Disclaimer: I do not own.

I can't believe that I caught Fate-mama just like that! I thought it'd be a pointless wait since I didn't even know if she got off her ship already or not. Takamachi Vivio, you have the best of luck today! Actually I should stop praising myself… It's not like me to do that. I wonder if Nanoha-mama knows that Fate-mama is home today. Maybe Teana-san didn't tell her. It didn't seem like Nanoha-mama knew anything or she just kept it from me... These two really are hopeless! I wish I can do something about it. For starters I wonder how long Fate-mama is going to stay this time.

Fate I

By

Kanoko

"Well instead of just standing there, why don't we get in the car first? I'm sure your Fate-mama is tired, Vivio." Hayate said while pointing to the black sports car. Releasing Fate from her hug, Vivio looked at Hayate then gave Einhart a questioning look. When the silver haired girl nodded, Vivio nodded enthusiastically and made a "Un!" sound of approval.

The four females piled into the car and soon, Hayate went onto the highway. There was a somewhat awkward silence as if the usually energetic Vivio wasn't sure what to ask Fate. Fate on the other hand had taken interest in what was flying past outside the window and also didn't say anything. Sighing, Hayate decided to break this silence.

"So Vivio, what are you going to tell your Nanoha-mama when she sees you come out of Fate-chan's car? Not to mention you are home two hours early." Hayate teased and almost instantly the awkwardness that was lingering in the car disappeared.

"I can always say that Hayate-san brought me out of extra lessons early and took me somewhere." The young girl replied with a playful smile on her face. After pausing a bit, she seems to have finally found the courage to ask something that she had wanted to ask every since getting in the car. "By the way Hayate-san, where is Fate-mama staying?"

Hayate paused a bit and realized now that even she didn't know where Fate would be staying at. Shrugging her shoulders, she glanced at Fate and Vivio caught on. The girl looped her arms around Fate's neck from behind and looked at her inquiringly. Fate turned her head a bit to meet Vivio's gaze then she shook her head. "I haven't even thought about that yet."

"Then why don't you come over first then decide?" The girl had a huge smile on her face and Fate found herself unable to refuse. Although she knows that she might regret this decision, the blonde enforcer nodded her head anyway.

"So Nanoha-chan's place it is! Let's think of a good excuse first. I don't want Nanoha-chan to starlight breaker us for "taking" Vivio out of her lessons early." The brunette paused a bit then glanced at the rearview mirror at the quietest passenger in the car. "You're fine with it right, Einhart? Coming with us to Nanoha-chan's place that is."

"Y-Yes, that's fine." Einhart replied with a blush on her face. The silver haired girl doubted that she could say no anyway because right now, Vivio is in a mood that even if you refuse, she will bother you about it until you agree.

Takamachi Nanoha was shocked. Her adoptive daughter who was supposed to be at her lessons was home two hours early. That and Hayate was walking up to the front door right behind her with someone that Nanoha feel she knew in fact this female accompanying Hayate actually kind of look like Fate. Not forgetting her motherly instincts, Nanoha opened the door and frowned at Vivio who was dragging a horribly blushing Einhart by the hand and running up the front porch, not expecting the door to open.

"Takamachi Vivio, why aren't you at your lessons right now?" The girl stopped right before the steps going up to the front porch and gulped. From what Nanoha could see Vivio looked like a fish with her eyes wide and mouth opening and closing.

"Aw, come on Nanoha-chan. Missing one or two lessons isn't that bad. Besides, Vivio does great in school doesn't she?" Vivio nodded vigorously in agreement and looked at Hayate who had a wide smile on her face as she placed her hand on Vivio's head.

"Hayate-chan… Mou, why did you take Vivio out without telling me anyway? And what do you mean it isn't that bad for her to miss one or two lessons? Sure she does well in school but I don't want her to get too distracted." Nanoha countered and watched as the blonde female who was looking around the house finally caught up and stood next to Hayate.

"Hey… You didn't tell Nanoha-chan that you were coming home today? Then again, you didn't tell me too but luckily I heard from Teana." Fate grinned sheepishly at Hayate and looked at Nanoha who doesn't seem to remember her.

"It's not like it's a really big thing. There's no need to make it such too. I don't even know how Teana found out that I was going to come home today." Although she said that, Fate has a very good idea who was the one that leaked the information to Teana.

Finally catching on, Nanoha's eyes widened. "F-Fate-chan?" Hayate laughed aloud as soon as she realized that Nanoha just figured out who the blonde was.

"Mou, would you stop smirking? It's not that funny that I cannot recognize my childhood best friend is it?" Nanoha glanced out to the living room where Fate, Vivio and Einhart was sitting with Vivio telling Fate stories of the past few years with Einhart occasionally attempting to calm Vivio down when she felt the younger girl had gone to excited.

"Well maybe it wouldn't have been that funny if only Vivio was the one that didn't recognize Fate-chan but to think you too? That's a bit of a shock." Hayate was leaning on the counter, nibbling on a cookie that she grabbed from the cookie jar and watched as Nanoha prepared whatever she was doing.

"Fine, I'm getting rusty okay? You know I haven't been to the office for ages. Much less on the battlefield." Nanoha paused then called out to Fate. "Fate-chan, are you staying for dinner today?" Then back to Hayate. "What about you? Staying for dinner today?"

