A/N: This a new M-rated story I've come up with in lieu of continuing The Sabers of Il Santi for the moment (which I may continue at a future time after seeing the outpouring of support for the story. I am so grateful to all the readers for your support, truly.) I hope you will forgive me for discontinuing that story for the time being, and enjoy this brand new one instead for now. The setting is during the 1920's Prohibition Era, and our favorite girls start off as runners for a mafia bootlegger in Chicago. Having females in the roles isn't historically accurate, but it doesn't really matter. Fate and the other runners/gangsters are written to be in dress shirts with vests and pants, ties, fedoras, and even occasionally dress suits, as was appropriate for the roles and the time period.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

Rum-Runner Girls

by : ~Nissanity~

Chapter 1 – The Blind Tiger

~Chicago, June, 1923~

Fate POV

"Hey, Fate! Little help here?"

"Hmmm," I answered Teana distractedly, still staring intently at the cigarette burning away between my fingers.

I heard her groan behind me, and I turned to see her lifting up a wooden crate of full glass bottles from the backseat of our old transport vehicle. She then walked a few steps and placed the crate into the cargo area of the new Lincoln we had just picked up.

"What are you doing over there?" she growled at me with clenched teeth.

"They said they were toasted," I replied, placing the cigarette back in my mouth and walking in her direction.

"What does that even mean? Toasted?" she asked, leaning her arm on the open trunk door as she narrowed her eyes at me.

"These Lucky Strikes. I bought them because the ad said they were toasted. But I can't tell what that the difference is," I said. Teana said nothing in response, only continuing to peer at me for a moment longer.

"There's still four crates left," she then informed me, before turning away and heading towards the old vehicle again.

I walked behind Teana and rounded the back of the car to the other side. I leaned over and hoisted a crate myself from the backseat. "Where are these going?" I asked.

"The Orchard Lounge," Teana replied. "Shamal is supposed to meet us out back so that we can unload these before the club opens at nine."

I looked up at the sky and noticed it was just turning dusk. "We've got plenty of time. Maybe we can get a few games in beforehand?"

"Nope," Teana replied flatly as she placed the last crate in the new car's trunk, and we both did a count on the bottles. "We deliver first, and then you can take everyone's money after."

"Hmph. Alright, then... Hey, this looks a little lighter than usual?" I commented after a second count.

Teana shut the trunk. "The Nakajima's have the other half of the shipment. They are meeting us there," she informed me.

"Damnit! Do my mothers know that?" I asked, making my way to the passenger side door and opening it.

"Probably not," Teana replied as she got in the driver's side and started up the car.

I sat back against the seat and closed my eyes. "I know the Yagami's try to be fair about all this with the families, but you know how my mother gets about splitting jobs," I mentioned.

Teana shook her head. "Well, maybe we'll just let Lindy know, and she can tell Precia about it herself?"

I ran my hand along the stitching on the front bench of the car as we were driving. "This Model L is really nice. I'm never putting the top up on it. It's definitely a lot better than that last piece of junk we drove around," I said.

"Yeah, Shamal wanted more protection for the shipments, so she got us this one with the trunk."

I ran my hand along the door frame next. "You know... Someday I'll be able to afford my own car like this?" I said slyly, glancing over at Teana a few times.

"Fate..." she warned.

"Come on, it's a new batch I've just made!" I pulled out a small flask from my shirt pocket. "Here. Just try it, and give me your honest opinion."

Teana squinted at the road ahead, and then held her hand out to me with her palm up. I placed the flask on it, and she glanced over at me nervously. I raised my eyebrows at her as a gesture to go ahead and to try it.

Teana used her knee to steer as she removed the cap from the flask. She took a deep breath before throwing her head back a little and taking a drink. I watched her swallow it, and then half a second later she turned towards me with a look of disgust and horror on her face.

"That bad, huh?" I asked, biting my lower lip.

Teana coughed, and then threw the flask angrily out of her side of the car, followed by the cap to it. I turned around and watched the two pieces bounce down the street a few times before landing in the gutter.

I laughed as I turned back around in my seat. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong with it, honestly."

Teana wiped her tongue on her shirt sleeve. "How is it getting worse? No one will ever buy that shit, Fate. I'm sorry."

