Note: Next chapter is up! Warning: there's going to be OCs in this story, if you don't like it please turn back now. Some of the characters are also going to be a little ooc, but that's a given since this is an AU.
Disclaimer: This is an adaptation of a book of the same title by Radclyffe. I do not own any of the story or characters in this fanfiction nor the original Safe Harbor and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.
Chapter Two
"Nanoha! Nanoha! Where are you?"
"In here," Nanoha called, "in the procedure room." She looked up from where she was kneeling, sorting and cataloguing supplies, to greet the clinic's head nurse. "Hey, Ai - glad to see you."
"What is going on? Are you okay?" Aina Triton asked anxiously, surveying the mess on the floor.
"Yeah, I'm fine - somebody broke in last night."
"I saw the cop out front. She's a new one, isn't she?" Aina retrieved several unopened boxes of surgical gauze from the floor and stacked them on the counter. "What a hottie! Did you catch the body? Jesus!"
"God, you never miss a thing do you?
"Not when it comes to women," Aina laughed. "So, are we seeing patients or what?"
Nanoha rose slowly to her feet, trying to ignore the cramp in her leg. "I think we'd better reschedule the morning ones. We need to clean this place up and figure out what's missing.
Aina sighed. "I'll start calling. Come out when you can and tell me about this morning."
"You mean tell you all about the Deputy Sheriff, don't you?" Nanoha questioned sharply. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to talk about the remote, albeit attractive sheriff. She would rather forget about her all together. Nanoha knew that the sheriff had simply been doing her job - calmly, coolly, and entirely professionally. But there had been something about her attitude of command that had taken Nanoha by surprise. No one had ever managed to set her emotions so on edge from a single encounter. And no woman had captured her attention so immediately in more years than she could count.
Aina couldn't miss the strain in Nanoha's voice. She had never known anything to upset her usually implacable demeanor. In fact, sometimes Aina wondered if her reclusive friend wouldn't benefit from a little disruption in her life. From her point of view, Nanoha's life was altogether too safe and predictable. In the four years they'd worked together, she had never known her to date anyone, or even show interest in doing so. Nanoha worked longer and longer hours, refusing to consider taking on an associate, and even when she could be coaxed out to a party, she usually made an excuse to leave early. Aina had made any number of attempts to set her up with friends, but Nanoha always smiled and firmly declined.
"You don't like her, do you?" Aina stated. "She's so gorgeous she should be illegal - so tell me what she did to piss you off."
Nanoha looked startled, her cheeks colouring. "I don't have any opinion of her, one way or the other. I hardly know her!"
"So, okay!" Aina cried, raising her hands in mock surrender. "So don't tell me what she did to make you so touchy!"
Nanoha stared at her in total exasperation. "Just go, already! Call patients!" She turned resolutely back to her checklist, determined to put the tall, beautiful officer from her thoughts.
"So, what have you got?" Tiida asked before Fate even reached her desk.
She pulled a blank report form from a stack in the file cabinet and settled into her chair.
"Amateur break in. Rear window smashed, cabinets rifled, stuff thrown around. They didn't get to the drug cabinet, which either means they weren't locals or the doctor surprised them before they had finished."
Fate reflected on the clear strong features of the clinic director - her rich auburn hair and porcelain skin, and the way her blue eyes sparked fire when she was provoked. The thought of Nanoha Takamachi walking in unexpectedly in the midst of a bungled robbery made her uncomfortable. She had a feeling the doctor might have tried to handle things herself. Fate dismissed the disconcerting image and unfamiliar disquiet and methodically began to fill out her report.
"What?" Tiida asked when he saw her frown. He could tell something was on her mind; she had that distant look in her eyes again.
"If she had walked into the middle of that, it might have been a disaster," Fate said quietly. "She doesn't look like the type to back away from trouble, and she could have gotten herself hurt."
Tiida snorted. "Don't bet on it. The doc has some kind of black belt in one of those martial arts. Plus she's strong as a horse. I've seen her lift a grown man onto a stretcher without blinking. That leg slows her down some, but it sure doesn't stop her."
"I'm glad to hear she can take care of herself," Fate said, bending her head to her paper work, ignoring the strange lingering unease. There was no point thinking about something that hadn't happened. She had work to do.
Tiida stared at her, aware that he had been dismissed, but at a loss to know why. Damn, she was a hard one to figure!
