doesn't need to know that you snuck right past me!"

Haruka chuckled at this as she stood.

"You two goofs make up while I go see what I can fix for a snack since Setsuna-San isn't here to complain about me spoiling you." she stated, winking at the little girl before leaving the room.

"Michiru-San...I miss my Mama and Papa."

Hotaru whimpered, earning a sigh.

"I know sweetheart. Is that what you saw on tv before you vanished on me?" Michiru asked, earning a nod.

"The fire was really bad." the child whispered, earning a nod.

"Yes it was." Michiru replied, unsure of what to do in this situation.

Michiru felt the child burry her face against the crook of her neck, though she wasn't crying.

"Your parents were scientists weren't they?"

Michiru stated, earning a nod.

"They were so smart! Papa was always working though but Papa and Mama would always take weekends off. Mama would let me help in her garden and Daddy could tell the best stories." Hotaru stated, playing with Michiru's necklace.

"Setsuna has gone by your house to pick up their things as well as yours. Maybe she'll let you sort through them with her." Michiru stated kindly, earning a sniffle.

"Setsuna-san is sad too...she just doesn't want people to know it."

Hotaru stated, earning a sigh.

"We know. She just grieves differently than most. Probably because she's felt alone most of her life." Michiru stated, earning a curious look from the little girl.

"What about her mommy and Daddy?" she asked.

"Setsuna-san's mother died when she was born, her papa died when she was eleven. That's how we met her, she was this really solitary girl at our school, three years older than us but we were in advanced classes. Everyone said she was strange but Michiru just walked over and started talking to her, I was more shy at the time and Michiru had to drag me over." Haruka stated, walking back into the room.

"Really?"

Hotaru asked, earning a nod.

"Yeah, Haruka was even a bit afraid of Setsuna. THough the two bicker like sisters most of the time!" Michiru responded with a chuckle.

Hotaru smiled slightly at this before frowning again.

"Then who took care of Setsuna-San?"

She asked, earning a look from the two eighteen year olds.

"Keiko's parents, your grandparents took her in." Michiru answered, watching Hotaru's eyes go wide.

"Really? She grew up with Mama?" Hotaru questioned, earning a nod.

"Yes. she did. Keiko was a very good friend of ours." Haruka responded, smiling slightly at some distant memory.

"You both new Mama too? Did you know papa?" Hotaru asked, earning a laugh.

"He was a scrawny, dorky boy growing up. I use to tease him relentlessly because he had a massive crush on Keiko." Haruka laughed, earning an elbow in the ribs by Michiru.

"At least he was nice enough to do your homework for you when you were failing anatomy!"

She teased, earning a glare.

"Hey! Is it my fault that I couldn't remember two hundred and six bones in the human body? Souichi had a photographic memory!" Haruka retorted.

Hotaru giggled a little, though her eyes shone with tears.

"Daddy was really smart. So was Mama."

She stated, earning a small smile.

"Do you remember anything funny that happened with your parents?"

Michiru asked, wanting to help the child remember the good times besides just this accident.

"Yeah! I remember one time Mama was working on her garden and Papa sprayed her with the water hose! They got me in middle of it!" Hotaru stated, smiling slightly.

Setsuna walked into the room, smiling slightly as she heard the little girl's stories. Glancing down at the box that she had brought in she sighed and said

"It's good that you're talking about them, Hotaru."

The little girl looked up, startled by the sudden voice though she relaxed as the tan skinned woman walked over to the couch, carrying a box.

"What's in the box Setsuna-san?" Hotaru asked, earning a sad smile.

"Some photo albums and some things that your parents left." Setsuna answered, opening the box.

Hotaru's eyes landed on a particular necklace, it was a silver chain with a pendent of a heart outlined in light pink gems.

"Daddy got that one for Mama on their first anniversary."

She stated, earning a look from Setsuna whose eyes softened a bit as the child gingerly touched it.

"Hotaru, close your eyes." Setsuna ordered gently and once the child obeyed she pulled out a small golden locket from her pocket, snapping it around the child's neck.

"Your mom had that thing made for you when you were a baby but was afraid you'd lose it. She was going to give it to you on your next birthday." she explained as the child opened her eyes before adding "i put a picture of them in there, so you can have a peice of them with you every day."

Hotaru's eyes flooded over as she looked down at the necklace, opening it to see the picture.

"Thank you." the little girl stammered, trying not to cry anymore.

"Hotaru, don't hold it in if you feel like crying. It's natural to cry and be sad."

Setsuna advised lightly, moving the box so that she could pull the child onto her lap and wrapped her arms around the child.

"She saw the news." Haruka told Setsuna who nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Can I go to the funeral?" the child asked after a few minutes, her voice hoarse from her silent cries.

The three adults looked at each other then, a silent conversation of worry passing through them.