"Maybe I should try something else other than moonshine? Like wine or something...?" I mused.

Teana's face softened a little. "I'm curious, why are you trying so hard with making your own stuff? You have a steady job now running for the Yagami's?" she asked.

I stretched my arms over my head. "There's nothing wrong with wanting more out of life than that, is there?"

Teana shook her head. "Of course not. But most women would plan for a house and kids when they talking about wanting more out of life."

"Hmmm... I guess I'm not most women then," I replied.

Teana smiled and glanced over at me. "Well, you've got that right at least," she said.

We approached The Orchard Lounge from the main street, and Teana backed up into the rear alley near the kitchen entrance. We spotted Shamal, the Yagami's main shipment coordinator, standing near another new Model L that was already parked in the alleyway. Ginga and Subaru were just exiting their vehicle when we arrived.

"Right on time, everyone!" Shamal said cheerfully as we all walked to meet her in the middle.

"Hey, Tea!" Subaru called out cheerfully.

"H-Hey, Subaru," Teana replied in a bashful manner.

I ran to Ginga and gave her a quick hug. "Hey, check these out," I told her quietly afterward, holding out a new set of dice in my palm where only she could see.

She glanced around nervously. "Fate, are those loaded?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, yeah! I thought we could try to get the Scaglietti girls with these next time!" I replied excitedly.

"I did not hear what I think I just heard," a voice suddenly warned from behind us. Ginga and I both turned slowly and found Shamal glaring at us a few feet away, with her hands firmly resting on her hips. She then held her hand out to me expectantly.

I placed the dice in it cautiously. "I-It was just going to be in the alleyway? Not at Hayate's place or anything?" I tried weakly.

"No cheating! Anywhere!" she scolded me.

I gave her my best smile as she pocketed the confiscated dice, and she bopped me on the head playfully. "Alright, let's unload the shipment quickly. We need get it in to the cellar before we open."

The four of us runners made quick work of unloading the crates from the cars to the storage area of the kitchen. Shamal would have us hand the crates down to her, as she stood at the top of the stairs of a hidden storage cellar in the floor. She would in turn pass them to a worker stationed at the base of them. His job was to transfer the liquids to various emptied and cleaned food containers for concealment of the illegal alcohol. The riskiest part was always the transfer from the cars to the storage area, but the Yagami's opted to hire women to perform the task, to help curb any suspicion of their activities.

Teana put her hands on her lower back and stretched her hips forward once we were finished. "Ugh, I'm getting too old for this," she grimaced.

I laughed a little. "You're eighteen, Teana."

"I've been working for your mothers since I was ten though. Precia is a slave driver," she joked.

"So what are you girls doing later tonight? Like around midnight?" Shamal asked the four of us as we gathered together outside the back doorway in the alleyway.

I looked at Teana, who was always better at keeping up with our schedule than I was. She shook her head to indicate we had nothing going on. "We're free," I told her.

"Us, too," Ginga added.

"Great! Because Carim has a new singer debuting tonight, and I would love for you guys to come watch her. I don't want her singing to an empty room, after all."

"Carim?" Ginga ventured, and I saw her face blush a little. "Yeah, we'll be there for sure."

Shamal started passing out our cash payments to us for the transport. "Fate, I trust you are ready to lose that to me tonight?" she asked me.

I pocketed the money. "When does the game start?"

"Ten," she replied. "Hayate is coming in for a rematch specifically with you, so you'd better be there."

"Oh, I'll be there alright," I confirmed. "You can count on that."

oOOOo

"Straight flush. Read 'em and weep, ladies," I announced, laying the cards on the table in front of me.

Hayate nearly lost the cigar she had been holding steady in her mouth. "Oh, come on!" the head of the Yagami family yelled, smoke billowing around her face.

"That is some bullshit right there!" Vita shouted while pointing to my cards.

Shamal threw her cards on top of the table, and leaned back in her chair as she shook her head at me in disbelief. Teana took off her fedora and hit me on the shoulder with it.

I took her hat from her hand and started raking the winnings from the table into it. "Beginner's luck, I guess," I said.

Hayate took the cigar from her mouth and held it between her fingers as she pointed at me. "You've been using that excuse since you were twelve, Fate," she chastised me.

