CCS+MGLN: The Shard Card

Summary: The MGLN cast returns to Earth due to suspicion of Lost Logia only to find that it was Sakura and her cards. When they arrive, Li goes crazy over all the new mages and Sakura realizes that he just has a large magic fetish. (Check!)
Tomoyo acquires magical energy when a jewel seed binds with her (without negative effects) and both she and Sakura decide to go to Mid-childa. (Check!)
Eventually they join section six and Sakura learns that she actually loves Tomoyo while noticing Nanoha and Fate's official relationship. (Check!)
This can be humorous or dramatic and you can add enemies if you want or not.
Of course Hayate and Tomoyo needs to become great friends and show everyone the power of cosplay

--Plot Thought up by Yoshilord, found on Shoujoai website

Updated Summary: As they have been fully integrated into the world that is Mid-Childa's military surrounding, SakuTomo face new challenges to their relationship as life continues on in the base among the superfluous number of lesbian couples...

Disclaimer: I do not claim much of anything about this fic, neither the MGLN cast nor the CCS cast, though I did make an OC, Kaku Mei, but even the general plot as seen above, was not mine to claim. Also, several bits of the most recent chapters have been heavily inspired by pics and fics I found floating around and so... yah.

Pairings consciously made: Sakura/Tomoyo, Nanoha/Fate, Hayate/Harem

Pairings that can also be found: Signum/Shamal, Tomoyo/Vivio (not romantically tho), Tomoyo/Hayate(?)

Please, please review. It makes my day more than the ever rising hit count or the sporadically increasing number of people who Fave it or Alert it. Pretty please? Or I might sic the White Devil's cold cold feet on you... (without the body!)

Chapter WARNING: LIME CONTENT!

Thing to keep in mind: When there are commas, read them as sufficient pauses. Take your time reading and truly let it soak into your mind... That said, please Read, Savor, and Enjoy! (I haven't said that in so long... so nostalgic...

Chapter Eleven

"Mama?" Vivio frowned and peeked above the top of the staircase. "Mama?"

Finding no one, Vivio sighed and left the apartment, looking all around. She headed out to the training grounds where she was usually able to find Nanoha-mama. She frowned, coming to find it deserted. Morning practice was over already after all. Vivio went to go search Nanoha-mama's department office.

"Mama?" Vivio peeked around the doorway and had a Vivio-sized heart attack when she was suddenly surrounded by OLs squealing about how cute she was, offering her candies, hugging her, patting her head... Vivio whimpered, "Where's Nanoha-mama?"

"Out of the way, out of the way." Vivio watched as Vita made a path for herself, putting her hands on her hips as she looked down at Vivio. Vita twitched when she realized that Vivio was steadily catching up to her in height. "What're you doing here without your parents?"

Vivio frowned. "I'm looking for Nanoha-mama. We're playing hide-and-go-seek."

Vita raised an eyebrow. "You're playing hide-and-go-seek on a military base that spans over five miles with just the main office alone?"

Vivio puffed herself up, convinced that Vita was putting her Mom's idea down. "Mama just wants to test how well I can find things on my own! The base isn't that big anyway..."

"Then what are you doing asking people? If you're supposed to be doing it 'on your own'..."

"I didn't ask for help!" Vivio huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Mama always said to mind my manners even when I'm doing something else. You asked me a question so I answered it." After a moment, Vivio admitted, "But it's not like Mama said I couldn't try asking people. Have you seen Nanoha-mama?"

Vita stared at her for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. "She hasn't been to the office today, Vivio. It's her day off, after all. Go look somewhere else. And be careful, all right?"

Vivio nodded. "Okay. If you say so, Vita-san." Vivio bowed and then ran back out the door.

Vita watched her until she had turned the corner before sighing again and returning to her desk work. She seriously hoped either Vivio was bad at this game or Nanoha wasn't about to be rudely interrupted by her daughter. She didn't think Vivio was ready to hear about the same-sex version of the birds and the bees, and she doubted even more so that Nanoha and Fate were ready to tell it.

And so, Detective Vivio continued her search. She asked around, and found some near leads, but they were all dead ends. By noontime she began to suspect that Nanoha-mama had ingeniously planted fake leads just to throw her off her scent.

