Eighth Session

Today it's a nice sunny afternoon in Midchilda. I cannot complain, things have been going quite uneventful, which is something we have to thank our hard-working people for. There has not been a rather significant threat to peace all around, and that leaves my restless mind eager to continue working with my little side-project.

The reception has been quite nice. The stories of these two, outside the work they are most well-known for has gotten a number of enthusiast followers.

But Hayate-chan, wasn't the project supposed to be anonymous? Yes, I can guess the question you all have on your minds. It has indeed been anonymous but there have been some that have dotted the i's crossed the t's and connected the points figuring out who my two victims are... and given the video projects they have launched outside Midchilda, it's not my fault they are well-known in other administered and un-administered planets.

So there's that and my two friends are talking a bit longer than usual to arrive. Unless... I am hearing some footsteps…

"Welcome Fate-chan." Now that's a surprise, my blonde friend is alone. "Where is Nanoha?"

Fate is wearing her Enforcer uniform, so she probably just arrived.

"She had something with Vivio and that tournament she is now participating in. I will catch up with them later."

"Ohh, so you decided to come by yourself!"

I am glad I never made a bet, I would have never thought Fate would come here, alone, to honor their appointments. "Is she rewarding you later?"

Fate looks at me unamused. Yeah, we both know... it's too soon to tease her and she is realizing she made a mistake by coming here all by herself.

"I knew this was a mistake. I told Nanoha if you teased me one time I'd be out."

"No, wait... wait, Fate-chan! Standard practice is three strikes before anyone's out... I'll... behave!"

I look at her, pleading with my eyes and with my most charming smile. She's trying to hide her own smile from showing, I need to convince her, somehow…

"Hey! Have you tried the new soda bar that was added to the recreational area? Let's do something different this session and go and have something to drink. That way it will be like we are just catching up."

You are a genius Hayate-chan. A genius.

Yup... Fate's sweet tooth. One would never be able to tell how much this very innocent looking blonde can eat. I swear that had to be the only reason she wanted to work that summer in Midori-ya back when we were kids. Well... that... and Nanoha being there as well, too. Oh, that and Momoko-san. Yeah...

Why Momoko-san, you ask? That's a good story, but we need Nanoha-chan to tell it. She tells it better, and I am not entirely convinced she has completely forgiven Fate-chan for that...

But it will have to be another time, for now… I can't let Fate think I am not paying attention to her.

Fate's eyes shine at my suggestion and I jump out from behind my desk and we both make our way to the base's recreational area.

It is probably a little over a glorified cafeteria the one we have at the recreational area. But we cannot complain, it has had some improvements along the years. The food has improved. I don't know when Nanoha had the time to review the recipes of the menus offered, but she made some miraculous suggestions. We all know she was the mastermind behind the significant improvements.

For those reading from un-administered planet 97, also known as, yeah, Earth, our first home, you have no idea the world lost a marvelous cooking talent. Surely it's not like Nanoha could choose between being Ace of Aces or a world-class cook... Fate and Vivio are surely the winners in that sense.

And that's already saying something, you know? Yagami Hayate also knows her way in the kitchen. Just ask Shamal, Signum, and Zafira how they could eat banquets every day. And Vita more than anyone else.

Yes, I am talking about myself in the third person. Don't judge me.

We should definitely hold a cooking showdown.

But I am rambling here... while making small talk with Fate and casually greeting some of the acquaintances we find in our way. Let's get to the action we are interested in before we get there.

"I think, Fate-chan, it's only fair that I ask you exactly the same thing I asked Nanoha when you missed our session."

Fate nods and smiles.

"Okay so... Nanoha, for you... when or how did you realize... she was the one?"

Obviously, Fate was already expecting the question and yet she is unable to stop herself from slightly blushing. And she is clearly thinking about Nanoha. She has that look she has when she looks at her like truly nothing else in the world exists.

After a deep breath, she smiles inwardly and turns to answer me.

"Almost from the beginning. It's funny... All of our interactions had been confrontational, except when she came to literally save me and then the one where we finally fought together in the Garden of Time. Where I had lived all my life at the moment."

"You truly had some epic battles against each other..."

Whoever decided to set up this place was not wrong, as adults, we do enjoy ice cream, a lot.

While we reach the newly inaugurated soda-bar and ask for two refreshing ice-cream sodas, Fate briefly explains about the times they fought and her thoughts, given that she was completely focused on completing the mission her mother had for her, she did not have much time to think about Nanoha... and yet she did.

"It's not a secret, as we even allowed to show that in TSAB's cinematographic project, that my mother was a firm believer of physical punishments..."