"Well, yeah! I learned it from you when we were in school together," I responded as I handed Teana her hat back with the money in it. She rolled her eyes and started counting it for me.

Shamal started dealing another hand. "We need to get Fate a better hobby than gambling, Hayate. She's going to make the family go broke at this rate," she teased.

Hayate nodded. "Yep. We need to find her a girlfriend soon," she confirmed.

I held up my hands. "Why jump to that all of a sudden?" I asked. "I don't have time for anything like that."

"What else are you so busy with?" Vita asked me sarcastically as she held up her new hand in front of her.

"Well, this!" I began, gesturing to the poker table. "And runnin'. You know, I've got big plans for my life. Plans that don't involve any distractions like a girl."

"We'll see about that," Hayate said as she made the first bet.

"She probably haven't met the right one yet is all," Shamal added, matching Hayate's bet.

"I bet she's afraid no girl would want her," Vita quipped, raising the pot a little.

"She gets plenty of attention, so that's not the problem," Teana mentioned, folding her hand.

"I feel like you guys aren't listening to me," I countered, doubling Vita's bet.

"We are, but you're wrong," Hayate said as she matched my bet.

"You need someone special in your life, Fate," Shamal continued as she matched Hayate's wager.

"I'm out. I honestly don't care about Fate's love life," Vita scowled.

"Well, I don't either," I responded, and I pushed all my winnings to the center of the table to go all-in.

Hayate and Shamal paused as they stared at the amount of money I just wagered. They both folded their hands at the same time, and I gleefully pulled my new winnings towards me.

"Shit! I thought that tactic would work!" Hayate yelled as she crossed her arms on the table and put her head on them.

"Do we have time for another hand?" I asked hopefully.

I felt a strong hand suddenly grab my shoulder. "Nope," the gruff voice answered. "Carim's new girl is about to go on stage. You are expected out in the club now, Fate and Teana."

"Thank you, Signum!" Hayate said happily. She then turned to glare at me playfully. "This isn't over, Fate."

I stood up from my chair and grabbed my jacket. "It's been a pleasure, ladies," I said as I tipped my hat to the table.

Shamal threw a pretzel at me. "Oh, get the fuck out of here already!" she laughed.

Teana handed me the money I had just won as we walked to the table behind Signum. "Here, that's all of it," she informed me.

I handed her a third of the winnings. "Here, Teana. For gas earlier."

"Fate...?" Teana asked cautiously as looked down at what I gave her. It was about double my share for the tank she had bought earlier.

I ignored her potential refusal of the money, choosing instead to sit down next to Ginga at the table. Teana slid in the booth next to Subaru, who was smiling at her entrance with her typical goofy grin. I glanced over at Ginga and found her seemingly transfixed with the blond lounge singer on the stage. Carim was occasionally glancing down at her and smiling as well. I looked around the room to see that the seats in the club were about half occupied.

"Not a bad turnout for a Tuesday," I leaned over and whispered to Ginga.

She nodded. "Carim got a lot of regulars to come tonight for the new girl. Apparently, she is really good," she told me.

"Thank you all very much!" Carim said loudly after her song finished. The audience yelled and clapped loudly as she waved to them. I fished out a cigarette from the pack in my pocket and I got more comfortable in my seat.

"Thank you all for coming!" she continued. "That was my last set for the night! I'm now proud to announce the debut our new singer, who will be performing a few songs tonight for everyone's entertainment. Please welcome... Miss Nanoha Takamachi!"

I was focusing on making sure my match didn't go out as I attempted to light my cigarette, and I did not see the new lounge singer as she first walked onstage. I heard a collective gasp come from everyone in the room, including the occupants at my own table. I watched from the corner of my eye as all three of them leaned forward in the booth a little.

"What are you - ?" I began as I looked over at them in confusion, before turning my attention to the stage as well. The match I was about to put out with a few wrist flicks stopped mid-air as I caught sight of the new singer on stage.

"Thank you all so much for having me here tonight!" the sapphire-eyed brunette in a form-fitting red cocktail dress said to the crowd. "Nyahaha, I hope I do okay!" she added with a giggle.

