The Holidays

"Ok so what do we have?" Nanoha asked.

"Let's see…We've got something down for everyone except…Vivio."

Nanoha rubbed her hand across her forehead. "How did we forget Vivio?"

Fate smiled. "Because she changes her mind so often it's nearly impossible to know what she really wants."

"Good point," said the redhead with a laugh. She turned off the car engine and grabbed her handbag from the back seat. "So what do we get her? Any ideas?"

Fate glanced outside to the people walking through the parking lot and others filing in and out of the mall. "I have no idea. Let's just go in and see what we can find. Vivio is not a picky girl."

"I know that," said Nanoha. "It's just that…I want this year's gift to be good."

Fate put her arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It will be. It'll be a gift from both of us. Now come on let's get going."

"Ok, ok you win," she said getting out of the car with Fate. The cold winter air was blowing gently but that didn't stop it from being extremely uncomfortable. Nanoha pulled her coat tighter around her and fixed her scarf. She looked at Fate who was wearing a think coat and scarf herself as well as snow boots and a warm light brown hat. Nanoha giggled which earned her a curious look from Fate.

"What's so funny?" asked the blonde as she awkwardly trudged through the snow after her partner.

"You look so cute in your winter clothes," Nanoha said smiling.

"I look cuter out of them," Fate countered with a grin.

"We're in public Fate."

"I know."

Rolling her eyes, Nanoha adjusted the strap of her bag as they walked through the large automatic doors. She waited while Fate knocked the access snow from her boots then they both hurried inside to avoid a big crowd of teenagers coming from the opposite direction. Once inside, Fate pulled a folded piece of paper from her jacket pocket and opened it.

"I have an idea," she suggested. "Why don't we half the list. I'll get half of the presents and you take the other half. We're buying an even number of them so why not?"

"Hm…good idea," Nanoha said. "It'll save a lot of time."

Fate took the list and very carefully tore it in half, separating the list of names into two equal lists and handed one half to Nanoha. "Meet you back here in say an hour?"

"One hour," Nanoha agreed before turning and leaving.

Fate headed the other way while pocketing her half of the list. "Sucker. Now I can get Nanoha's gift and she'll never know!"

"Fate thinks she's so clever," Nanoha said to herself as she walked past a few crowded clothing stores. Just from eyeing what they had from the store window she could tell that she didn't have any reason to go in. "I know she's off getting my gift. I was just about to suggest we do the same thing. Now I just have to decide what to get her. She never gave any hints so I just have to think. Let's see…no one knows Fate better than I do…" She glanced into an apple store on her right. "That's a little too expensive for her. Fate isn't a fan of expensive gifts. I just need to think of something that she will like." As she tried to think back she remembered the time where Fate's cellphone completely crapped out on her not to mention that she had been having problems with the battery life. "A new cellphone would be perfect! Now where's the nearest store…there we go! She's gonna love this!" Nanoha made a direct line for the nearest electronic store.

"Oh Nanoha, I love you but you can be SO gullible sometimes," Fate said as she peered inside a store window. "I already have Nanoha's gift planned out I just need to pick it up so all that's left is to grab something quick for Vivio." Seeing nothing in the store she was looking in she walked a little more until she came to a toy store. Thinking she could find something for Vivio, Fate walked inside. As she browsed the selection and did her best to avoid all the other parents doing last minute shopping, an employee walked up to her. Fate didn't even notice the young man until he spoke to her.

"You look like you need some help," he said with a smile.

"Kinda," Fate answered. "I'm looking for something for my daughter. I don't which kind of toy to buy for her. My fiancée recently bought her a PSP which she practically loves so I thought of getting her a game but I don't which one. Can you make a recommendation?"

He thought for a moment. "Hold old is she?"

"She's 8."

"Does she have any games already?"

"She has some fighting game that she is always messing with. She's glued to it most of the time."

"I see. I'll be right back I think I have just the thing for you."

He abruptly left so Fate hung around and waited for him to return. She fumbled with a few things on the shelf while she watched other parents going by and snatching things from them. Most of them seemed pretty frantic which wasn't surprising. "Do all parents wait until Christmas Eve to by stuff for their kids?" As she pondered this, the young man returned with a PSP game.

