Vigatus: thank you for your review. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered in this chapter.

:KoumiLoccness: I was originally aiming for Matt + Hotaru, but as I started writing, Koushirou +Hotaru turned up. I find them to be more of a couple. Also neither Koushirou or Hotaru have truly realized they have feelings for each other yet. They still on the friendship stage. Also I admit Mimi + Izzy is a great couple, but let's face it ,Mimi with her beauty and charming personality can get any guy she wants, where as Hotaru finds it hard to even let her family in to her heart.

Disclaimer : I do not own digimon

"Hotaru sweetie? Hotaru" called the voices of her mother and father.

Hotaru opened her eyes and blinked, and then slowly sat up in the bed, and looked around at her surroundings. She noticed that she was in Tai's bed. Her mom, dad, Tai were standing anxiously around Tai's bed, and Kari was holding her hand. She turned around to see Izzy and Sora leaning by the door way. Everybody had concerned looks on their face.

" Hotaru dear, how do you feel?" asked her mom, as she touched her forehead.

" I feel exhausted. What happened?" Hotaru asked, trying to remember what happened her self

" I think there was just too much excitement for you sweetie, and then when your uncle came, you fainted. " her mom answered, smiling.

" What!" Hotaru sat up straighter, looking around for her uncle Iwoa

"He left Hotaru. He was leaving town today anyways." Her dad answered, looking straight into her eyes, as if he knew Hotaru feared his elder brother.

"Oh Tai, Kari! Im soo very sorry!" Hotaru said taking Tai's hand in her free hand.

"Huh? Why are you sorry Hotaru?." Tai asked confused

"Because I ruined your party. I'm so sorry Tai!"

"Gosh, Hotaru , you're apologizing to me? I should've taken better care of you. If Izzy wasn't there to break you fall, would've hit your head. Don't apologize Hotaru. You didn't ruin my birthday. spending it with you made it the best birthday ever!" Tai explained, remembering how Kari apologized for fainted from phenomena when playing soccer. Why are my sisters so a like

It turned out that their guests had left early to give the Kamiya's some privacy. Sora had remained behind because Tai requested talk to her privately (maybe he finally mastered the courage to ask her out), and Izzy just couldn't go home without knowing Hotaru was alright.

Once everybody left the Tai's room (Tai had carried her from the couch and placed her in his bed because it was a lot easier than climbing up to her bunk bed) , Izzy came up to her.

" You gave me a big scare Hotaru. I was worried. " he simply stated looking into her eyes

"I'm sorry" she said

"Hotaru, when you seen your uncle, you looked so pale. Is anything wrong?"

Hotaru stared back up at Izzy. She really wanted to tell him the truth, but it felt like her voice had left her.

"It's okay Hotaru, you don't have to tell me. Just know I'm here for you ok?" He stroked Hotaru's Hair

Hotaru smiled and nodded. She was truly blessed to have such a good friend like Izzy.

"Get some rest, I'll be by tomorrow". He said, as he sat down on Tai's bed, and pushed some of the loose strands of her hair off her face.

He opened his mouth to say something when Sora and Tai appeared at his door. "Hey Izzy, you ready to go?" said Tai as he grabbed his coat off the floor. Izzy jumped up off his bed. Tai sure seemed to have that effect on boys who liked his sisters.

The trio wished Hotaru goodnight , and advised her to get some rest. Hotaru's mother came by with her medication and a bowl of soup. It was decided that Hotaru would sleep in Tai's bed for tonight. The medication had a partial sedation effect on her.

Dream

"How dare you lie to my face you murderous girl" howled Iwoa as he lashed Hotaru's legs once again

"It wasn't me. I swear uncle; I don't know how your dog died. I was only playing fetch with him" mumbled Hotaru in pain as she pushed herself away from angry man. Hotaru was in her uncle's office, on the carpet, for her feet could no longer hold her up. he uncle's face grew red with anger and he raised the whip above his head

" DO NOT LIE to me! You did it!" He screamed as he brought the whip down on her once more

Hotaru woke up drenched in sweat. She could hear her parents' voices from out in the living room.

"I can't believe he had the nerve to show up here." She heard her father whisper in a harsh tone

"He's your brother Susumu. You shouldn't have been so rude to him tonight, telling him to leave." Her mother scolded her father.

" He's my half brother!" He father stated,.