"Oh my god, she is beautiful!" Ginga said in hushed voice, as the piano player began to play the notes to her first song.

The flame I had not been paying attention to suddenly reached my fingertips, and I dropped the match on the floor in surprise at the unexpected pain. "Ow!" I cried.

Nanoha glanced over to me at my sudden outburst. I thought I saw her smile falter a little when she noticed me, and I waved a little in apology for my interruption. She returned her attention to the crowd as her vocals began to fill the room, and I don't think anyone in the club took their eyes off of her once during her performance.

Occasionally Nanoha would look over at me as she sang, and her face seemed to show a bit of nervousness each time. I tried to remain perfectly still, so as to not cause her any more stress inadvertently through her song. At the end of her first song I joined the rest of the patrons in applause, and she smiled her bright smile and began singing her next ballad.

I sensed someone approach the booth behind us halfway through, and Ginga and I turned our heads to see Signum crouch down to speak to us.

"Shamal has another job for you guys," she said softly. "Go see her in the kitchen after this."

Ginga and I both nodded in confirmation and Signum left. We returned our eyes to Nanoha's performance again, and I noticed she had been watching our interaction with Signum as she sang. At the conclusion of her second song, Ginga and I stood up from the table, and we beckoned Teana and Subaru to follow us. We were leaving the lounge area as Nanoha was giving her farewells on stage.

"So what did you guys think of the new girl, hmm?" Shamal asked as we made our way into the kitchen.

"She very talented," I confirmed.

"And gorgeous!" Ginga added.

"You've said that twice already," I mentioned.

Ginga shrugged. "Well, it's true. I'm almost jealous of her."

"So, what's the new job, Shamal?" Teana asked, changing the subject.

Shamal gestured to four large empty glass bottles on the floor near the front of the kitchen. "We have a shipment coming through Indianapolis tonight. We need you guys to take these empties and trade them for the full ones that are coming. You are going to meet up with the other group in Lafayette sometime in the morning."

"A long night ahead of us, huh?" Subaru mentioned to Ginga. I myself was counting how many hours it would take to get to Lafayette and back, when I noticed Carim and Nanoha walking down the hallway past the kitchen door.

Shamal held a few bills of money in front of my eyes. "Hey, Fate! Can't have you distracted here. This is for travel costs," she informed me. "Although after tonight's game, I doubt you'll need it anyway."

I pocketed the money and picked up one of the glass bottles. "Still thinking about the money you lost, eh?" I mocked.

"Hurry up and get back here so we can have another rematch," Shamal countered as I walked away.

"Man, her and Hayate just don't learn, do they?" Teana laughed as we walked down the hallway.

"It works for me," I replied, as I pushed open the backdoor to the alleyway.

I looked to my right and noticed Carim and Nanoha, still in their cocktail dresses, smoking together outside of the doorway. I tipped my hat to them as I walked past, before making my way to our car with the heavy bottle on my shoulder.

"Hey, Carim!" I heard Ginga say shortly after Teana and I exited. "Let me put this down and then I'll come say hi."

Teana rubbed her shoulder after we placed the empty bottles in the trunk. "At least we only had to carry one each," she mentioned.

"You're going to end up older than me at this rate," I said of her ailments as I shut the trunk.

"Hey, Teana! Fate! Come here!" Ginga yelled from across the alley, signaling with a wave of her hand over her head.

Teana and I walked back towards the doorway. "We'd better get going pretty soon," Teana warned me.

"I agree. Let's just meet the new girl and then we can get out of here," I responded.

"Hey, you guys know Carim of course," Ginga announced as we approached. "Nanoha, this is Teana... And Fate." She pointed to each of us respectively.

"Good to meet you, Teana," she said. She turned to me and gave me a genuine smile. "Fate."

"It's nice to meet you, Nanoha," I replied politely.

"So, you're Hayate's runners, then?" she asked.

I paused for a moment. "Well, for now at least," I replied. Nanoha gave me a curious look at my statement.

"We really should be going soon, honestly," Teana reminded everyone.

Nanoha looked interested. "You all are going somewhere?" she asked.

I smiled. "We have to pick up a shipment in Lafayette in the morning. We have to leave now to make it in time."