"I think she'll like this one," he said handing it to her.

"Blazblue? What's this like?" Fate asked reading the back of the box.

"I have this game myself and I think it's wonderful."

"Is it age appropriate? I don't mind too much if it's not but my girlfriend will have a fit."

"Girlfriend?" He looked bewildered.

"Yes I have a girlfriend. I'm a lesbian. Now back to the game."

"O-oh right. Well the game is perfectly fine. There isn't anything in it that I would consider bad for kids to see except for a few curse words."

"Doesn't sound too bad and the artwork does look cool. Ok I'll take it."

He motioned towards the cash register. "I can ring you up over here."

"Thank you very much! You have a merry Christmas Ms. Takamachi!" the store clerk said as Nanoha walked out. She was humming happily to herself while clutching the small gift wrapped box that contained the brand new cellphone she had just purchased as Fate's present. "I can't believe I got this at such a huge discount! I guess being an S class mage pays off in more than just one way and it's even Fate's favorite color!" She was walking back to the where they agreed to meet and was surprised to see Fate sitting there and waiting. She had two small gift bags in her hands and was drinking a coffee.

"Hey sweetie, you ready to go?" she asked.

Nanoha nodded. "Yeah. Did you get something for Vivio?"

"Yep. I bought her a $40 PSP game."

"Is it something good?"

"The guy there assured me that she would like it."

"Good. Now let's go home. I'm tired and I want some more of that hot chocolate."

"Good call," said Fate grinning. As they walked out of the mall, Nanoha tried to get a look at what was in the second bag Fate was carrying but she couldn't; not without giving herself away. I bet that's my present.

The drive home was fairly peaceful. Once they got there they found Vivio sitting in the living room floor watching a marathon of Christmas themed movies. She looked up when she saw them and ran right up to Nanoha. "Mama welcome home! I did just what you said and kept everything locked! I didn't open the door for anyone or answer the phone!"

"Good girl," said Nanoha patting her on the head.

Fate knelt down to her level. "How about we make some more of that hot chocolate before bed?"

"Oh I want some!" Vivio screamed running to the kitchen with Fate right behind her.

"Fate I'll take the presents and put them under the tree."

"Nice try Nanoha," said Fate pulling her bags away. "You just want to try and see what's in the bag."

"Ok, ok you put them away and Vivio and I will make the hot chocolate." She put her bag down and took off her coat while Fate put the presents under the tree. As she was placing them, she saw the one that Nanoha had brought back from the mall. It was a small box with plaid, red and green wrapping paper around it. It had a label as well; it was addressed to her. Is this my gift? Nanoha you sneaky little devil. She finished placing them and joined her family in the kitchen. The rest of the night was filled with laughter and plenty of sweets as the 3 of them baked cookies and fudge brownies. By 11:30, Vivio began to get sleepy so Nanoha put her to bed. When she walked back in the living room, there was a box sitting on the sofa with a bow around it. Nanoha looked around but didn't see Fate anywhere. She walked over to the sofa and sat down eyeing the box. It had her name on it in green marker that looked like Fate's handwriting. She looked around one more time to make sure that Fate wasn't there. When she heard the sound of their shower turning on, she smiled. "Bad move Fate." She pulled off the wrapping, then untied the bow. The suspense getting the best of her, she lifted the lid of the box to see nothing but a small piece of folded paper. "What the hell?" She picked it up and unfolded it.

Nanoha if you're reading this then that means,

I GOT YOU SUCKA! MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU LITTLE CHEATER! I KNEW YOU WOULD LOOK! YOU MY LOVE HAVE JUST BEEN CHRISTMAS OWNED! AND TO THINK I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR GIFT EARLY IF YOU ONLY SHOWED A BIT OF RESTRAINT. BUT NOW YOU'LL WAIT UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

With all my love

Fate

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Nanoha screamed out. She threw the note down and stomped off to the kitchen, defeated finally, by Fate.

I wanted to get one more in for Christmas. I originally planned to do a last minute shopping day with the two of them but instead went with Fate's awesome joke because awesome is the only way Fate knows how to do things.

Well as always, read, review, and enjoy! Merry Christmas to all my readers! Hope you all have wonderful holidays!