Time Flies

Chapter 4

Lucky Me

I was standing outside of Nanoha's door at the time she requested. I looked over my clothes once more, just to make sure that I didn't look like an idiot before knocking.

The door opened not to long after. A woman that looked like an older version of Nanoha was at the door. I was just about to say Nanoha, before the woman beat me.

"Hi, you must be Fate. I'm Momoko, Nanoha's mother. It's nice to finally meet you"

"It's my pleasure Mrs. Takamachi" I bowed my head.

And it surely was my pleasure. I had never met Nanoha's parents when I met Nanoha. Both her parents had died by then. So I was really honored that I could meet them now, especially since adult Nanoha would always tell me that they would have liked me.

"Please come in"

"Thank you Mrs. Takamachi"

I stepped inside the house. It was a lovely home. Fit for a family. Seeing as though this is the same house that my Nanoha lives in, it was the same, but not the same. Nanoha had changed a lot of things around after her parents died.

As I walked around the living room, I could see pictures of Nanoha and her family. I even saw one of Nanoha when she was a baby. She was so cute.

"Nanoha, Fate's here" Mrs. Takamachi called.

"I'll be there in a minute" Nanoha called back.

Something smelled ready good and my stomach growled a little bit.

"So this must be the famous Fate I've heard so much about"

I turned to see an older man with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He wore blue jeans with a white polo shirt.

"Yes. I'm Fate. Fate Testarossa. It's nice to meet you"

"Wow. You have great manners. I like you already"

"Thank you for the compliment Mr. Takamachi" I bowed.

"I hope you are taking care of my our little Nanoha. If not, we're going to have a little chat"

"Um, Nanoha….Nanoha and I aren't together"

"Mom, Dad, what are you saying to Fate?"

"Nothing. We were just chatting"

"More like embarrassing. Please excuse my parents. Sorry to take Fate away, but we have breakfast to eat"

"We want to eat breakfast with you two?"

"Not today. This is more like a two person breakfast. Besides, you have to go see brother and sister today"

"Yes. You're right"

"Come now Fate. Let go get the food and go upstairs to my room" she said pulling my arm.

"You was nice meeting you two"

Before I could hear them say anything, I was already in the kitchen. Quickly as we entered, we were out and going up the stairs.

The food smelled so good that I started eating.

"Wow Nanoha. This is good"

"Thanks. I made it as a thank you for helping me"

"You're so welcome" I said before eating more of the delicious food.

We walked into Nanoha's room. Whoa. There were a lot of pink things in her room. There were also a lot of Magical Girl posters and other things related to the show. I was really fascinated that I stopped eating.

"Wow you must really love that show"

"Yeah it's great. Sort of can relate to the main character"

"How so?" I asked as we took a seat on her bed.

"Well since I'm the youngest and my siblings and parents were always busy with their own things, I always felt alone. It was the same with the main character on the show"

I place my hand on Nanoha's. "Not anymore. Not as long as I'm around" she smiles.

"How old are you Fate?"

"I'm nineteen. You?"

"I'm seventeen. You're nineteen? You don't look it"

"Yeah. I get that a lot, but it's true"

"Do you have your own place?"

"Yes"

"Do you have a car?"

"Not at the moment"

"Do you have a job?"

"No. Don't really need one"

"What's your favorite color?"

"Black"

"What's your fav-"

"Hey. Slow down Nanoha. If I tell you everything, then there would be no mystery to me" We both laugh. "Seriously, we have a lot of time to get to know one another, so let's save some of the questions for the next time I see you"

"And when am I going to see you again"

"I don't know. Maybe next year"

"Fate" she whined.

"How about tomorrow then? Want to go somewhere?"

"Sure"

"Where are you going to take me?"

"It's a surprise"

~0~

"So let me guess. You're going to see your sweet precious Nanoha, aren't you?"

Hayate was really getting on my nerves with her teasings. I was actually thinking about buying a fly swatter and use it on her. I could see her now screaming in fear as I raise the swatter at her and drop it on her. I laughed at the thought.

"Yes Hayate. I'm going to see Nanoha" I said while putting on a black tank top to go with the blue jean shorts that I had on.

"Aww isn't that sweet. You're just so sprung Fate. Next time, you're going to come in with drool spilling from your mouth and heart in your eyes"

"No I'm not Hayate"

"Is that anger I hear? Wanna talk about it?" Hayate teased again.

I'm buying that fly swatter.

