[A/N. In answer to the question by Stormy Daye, no this isn't the last story in the series. There is going to be one more! I know it has taken me a very long time to update this, but I've been pretty busy with Uni stuff so I haven't had the chance to write some more until now. I wasn't actually planning on writing this chapter, but it occurred to me that I couldn't go straight to the funeral so I needed to have something more in there, and this is it. ]

~~ 6. The harsh light of day. ~~

There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Lara, are you awake yet sweetie?" Aunt Holly's voice came softly through the door.

Even though I hadn't really slept all night I closed my eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep, sensing her having opened the door and peered into the room. When I heard it click shut quietly I opened my eyes again, and moved restlessly. It was hard to believe what had happened last night, hard to believe my parents were gone and I was alone. I'd wondered about what would happen to me now, but most of the time I was too busy crying over my parent's death to care what happened to me. How could they have left me? Didn't they love me? I must have fallen asleep after the wakeful night because the next thing I knew Nelson was in the room.

He looked down at me, but his eyes avoided mine as he spoke. "Mom and Dad have gone to see Mr. Jackson about your parent's will. They didn't think you'd be up to going." He said.

"Right." I said numbly. "Did Grandmother come last night?"

Nelson nodded. "She did, she's not taking this well Lara- she…well it's almost as if she thinks it were Laura and Robert who died, not your parents." He explained. The bed creaked as he sat down on it, and instinctively I moved my feet so he had more room. We both sat in silence for a moment; the only real sounds were from the gulls outside.

"You know…" I began before my voice cracked. I took a deep breath and started again. "You know I'm all alone now."

Nelson shook his head adamantly. "Lara you'll never be alone. You've got us, you've got your Grandmother, and May and Tommy…you're not alone."

I laughed bitterly. "Funny, it feels like I'm alone. I just don't understand why this happened Nelson. Everything was fine one minute, and then the next…." I sighed and angrily rubbed at the tears which had begun to fall again unbidden.

To my surprise Nelson had tears in his eyes too. "Nobody knows why anything happens Lara." He said softly. "I wish I could explain it, help you to feel better but I can't. Nobody can. But I want you to know that I'm here for you- Mom, Dad and I, we're here for you. "

I reached out and clasped his hand in mine. "Thank you." I said simply.

He squeezed my hand by way of reply.

*****

"Lara, do you think you could come down for dinner? We need to talk to you." Aunt Holly asked later that day. Nelson had spent awhile in my room sitting with me in silence before muttering something about going for a run and leaving. After he left I curled back up into a ball and tried not to think about what had happened. Unfortunately that was impossible. My life had just changed dramatically and I had no idea what was going to happen now. It was almost as if I were drifting in the ocean, going where the tide took me, with no real ability to shape where I was going or what was happening.

I nodded. "But I'm not very hungry Aunt Holly." I said softly.

"Oh sweetie I know, but you've got to try and eat something and keep your strength up. The next few days are going to be very hard." Aunt Holly said. Something in her tone made me look up at her- was there something she knew that I didn't?

Nelson gave me a weak smile when I walked into the kitchen. I'd splashed water on my face hoping it would take away the blotchiness but I'd shed too many tears for it to be concealed. Aunt Holly put a plate in front of me and I stared at the pasta for a moment before forcing myself to take a forkful.

We ate in silence for a good ten minutes before Uncle Kenneth spoke. "Did Nelson tell you we were going to see Mr. Jackson about your parent's will?" He asked softly.

I nodded. "He said you didn't think I'd be up to it. You were right of course." I replied. "Did they- does the will say what's going to happen to me now?"

Aunt Holly made a strange noise in the back of her throat and shifted in her chair, but Uncle Kenneth held my inquiring gaze. "It does, but to be honest Lara things are a bit up in the air at the moment."

"Up in the air how?" I demanded. Even though I was upset about my parent's deaths I was still anxious to know what plans had been made for me.

"Well it stipulates you're to stay with your Grandmother, provided of course, she is a suitable guardian." Uncle Kenneth said. "And…well look Lara, we don't need to talk about it now. Let's wait until after the funeral and then we can all sit down and-"

"NO!" The words burst from me before I could stop them. "Let's not wait. There's something wrong isn't there? I could tell by Aunt Holly's look before. Tell me what's wrong!"

Uncle Kenneth glanced at Aunt Holly and she nodded shortly. He sighed. "Lara, your Grandmother isn't taking this very well at all. You know about her…well her problems right? And if she's going to continue thinking like this, well she's not really a suitable guardian is she?" He explained.

I put my fork down. "You mean you're saying she can't look after me because she's nuts?" I snapped.

"LARA!" Aunt Holly said angrily. "I know you're upset, I know this has all come as a terrible shock to you-"

"Of course it's a shock." I cried. "My parents are dead, I wasn't expecting that was I?"

"Your Aunt didn't mean it like that." Uncle Kenneth explained. "The will is pretty detailed as to what would happen to you, and we've got to work some things out with Mr. Jackson as administrator of the will, before we know what's going to happen."

I closed my eyes trying to get my temper under control. I knew it wasn't my Aunt and Uncle's fault that nothing was decided about me yet, but at the same time I wanted to know what was going to happen to me. I wanted to know that I was going to be able to feel safe and happy again one day. I opened my eyes again and forced a smile. "I'm sorry." I said stiffly. "I don't think I'm ready to deal with this yet. As you said let it wait until after the…after the funeral."

"Everything's going to be all right Lara." Aunt Holly assured me. "I promise you sweetie, everything's going to be all right."

I nodded, although I wasn't sure that was entirely true. In fact the way I saw it at that moment nothing was all right and I didn't know whether it ever would be again.