"Make enough for one more person too." This time it was Hayate's turn to pause. "How does getting rusty have anything to do with not recognizing Fate-chan?!"

"Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama said she would stay for dinner!" Vivio beamed as she went into the kitchen and grabbed a few cookies from the cookie jar. There was no doubt that Vivio had done something to get Fate to agree in staying for dinner. It just shows on the young girl's face.

Watching the girl leave and making sure that she was in the living room continuing her story to fate, Hayate spoke again. "How are things with Yuuno-kun?" The brunette watched Nanoha tense up. To close friends it was pretty obvious that after a year of their marriage, Nanoha and Yuuno were actually better off being best friends. Hayate has no idea how they even managed to get to the marriage step if that really was the case.

"W-What are you asking that for? It's normal of course, nyahahaha!" Hayate looked at the woman with a look of disbelief. Shaking her head, Hayate pushed herself off the counter and headed towards the door.

"Well if you say so. I'm going to call Carim and see if she can come over. If she can't, you still have to make enough for one more person. I'm taking it out for her." After hearing a "Un", Hayate went into the living room to call her girlfriend and listen to Vivio's stories.

"Well then, thanks for the meal!" Hayate said indicating the bag that she was now holding as she waved briefly to Nanoha who stood at the front door. Watching the brunette get into the black sports car, Nanoha waved back and watch as it drove off.

"Nanoha-mama, the bath's free!" Vivio said as she came down from the second floor. "Oh, Hayate-san left already?" Watching her mother close the door then nod, Vivio nodded also and then went over to the sofa and sat next to Fate who was just putting three cups down onto the coffee table.

"Caramel milk? Ah, sorry Nanoha. I just thought I'd make something to drink…" The blonde trailed off sheepishly, feeling somewhat nervous around the brunette.

"It's fine… You don't have to be that distant. Make yourself at home. I'll… Go bathe. I'll drink the milk after that." Nodding, Fate watched as Nanoha disappeared upstairs and continued to stare at the now empty stairs until Vivio's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Fate-mama is thinking about Nanoha-mama again isn't she?" Fate looked at Vivio who was scowling at her now. "Honestly, if Fate-mama had told Nanoha-mama her feelings in the first place then this wouldn't be so awkward!"

Fate felt a blush find its way to her face. "W-W-What are you talking about?! W-W-Who told you that?!" Fate never would have thought that even someone as young as Vivio would know. Sure she knows that a few of their friends knows of her feelings for Nanoha but Fate can't help but feel weird that even Vivio knows of it.

"Mama, I'm thirteen years old now. Please don't treat me like I'm still that six year old who needs her mamas' comfort when she falls on the ground. Anyway that's not the point. Although I might not understand but I do think that I'd like to see both Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama happy but Fate-mama isn't happy is she?" Smiling slightly, Fate patted Vivio on the head.

"It's okay Vivio. I'm fine with the way things are." Fate looked around the living as if she's seeing it for the first time. "Well, you have told me stories of everything else but you never told me anything about Yuuno." Fate made an attempt to change the subject but when she mentioned Yuuno, she can't help but feel the name sound just a bit weird.

"Ah Yuuno-san? Well, I don't even normally see him unless it's his day off. Then again during those days I'm usually with Nove, Lio and Corona until late." Fate took note that Vivio had called Yuuno, Yuuno-san and nothing like Yuuno-papa or the like. "Well, I don't think it really matters since after getting married, Nanoha-mama and Yuuno-san seems even more best friends-like than a married couple."

Fate's interest perked up at the mention of that but then Vivio yawned. "Vivio, it's time for bed! You have school tomorrow!" Nanoha's voice came floating down as the brunette herself descended down the stairs.

"Awww but Fate-mama is home today!" Despite her unwillingness to go to sleep, Vivio's eyes were already drooping.

"It's okay Vivio. I'll be around for quite a while before I am called out again so go sleep or else you won't be able to wake up to go to school tomorrow." Vivio nodded somewhat reluctantly but stood up and disappeared up the stairs anyway.

After Vivio disappeared up the stairs, it occurred to Fate that she was now alone with Nanoha. The brunette had sat down on a sofa positioned diagonally from the one Fate was sitting on. In her hands was the now cool cup of caramel milk that Fate had made. There was a silence between them that made Fate feel like squirming in her seat. There was a few times that Fate wanted to say something but the words died before she even opened her mouth and thus she sat there, finding the cup in her hand very interesting.

"I'm mad at you."

Fate looked up, wasn't sure if Nanoha really did speak. "E-Eh?"

"I'm mad at you."

Phew, that's nearly two thousand words there. After so many cups of green tea, I finally finished this chapter! Yes, I guess you can say the pace is slow. But I kind of want a medium paced story. It won't be interesting if it ended too early now would it? Let's hope I don't drag it out and make it very uninteresting. Well, nothing really happened in this chapter but I'm quite happy with it. Anyone think Nanoha's reaction to Fate's return a bit dopey of her? It's totally not what you would expect from her, right? Well… Let's hope there's a good reason to it and pray that I'm planning something or else these characters would be VERY OOC which isn't all that good. Now that was long… As usual, Thanks for reading!