But Vivio would not be deterred. Even after being forced to have a lunch break with Hayate-san, she set right back out to search for Mama Dearest. Fate-mama was supposed to be busy working, so there was no other way around it. Nanoha-mama was in charge, and she had told Vivio to count to 100 and then go look for her, and Vivio was going to do that even if it took her all day and night.

But she hoped it wouldn't take that long. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but her body could only take so much walking.

Eventually, she came to the roof of the Enforcer building, on a lead that Nanoha had been seen calling Fate out to talk. Even if her source doubted that they were still there, Vivio still tracked the lead and took heart in that the roof entrance was suspiciously unlocked.

"Mama?" Vivio looked around, but there was no one in sight. No voices either. But there was a lone helicopter...

Vivio wracked her brain and finally remembered that Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama had been talking about Fate investing in a helicopter version of her sleek black car, a private venture that she would come to care about almost as if it were her own child. Vivio had heard them throw a lot of big words around, but she did understand that this would allow Fate-mama to come home much faster, since she didn't have to "commute" with other officers.

As curious as she was hopeful, Vivio headed towards the parked helicopter, checking for any signs of life. When she was next to it, she put her ear to the helicopter door and was pleased to feel very, very slight vibrations, as if someonee was moving around inside.

Taking a deep breath, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Mama! I know you're in there! I-found-you!"

Vivio giggled as she heard the distinct bump, curse, and rustling that she always heard whenever she found Nanoha-mama's hiding spot. Oddly enough, Nanoha-mama would always be visiting Fate-mama during those times, even though they hadn't been together when the game had started. But Vivio never minded. What better prize for winning than seeing both of her loving parents?

Before long, the helicopter door opened the tiniest bit and Vivio saw her mother's eye. "Nya-ha-ha-ha, I guess you found me, Vivio-chan. Stay there for a few minutes, okay? You startled me just now and Mama has to clean up."

Vivio, ever the eager young trooper, offered, "I'll help! I'm good at clea-"

"NO!" Nanoha laughed uneasily and then said, "Really, Vivio-chan, let Mama handle it, okay?"

Vivio frowned but then nodded. "Okay, Mama."

"There's a good girl." Nanoha reached out through the sliver of the door and patted Vivio's head. Vivio stared innocently up at her Mama's bare arm. "I'll just be a little bit, okay?"

Vivio barely had time to ask, "Isn't it dark in there, Mama? Wouldn't it be easier to clean with the door open?"

Nanoha's muffled voice could be heard on the other side of the door. "It's fine, Vivio-chan. The light's on anyway."

The light hadn't looked on when Nanoha had opened the door earlier, but Vivio wasn't about to question her Mama's statement. Instead, Vivio thought back on the conversation she had had earlier with Hayate, and remembered that she hadn't told her parents about it yet.

"All right, Vivio-chan? I know you're very good at math, so this should be a piece of cake for you."

"Cake?" Vivio looked around for said cake.

Hayate waved it off. "It's an expression. I mean it should be very easy for you to understand. I'll give you a formula to memorize, okay? Now repeat after me..."

Nanoha slipped out of the helicopter, apparently redoing her ponytail. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Vivio-chan. Shall we go?"

Vivio stared at her mother. Although Nanoha had obviously tried to neaten things up, there were new creases in Nanoha's usually crisp uniform, and her hair was disheveled from the impromptu hair-fixing without a brush handy.

Nanoha tilted her head to the side, holding out a hand. "Vivio-chan? Is there something wrong?"

Vivio found herself repeating Hayate's words in a daze. "Take one parent, plus or minus messy clothes, times the other parent minus four times the level of difficulty breathing and smeared makeup... all divided by forced smiles... Mama, where's Fate-mama?"

Nanoha froze and instead forced a smile, which she realized played into whatever formula Vivio had been spouting. "She's busy right now, Vivio-chan. Now tell me, who taught you that... formula?"

Vivio didn't answer, looking again at her mother's appearance and noticing the smeared lipstick around her mouth. She giggled suddenly. "Mama shouldn't try to wear makeup if she's so bad at putting it on. Fate-mama is much better at it." Vivio then stopped and wondered if there was significance in that when she had set out to play with her Nanoha-mama, Nanoha hadn't been wearing makeup, and yet now she was, albeit badly done.

