Chapter 12. Back Home
A few moments later they found themselves in the familiar environment of the Claudia. Chrono stood just in front of the transporter waiting for them.
"Fate, Nanoha. I'm so glad to see you two. We've been searching for you tirelessly."
They both beamed at him. It was good to be back, although it had just been a few hours, the uncertainty of the situation had magnified the feeling of being away, but they were back, safe and sound.
Chrono continued talking.
"Nanoha, Vivio is waiting for you at the cafetería. She's with Shamal. For obvious reasons she's been extremely restless. I think you should go see her."
"Why is Vivio here?" Nanoha asked puzzled. "We were only gone for a few hours."
"You were MIA for more than 3 weeks, Nanoha. This is day 24 since the incident."
Fate and Nanoha's eyes wide opened in disbelief.
"What!" They both yelped. "But we didn't even spend a whole night there!"
"Yes, but in the dimensional space you landed in, time had a very different rhythm. Trust me, the last three weeks were a nightmare. I spent each day searching for you. I had the pressure of my mother, Hayate and the Bureau over me. In that order."
"Three weeks in which Vivio didn't see us or knew what was going on…we need to go see her right now." Fate declared very decided.
"Fate, wait. If that's all right with you I'd like to have a word if you. Would you walk with me please?" Chrono knew that this talk should be with both Fate and Nanoha, but that was beyond anything he could handle. "You'll catch up with Nanoha and Vivio in a while, but there's something I'd like to talk with you about."
"Couldn't that wait?" Fate blurted without thinking. "I'm sorry, of course I'll walk with you."
"Thank you. Nanoha, don't keep Vivio waiting. I only have one more thing to ask before you go. Could you please hand your devices to the Sergeant, please?"
The request surprised them both but they did as requested. Nanoha took off Raising Heart from her neck and Fate handed Bardiche in.
"This way Fate, please."
They walked to one of the recreational areas of the ship. The corridors were adorned with natural vegetation and small benches, a place where the crew could feel somehow at home in the middle of the space.
"How are you Fate?" Chrono asked her. He wasn't sure how to have this conversation with her. He had rehearsed it in his mind, but nevertheless he didn't know or how to say it.
"Happy to be back. Even if I didn't want Nanoha to tell, I was worried, I really was afraid we wouldn't be able to get back.
"I have to say, it was not easy finding you at all."
They stood at the middle of a small bridge. He held her hand as he asked. "Hey sis, is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?"
Fate understood the situation, they were going to talk as siblings, not as military personnel.
"Well, now that you mention it, there is something you and mom should know. Nanoha and I have decided to start a family," she said, immensely proud of saying it out loud.
"Aha," Chrono nodded. "What's new about that?" He asked rather amused.
Fate couldn't help blushing a little.
"Aww Chrono, I mean it."
"I know you mean it. In fact that has to do with what I wanted to talk about with you. We took a long time finding you, actually we could have taken much longer if it hadn't been…well if we hadn't…" Chrono paused and sighed. There was no way of saying it. He could not tell her that he had seen images of both of them au naturel, even if their essentials were fortuitously covered. There was no need to hypothesize on the origin of the surge of energy they had detected.
"Chrono?" Fate asked as Chrono had remained silent halfway a sentence.
"I'm sorry." Chrono blinked, he had been so absorbed in his ideas that he forgot he was in the middle of a conversation with his sister, and he had been the one speaking. "Truth is, with the attack we received, we didn't know where you had been sent. The tracking of your devices didn't work either. We started scanning areas outside our radar looking for you two but you know that considering the multiple dimensions, the possibilities of spaces and universes was almost infinite. Our search could last for a few millennia and it might not be enough time to cover every possibility. We had no starting point so day by day we randomly chose sectors to sweep, and every day we would end empty-handed."
"How did you find us, then?" Fate was really intrigued.
"One of our recognition buoys registered an explosion of energy large enough to cause a time-space rupture, although there was no disruption. We started channeling our resources to gather images from the area in question. Do you have any idea of what we might have detected?"