"Oh, I want to go!" Carim exclaimed. "Pretty please?" she asked Ginga as she clasped her hands in front of her.

Ginga beamed. "Yeah, of course! There's plenty of room in the new car now."

"What about you, Nanoha?" Carim asked.

I saw Nanoha glance over at me, and I immediately turned my head downwards in fake disinterest as I kicked my toe at a break in the concrete. I knew there wouldn't be a point to bringing an extra person on the trip, but I also wasn't going to tell her no if she accepted the offer.

"Um... no, I don't think so," she replied after a moment. "I probably should get home to my family."

I glanced up to her hand at the mention of the words 'my family', and noticed she had a wedding band on her ring finger. I laughed a little to myself and shook my head for not having seen it sooner. A mixture of emotions then washed over me as it sunk in that she was indeed married, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why it would bother me so much.

"You would think I would be happy for her, right?" I questioned myself.

"Are you coming tomorrow night?" Nanoha asked, breaking me away from my thoughts. I looked up and noticed she was speaking directly to me.

"Huh? Oh. It depends on work, I guess," I replied distractedly before I looked away again.

"Signum said I could do a full set tomorrow night. So, yeah..." she added.

I merely nodded my head in response, now unable to meet her eyes at all anymore.

"Well then," Carim suddenly said to break the tension. "I'm going to get changed really quick and grab my purse. Are you coming, Nanoha?"

"Yes," Nanoha confirmed, and I was finally able to look up at her again. I noted she had a confused expression as she studied me a little longer, before she turned around and followed Carim back into the club.

I sighed and started walking away as well, with Teana silently following behind me. "Let's just wait in the car until it's time to go. I'm driving," I said.

oOOOo

Nanoha POV

I sat down in frustration at the dressing room table after coming inside from the alleyway. I quickly started taking off my jewelry and throwing it loudly onto the counter.

"Is everything alright, Nanoha?" Carim asked cautiously.

"Did I say something wrong to your friend out there?" I asked heatedly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Carim scratched her cheek and smiled a little. "Yeah, I actually don't know what that was all about. You should still come with us, Nanoha. It would be fun!"

I laughed bitterly. "I'm pretty sure that Fate girl is not interested in having me around. You should go for sure though. Ginga seems really nice."

Carim merely nodded as she removed her performance dress, revealing her slip underneath. She slid a white sundress on over her head, and then grabbed her purse and quickly started going through the contents.

I glanced down at the fake diamond ring still on my ring finger. "Are you sure I have to wear this?" I asked, before pulling it off and setting it on the table as well.

"It's a good idea. You can flash it if you are getting hit on by a guy you aren't interested in," Carim replied. "It also signals Signum to pay closer attention to you if you feel unsafe at any point."

I nodded. "That makes sense, I guess." I began to remove my cocktail dress as well, and I put my curled hair up in it's usual side ponytail afterward.

"Fate usually isn't distant with people like that, by the way," Carim added.

"Well, what is she usually like? When she isn't being rude to people, that is?" I stepped into my sundress dress and put it on as well.

Carim laughed. "Maybe you'll just have to get her attention the same way you got an audition with me?" she mentioned as she helped me button my dress up in the back.

I turned and stared at Carim thoughtfully at her suggestion, and she waited patiently for my response. I then nodded my head and grabbed my purse.

"You know what? You're right. I just hope I don't regret this," I said as I gestured towards the door, and Carim led the way cheerfully. I followed her out of dressing room, and we eventually made our way through the club and out into the alleyway again. I took a deep breath as Carim and I parted ways outside, and I began walking to the car that Teana and Fate were waiting in.

Teana glanced over her shoulder in the passenger seat when she heard me approach, and she immediately hopped into the backseat from the front. She continued to stare at me in shock the closer I got to the car.

"Teana, what are you - ?" Fate began, before noticing me approach as well. I silently let myself into the passenger side and shut the door loudly behind me. I turned to Fate and stared at her, and she peered back at me intently. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and amusement, and I raised my eyebrows expectantly at her in response.

Fate finally smiled a little and started the car. "Alright. But you're driving some of the way then, Nanoha," she informed me.

"Not a problem... Fate-chan."

A/N: Hope to see you guys next time! ~Nissanity~