Internet Friends

A/N: This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

Chapter 24

Hayate POV

I came into the room later that morning to find Zafira sleeping on the chair.

Wait a minute… Zafira won't sleep when he is on guard duty… Perhaps he was really tired from the op. He didn't get much chance to rest after all. I shrugged my shoulders and went to Nanoha.

'Right, they are both sleeping… Perhaps I should go check on her daughter first.'

I came back an hour later and they were still sleeping!

I went to the nurse station to gather more information. "Hi, sorry to interrupt your work, but I just have a couple of questions for you." I asked.

"No problem. We are here to help." The nurse replied.

"I just want to check with you… Has Takamachi-san woke up at any time since last night?"

"Well, I don't remember seeing her awake today. Both Takamachi-san and the other guy were sleeping since I started my shift this morning. I decided not to wake Takamachi-san for breakfast. Then came lunch time. I tried to wake her but she was fast asleep… Is there anything I should worry about?" The nurse answered and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"No. I'm just checking. This recovery business really takes a toll on the body, aye." I replied with a smile. "Thank you and sorry for interrupting you." I said with a bow.

"Not at all. Have a good afternoon." The nurse kindly replied.

Once I turned away, I quickly whipped out my phone to contact Shamal.

-0-

Shamal got here as fast as she could. She did a quick check on the both of them and decided to draw some blood to investigate further.

Signum said, "This sleep doesn't look natural."

"I agree. Guess we will find out more once the bloodwork is done." Shamal added.

I went over to Nanoha, and gently swiped her fringe away from her eyes. That's when I realised that she had something in her ear. In order to get a better look as Nanoha was sleeping on her side, I repositioned her so that she was now resting on her back.

It's an earbud! The cable led under her pillow…

I gently lifted it just to be on the safe side. "It's an mp3 player!" I said.

Both Shamal and Signum sounded confused as they said, "What?"

I held the music player in my hand and turned around to show them.

"Damn it! Correct me if I'm wrong, Signum… but this belongs to Fate, right?" I cursed more than asked. She's been here!

"That explains Zafira sleeping while on duty…" Signum replied.

Damn and double damn.

"I'll go find out which serum she used on both of them." Shamal said as she walked out the room.

Both Signum and I wore an earbud each, and I played the content. It's a song… a really sad goodbye song… I looked at Signum and said, "I think Nanoha-chan is going to wake up crying… At least for a week or two…" I said sadly.

-0-

I was right on the money… With the help of Shamal, both of them finally woke up. Nanoha did nothing but cried. She knew what she saw was not a dream… She anxiously looked for the music player.

"I have possession of the thing you are looking for…"

"Please…" Nanoha begged.

"Please give it back to me…" She plead.

"I can't. I've destroyed it…" I lied.

She cried even harder, "That's… that's the last thing I have of her…"

I walked over to Nanoha-chan and hugged her, letting her vent her anger on me as she pounded my chest.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha-chan… It's better for you this way…" I cried.

-0-

Nanoha POV

'A week went by… A week of no more Fate… A week of…' and I started tearing again.

To my surprise, the door opened and I saw this cute little honey blond haired child, with a complete heterochromia, her right eye being green and her left eye, red. That red… that burgundy… It really reminds me of Fate-chan's burgundy eyes…

Quickly wiping my tears away, I said, "Hello there" as I mustered a smile.

"Why are you crying?" She asked.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" She shook her head.

"Are you alright? Are you lost?" I asked.

"Mama isn't here." She replied.

"That is a problem, isn't it? Why don't you wait here with me? My friend will be arriving soon. She can help you look for your Mama."

She seems to be thinking about the options… to continue walking aimlessly… or to accept my offer.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Takamachi Nanoha." I introduced.

"Can you tell me your name?" I carried on asking.

"V… Vivio…" She replied shyly.

"I see. That's a cute name, Vivio." I replied with a smile.

Vivio came in and closed the door.

"Why don't you come sit with me on the bed? You will be more comfortable here."

Vivio gave a small nod and slowly made her way towards me. I carried her up as she was half climbing half falling from the bed, and settled her beside me.

"Can you not move?" Vivio asked.

"Ah… I got injured you see, so I can't move for now." I replied as I gently patted her head.