"Hotaru, we'll need to talk before we decide that. But you do have a say in if you go or not. We just want to prepare you for what it will be like." Setsuna replied, drawing in a long breath as she herself almost choked on a sob at the thought.

"Sets, you need to let it out too." Haruka advised gently, earning a sigh from the woman.

"She's right. You can't expect Hotaru to be open with her emotions when you're not." Michiru stated, putting a hand on the older woman's shoulder.

"Excuse me, I gotta go." Setsuna stated, leaving the room with Haruka trailing after her.

Hotaru looked up at Michiru sadly, then glancing down asking softly

"Did I do something wrong?" Hotaru asked, voice breaking.

"No. When she is sad she kind of just shuts people out until she cries it out of her system."

Michiru stated softly, pulling her onto her lap.

"How do you explain to a child that they were cremated? You know she'll wonder why there's no caskets!" Setsuna asked, frustration and sadness breaking her voice.

"You tell her the truth. You can explain it in a way that won't give her nightmares but you have to be honest from the start or she'll resent you for the rest of her life." Haruka responded, sitting down on the porch swing beside the older girl, wrapping her arm around her.

"Just how the hell do I do that? Your parents were blown apart by the explosion and some parts weren't found because they were reduced to little more than ash!?" Setsuna yelled, earning a sigh from the blonde who pulled her into a hug.

"Sets, calm down. If you lash out in anger like this around her she's just going to think it's because she's here." Haruka murmured, rubbing her friend's back in circles to try to calm her down.

"I know….I know….It's just…."

She began but paused, only to be cut off by Haruka.

"I know its hard, Hotaru's the last family you have but remember you're also the last thing she's got."

Haruka replied, sighing as she added

"Let me tell her about the funeral if it's too hard for you. Just be in the room, let her know that we all have decided to talk about it. She needs to know that we will always be honest with her because I know how it was when I was shoved from one foster home to another until I landed with the Tenou's, I didn't trust them all that much because I was afraid that they wouldn't give a rat's ass."

Haruka stated, earning a glare.

"Your point? How does that relate to Hotaru's situation?" Setsuna snapped, earning an mildly irritated huff.

"My point is she will be insecure as heck and probably be afraid that we'll leave her or something or that we wont love her or that we'll get tired of having her around. She needs to feel that she can trust us." Haruka clarified, earning a nod.

"To think I would take advice from the likes of you!"

Setsuna stated, closing her eyes as a small smile came across her face.

"Hey, I can be helpful when I need to be." Haruka replied, pulling the taller girl into a sideways hug.

Hotaru was sitting with Michiru, a stuffed panda in her arms when they came back in.

"Setsuna-San? Are you okay?" she asked softly, getting up and hugging the woman who just smiled as she knelt down.

"Yeah, sorry I ran out like that." Setsuna answered, returning the hug before adding "It's just kinda overwhelming right now."

Hotaru nodded, her grip becoming a little tighter on the woman who smiled in spite of the situation.

After a few minutes she pulled away and turned her attention toward Haruka who nodded.

"Hotaru, I have to tell you something before you decide if you want to go to the funeral." setsuna said seriously though with a soft tone so that she didn't worry the child more than it already would.

Hotaru nodded at this, noticing how Haruka moved toward them, kneeling beside Setsuna and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well….first off there won't be any coffins." Setsuna began, earning a confused look.

"Why?"

The inevitable question left Hotaru's mouth, causing the woman to falter.

"Do you know what cremating is Kitten?" Haruka asked softly, earning a shake of the head.

"It's when someone who isn't alive anymore is placed in a specail room that gets really hot, which breaks down the body." Haruka exsplained, reaching over to dry the child's tears.

"Why?" the little girl hiccuped, earning a sigh

"Hotaru, can you please not ask that?" Setsuna asked, earning a glare.

"I want to know!"

Haruka sighed and gently took the girl by the shoulders.

"Kitten, you have the right to be upset but don't yell at her, she's just as sad and angry as you are about all of this." she chided softly, noticing that Setsuna looked near tears as well.

"I'm sorry…." Hotaru squeaked, hanging her head slightly though she looked up when Setsuna began to stroke her hair.

"It's okay, I would be a bit angry too." Setsuna responded before adding "One of them can explain though, I don't think I can but you're right, you deserve to know."

"When they recovered their bodies the fire had done a lot of damage so it was for the best." Haruka explained softly, feeling the child burry her face into her shirt.

"I wanted to say goodbye."

Haruka felt a knot rise in her throat at this, having to close her own eyes to try not to cry.

"You can still say goodbye to them at the funeral. There will be a memorial set up and people will speak about them or if you don't wanna go you can always release balloons with a message tied to it." Haruka stated after a few minutes.

Hotaru nodded, not even looking up at the blonde but crying hard.