"Yeah..." There are truly some things we would all like to forget, but in a way, I guess Fate never hides them because it's part of who she is anyway.

"There were some brief, difficult moments where the thought of her was... comforting... I could not help it... or explain it... there are things that just are..."

I just nod, as she continues.

"Then we did not see each other for a long time, while she was back with her parents and I lived on the Asura as the resolution to my case... since... I was some sort of... juvenile delinquent..."

Fate laughs and scratches her head with a guilty face.

"Yeah... I know how that goes too..." I grin mischievously and we even clink the glasses of our sodas amused.

"I started to realize I missed her dearly. And we finally met... again."

"On that famous bridge..."

A wide smile shines in her lips.

"Yeah, I was so nervous. And there she was waving and smiling and running towards me, incredibly happy to see me as if I had not been horrible to her."

Fate pauses again, probably collecting her thoughts and what she wants to say… despite how absent-minded she can sometimes be, I am sure she has no problems recalling that memory in particular.

"She's always had that bright light, even through her own sadness and loneliness," I point out.

Fate nods again and we sit down on one of the benches to continue talking.

"We spent a few minutes together. And I was happy. I felt truly happy. For the first time in... a very long time..."

Fate stares blankly for a while... who knows where her mind drifted to... maybe to the moment before that where she felt happy. As Fate said, it's no secret to anyone she had it very rough as a child... she has never shied away from it, nor has she let it down her spirit. I might tease her a lot but we all admire her very much. We all had our things growing up, but Fate...

"Then we spent even more time apart. I longed for her... Deeply. It made no sense. We had interacted as normal, civilized people only for a few minutes. When I was back on the Asura I missed her. How could I be missing someone that I had just met? But... I did... We started sending each other video notes and letters, as if we had been life-long friends who suddenly found themselves being apart... I'd have these weird dreams at night, about my mother and Alicia, but I'd also dream about her... A lot. "

"And Lindy made the arrangements for you both to come to Earth."

"She did. Being a mother now to Vivio I start to realize she must have seen things I did not understand at the time. She wanted me to have a normal life. Go to school. Have friends. Interact with people my age..."

"And be with Nanoha."

"And be with Nanoha indeed. I don't know if that was just a happy coincidence or if my mother did it on purpose..."

I have to arch a brow. "Surely Lindy knew... as you say, now you and Nanoha being parents to Vivio..."

"Yeah... I guess mom knew as well," Fate blushes again.

"So about the first time you met again? What the last TSAB material shows is different from what really happened, unlike your goodbye."

Fate smiles again. "Well, Vita is a well-known professional now... No need to ruin her reputation..."

I have to laugh. I had no idea at the time what my loyal family was doing for me and Vita's first encounter with Nanoha was indeed chaotic.

"It's a shame we had to protect Vita's reputation. We don't get to see the amazing prince charming Fate-chan rescuing her love though."

"Ha. Cute. Subaru and Teana should have not started that nickname..." Fate blushes amused. "You are all impossible. I am female, I can't be a prince."

"Oh but you are, Fate-chan. You most certainly are Nanoha's prince."

"You too Hayate? That's strike two for you, then."

Fate might be faking the serious tone because her eyes are certainly smiling. I am sure they have their own private little joke about that. I do guess the second strike is true though.

"Okay, fine. Back to the documentary then and your re-encounter again. Nanoha and you, finally meeting again and protecting Vita's reputation."

"The documentary material is not wrong anyway. At least that's exactly what Nanoha told me when we were finally on our own after we got our asses kicked and she recovered. It may not have been exactly like it's shown, you know, outside the new apartment I was going to live in... but the words are the same."

Fate pauses for a second and it seems she still has some things to say. I change my position on the bench and turn to her, waiting for her to be ready to continue.

"I knew... I knew I was home. She said welcome home. But not only that, she received me... as if I was returning home as well…"

"...And she was right. I had lived in the Garden of Time, I had lived on the Asura. I had been in her arms for two minutes when we said goodbye. And the moment we were there again, in each other's arms. I was home. And she did not mean Uminari."

"That moment I realized that I felt at home with Nanoha and I knew she was... the one. Of course, I was not aware of that concept at the time. But I could feel it."

"And I was home... because I was with her. I guess since she made sure to change her bedroom to the scenery outside the new Harlaown apartment… but she kept the words exactly as they happened… I think she also meant it the way I felt it."

"Ohhh, so she said that to you in her bedroom? Nanoha-chan is so bold…"

I am sorry. I am sorry I can't stop saying those kinds of things in time. It sometimes seems a natural condition to tease Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan. And probably Fate-chan more.

"And that's why she probably had that part of the story changed... otherwise you and probably not just you would think something different. We were kids!" Fate exclaims.