"Hayate would you be nice and whip me up a nice picnic basket lunch? Oh and I need a car. A nice car"

"What the hell do I look like, a TV infomercial?"

"Yes. Now can you help me out please?" Gosh, she was like a child. A serious hand full.

"I guess I can do it since you said please" she twirled her wand and a nice basket and blanket appear. "The car's outside. It's the black one"

"Thanks Hayate. You're a life saver" More like a pain in the ass.

"Well have fun drooling" she said before disappearing.

She was dead meat.

~0~

I walked outside to see a black Mercedes.

"Nice" I guess I could let Hayate off the hook this time.

I got inside the car. I could tell that it was new. It smelled new. It had tan leather seats, which I like that most.

I found the keys already in the ignition. I turned the car on and made my way around the corner to Nanoha's house. Once I was outside her place, I beeped the horn waiting for her to come out.

Not too long after, Nanoha came dashing out of the house. She had on a blue and white striped tank top, blue jeans, and blue flip flops. Her side ponytail bounced as she came running towards the car.

"Wow Fate. This is a nice car" she said as she got in, putting on her seat belt.

"Yeah I just got it"

"So where are you taking me today?"

"We're going to have a picnic at the park"

"Sounds exciting" she cooed.

"I hope it will be. Are you ready?"

"Yes"

With that said, I changed the gear into drive and made the short drive to the park.

Our time at the park was every….eventful. If I didn't know any better, it seemed to me that Nanoha rarely got out of the house. She was just all over the place trying to test out new things. We did get a few weird looks from other people, but I didn't mind. Nanoha was just too adorable.

After feeding the ducks bread crumbs at the pond, we found a spot under a big tree to have lunch. I pulled out the blanket and sat it down before Nanoha and I placed ourselves it.

"Let's see what we have in here"

I opened the picnic basket to see what was inside. I pulled out a few ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, watermelon and strawberries and some water.

"Love potion? What's this Fate?" Nanoha asked looking from the bottle and then to me with confusion.

"Eh? I don't know what that is. Someone packed this picnic basket for us. Give it here. I'll return it later"

Nanoha then passed me the bottle. Hayate was definitely going to get it for this stunt. Just wait until I get back Hayate. You just wait.

We began eating the delicious food. Even though Hayate did a great job with the food, she still wasn't off the hook.

"Fate, can I ask you a question?" Nanoha said after taking a bit from a strawberry.

"Yeah. Ask away"

"Why are you being so nice to me? Not that I'm complaining, or anything, but no one has ever done so much for me in such short time. So I was just curious"

How was I going to answer her question? I couldn't just say "well I love you in the future and I'd do anything for you even though you're seventeen now". Hayate and I hadn't talked about that yet. Maybe it would just sound crazy anyway.

"I hate seeing people being put down by others. It's very sickening to see people do such things to nice people. I think you're a nice person that deserves better. I just thought I could be the friend that you need"

"Thanks. I really appreciate your friendship"

"Me too"

"Can I ask another question?"

"Yes Nanoha" This girl loves questions. Adult Nanoha wasn't so nosy. She always waited for me to tell her things. It's cute that she wants to know more about me though.

"How did you know that you were a lesbian?"

"Well, I didn't know until I moved from Tokyo, to Uminari"

"How did you figure it out?"

"Well when I came here, I thought life just sucked. My mom wanted to move here and I didn't. I felt like I was leaving a lot behind that I wasn't ready to leave yet. Then when we arrived, I got out of the car and a woman caught my eye. She was picking up a newspaper, but I had never seen anything so beautiful and when she smiled…"

"Hahaha"

"What's so funny?"

"You seriously fell in love because some woman picked up a newspaper?" she asked as she continued to laugh. If only she knew she was the one picking up that newspaper.

"Actually no it wasn't because of the newspaper. I was about to get into that part before someone rudely interrupted me"

"I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm all ears"

"It was the way she smiled at me after our eyes met….or maybe it was the way her brown hair blew in the wind…..or it could also have been how the sun shined upon her that made her seem like an angel. No….she was an angel in my eyes. I loved her eyes the most. They are blue just like yours. Man, I lost myself so many times in those blue ocean pools. I could've stared in them for a lifetime…."

"Then why didn't you continue to?"