Nanoha touched her lips and a furious flush descended on her cheeks. "Maybe you're right, Vivio-chan. Let's go to the restroom so Mama can wash her face, okay?"

Vivio nodded and followed Nanoha, but she was still suspicious. When Nanoha had first opened the door, she was very much out of breath... and the smeared makeup... not to mentioned the forced smile... it was all there. Except for one crucial element. "Mama, are you sure you haven't seen Fate-mama? I wanted to... ask her something."

Nanoha was still worried about what Vivio had said earlier. She opened the door for Vivio and had closed it behind her before answering, "Mm, I talked to her a bit when she flew in, but I haven't seen her since. I've been hiding after all. You did very well today, Vivio-chan. Are you tired?"

Detective Vivio was not so easily deterred. She looked back towards the roof. "You're not going to lock the door?"

"Nyahahaha... the lock's broken. I need to remember to tell someone to have it fixed."

It was suspicious. Very suspicious. Forced smiles, nervous laughter... Nanoha-mama was hiding something.

Still, they made it to the restroom, one conveniently located rather close to the roof entrance. As Nanoha washed her face and fixed her hair with the help of a little water, she asked again, "Vivio, what you were saying before... about the 'minus messy clothes' and all that... who told you about it all?"

"Then it's true?" Vivio rapidly repeated the formula before finishing, "All that equals someone and someone were doing 'the nasty'? Nanoha-mama, are you all right?"

Nanoha's hand had slipped on the edge of the basin and her head had smacked into the mirror at the mention of 'the nasty.' Rubbing her head, Nanoha muttered, "Yes, I'm all right and no on 'the nasty', Vivio-chan. Really, such... silliness. Who taught you that?"

Vivio hesitated. "They told me not to tell you they told me."

Nanoha frowned. Closing her eyes, she calmly dried her face with her handkerchief, gave herself a final look in the mirror, and then nudged Vivio towards the door. "Fine then. I suppose I don't have to tell Vivio-chan where I put the cookies that Tomoyo-chan brought over for us earlier either."

Vivio stared, horrified. It was like Chinese water torture except it was Mid-childan, related to cookies, and not really at all like water torture except the tortured captured spy part. She was being tested.

Vivio sighed. She knew her Nanoha-mama was an instructor and all, but was it really necessary to test her daughter so often? It got rather taxing after a while.

Well... she could endure a little while without cookies. Her pride as a secret keeper was at stake after all. "I promised."

"Vivio..." Nanoha was getting that white-devil-reprimanding tone again... Vivio wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. She was only a little girl after all.

Fortunately, help by way of distraction came.

As Nanoha and Vivio were passing the bottom of the stairwell to the roof entrance, who should come down those stairs but Fate herself.

"Fate-mama!" Although that's what came out of Vivio's mouth, the glee came from having the final missing piece. Now she was sure of it. Fate's disheveled appearance and arrival from the deserted rooftop were all the evidence she needed. She looked at Nanoha's shoot-I'm-caught-red-handed look and then at Fate's I-should-have-waited-longer worried look and declared, "So you two really did do 'the nasty'!"

There was a long silence.

Vivio smiled. They didn't deny it anymore. Now they could press forward to more crucial matters. Vivio ran up and hugged Fate, who weakly hugged her back.

It was only then that Vivio dared to ask, voice layered with sweet I'll-go-ask-other-people-if-you-don't-tell-it-to-me-straight poisoned honey, "Fate-mama... what does 'doing the nasty' mean?"

"Vivio-"

Vivio ignored Nanoha-mama for the moment. She knew that if she didn't want to get scolded and get a straight answer, the fastest way was to stay physically attached to Fate-mama and never stop giving her cute pouty eyes.

Sure enough, within ten seconds, Fate whimpered and looked up at Nanoha. "Nanoha..."

Nanoha suggested, "Let's go home."