"No," was Fate's initial answer. "Unless… Oh, for heaven's sake!", she covered her mouth with her hands and felt that her cheeks were about to explode, this time for sure.
Chrono blushed just as hard as Fate continued talking.
"For heaven's sake tell me there's no record.. tell me you didn't see… or anyone saw…" She felt her heart pounding ferociously inside her chest.
"There were a few images, but there was barely any light. I was the only one supervising and I didn't took that long to recognize…you."
Fate darted her gaze to the floor and tried to cover her head with her hands deeply embarrassed.
"I didn't see anything. I swear. By the explosion caused it really seemed a revolution had broken loose and you were killing each other there, though."
Fate laughed guiltily.
"Quite the opposite, my dear brother, I hope you don't want any more details."
"God no, please don't. You two never fail to amaze me." Chrono looked at the hour. "They must be ready by now, let's go to the development lab."
Fate followed him. She was still wondering what was going on with Raising Heart and Bardiche.
"I've authorized a special license for you two. I don't want get into much detail, but it seems that the relationship between you two is very… healthy," Chrono said lacking a better word to describe it, or a word that would embarrass him the least. "Both your devices will have the ability to activate a blocking system of our high-detonation tracking system. As you can imagine, such ability in the wrong hands could be disastrous. Nonetheless since it's for our two S+, my own sister, and practically my other sister too, I've decided to grant you both that power. The override function is activated simultaneously by Bardiche and Raising Heart. That condition was as close as we could get to consider it a fail-safe system, since we guarantee the override function will only be activated by express decision of both of you. I know you will make proper use of it."
"Oh, Chrono!" Fate was just speechless.
"Fate, I've taken a lot of your time, but you must understand I could not have this conversation with both of you at the same time."
"I totally understand it. Thank you very much, little brother. I can't even start thanking you enough," and taking Chrono by surprised she hugged him tightly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
"I just want to make sure that there will be no complications with the things Nanoha and I decided."
"What exactly have you decided?"
"About becoming a family…"
"Are you two getting married?"
"Ah…" Fate hadn't thought exactly about that. A ceremony and white dresses? She would definitely have to know what Nanoha thought about it. "I wanted to know if there were any legal issues I should worry about. We all want to have the same last names, so yeah, to answer your question, yes I want to get married and with that have me adopt Vivio as well
"I see," Chrono said pondering the situation. "I don't see why you should have any problem at all. The process of the civil union is quite simple. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about."
"Thank you my dear brother," Fate couldn't feel happier.
"Don't say anything else. Go and and find your girls, Vivio must be looking very much forward to see you too."
Fate did not need to be told twice. She bolted towards the cafeteria, and almost as if Vivio had sensed her coming in, she turned around to see her.
"Fate-mama!" Vivio shouted and ran towards her and leaped to her arms.
"My little Vivio, will you forgive Fate-mama for making you worry?"
Vivio looked at her with watery eyes. She locked her arms around her neck and broke into tears. Fate pat her head and walked towards the table where Nanoha awaited for them, also sharing watery eyes.
"Can you believe we were gone for more than three weeks?" Fate asked Nanoha as she kept stroking Vivio's hair who was now down to an intermittent soft sobbing.
"No, well, yes. I don't know how we didn't think it was a possibility."
"I guess it was better that way, otherwise we would have been extremely worried…"
"And certain things wouldn't have happened." Nanoha finished Fate's sentence.
"Which reminds me, I have a lot to talk with you about, when… when the bird is in the nest."
"What bird?"
Fate nodded in direction to Vivio who was still holding onto her tightly.
"Ah", Nanoha understood the message.
Shamal approached them.
"I'm so glad to see you girls, you had us really worried."
Shamal noticed the ring in Nanoha's finger, and even though she made no comments about it, she couldn't help looking at Fate's hand and realize she was wearing an identical one.
Fate followed Shamal's gaze and understood what was going on in Shamal's mind. A little ashamed she spoke.
"Uhm, we have some news to give you but we'd rather wait and tell everyone at the same time."
