Author's Note: First off, I'm really sorry to hear about your friend's loss, crestoflight3, I hope that he's doing okay. Thank you for reviewing along with Login Later too. Second, I'm extremely sorry for the lack of updating. I've been fretting about homework and then my finals but now that's over, I can finally get back to my writing.

Circuits

Somber

The drive back home from the hospital was in utter silence. Though the Kamiyas knew that little could be done to prevent Yuuko's eventual demise, now, it felt surreal. As if it was just a dream.

Upon entering the apartment, Susumu picked up the phone and began preparing the funeral arrangements for his wife while Tai ushered his distraught sister to her room.

Matt stood solemnly, watching his owners' displays of grief. Watching Tai and Kari leave, he turned to Susumu, waiting to be given a command.

Halfway through the conversation with the funeral director, Susumu took notice of Matt and stopped briefly.

"What do you want, Matt?" he asked in a weak voice.

"Is there something that you want me to do, Mr. Kamiya?"

Rather than answering, Susumu could only stare at the robot. As he continued to look into Matt's glass eyes, thoughts began to stir from within Susumu's mind:

Yuuko is dead. Matt was supposed to provide and care for her.

And Matt could have prevented her death.

These thoughts became mingled with feelings of anger towards the artificial blonde.

What's my family to do now? Susumu thought bitterly, my children will have to grow up without a mother to nurture them and I…

He narrowed his eyes darkly at Matt.

You…

"Mr. Kamiya, sir?" Matt asked, "Is something wrong?"

Just as he was about to lash out at the android, the funeral director's voice on the phone broke the hold over the distraught man.

"Mr. Kamiya! I can't wait any longer! There are five calls that are waiting for me to answer!"

Susumu immediately apologized as he resumed his plans for his late wife after he quickly ordered Matt go and to check on Tai and Kari.

As Matt walked down the hallway, he could hear the siblings in mourning. Nearing towards the door of the room, he noticed that it was slightly ajar but was able to observe the Kamiya children undetected.

From inside the room, Matt could see Tai sitting on the bed, with Kari sobbing hard into her brother's lap while he gently stroked her hair.

"Why?" her muffled voice asked multiple times, "W-why did Mama h-have to d-die?!"

Tai couldn't answer, for he too was asking 'why' as well. But all he could do for his little sister now was to comfort her in their hour of darkness.

Matt turned his gaze towards Tai. Though the older boy was not weeping, his eyes were red from the tears that he had shed for his mother. Slowly he backed away from the scene, allowing the siblings to grieve in private.

…

Not long after, the day came for Yuuko's funeral.

As the family prepared to leave, Susumu ordered Matt to stay behind.

Though Matt obeyed, Kari was outraged by her father's request.

While their father was making last minute decisions with the arrangements, Tai and Kari waited for the others to arrive at the funeral home, but Kari was unable to keep her anger bottled up any longer.

"Why wouldn't he let Matt come with us?!" she demanded.

"I'm mad about it too, Kari but I think it's because Matt's not a part of the family." Tai replied.

"But he cared for Mom in her final weeks before she died!" protested Kari, angry tears running down her face.

Before Tai could retaliate, they were greeted by their fellow Digidestined, including Mimi, and their families.

"Oh, Tai, Kari," Sora began as she brushed away some stray tears, "I, all of us, are so, so sorry for what happened."

"W-we wished that we could've done m-more to h-help." T.K. added, fighting back the growing lump in his throat.

Davis nodded solemnly in agreement.

Tai and Kari smiled sadly.

"There's no one to be blamed for it," Tai said, "and Kari and I appreciate everything."

"We better hurry, Tai," Kari stated, "the funeral's about to start!"

Following the final prayers and eulogies, Tai and Kari could only stare as their mother's coffin slowly descended into the earth, leaving behind only a headstone as the last part of her identity.

…

It was late in the evening, when the Kamiyas arrived back to their apartment. They didn't seem to notice Matt when they walked past him into the kitchen where their dinner had been freshly made.

They ate in silence and when they were finished, left the blonde android to clean up afterwards as the three immediately headed for bed.

As night fell, Matt sat alone on the living room couch, watching the mounted clock while its hands moved in the darkness.

Giving a low sigh, he turned his attention to the slide glass door nearby.

Getting up and opening it, Matt looked down from the balcony towards the city, gazing at the bright lights shining below.

"You couldn't sleep, Miss Kari?" he asked before turning around to face the young girl.

"No, I couldn't." Kari responded sadly, walking towards the balcony to join him, "Not after all that's happened. And my dad wouldn't let you come with us to say goodbye…"

Matt lowered his head, avoiding Kari's hurt expression and looked up towards the night sky.

"I did all that I could do to help your mother. And your father decided that it was best if I stayed behind."

Kari didn't answer as her tear-rimmed eyes gazed upon the stars, calmly glowing amidst the bluish black shades of darkness.

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, Matt?"

"Yes ma'am, they are."

"They seem so close," Kari said, "and yet they're always out of reach…"

Then her cheer quickly became somber.

"Just…like...Mom."

She hung her head and closed her eyes, feeling the tears run down her cheeks at the tender memories of her mother.

"Is she really that far away?"

Kari's eyes opened, taken off guard by Matt's simple question.

"It's very interesting that stars are thousands of miles away and yet people can still see them," Matt continued, "maybe, it's not that different."

"W-what's not that different?" Kari asked, wiping away her tears.

"The bond that you share with your mother." replied Matt.

The short-haired girl stared at the android with awe. Somehow, his statement made sense to her. Though her mother was no longer with the family didn't mean that she was gone forever.

Kari smiled warmly as she felt a sense of comfort pour over her,

"Thank you, Matt. That means so much to me."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he responded, "Why don't we head back inside?"

Kari nodded, "Yes, it's getting pretty cold out here."

As Matt escorted the young girl back into the apartment, he took one more look out towards the sky before shutting the glass door.

And there, hidden amongst the stars, was a faint streak of light soaring across the sky just before it faded out into the darkness.

-To be continued…