When Mariel Atenza, the sole department secretary, dispatcher, and general all around manager showed up for her nine to five shift, she found them both silently typing. She wondered, not for the first time, how well the chief was going to adjust to his new deputy. It wasn't so much that she was a woman, as the fact that she wasn't so much like a woman. Mariel had a feeling that he hadn't had much close experience with this type. The girl was so private it made you all the more curious. And God knows, Tiida Lanster was too curious as it was! But anyone with a smile like that young one had - the kind that breaks your heart whether you were "that way" or not - was worth getting to know, even if it did take some work!
"Good morning you two!" she said, settling behind the reception desk and general message center. "Why is it you both look busy? The president coming?"
Tiida snorted and Fate smiled as she tilted back in her swivel chair.
"I thought he only went as far as Nantucket," Fate joked. "Not civilized enough out here."
"Then it must be the excitement out at the clinic."
"How do you know about that?" Tiida asked in surprise. Was there nothing Mariel didn't know about?
"You forgot about my scanner, Chief," Mariel replied smugly.
"Don't call me Chief," Tiida replied automatically.
Fate stood up and stretched, grinning at the friendly banter. "I'm going to make another tour, Chief," she called, already anxious to be out of the cramped office.
Mariel waited until the door swung closed before turning to the Sheriff.
"How's she doing?"
"About what you'd expect, considering her resume. She's the best officer I've ever had!"
"Quiet, isn't she."
Tiida eyed his old friend speculatively. "Just what is it you want to know, you old busybody?"
"Ha! Like you aren't nosey! I worry about a young girl like that in this town out on the end of nowhere. Could get mighty lonely."
"She doesn't seem lonely to me," Tiida mused. "Just solitary - like she's used to being alone."
"That can get awfully close to lonely," Mariel observed.
"Maybe. But I wouldn't worry about her too much. Looks to me like she'd have no trouble finding company, no matter what kind she chose."
"As if it ain't plain what kind of company that would be!" Mariel commented dryly.
"Now don't go making assumptions, just because this is Provincetown," Tiida remarked, irked that Mariel always seemed to know more than he did.
"Oh, Tiida. You could put that girl anywhere in the country and she'd be turning women's heads!"
"Yours too, Mariel?" he joked.
"If I weren't so old and twenty years married to George, she just might at that."
Tiida stared at her, finally at a loss for words.
Fate left the engine running outside the deli while she ran inside for a sandwich. The couple who ran the tiny gourmet market in the center of town greeted her warmly. After only a short time she seemed like one of their regulars.
"Tuna, lettuce, and tomato?" Cam called as the tall, trim officer entered.
Fate laughed. "I'm obviously getting too predictable. Make it corned beef today."
"Sure. How's the new house?"
Fate hid her surprise. She hadn't yet gotten used to the easy intimacy of the year round residents. This was definitely not the place to come if you didn't want to know your neighbors.
"Fine. I'm living in it - and the renovations will be done in a few weeks. Sein's crew is really good."
Cam nodded in agreement as he wrapped Fate's order. "I envy you that view. There aren't many places left with a clear line to the bay."
"I was lucky to find it," Fate agreed.
"Here you go. Take care now."
"Thanks."
Fate opened the sandwich on the seat beside her, eating as she slowly cruised through town. There weren't many people in the streets yet, but in two days there would be. She was looking forward to it even though she knew her work would be tripled. She liked the sense of being part of the community, and taking care of it in her own way. Without conscious thought, she found herself headed back to the clinic. The parking lot was crowded as she pulled in.
The young girl behind the counter in the reception area looked harried. Fate waited while she finished making a chart up, standing quietly beside a mother with two small children in tow. She looked up at Fate expectantly, flipping her hair out of her eyes distractedly, face set in an anxious frown.
"Any chance I could see Doctor Takamachi?"
"Oh please! I'd sooner get you an audience with the Pope," she sighed dramatically. "Let me see where she is, okay? We're way behind, but I guess you know why."
Fate nodded, shrugging apologetically.
She returned a moment later.
"Follow me - she'll meet you in her office when she gets a break. She said she'd just be a couple of minutes."