Fate nodded and looked at Vivio. "We can talk when we get home, okay?"
Vivio wondered if they would really talk about it when they got home. She still remembered that time where they had said that when she'd asked why a-guy-who-shall-remain-nameless liked to look at naked girls in magazines. She'd eventually let it go as not important, but this, she felt, was a fairly high priority in terms of things she should know. After all, this was certainly not the first time she had caught her parents doing odd things with each other, especially when they thought they were alone. The absolute weirdest things happened when they thought Vivio was asleep...

"Promise?"

Fate sighed and kissed Vivio. "Yes, I promise. We'll have a nice big talk about it... after we get home, shower, and have some dinner."

Vivio whined, "You're pro...proconstipating! Mama said it was bad to put off important things like that!"

Nanoha groaned into her hand. "Procrastinating, Vivio. Procrastinating."

Vivio finally looked at Nanoha. "That's what I said!"

Fate sighed and stood up, Vivio in her arms. "Well, either way, we'll tell you if you want to know, Vivio-chan. We promised we'd be honest with each other after all, right? It's not good to lie to your children, any more than it is to lie to your parents. Right, Vivio?"

Vivio nodded seriously. "Lying is for bad children. Vivio is a good girl."

Fate smiled and kissed Vivio's hair. "You're our good little girl."

--

"We can't just tell her, Fate! She's only nine for goodness sake!"

"And whose idea was it to teach her about groping, hmm? The girl's already half gone, Nanoha. She just doesn't realize it yet."

"But... but... we can try, can't we? We... can't we make up another story? We don't... really have to tell her, do we?"

"Nanoha... she's getting too smart to fall for that sort of thing anymore. I'm surprised she didn't raise questions and rumors after she found... found one of the vibrators..."

"I can't believe she bought that it was 'a magical massaging device for extremely sensitive areas that would lose all of its powers if talked about openly with the uninitiated.'"

"I think it was the fact that she believed she was one of the 'initiated' that made her keep quiet about it. Our Vivio has a lot of stubborn pride after all."

"I wonder where she gets it from..."

"You, definitely."

"Me! Since when?"

"Since you've been pushing her to figure things out for herself and become more independent. She just doesn't give up anymore, even if we want her to."

"... It'll serve her well when she grows up."

"Will it? Or will curiosity kill our kitten?"

"Fate!"

"What, I'm just saying!" Fate mentally sighed. "But irregardless, we do need to figure out how to... explain things to her..."

"I still say she's too young..."

"Maybe if we look at it from a different perspective. She's probably going to be going to the dance with that older boy, right? Maybe we should use this as an opportunity to..."

"... make her swear off fooling around until she can handle it maturely?"

"I was thinking so she knows what to expect and thus what to avoid, but I suppose it's the same thing in the end."

"... you're so protective."

"You're one to talk. Nanoha, you're the one who said she's too young."

"You're thinking the same thing! Don't even try to say you aren't."

"But... if she knew... and if she knew to let us have some privacy every now and then... maybe it would be better..."

"... I don't know... getting caught in the helicopter earlier was kind of... exciting."

"Nanoha! She's our daughter!"

"I know, I know! But still..."

"No, 'but still's! Let's just tell her and get it over with so that she won't get even more curious later."

"But aren't we in this situation because we started telling her the truth early on?"

"Are you regretting past decisions? She's already programmed to expect the truth, Nanoha."

"Augh, fine! We'll tell her and spare no details. But at least throw in some euphemisms, okay?"

"I can't decide if 'the nasty' is a euphemism or an insult. That is not what we were doing."

"She did have a pretty good point though. Your lipstick always ends up on me whenever we... do stuff."

"That's beside the point! So we get a little messy sometimes; that doesn't warrant calling it 'the nasty'!"

"I'm still wondering who she heard it from..."

"It was probably Hayate- she was behind the comment about the cosplaying in lingerie fiasco before. But never mind that. We can kill her later. You think we should we make up a code word for it? Something other than 'the nasty'?"

Nanoha disagreed. "I don't think so; years from now she'll be mortified if she says it in a conversation with her peers and she finds out the truer truth."

"I suppose that's true... well, we mostly just play around and flirt... we don't really... go that far normally."

"Not for lack of trying..."

"I said I was sorry, okay!" Fate looked off to the side, mentally grumbling, "One night using the 'I have a headache' excuse and I'm branded for life. Even if I really did have a migraine..."

