Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN but my girlfriend reckons she should!

Author's Notes: Thank you megamar, Lance58 and ZonaRose for your beautiful reviews and to all those following. I am happy that you are all still enjoying this story. There will definitely be more NanoFate happiness to come… and drama.


Chapter 14

Obsessed

Fate's POV.

Nanoha.

What is it about this girl?

How can one person have such a profound effect on my defences the way she has? Why do I feel strangely comforted by her mere presence alone? What are her intentions? Aaarg this is so confusing. Mother has always said that kind people have an agenda and should never be trusted but then why does my heart doubt this? It has been a week since we met. I feel slightly more at peace with my own demons when I am near her. I need to focus. This isn't a fairytale. What exactly am I expecting? Happy endings don't exist for people like me. We are the ones who ruin them. Focus Fate. I am not here to enjoy myself. How can I when mother is unhappy? I need to make her happy. I need to make her smile again. I need to bring her old self back. My purpose is to her. I belong to the Project and must obey. I am a puppet. I have no desires.

"Helllllooooo is anyone home?" Linith is in front of me waving her hands.

"Yes?"

"Ah glad there is. I don't suppose you heard a thing I've been saying?"

"…" Was she talking?

"Didn't think so, hahaha, quite unlike you. Nevertheless, I approve especially if your thoughts were of a certain brunette, hmmm?" Nanoha is right Linith and Hayate are spending way too much time together. "Spill the beans Fate, nothing to be ashamed of, Nanoha is a nice girl, your Auntie Linith gives you her blessing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Aaaah young ignorant love."

"Hayate is a bad influence on you."

"Hahaha don't try and change the subject." She says as she picks up a can of peeled tomatoes and places it gently in the shopping basket I am holding. "Pasta good for dinner?" Linith asks to which I nod. I watch as her facial expression turns serious. "Fate do you believe you deserve to be happy?"

"Happy?" What is she saying?

"Yes Fate, happy."

"I have a duty to fulfil to mother. I will be happy when mother is happy."

"What if that never happens?"

"Failure is not an option."

Linith is about to counter when a shopper comes passed us. Linith follows him with her eyes til he is out of ear shot then looks around probably making sure not one is listening. She takes a step towards me, places a hand on my shoulder whilst looking straight at me and says "Fate, don't you think that your mother has sent you here to Uminari to experience life? Otherwise why would she have? Until we get specific instructions for our next mission, I am ordering you to experience life and have some fun."

"Ordering?"

"Yes, I am ordering you; otherwise I know you won't do it. Mistress Testarossa has made me your guardian whilst we are here so you have no choice but to listen to me. Am I understood?" At this she places both her hands on her waste and has a very smug look on her face. I sigh in defeat. I guess she has a point but is this what mother wants or what Linith wants?

"Yes Ma'am." I have a feeling this will come back to bite one of us in the arse.

"Good. Now that we are clear about that why don't we look around for a present for Nanoha? She has been so good to us. I think a box of chocolates falls short considering her family owns a bakery."

"Actually, I already have something in mind." At this Linith's eye brows lift up slightly wrinkling her forehead in a surprised curious expression.

"Really? What is it?"

I put the basket on the floor, reach into my back pocket and extract a folded piece of paper. I hand it to Linith who opens it and reads it aloud.

"Come and learn Karate in a fun, safe and comfortable environment whether to improve fitness, health, to learn discipline or self defence come on down to see if our dojo is right for you. First class free!" Linith stops reading and looks back at me. "What made you think of this?" She asks as she hands me back the flier.

"Well I came across this flier on my jog this morning and remembered the first day we met that she said something about wanting to learn how to punch properly." My cheeks are feeling a little warmer as I say this. I scratch the back of my neck a little uneasy at Linith's broad smile.

"That's very practical and thoughtful of you. I think it is an excellent idea and I am sure she will love it. She could even bring Hayate with her." I am surprised by the lack of teasing. I bend down to pick up the basket when suddenly someone violently pushes against me. Completely unprepared I loose my balance and fall to the ground, dropping my flier in the process. Several shoppers glance in my direction but not wanting to be caught up in whatever was happening quickly move away.

"I am so sorry." The source of my fall speaks. Clearly from the tone I can tell they are not sorry at all. Linith is already by my side. We are both looking at the uninvited guest. She is a young woman around my age. With eyes that mirror my own except for this particular look I have seen somewhere before. It's the look that is permanently fixated in the eyes of her maker, Jail, the look of malice.

I prop myself up with my hands and stare at Jail's Experiment. I haven't seen her since our training together all those years ago but I would recognise her any day.