"She was married and had a daughter. She was a thirty-eight year old woman, Nanoha. She was twice my age with a husband that I had never met and a little five year old girl that I adored so much. She was like my own daughter. She even called me Fate-mama. I just wanted to be a family with her. Just me, her and little Yuna. And sometimes she would look at me in such a way that I just hoped meant that she loved me to, but I wasn't sure. If it was love, she never told me it was"

"I'm sure that she loved you Fate"

"Yeah maybe, but it wouldn't have mattered"

"Why?"

"Because I don't think she would have left her husband for me" The thought had saddened me, but it was a reality I had to face. Nanoha probably wouldn't have left her husband. There was no denying it. "Anyway, what about you? How you find out that you were bisexual?"

"I don't know how it happened, but I just started liking my best friend. She was a great person. She was nice to everyone and had a nice personality. I thought that she felt the same about me, so one day at school, I told her me feelings. She didn't say anything. She just left. The week after, she left the school and that's when the rumors started around school"

"I guess we both have had a rough experiences"

"Yeah we have"

"Let's get out of here. Do a little shopping maybe? I have to go buy a fly swatter anyway"

"Shopping sounds fun"

~0~

I drove us to the place that was supposed to be a surprise. After getting out of the car, I grabbed the two blankets out of the back seat. The air was much cooler since the sun wasn't out to keep it warm, so the extra blanket was needed.

"So where to now?"

"Up there" I said pointing at the top of the big hill that was in front of us.

"Are you serious? We have to go up that? It's so steep" Nanoha complained.

She was being a baby about this.

"Okay. Okay. I will be nice this once and give you some friend service and give you a piggy back ride up the hill"

"Yay. Friend Service! I love it when you give your services to me Fate" Nanoha said practically jumping ten feet in the air.

"Yeah, don't expect me to be carrying you all the time, okay?" I said but deep down, I would do anything for Nanoha.

"Okay"

I bent down and let Nanoha climb on her back. Once I felt the warmth of her arms around my neck, I began making my way up the hill.

"You know Fate, you smell really good"

"And you're just noticing. I'm hurt" I said in a fake hurt voice.

"Well I wasn't really close to you today like I am now"

"You do have a point. So I'll forgive you this time"

"Mmm. I love this smell" Nanoha brings her nose to my neck.

I automatically jump at the closeness. No one has ever been this close to me before, so the sensations of feeling her breath on her neck was making my body feel warm and fuzzy.

"N-Nanoha, what are you doing?" I could feel a blush forming.

"Smelling you" she said as if she was in a trance.

"Do you have to do it so closely? Your breath is tickling me" Tickling me in another way. "Sorry" she says before moving her face from my neck. "You just smell so good I couldn't resist"

The blush I was sporting grew tenfold. Nanoha was so mean.

In no time, we were at the top of hill.

"Wow" Nanoha says as she gets down from my back. She runs close to the edge of the cliff.

It was really beautiful. Flowers were in bloom, the billions of sparkling stars shined over us, and you could see the lights from the houses and streets from where we were. What I liked the most was how the moon reflected of the ocean waters. It was always beautiful every time I saw it.

"This is the surprise that I wanted to show you. I love coming here. This place is a safe haven for me and I was thinking maybe it could be for you too"

Yeah this is the place that I would come to when I needed time to think things over. I thought about my mom, Nanoha, and Alicia. I missed my sister so much. This was a place that I could cry about her.

"Thanks for sharing this wonderful place with me Fate. It's great" I could tell Nanoha was happy about being here so it made me even happier to have brought her here.

"You're welcome"

I left her where she was in order to place one of the blankets down. With that done, I kept the other one in hand before turning back to Nanoha.

She had her arms out to the side. Her hair was blowing with the gentle breeze. It was a beautiful scene. I could have just stood there watching her in her beauty….that's how beautiful she looked right now.

I walked up beside her. Her eyes were closed.

"It's great isn't it?"

"Yes. I feel so free" She smiles still with eyes closed and outstretched arms.

"Come" I put my hand on her shoulder. "Let's sit and get under the blanket. It's getting cold"

"Sure"

We walk over to the blanket that I just put down and sat. I quickly unfold the blanket in my hand and wrapped it around both of us.

We fell into a comfortable silence as we both enjoyed the wonderful scenery in front of us. Nanoha wraps her arm around my arm and rests her head on my shoulder. I look down at her and smile before looking back at the wonderful view.

"So why is this place a safe haven for you?"

"This is the only place I can come to in order to think about certain things"

"What things?"