"It was our anniversary night! What did you expect?"

"Nanoha, let's not bring it up again, please! We have Vivio to worry about right now, okay?"

Nanoha turned the corner first. "Fine. We could always start by clarifying that what boys want to do is 'the nasty' and what we do is 'make love' and she should aim for the latter."

"And branch off from there? That might work. But what if she ends up... being one of those man-haters? I don't want Vivio to be like that..."

"I really don't think Vivio is in any danger of being a man-hater. Being almost date-raped, very possible, but man-hater? No. She's too kind, too forgiving. That's why we have to hit the issue strong and hard, like... like... a Starlight Breaker. She won't ask questions after that."

"Is there any issue you don't immediately start with 'strong and hard'?"

Nanoha fixed Fate with a daring look and a smirk that reached her eyes. "I haven't heard you complain yet."

Fate flushed deep red and looked away. "Oh hush you."

"Then what would you suggest?"

"What... what you said before wasn't bad. About starting off with what we want her to get from it and then letting her ask questions..."

"Is that what I said?"

"Wasn't it?"

"Mm... well, it'll do, I guess. Let's wing it then?"

"I suppose there's no other way around it. Vivio might ask weird questions and throw us for a loop."

"Remember last Lovers Eve when she asked us why the store we passed only allowed people who were 18 or older? And then she saw that bunny that looked like the one Vita-chan had given her for Christmas and asked if Vita-chan knew about the place? It was a horror trying to explain to Vivio why she shouldn't ask people questions like that."

"Especially not in highly public places like the office."

Nanoha shook her head as they arrived back at their residence and she opened the door for them. "Vivio-chan, why don't you go pick out some clothes to wear tonight and we'll all go take a bath together?"

"Nanoha...?" Fate gave Nanoha a questioning look even as she set Vivio down to do as she was told.

Nanoha smiled and winked. "If we're going to do this we might as well be in our birthday suits, right?" As the door shut behind them and Vivio was upstairs, Nanoha leaned over and whispered into Fate's ear, "Besides, that's how I like you best."

"Mou, Nanoha." Fate playfully shoved Nanoha before following Vivio up the stairs to get her own set of clothes, with Nanoha close in tow.

The details of their bathtime are censored for the sake of all the little kiddies in the world who don't have parents like Vivio's who answer curiosity with more knowledge and less innocence. But suffice to say, in the span of two hours, half of which was spent drying off and whatnot, a handful of life's hardest questions were answered for dear little Vivio.

"Where do babies come from?" Not couples like Nanoha and Fate, so Vivio didn't have to worry about that. When Vivio insisted however, she was told that babies were born from a great love for something. Nanoha was born because her parents loved each other very much. Fate was born because her mother loved her predecessor, Alicia, very much. Likewise, Vivio was born from someone's love for Fate, if Mei was to be believed.

"Why am I bleeding down there?" For future reference, it will be because Vivio's body made food for a newborn baby, but Vivio's parents didn't let a boy get close enough to Vivio for a baby to be made, so the body is getting rid of the unnecessary food. Like when Shari thought she was pregnant and made all those baby booties only to donate them all when she found out it was a false alarm.

And, of course, the question that brought them there in the first place, "What is 'the nasty' that Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama do?" As planned, Vivio's parents answered that it is only 'the nasty' when the act is either unwanted, unplanned, or ultimately results in something undesired, like an STD, for example (sickness that gave 'the nasty' its name). What Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama often liked to do was better known as 'making love' or rather, showing their love for each other in a preferably private manner. When asked why clothes had to be shed in order to do this, Vivio was told that it was for the same reason that people took off their clothes before going into the bath. You could hardly purify yourself without first being prepared to shed the dirty things off.

That night, as Vivio fell asleep between her two mothers, the little girl wondered if she was allowed to show 'a private sort of love' with her beloved Nanoha-mama or Fate-mama too. In the meantime, Nanoha and Fate both fell asleep with one arm hugging their beloved bundle of too-curious joy, exhausted by their efforts in converting complicated subjects into terms 9-year-olds could be allowed to repeat to others.