She led her to the office Fate had left just a few hours previously. As she waited, she perused the walls. There was just the one diploma, announcing that Nanoha Takamachi had received her medical degree from McGill University in Canada. Of much more interest were the many framed and mounted photographs of women rowers, some in squads of four or eight, many in single sculls. Fate bent closer to look at the faces. In several photos the woman pulling the oars was unmistakably Nanoha Takamachi.
The sound of the door closing behind her interrupted her study, and she turned to find the doctor watching her.
"Surprised, Sheriff?" Nanoha questioned edgily.
Fate raised an eyebrow at the defensive tone in the woman's voice. Her burgundy eyes met the flashing cobalt ones calmly. "Why should I be?"
Nanoha tapped the leg brace with her cane. The metal rang sharply.
"Ah - to be honest, I didn't think about that," Fate replied, her gaze still surveying Nanoha's face.
Nanoha returned the look steadily and finally shook her head ruefully. "You may be the only person who ever has forgotten about it."
"I didn't say I forgot," Fate said softly. "It just never occurred to me that it would inhibit you on the water. I saw you this morning - out on the bay. You seemed so much a part of the sea, you didn't even disturb the rhythm of the waves."
Nanoha's lips parted as a small gasp escaped her. There had been many descriptions of her rowing, but none quite so genuine, nor so eloquent. She averted her gaze, swallowing hard.
"Thank you," she said at last into the silence around them. She walked to the desk, finally looking at Fate, who stood ramrod straight in the middle of the room, her hat tucked under one arm. Nanoha wondered if she had any idea how imposing she was, or how attractive.
"Sit down, Sheriff. You're making me nervous," Nanoha said lightly.
Fate laughed, a deep full laugh, as she strode to the chair facing Nanoha's desk. "Now that I doubt."
Nanoha was irrationally pleased at the response, and aware of her disappointment as a serious look eclipsed Fate's smile as quickly as it had come.
"I know you're busy," Fate said. "Have you had a chance to find out what's missing?"
Nanoha sighed wearily. "It would figure today would be the day half the town has the flu. I've been going nonstop since you left. I did get together a list for you though. A damn strange one."
Fate sat up a little straighter, her eyes flashing. "How so?"
"We are missing needles, but not syringes. Some surgical instruments, but not scalpels. Boxes of gauze and alcohol, and of all things - a portable sterilizer."
"No drugs?"
"The narcotics are all accounted for. I can't be sure, because I don't inventory pharmaceutical samples, but I think there is an assortment of antibiotics missing."
"That's it?"
"As near as I can tell. If I find anything else, I'll let you know."
Fate nodded. "Mean anything to you?"
"Not a thing. Addicts would want the syringes. I guess the sterilizer would make sense if someone wanted to reuse the needles, but what good are they without the syringes?"
"I don't know," Fate mused. "How late are you open?"
"Until six, except Wednesdays, when I see patients until ten o'clock."
"Is there someone here with you the whole time?"
"Well, Vita, the receptionist, leaves when the clinic closes, and my nurse, Aina, stays until we clean up. I usually stay an hour or so later to finish the paper work."
"Don't," Fate stated flatly, "at least not for the next few days. Leave when Aina does, and make sure you're both in your cars with the engines running before either of you drives away."
Nanoha looked at her in amazement, her shoulders stiffening. "Is that really necessary? I've got work that needs to be done - and I'm sure this was just some kids—"
"I'm not sure of that," Fate replied firmly. "You're fairly isolated here. There might be something else they wanted and couldn't find this morning. I don't want you here alone if they decide to come back."
Nanoha heard the unmistakable tone of command in her voice, a tone that came easily and suggested that she was used to being obeyed. What she was saying made sense, but Nanoha resented being told how to conduct her business.
"Is there any room for negotiation here, Sheriff Testerossa?"
Again that hint of a smile. "None, Doctor."
Nanoha tapped her pen on the desk, trying to decide if she felt so resistant because the request was unreasonable or because she resented the authority behind the demand. Whatever the reason, this woman had an amazing effect on her. She was so certain, so sure, it made Nanoha want to argue with her, even when she knew what she said made sense. Fate waited.
"All right," Nanoha conceded reluctantly. "I can manage that for a few days."
"A week."
Nanoha's eyes flashed fire as she prepared to protest.
"Please," Fate added.