" He took care of Hotaru while she was at the academy. Don't you think he misses her? Ofcourse he would want to see his nieces and nephew. We're the only family he has now."

"They're MY children. And there is something wrong. Every time we mention him, or she sees him, Hotaru goes pale. Its like she's frightened of him. Today ,he made her faint Yuuko!"

" Don't be ridiculous Susumu. Hotaru is naturally pale. And really honey, its our fault she fainted. She's a recovering girl. We should have been more carefull."

" We should've never let her go that school. What kind of father am I, letting my child being taken a way from me."

" Oh Susummu. We did it because it was the best thing for Hotaru. That school brought out how talented she is. Now she has a full scholarship to any university of her choosing dear! Plus it had the best medication facilities for her special needs."

" No Yuuko. We could've gotten all that here. We should've never separated her from our family."

" Oh honey, you know that's not true. Plus your mother and Iwoa lived near. She could see them whenever she wanted."

Dream

"You will not breathe a word about me to your parents! You hear me girl!" uncle hissed as he grabbed Hotaru's wrist.

They were in his brand new car. " He always liks to show off his money to daddy," Hotaru thought. Hotaru wished she could've just walked to see her parents. She hated being anywhere near Iwoa, and the car made her have to sit too close to him

"You're parents won't believe you anyways. Who would they believe, a sick, murderous weird girl like you or me. If you tell your parents, then you just upset them for giving birth to a freak like you. Don't be selfish. Protect your parents. What did they do have a demon like you?" He continued hissing menacingly

The car stopped in front a grand pair of gates, which hid a humongous ivy covered mansion. Upon it's site, Hotaru's sprits lifted. In that house, were her parents and her siblings, who had come to visit for the weekend. She found the driveway suddenly very long. She couldn't wait to see them.

"Remember girl!" the uncle grabbed her wrist really tight, as Hotaru got out of the car. "A word to your parents, and I'll make sure, you never see the old lady again."

Hotaru felt a warm hand on her forehead. However she could not open her eyes.

" I'm so sorry Hotaru." Her dad whispered, thinking his daughter was asleep.

"I should've never let you go. You're my miracle. I should've brought you home sooner. I thought if you were there, my mother wouldn't be lonely. Instead I should've thought about how lonely you'd be staying there all alone. How will I ever make it up to you."

Dream

An elderly woman, was sitting in a wooden rocking chair. 16 year old Hotaru was crying into her lap.

"I'm so sorry love." The old woman cried along with her. " He's always been an angry person. Even as a child. He hates me. He hates me for getting married again, after his father left, and he takes that anger out on you. I was selfish. I wanted you here, so I wouldn't be alone with him. I'm a selfish old woman Hotaru. Could you every forgive me? " The silver haired woman cried. Her tears rolled off her cheek onto Hotaru's midnight hair.

Hotaru lifted her head up to look up at her grandmother's face. Her face looked tired, worn, like she had fought a battle all her life. This was not the woman in her father's pictures. The pictures portrayed a young woman, happily married , smiling for the world to see. Hotaru had never seen that smile in person. Her grandmother only gave sad smiles to her; smiles that were filled with guilt.

"Don't cry grandma. I'm not mad at you. We'll get through this. I promise! It'll get better." Hotaru said staring into her grandmothers eyes, that seem to go on forever.

"No Hotaru." The old woman stated, looking down at her granddaughter. This brave child, bared so much hard ship in order to protect her. It was her duty to protect her granddaughter, not the other way around. "No Hotaru. He will never change. I promise I will get you out of here, even if it's last thing I do."

Hotaru woke up again. She could still hear her parents talking in the living room. She briefly wondered what time it was, and if Tai had gotten back home.

" I miss her so much Yuuko." Her father said. It sounded like he was crying.

" I know honey. I do too. She was more of a mother to me than my own mother ever was"

"I can still remember every word of the last conversation we had. She told me she was getting old, and her time was coming near. Remember I laughed and told her she was getting scared for no reason?"

" I do" Yuuko stated

"Then she said, son, as my dyeing wish, I want you to take Hotaru home at the end of this semester. I was so shocked. I honestly thought she was going crazy."

" It's ok honey" Yuuko consoled her husband

" and then she died, as soon as Hotaru's exams had finished." Her father's voiced was barely a whisper now.

I hope you enjoyed it I'm on vacation, so new chapter up tomorrow maybe please R&R