--

"Okay breathe, Sakura, breathe." Sakura closed her eyes, slapped her cheeks, and shook it off. When she opened her eyes again, she was still as nervous as ever.

A colleague friend of hers came up behind her and gave her a reassuring hug. "Come on, you've been together nearly six months, right? And you're still not back yet... it's the least you could do for her. You love her, don't you?"

Sakura flushed as she insisted, "Of course I do! It's just... I've never done anything like it before... it's embarrassing..."

"But you think she'll like it, right? Coming from you?"

"I don't know... she might be... amused... I guess..."

"Come on, be more confident! I'll feel sorry for Tomo-chin, having such a wishy-washy lover. Just go on and take the bull by the horns! She'll love it, I promise."

"How do you know?"

"How? My boyfriend loves it when I do it. Especially the first time I did it, because he wasn't expecting it. Really, just go for it! All you need to do is make sure she's alone and in the mood for it."

Sakura frowned. "Are you going to leave me alone to do it?"

"I will after you start." She grinned. "I don't quite trust you to do it if I leave early."

Sakura sighed. Giving up, she shifted her weight on the bed before commanding, "Nadeshiko, connect long-distance to Opula."

"Yes, Ojou-sama."

Sakura watched as her friend walked back towards the door and waited, her hand ready to open it.

"Sakura-chan? Good evening!"

Sakura smiled, her nervousness leaving her as she found herself looking at Tomoyo's smile. "Good evening, Tomoyo-chan. How is everything?"

Sakura heard the door slide closed as Tomoyo started, "Oh, it's been busy busy. Hayate-chan insists that we have to have a new uniform set for everyone in her division for the new year... We've been heavily debating the details... we used to agree on most everything but these days... I don't know... maybe the stress is getting to me."

"That's not good... if you push yourself too much you'll be of no use to anyone... Take some time to relax."

Tomoyo laughed. "I was actually just doing that when you called. I just got in the bath, actually."

Sakura's face flushed red. She was alone. Potentially in the mood... and she had her opening now. "You aren't supposed to accept calls when you're... not dressed. Do you answer like that when... when Nanoha-san or Fate-san or even Hayate-"

"No! Sakura, of course not." Tomoyo smiled apologetically. "Opula tells me who's calling before it goes through. I can have her send back a message that I'm not available, or, like in this case, I'll have her let the connection through. I don't get to talk to you as often as I would like after all."

Sakura calmed a little, sitting back to watch as Tomoyo hummed to herself as she reached for a bottle of soap. "Can... can I watch?"

Tomoyo paused in her movements and slowly looked up at the screen. "You want to watch me lather up?"

Sakura's blush was burning full-blast now, but she obstinately nodded. She would get past this even if it made her anemic.

Tomoyo, observant as ever, seemed to sense this and complied. "As long as it's just you."

Sakura nodded again and watched with awe as Tomoyo commanded Opula to zoom out. She squirmed, wondering why her heart pounded like it did, seeing Tomoyo half covered in soap suds. It was no different than when they had showered together during PE after all...

"S-sakura?" Tomoyo had a light blush across her cheeks. "Was there any particular reason why you wanted to...?"

Sakura looked around quickly and grabbed a large fluffy pillow. She needed something to hug right now. Desperately. She hadn't realized how much she'd really missed Tomoyo until now. "No... no I just... You reminded me that I haven't... I haven't really tried to..." Sakura swallowed and finally admitted, "Tomoyo... I miss you so much."

Tomoyo looked at her, confused for a moment before she smiled. "I miss you too, Sakura. Every day."

Sakura shook her head, trying to relate what she was feeling. "No... I mean... it's gotten bad. Really bad. I miss your sweet scent every time I hug you... I miss the softness of your skin when I touch you... I miss feeling the heat of your blush when our cheeks touch... I miss... I miss hearing your voice when your lips are close enough to touch my ears... I miss being by your side... Tomoyo, you have no idea how much I wish I could be there with you... taking a bath with you... kissing you..."

By now, the flush on Tomoyo's cheeks had grown to cover her face, but she wasn't unhappy. She was anything but unhappy. "Sakura..."

"So please..." Sakura gulped, suddenly recognizing how dry her throat was. "Tonight... can you let me... let me pretend I'm by your side?"