It was Nanoha's turn to laugh, despite her annoyance. "You are very hard to resist Sheriff," she stated, then immediately regretted her words. Not only did it sound flirtatious, she realized with chagrin that it was true. The sheriff's combination of pristine control and subtle humor was powerfully appealing.
Fate responded dispassionately. "I understand that it's difficult, Dr. Takamachi, and I appreciate your cooperation." She stood and tapped a finger to the brim of her hat. "Thanks for making time in your busy day. I'll let you know when I have a lead on this."
"Thank you!" Nanoha called as Fate left. She sat for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. Again she had the disconcerting sense of being slightly off balance, when she was so used to having everything in her life firmly in hand. Exasperated with herself, she pushed the memory of that fleeting smile and rich laughter from her mind. There was plenty of work still to do, and she could count on that to put the new Sheriff out of her mind.
At the end of her shift Fate sat in her Bronco in front of the station house fiddling with her keys. She had been avoiding this moment ever since she arrived in Provincetown, and she knew she couldn't delay any longer. The place was just too small. Already most of the storeowners knew her name. She pushed the car into gear and headed for the east end of the three-mile long street that ran the length of town along the harbor's edge. She pulled to the curb in front of one of the myriad galleries tucked into every available niche. After a minute of hesitation, she headed resolutely to the tiny adjoining cottage. She rang the bell, her pulse racing.
A fiftyish woman in baggy jeans and a tattered sweatshirt opened the door, looking questioningly at the tall officer on her steps.
"Yes?" she queried. Then her eyes widened as she focused on the dark burgundy eyes and chiseled features. The resemblance was unmistakable. "Oh my God," she gasped. "Fate?"
"Hello Lindy," Fate said softly.
"Precia!" the woman squeaked. Then finding her voice she called loudly, "Honey, you'd better come here!"
"What is it?" called the tall woman who entered from the rear of the house. She halted behind her lover, at a loss for words.
"Hello mother," Fate said quietly. She looked at her mother, at the lightly tanned skin, the dark hair laced with grey now, and the violet eyes so like her own. Despite her anxiety, she felt strangely peaceful. "I thought it was time I visited."
"I'd giving up hoping you ever would," her mother murmured in a choked voice.
"I'm sorry - I -" Fate faltered, not knowing how to explain the years between them.
"Don't be sorry. Just come in and tell me - well, tell me whatever you want." Precia touched her daughter's cheek gently as she spoke, then reached for her hand to pull her inside. She led Fate through the few rooms to a small kitchen that looked out on the bay.
"Sit," Precia said, pointing to the table in front of the windows. "There's tea?"
"Yes, thanks," Fate said, laying her hat on the table.
"How long have you been here?" her mother asked, unable to take her eyes off the strikingly beautiful woman at her table. If she hadn't been practically cloistered preparing for an upcoming show, she would have known. A newcomer always attracted attention.
"Just eight weeks," Fate said, gesturing to her uniform. "I'm the Deputy Sheriff."
"Just can't give up a uniform, huh?"
Fate laughed and the tension in the room dissipated. "I never thought of it that way, but I think you're right."
"And you live here now," her mother stated in wonder.
Fate nodded, uncharacteristically uncertain. "Is that all right?"
Tears shimmered in her mother's eyes and a small sob escaped her lips. Lindy, her mother's partner, placed her hand protectively on her shoulder, knowing how often she had dreamed of this moment.
"All right is an understatement, Fate," her mother said at last. "I thought when I met Lindy all my dreams had come true. I never even dared hope for this."
Fate looked away as the pain of old memories washed through her.
"If it could have been different Fate, if there was something I could have done—" Her mother stopped, knowing there were no words to explain the past. Or to undo it.
Fate met her mother's gaze evenly, her voice steady. "I didn't come here for an explanation."
Precia twisted the gold band on her ring finger, the one that matched Lindy's, and said sadly, "I tried to tell myself that you would be well cared for, and loved—"
"And I was," Fate said. "But it was time for me to see you - long past time."
Precia searched her daughter's face in alarm. "Are you all right, are you sick, or-?"
"No, I'm fine," Fate smiled, taking her mother's hand.
"So you're here to stay?"
"Yes," Fate said, feeling the rightness of her words. "I am."
Lindy set a large tureen of chowder in the center of the table, saying firmly, "I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."
And they began to talk.
Next chapter could be up tomorrow. R&R thanks!