"My mom, the woman I was telling you about earlier, but mainly my twin sister Alicia"

"I didn't know you have a sister Fate"

"Had a sister" I said putting emphasis on the word had to make it clear that Alicia wasn't alive anymore.

Nanoha moves her head from my shoulder. I could feel her looking at me, but I continued looking at the view.

"She was hit by a car trying to save me. A lot of times I wished it were me that had died just so that my wonderful big sister could live. I just wish it never happened, so that both of us could be here together. Maybe then my mom wouldn't have to fake being happy most of the time"

A tear escapes my eye just thinking about those painful memories. I quickly wipe the tears away. I didn't want Nanoha to see me like that.

Nanoha's hand moves and places it into mine, intertwining our fingers. I look at Nanoha. She looked like she was going to cry. I could see the tears brimming around her eyes. I didn't want her to cry.

"Hey, don't cry okay? I'm fine" I lied. I just didn't want her to cry because of me.

"I know you're not Fate. How could you be? You lost her second half. You lost your precious sister that meant everything to you"

Tears fell from Nanoha's eyes. I wiped the tears away leaving my hand to caress her cheek.

"But what hurts me most is that you blame yourself for her death"

That stopped my hand. I had never told anyone that I blamed myself for her death. Not even my mother.

"Do you really think that your sister would want you to blame yourself for her wanting to protect her little sister? I don't think so, so why should you?"

I knew that Alicia wouldn't want me to blame myself for her death, but I couldn't stop thinking it was my fault. If I hadn't gone into the street to get the ball, she would have never been struck trying to push me out of the way. She would still be here smiling. She would have still been with me.

My lips began to tremble as the tears began to spill from my eyes. Nanoha released my hand and pulled me into a hug.

"Why did she have to save me? Why?" I cried as I grabbed onto Nanoha's shirt as my head rested on her chest.

"Because she loved you. She risked her own life just so that you could live Fate. I'm sure that she wouldn't want you to blame yourself for doing something she thought was right. And like your sister, I'm going to protect you and be there for you…just like you've been for me. I want you to come to me when you're happy and when you're sad. I don't want you to carry your pain alone. So come to me if you need anything. Okay, Fate?"

I nod.

I sat there in Nanoha's arms, crying my pain out for Alicia. This would be the last time I cry for her. Nanoha made me realize that Alicia wouldn't want this. She would want me to be happy and so that's what I'm going to do.

It was all because of my sister that I'm still alive and it's because of my sister that I can be with Nanoha right now. So thank you Alicia for being my guardian angel….I love you.

~0~

After parking in front of Nanoha's house, I walked her to her door.

"Thanks for taking me out Fate-chan. I really enjoyed myself"

"I did as well"

"So, see you before school tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it"

"I'm being to think that you love scaring the students at my school" Nanoha said teasingly.

"Of course I do. Can't have them messing with you. I have to let them know who's boss"

We both laugh.

"Hey. Thanks for being there for me tonight. It's not every day that I let people hold me like that, but it was very comforting to me. So thanks"

It was kind of embarrassing to admit that to Nanoha, but it was the truth. She comforted me and she deserved to be thanked for it.

"Anytime. I'll hold you whenever you need to be held"

"Sounds good"

Before I could think, I could feel warmth on my cheek. Nanoha kissed me. I just stood there a little stunned.

"Good night"

"N-night" And then she went in.

My hand went to my cheek. I could still feel her lips on me. Now that I think about it….

I was sure a lucky girl.

~0~

I walked inside the house with my new friend in hand. I walked up the steps knowing that Hayate was going to be there waiting to tease me. Was she going to be in for a surprise.

"Hey Fate. How was your time with Na-no-ha" She teased. "I see you don't have any drool. She broke your heart already?"

I didn't say anything. I just kept on making my way over to her.

"Hey. Something's off about you today. Did Nanoha kiss you again?" she laughed again, but it went away when I didn't say anything.

"What's going on with you Fate?"

"Love Potion!" I said. My voice filled with anger.

I revealed the fly swatter and Hayate's eyes grew with fear.

"Hey Fate" she chuckles nervously. "If you're mad about the Love Potion thing, it was just a joke. We're still friends right? Right?" she swallowed hard.

I raised the fly swatter with an evil smirk on my face.

"Fate, come on. Don't do this. I promise it'll never happen again. Come on Fate….NOOOOOOO!"

Thanks for reading. Hope you liked and please review.