Tomoyo looked down at her body as if contemplating something. Eventually, she turned so that Sakura was looking at her profile. "Opula, motion-detection mode."

"Yes, Maestra."

Sakura watched as the camera followed Tomoyo's movements, the soap running over her collarbone, around her neck... tantalizingly slowly... Tomoyo giggled. "But Sakura-chan, you are beside me. I can feel your breath on my neck... Really now, I can't get clean with you acting like this." The screen followed Tomoyo's hands so that only the bucket filling with water and the hands that held them were visible to Sakura. As the contents were poured over Tomoyo's head, rinsing her body clean of suds, Tomoyo squealed, "Ah! That's cold! Sakura-chan, when will you learn? Here, turning it to the right gives you cold water, not hot water."

Sakura hesitantly, bashfully, murmured, "S-sorry, Tomoyo-chan." She matched her words with the picture she was seeing, and she started to honestly believe that she was right there with Tomoyo. "How's this?"

Tomoyo sighed contentedly as she poured apparently warm water over herself, the camera catching the water running down the front of her body. "Much better... Let's go into the bathtub now, mm?"

Sakura watched in a flushed daze as Tomoyo gave her a playful wink before gently easing herself into the water. "Tomoyo..."

Tomoyo looked directly at the screen and sent Sakura a sweet smile. "Come join me, Sakura-chan. I'll feel lonely if it's just-" Tomoyo squealed suddenly and then laughed. "That tickles..."

Sakura took a deep breath and allowed herself to become fully immersed in the virtual reality that Tomoyo had set up for them. She imagined that she was in the large bathtub, facing Tomoyo in head-foot fashion. Noticing that her breathing was quickly showing signs of irregularity, she murmured, "You're too far... I want to touch you..."

Tomoyo giggled and flicked a little water towards the screen which flickered as if Sakura had blinked. "Then let me be your hands, yours to command. Just as you are my hands, mine to command. I want to run my hand up your smooth stomach," Tomoyo watched intently as Sakura felt her hand move, almost of its own accord, up underneath her shirt. "Yes, just like that. But ooh, your hair's obstructing my view now... push it away..."

It seemed that the blush had become a steady, consistent flow of blood to her cheeks as Sakura scooted up against the head of the bed and took off her shirt, revealing the hand that was casually rubbing her stomach. "Y-" Sakura coughed and cleared her throat, not knowing where the huskiness was coming from. "You're so beautiful, Tomoyo. I feel like running my hands up and down your hips..."

As if by magic, Tomoyo did just so, although her arms were crossed over her body for better maneuverability and the motion was mostly hidden by the water. "Sakura-chan... can I get a kiss?"

"Close your eyes." Sakura did so as well, so it was uncertain whether the motion was truly caught, but she felt... she could sense Tomoyo's lips against her own... the tongue that silently asked for entry... "Mm... Tomoyo, what did you eat today? You smell like..."

"Strawberries. I was thinking of you when I saw them available at the cafeteria, so I ate some. Maybe too much."

"Mmm... no..." Sakura tasted the strawberries as she imagined kissing Tomoyo between words. "You taste even more delicious than usual. I wonder if today... down there..."

"Sakura!"

Sakura opened her eyes to see herself looking into Tomoyo's, and then she noticed that one hand had snaked down below the water's surface, and a ripple showed where the other had gone down after it, as if to make a futile attempt to stop it. Tomoyo's cheeks were red, and her breathing was a little shallow. But as Sakura leaned over so that she was on her hands and knees, as if Tomoyo were underneath her, she purred, "Tomoyo... what's wrong? I only wanted a little taste..."

Tomoyo's eyes were trained on Sakura's as her hand moved around a little, causing her to let out a soft moan, before the hand slowly extracted itself from the water, glistening from both the water and... something distinctly not water.

Sakura whispered, "You're so wet... Let me taste it."

Tomoyo, without saying another word, brought her fingers to her lips and slowly began licking her fingers, one by one.

Sakura half-whimpered, half-whined at the sight. "So... so delicious..."

Tomoyo smiled, the blush of embarrassment fading as she grew accustomed to their game. "Are you wet too? Let's check..."

