CHAPTER (II)

They arrived at Phil's house, and found it eerily quiet. The three of them walked in, and Phil immediately headed for Luna's room. He pushed open the door gently and saw her sleeping peacefully, clutching her favorite stuffed teddy.

Phil approached her bed with quiet steps and knelt beside it, his eyes welling up. He reached out and stroked her hair gently, not wanting to wake her but needing to feel her, to reassure himself that she was still there.

"How do I even break this to her?" Phil asked sitting on the chair next to Luna's bed.

Ashley took his hand between hers, "You'll find a way."

It was 2am in the morning, his friends had tried to convince him to rest but he couldn't, how could he after what had just happened. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw three bodies burning inside the car, his heart broke again and again.

The little soul moved in the bed and Phil turned and looked at her, she pulled her teddy tighter. He exhaled audibly and sunk back on the chair.

** ** **

Luna woke up as usual, went down stairs where she met her brother and his two friends at the breakfast table. She was holding her giraffe, Phil feigned a brave face that housed a smile as he turned to the little soul. "Good morning little princess," he started. "How did you sleep?"

She didn't reply immediately, she looked around and noticed her sister and parents were not present.

"Where is mom? And dad? And Steff?" Luna asked and the two friends exchanged looks.

Phil stood and carried his sister and rested her on her usual chair. "They won't be able to join us for breakfast baby." He told her and was about to continue but she wouldn't have any of it.

"Mom promised we would have breakfast together." She cried.

"I know princess but…" he broke off and shifted his gaze from Luna's eyes, took a deep breath then turned back to her. "Why don't you have breakfast then-" The doorbell cut him in.

Carman, their house manager, walked to the door. "Sir Lionel," Carman called and stepped back, "please, come in."

'Sir' Lionel was of fair build, probably 53 or 55, in a suit, worry, horror, terror, concern, pity all mixed up in his face. "This way sir," Carman said and led him to the dining room where Phil and Luna were.

"Uncle Leo!" Luna screamed as she dropped from her chair and rushed to him with arms wide. Lionel launched her from the ground, "Hey you." He began to her with an evidently forced smile.

Lionel James, founder and CEO of LeoTech, a top tech company in the country and a great friend to the Torres family. He hugged the kid tight and she rested her head on him, he met Phil's eyes and saw it all. Saw all the hurt he was going through.

"I made you something," Luna said to him unexpectedly.

"Really?! what is it?" He asked as he walked to the table and dropped her on her chair.

"It's a surprise," the little soul said mischievously.

Lionel gave her smile "I can't wait to see it." He said and turned to the others. "Hello everyone."

From Luna, he had read that she didn't know, so he did his best to act casual. "Sorry to drop in like that." He forced a smile, for Luna's sake. Lionel joined them at the table where he was offered some breakfast but he declined. For a minute the excitement of seeing Lionel had made her forget about mommy, then she remembered and asked again.

Lionel and Phil exchanged looks, Lionel turned to her, "Why don't you go get me what you made, huh?" he requested her.

A help helped her from the chair and walked her up the stairs to her room.

Lionel stood and went to Phil, the young man buried his face on Lionel's shoulder. "It's ok son, it's gonna be ok." He told him reassuringly.

"How? How is any of this going to be ok?" Phil asked with an unsteady voice, full of bitterness.

Lionel didn't answer. He just held Phil in silence for a little over a minute.

"What happened was beyond tragic and I can't start to fathom what you must be feeling right now son but you have to be strong. If not for yourself then for little Luna, she will find out sooner or later and you better be there for her, you are all she has left." Leo told him after he let go.

Phil sank into the chair and stared at a portrait of his family on the wall in front of him. It was a beautiful portrait. Covered three quarters of the wall with his father in the back next to his mother who was holding baby Luna, he stood by his sister Stefanie in front of their parents. It was a work of art, they were happy in that portrait. Now it was nothing more than a painful reminder that they were gone and weren't coming back. He looked away as a tear rolled out of his left eye.

"Here it is!" Luna said handing him a large paper with a drawing.

"You made this?"

"Yeah, that's you, Aunt Rebecca, mommy and daddy." She pointed to each of them.

Phil couldn't take anymore of the pretense. He stood and walked out into the balcony that served a spectacular view of New York City.

Back inside one of the savants walked to Carman and whispered something to him, Carman did the same

"Understood sir." He replied and walked away.

"Hey man." A voice started next to him, he didn't turn, he didn't need to, he would recognize Jamie's voice anywhere, they had been friends for more than a decade "We are terribly sorry for all this man, but just know that we are here for whatever you need, just say it and-" Phil didn't let him finish.

"What could I possibly need right now Jamie?"

Jamie went silent for a moment. "Just know we are here for you man, always." He walked back in and shortly after, Ashley came.

Phil heard footsteps behind him and using the back of his hand, wiped a tear out of his eye. Ash didn't say anything. Just stood there next to him and stared far beyond the skyscrapers that adorned the New York skyline. She heard him exhale deeply, she turned and met his eyes, red, swollen and wet. She pulled him to her and put her arms around him, all in silence. She felt his tears wet her top, but that was a non-issue considering.

She just stood there held him in silence.

"Is Phil ok?" Luna asked Lionel in her sweet little voice as she looked at him through the clear glass balcony doors .

"Umm yeah, he is. He just needs some fresh air." Lionel answered her also looking at Phil.

Leo could only imagine the hell Phil was going through, having lost his entire family just like that, and what made it worse was that it happened right in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to save them. In Leo's book, there was no greater pain than watching your family go up in flames right in front of you.