"Right, right… but not that it was not bound to happen eventually right?" I lift my eyebrows suggestively at Fate who tries to hide her embarrassment by drinking from her soda.

I keep quiet and just look at her hoping she will answer. Fate looks at me knowing I am stepping on dangerous grounds but I just need to know. She wants to say it, she is thinking about their first time for sure.

"We finally were able to live together when you so very casually assigned us a ridiculously large dorm-room to share Hayate-chan."

"Ohhh was that too obvious?"

"Only a little?"

"It was either that or having you two sneaking around to each other's rooms."

Yes, one of the things I had absolute clarity about was that the least these two could get distracted the better it would be. For everyone. They would never ask to be bunked together. Even if they wanted to. If that need was covered, they would have a clearer focused mind, they would be better rested every day… and that would only get better results for everyone.

Fate seems to ponder for a while and chuckles lightly.

"True..." She can't help but blush. "I was under the impression we were going to have separate rooms, not that I am complaining of course."

"Please don't tell me your first time was there… you surely could not have taken that long..."

"Aha! Finally, I win! I have a long-standing bet with Nanoha that you had no idea about. And it shall remain like that!"

For all the times I get to tease Fate-chan, she knows how to get back at me. There is no way she will tell me now about their first time together. Time to change strategy and course.

My flawless plan to bunk them together… they never even complained once about having to share a bed… Now, of course, I would have never expected for those two to somehow turn into three… and yet they did...

"Did it come to you as a surprise when Nanoha wanted to adopt Vivio?"

"Not really. If you ask me, I think Vivio adopted her even before she realized."

"Did she talk to you about it?"

"She did not have to ask anything before any more than I had to ask her if it was okay for Vivio to call me Fate-mama too. We both knew. If it was important for Nanoha it was important for me. And they both are the most important things in my life."

"Has it been difficult? Raising a daughter? Different from being a ward to Erio and Caro?"

"Different. Not difficult. Even though I have been a ward for Erio and Caro I have not really lived with them. Not in the way I live with Nanoha and Vivio, in the day-to-day way, even if I do spend a significant amount of time away…"

There's a slight shadow in Fate's eyes as she says that.

"But even with that, Nanoha always manages to make our home work, you know? And maybe it's because I spend so much time away that I worry so much about Vivio. Getting hurt and all with her Strike Arts and this tournament..."

"She's good... "

"She is. And even though I worry, I could not prevent her from doing it, not any more than Nanoha's parents let her use her magic to help TSAB even at a younger age. Nanoha keeps me focused."

"I always strived for Erio and Caro to find their own way and I was happy when they decided to join and become StrikerS. With Vivio, Nanoha is much more pragmatic than I am. I worry too much."

"You just want to keep her safe."

"I guess... She's gone through so much in her life at such a young age... I just want her to enjoy and be happy and be safe..."

"Did you?"

Fate blinks and looks at me puzzled.

"Did you ever just want to enjoy and be happy and be safe?"

Fate frowns slightly with a look that makes me realize she is racing through her thoughts and amused by what she's finding.

"I see your point, Hayate-chan. She's so much like Nanoha."

"And she's also very much like you in other things."

She blushes again and I wonder what's on her mind. Seems there are some things she will still keep from herself.

Fate looks at the time.

I nod knowing she wants to leave early.

"Before you leave Fate-chan. You could have skipped the session altogether... Why didn't you?"

"There are a lot of ways to face the things you fear."

"Do you fear our sessions Enforcer?"

"Not so much anymore," Fate winks at me before standing up to leave.

"Is it possible Fate Testarossa-Harlaown that you are actually enjoying our sessions?"

"Maybe...just maybe... I will be generously rewarded. See you next week... no wait, see you on Sunday, Hayate-chan. Nanoha told me to remind you we are bringing the cake. Oh, and something about a surprise recipe."

I look at my blonde friend leaving, walking with her own dashing style unaware of how she makes many heads always turn to see her as she passes by. It's not that she is being rude or pretentious… She is just so absorbed with meeting her family that she really does not pay any attention to anything else. I suppose that balances out when she is out on duty and has to keep a clear focused mind on her job.

We are very lucky with our family... and our considerably large family is meeting on the weekend. What's the occasion you ask? Nothing really, just the joy of spending well-deserved time, all of us together. And for Nanoha-chan and me to cook a lot of yummy food. A LOT. Which means I need to run and meet Shamal for all the shopping we need to do.

Toodles!

Author's Note: I have not forgotten about my stories! I do have found out I enjoy translating a lot, but I still have the full intention of writing my stories as well. Hope you enjoyed it.