Nanoha nodded, if they were going to announce it, it was easier to tell them altogether and not one by one.
Shamal waved her hands excited.
"I can't wait to hear it. Congratulations to both of you! I'll be going now. Hayate is waiting for me and I promised to tell her every detail about your return. I have to tell her you are perfect, not a single scratch."
"That's only of you do not count the ones I left in your back" Nanoha communicated to Fate.
"We're just perfect Shamal, thanks for everything," Fate answered as she tried not to get distracted by Nanoha's comments."Nanoha, behave youself!"
"Mama!"
"Hai," they both answered.
"Can we go home now?"
Chrono stood behind them and placing his hands on each of their shoulders, talked to Vivio.
"You have been very brave, my little niece. You go home and get some rest now."
"Arigato Chrono," Nanoha placed her hand over his.
"Your transportation is now set, you can leave as soon as you wish."
"Thank you Chrono," and forgetting about protocol, Fate stood up, hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
… … … … … … … …
Back home, Nanoha, Vivio and Fate were all three comfortably lying in bed as they talked.
"So, Vivio, how would you like for us two to have the same last name as Fate-mama?" Nanoha sked her sweetly.
"Vivio Har-Harlan", Vivio answered trying to remember Fate's last name.
"Har-la-own", Nanoha helped her.
"Takamachi-Harlaown," Fate corrected Nanoha. "Do you like it?"
A giant smile appeared in Vivio's face.
"Are Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama getting married?"
Nanoha and Fate blushed a little and looked at each other shyly.
"Only if it's ok with you," Nanoha answered her honestly.
"Nanoha-mama makes Fate-mama happy."
They can read me like an open book, Fate thought as she sughed and brought Vivio towards her to hug her.
Vivio continued asking questions.
"Does that mean I will be getting a little brother or sister?"
"Ahh…" Fate muttered.
"We'll see about that, for now it will be us three as always, but with brand-new last names."
Vivio smiled at them and as she played with her plushie bunny, her yawns started to get bigger and bigger.
"Vivio? Do you want to go to sleep already?" Fate asked. "Do you want to stay here with us?"
Nanoha reached out to straighten Vivio's hair.
"No, I want to sleep in my room. I'm a big girl."
"Wow, our daughter is growing up so fast, don't you think so?" Nanoha asked Fate.
"It sure seems so."
Nanoha took Vivio to her room and as she wished her good night, Fate stayed in bed, watching the ceiling. Another child, it might be a good idea. Vivio would be an excellent older sister.
"What are you looking at, my love?" Nanoha asked her as she wrapped herself unto Fate's body. "Are you thinking about what Vivio said?"
"Yeah, do you think it would be a bad idea?"
"No, I think we earn enough, so we could even raise a complete sports team if we wanted."
"We could adopt a baby," she answered and was surprised at the maternal instinct that suddenly flooded her.
"Fate-chan, I would really like to have a baby using more traditional methods, of course considering we are both female, that complicates it a little bit."
"I still think it would be too soon, we will have more time to talk about it in the future, for now there's some things that require our attention.
"What is…" and before she could finish her sentence she found herself enjoying Fate's lips.
"Actually I was not referring only to that," and she told her all of the conversation she had had with Chrono.
Nanoha laughed as if she had done one of her high-school pranks.
"So, just to clarify, us making love saved our lives?" she asked with her with a dangerously seductive tone.
"If you put it that way, yes."
A feeling of excitement and fear began to invade her. Nanoha's gaze was so penetrating and very clear, she wanted her right here and right now.
"Do you think it's a good moment to put into practice Bardiche and Raising Heart's new ability?"
That was the last thing she said before claiming possession of Fate's body.
Author's Note: I don't think I could ask for better reviewers than the ones that have kindly expressed their interest in my story (both in the English and Spanish versions) and have gotten into it, trying to figure out what's going on next.
We are down to just two more updates, Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 + the Epilogue (yes those two are published at the same time). Since in Mexico this Monday is a holiday, it will give me more time to work on the translations, so expect these updates real soon.
Thanks again!