I can't stop staring into her eyes… She has such beautiful eyes… especially the burgundy eye.

"Ne, Vivio, do you know your mama's name?" "No" Vivio replied as she shook her head.

We sat there in a comfortable silence for a while. She began to lean towards me, with her eyes half closed.

"Sleepy?" I asked with my arm over her small frame so that she can lean in.

"Umm…" she replied as she rubbed her eyes and letting a yawn escape.

"You are so warm…" She replied as she clutched onto my shirt, tugging me slightly to bring the warmth closer.

"Do you want to sleep in my arms, Vivio?"

"Umm…" Vivio replied sleepily.

I put the bed back down a little so that I could semi-sit and semi-lie on the bed. I held Vivio in my arms as she slept. She was tugging the front of my shirt. Her face scrunched up a little, and a tear escaped her eye as she mumbled in her sleep, "Mama…"

"Don't worry, Vivio… Mama's here…" I replied as I tried to ease her.

Her face seem to have relaxed more now. I laughed internally… 'She's just like Fate-chan… Tearing in her sleep, and yet easing up once comforted…' Eventually, I fell asleep too…

-0-

Hayate POV

When I walked into the room, I the shock of my life! "Why… why is she in Nanoha-chan's arms?" I whispered to Rein.

Nanoha began to stir as I approached her. Looking at us with sleepy eyes, she greeted us, "Good afternoon, Reinforce-san and Hayate-chan…"

"Why is she in your arms?"

"Oh… Her name is Vivio. She was walking around looking for her kaa-san. Can you… Wait a minute. The way you asked… Do you know her?" Nanoha replied.

Scratching my cheek with my finger, I replied, "Well… Yes and no."

"What do you mean by yes and no? It's either a yes or a no." Nanoha said and she turned to stare at Rein.

"Hayate shall explain…" Rein replied with a bow.

Nanoha immediately snapped her head towards me, waiting for an explanation.

"Traitor!" I mouth to Rein.

"Erm… Nanoha-chan… What I'm about to tell you… Can you promise me to remain calm? Let's try not to wake that poor girl up, okay?" I requested with hesitation.

"Okay…" Nanoha replied with a more intense stare.

*Clears throat*

"We found Vivio in the compound during our last op. We've been told that Vivio was artificially created by Jail Scaglietti using the genetic material of two individuals."

"Meaning?" Nanoha asked.

"She's the result of combining two sets of DNA…"

"Like a child from two parents?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes… but artificially created…"

A monotone reply from Nanoha-chan, "Okay… not that shocking, especially when it comes from that mad man…"

"Is this why I have to remain calm? It's shocking to hear what you just said… but after Fate-chan, I knew that there's still lots more stuff that I don't know about happening in the world…" Nanoha said.

"Do we know who her parents are? She's going to be so sad if she finds out that her kaa-san is not around…" Nanoha continued.

"We know who her parents are, and Shamal had confirmed it too… after she ran the DNA paternity testing…"

"Don't just leave me hanging… Come on…" Nanoha rushed.

*Clears throat*

"Whodoweknowthathasburgundyeyes?" I asked in a super-fast speed.

"Come again?" Nanoha said with a stern look and stared at me, giving me a silent warning to tell her properly. I was hoping that she wouldn't do that…

"Who do we know that has burgundy eyes?" I asked, barely a whisper…

Nanoha-chan must have heard me… Her eyes widened as she registered the question and formed the answer in her head.

"Do… do you mean to tell me… she's… she's… Fate-chan's daughter?!" Nanoha questioned as she stammered.

I let out a long sigh and replied, "Yes."

"So who is her other parent? Fate-chan is… no longer around…" Nanoha-chan asked as her statement trailed off. Tears seem to be threatening to fall from her eyes when she thought about how Fate was no longer here.

"What do you get when you add blond with brunette?" I asked as I held my breath.

Nanoha's jaw began to drop… and she stared down, looking at Vivio's hair colour. "So what you are saying is that… that… Vivio is… Vivio is… my daughter too?!"

If only I was more tactless, I would have so captured this moment on camera. Nanoha-chan's expression was… priceless!

"Um!" I replied with a huge grin on my face.