Again, Sakura's hands started moving, traveling underneath the band of her shorts, whimpering as her cold hands made contact.

"If we weren't in the bathtub, Sakura-chan, I'd almost think you were drenched."

Sakura whispered softly. "I... I am..."

The events that followed were rated far higher than Nadeshiko and Opula would have ever imagined, but suffice to say, by the time Tomoyo's bath ended, both masters were exhausted and breathing more heavily than ever.

"Sakura-chan... we should get out soon... people might come to see what's the matter..."

Sakura nodded wearily. "I... I love you, Tomoyo-chan. From the very depths of my soul."

Tomoyo smiled, still too tired to get up. "I love you more than I could ever say. And... thank you for today."

Sakura shook her head. "I only wanted to... to wish you... a happy anniversary. Since I couldn't be there with you."

Tomoyo frowned, too dazed to think. "Anniversary? But today is..."

"It's the 13th anniversary of the day we agreed that we were best friends. You'll always be my best friend, Tomoyo. And now, so much more than that."

Tomoyo's smile widened. "Happy anniversary, Sakura-chan. But Christmas is just around the corner. If you could come home then, I'll make tonight seem like a small blip in time, even as amazingly thrilling as it was."

Sakura's smile faded as she remembered. "Tomoyo... that's the other thing I wanted to tell you when I called."

Tomoyo's smile faded as well.

"I won't be able to make it in time for Christmas. Actually, I won't be able to make it in time for our 1st anniversary as... lovers. Because you see... this world I'm in... you remember back on Earth, how there were World Wars that disrupted everything?"

Tomoyo nodded slowly.

"A new one just erupted here. After a bombing in one of largest space shuttleports in the world, the security has jumped up dramatically. I'll be on the move a lot in the months to come. That's why... I wanted to spend at least one night with you... like this... because... I'm not going to be able to even contact you for at least the next six months. And even if we finish our mission, the space around this planet is being so heavily surveillanced that we won't be able to leave whenever we feel like it. Tomoyo... I'm sorry... I wish things could have been different. I wish our first year together... could have been more together."

Tears had filled Tomoyo's eyes more and more as Sakura continued to talk. At Sakura's last mention of 'together', she completely lost her self-restraint and let the tears fall.

There were tears in Sakura's eyes as well, even as she slipped her oversized shirt back on, but she did her best to stay strong, if only for Tomoyo's sake. "I hope you think of me... Talk of me... but I don't want you to hold back in embracing your life there. Even if my hands are tied, you're free to live as you wish... so please, do so. If not for yourself... then for me. Can you promise? That you won't let this get in the way of your every day happiness?"

Tomoyo let out a sob that shook her whole body, but she closed her eyes and gathered her strength. Eventually, she forced herself to smile and answered, "I promise, so long as you take care of yourself over there. Come back safely, whenever it is that you can do so."

Sakura smiled with open relief. "I will. I swear it. I'll protect myself and my whole team here, and not only will I come back, but I'll be back with awards that will make you proud to be my girlfriend."

Tomoyo earnestly smiled now, falling into familiar patterns. "I don't need any awards to be proud to be yours, Sakura-chan. And... I'll be waiting for you. Always."

Sakura nodded. "My time's almost up... can I get one last kiss?"

Well-practiced now, Tomoyo leaned closer to the screen, as Sakura did the same.

Sakura whispered one last thing before disconnecting. "I know I can't stop you... but what we did tonight... let's keep it as something that only the two of us do together. Because when I think of you, I only want my hands on you; no one else's."

Tomoyo moaned quietly as she opened her eyes to see that the connection was gone. To the empty air she whispered back, "Forever always, Sakura-chan. I have only ever been yours to touch."

A/N: :3 Ah, return to NanoFate, SakuTomo shipping... adding canon to the fodder... Though I do hate always separating Saku from Tomo... but it couldn't be helped... masochists with sadist blood make for sad, bittersweet endings to sweetness. At least no one died and they still love each other...

Oh, and sorry for the delay for this chapter . Couldn't be helped. Bit of writer's procrastination plus a fun trip... plus had to catch up on my shoujoai goodness (ah, for the love of "Girl Friends"...)