The daycare was clearer than it had been in several days, Harriette was one of the few nonregulars. All the regulars had become friends with her. It was her last day. Harriette had been drawing the regulars since day two so she'd made the majority of the single portraits. Because there were so few kids; the security guard wasn't in. So Moon had hacked it to give her a picture of all the kids. She'd held it to her chest before tucking it into a tear between the waterproof water and the rest of one of her pockets. She'd already tucked her drawings in. She'd given every kid a hug, and they'd given her one back. She'd been given small gifts. Things that she'd be able to hide easily, mostly friendship bracelets. Each one was given a hug before tucked into the same hole. They'd played games where they could all play together. They'd eaten. And when each kid went home they hugged and cried. Sun wasn't too surprised. He felt the same sadness. Harriette had been a delight to have in the daycare. She'd been wonderful to have as a sleepover companion. To loose her tonight or in the morning was making Sun want to cry.
Maybe we could just hide her and tell her relatives she ran away, Moon suggested for maybe the tenth time that evening. Sun was seated across from Harriette. The girl filling in another page for her spider booklet. The last page, at least that Sun would be a part of.
"Mr. Sun," Harriette said in a tone to soft for a human to catch. Luckily Sun wasn;'t human.
"Yes, Little St- One," Sun corrected.
"Can you-" Harriette gripped her homemade book against her chest. "Can you hold onto this for me?" She finally asked.
"Huh?" Sun said.
"I'll come back," Harriette said, fiercely. "When I'm an adult I'll come get it. So can you-?" Harriette ducked her head lower, Sun wasn't sure if she was finished or not.
"Of course I can," Sun said fiercely. "I'll wait forever for you to come back." Harriette looked up at him then. Tears in her eyes, Sun wished he could cry. "So, I'll keep it safe for you." Harriette's smile was wobbly and scrunched, it quickly turned into tears.
"I don't want to go!" Harriette sobbed. "I don't want to go."
"I don't want you to go either," Sun said, reaching over to rub her back. She looked up at him in surprise.
"You don't?" Harriette asked.
"Of course I don't," Sun said. "I want you to- to- to be in a happy home, to be safe and loved and cared for and all the things kids deserve to have." His voice box warbled, like he could actually cry. The pain in his chest was unbearable. Harriette threw herself into his arms and he wrapped her up in a tight hug. "I want you to stay." Sun whispered. Harriette sodded.
" 'snot fair," Harriette sobbed.
"It's not," Sun agreed, rocking her. They cried together, Harriette with great wet sobs, Sun with dry shudders. He'd really come to love Harriette, she was such a good kid. She was kind, and patient and worked hard, and loved with every fiber of her being. She was passionate about art and loved spiders and missed her parents and wanted to be loved. And gods and stars and everything in between did she deserve it. Eventually they calmed down enough to actually focus on the rest of the world around them. Sun noticed that Nova was waiting by the door. Her employee badge actually allowed her into the area even if she wasn't expected there today. Sun decided he did not want to put Harriette down.
You'd better not, Moon sent forwards. He'd been quiet till then. Sun picked Harriette up to walk over to Nova. She waved as they approached.
"Hey, little pup," Nova said with a soft, sad smile on her face. Harriette waved back, but didn't lift her head from where Sun's neck and chest meet. "I brought you something. Mayla wanted you to have it."
Harriette nodded. She held out the item in question, or items. One was a coat, a winter coat. The other was an old but well made backpack, reinforced here and there to be extra sturdy. It's definitely made up for Harriette's almost broken one. Sun wasn't sure he or Moon would be able to fix it at all. It was in that bad of shape. Sun took the coat and backpack gratefully.
"Thank you," Harriette said, showing how stuffy her nose had gotten from crying. Sun tucked the bag into the hand he was also using to hold Harriette, this way he could use his free hand to rub her back.
"You are very welcome," Nova said. "Anytime, I assure you. You'll always have a place with us."
"Yeah," Sun said.
"Tell Mayla good-bye for me," Harriette said, with a sniffle.
"Of course," Nova said. Sun and Harriette waved good-bye as she left. Sun thought it was a little unfair. Sun would see the Raywoods tomorrow, Harriette might still be there but it wasn't likely with the way Vernon Dursley had come to the area to pace like a wild but caged animal. Sun felt himself tighten his grip around Harriette. He did not want to hand her over to him. He didn't want to hand her over to anyone, but especially not him.
Sun helped Harriette pack all her things in her new backpack. Helped her finding hiding places and to cover the new things that Nova had already put there. Harriette had smiled when she'd noticed them. Then they tried them on. Like ever other thing Harriette owned they were both a bit big for her.
"That's good though, 'cause they won't have to get me any new stuff for longer," Harriette had said.
She fell asleep in Moon's arms while he was cleaning, he'd taken the time to get her ready for bed, but neither of them had been ready for their time together to end. And Sun had been right about one thing with the way Vernon Dursley was acting; it wasn't likely he'd let Harriette stay tomorrow. They'd shared stories, mostly made up stories, a lot about spiders, or flying.
Eventually Moon settled down from cleaning. There weren't anymore things to clean. Normally nights went by too slowly, but it seemed that this one was rushing to its end. Four Am glared at Sun and Moon in their shared hud. Moon adjusted their hold, and shared his eyes with Sun, watching Harriette sleep. Tucked close to their chest. Sleeping Safe and sound. She probably wasn't going to have that tomorrow night. Moon felt a shuddering in his chest. Their version of tears. He hated it. He didn't want to hand her over to him. To either of them. They were cruel and callus and awful, and the scars that littered Harriette's tiny form were heart wrenching. He didn't want that. She didn't deserve that. Nobody deserved that.
I know, Sun whispered.
It's not fair!
It isn't,
Why do they get to have kids? Why not u- we- it's not fair? Moon tried to avoid the painful topic. They'd been designed for childcare, they were filled with so much love. Yet they were stuck here, unable to protect the children. They loved them. They loved Harriette. Why couldn't they be parents? They were literally made for childcare.
I know, Sun's words were resentful. They'd lost a lot of kids, most to just getting too old for the daycare. Nobody ever stayed for long, someday even their most regular child would be gone. And here was a child who desperately needed a caregiver. They were designed for this, they were made to love, and yet here they were. Unable to do anything but wait for the day to take a child who needed them away.