"Quattro."

"Ha glad you still remember me." The smirk on her face is still the same.

"What are you doing here? Where is your Supervisor?" Linith asks. Clearly she wasn't informed of this from mother nor from Jail. Quattro seeming to only now be aware of Linith's existence looks at her.

"I am not a dog!" She, however, funnily enough barks. Quattro walks towards me until her boots are almost touching mine then extends her hand. I grasp it and she effortlessly helps me up. Our faces are inches apart. Her molten amber eyes are trying to burn into mine. "Unlike some," Quattro adds still trying to stare me down. At this she clamps down on my hand that she hasn't let go hoping for a reaction that I will unfortunately for her not give her.

"Now now Quattro, play nice in public, Fate and you are practically siblings."A new voice breaks the tension filled air that Quattro single-handedly created. Quattro releases my hand but doesn't move.

"We are nothing alike," She spits in my face. "I far exceed her in everyway and belong only to my dear Jail." Quattro hasn't changed one bit in all these years. Her devotion to Jail is still unwavering. I guess it is not unlike mine to mother. "Furthermore I do not disappoint him like you constantly do your poor mother." She sneers out. At this I cannot control my stoic indifference any longer and take the bait she so generously wiggled in my face. The fire in my eyes ignites. Quattro notices and almost recoils but seems to relish in the challenge and licks her lips. I have always had mother in mind in everything I do. I have done all of this for her, for her happiness and maybe for her approval. I clench my fists. I need to try and control my anger. This is exactly what Quattro wants. Control yourself Fate.

"I see you haven't matured since the last time I saw you." I breathe out as calmly as I possibly can.

"Haha the only thing that has matured is my growing hatred for you Fate."

"Quattro." The fourth person strongly interjects again. "We are not here to make a scene, control your competitiveness."

"Ah Uno, always so rigid, I was simply greeting an old friend." Quattro's malicious smile doesn't go unnoticed by myself. I see Uno is still assigned to her.

"Uno what is the meaning of this? We weren't informed that you would be operating in the area. Has there been a change in plan that I have not been informed of?" Quattro doesn't relent with her venomous obsessed eyes from mine as Linith asks Uno this.

"This was a decision taken by The Project's owner Master Scaglietti with the approval of Mistress Testarossa of course. Quattro and Fate seem to have simultaneously reached their Chrysalis Phase much to Quattro's chagrin. The results of this are that we have all been deployed in Uminari to allow this Phase to take place. It seems the Experiments are given freer reign in this putrid society and also allowed to interact with each other as well as perform more intricate assigned missions. We as teachers are also on the spotlight my dear Linith, for how well the Experiments perform reflects our teachings and guidance. You could say that the Project is investigating the resilience, adaptability as well as the outside factors influencing the Experiments. This in turn will determine where the Project needs to modify for future Experiments, think of this as a pilot project." Uno nonchalantly answers.

"Future Experiments? Pilot project?" Linith asks puzzled.

"It seems that Mistress Testarossa doesn't have much confidence in you as you do not seem to know very much." At this a small smirk appears on Uno's lips. "I am sure she will brief you on what she deems necessary for you to know. Come Quattro, play time is over, we are leaving." At Uno's words Quattro lowers her Spanish inquisitional gaze from me and turns around, proceeding to follow Uno out of the supermarket. Thank goodness as I am sure my corneas have been burnt off by Quattro's laser like eyes by now. I turn to Linith. Good I can still see her clearly. Quattro hasn't done permanent damage to my corneas. Upon untrained eyes Linith seems unfazed by this encounter but her stiff posture betrays her and the anger she is clearly feeling.

I glance back to Quattro who seems to have stopped to pick up a piece of paper on the floor, my flier! With her back to me she straightens up and I assume opens the folded flier to read the content then turns around with the same malicious smirk that must be permanently fixed on her mouth.

"Your paper I presume." She scoffs to which I simply nod. Surprisingly she extends her arm to hand me the paper. I take two steps forward to grab it and just before my fingers make contact with it she unsurprisingly drops it. "Oops, butter fingers." Her sickly sweet voice adds. Some things really never change. I watch Quattro turn and with the most inelegant hair flick walk away. That was way too easy for her, she won't be able to control herself, wait for it.

"Oh and Fate, enjoy your beginners karate class. Haha clearly Linith hasn't taught you anything. Pay close attention to what is taught in class though because you will need it for the next time we meet." Ah there it is. The finale trademark walk away words from Quattro with the trademark Quattro threat. She just can't stop herself. I watch her disappear as I pick up my flier off the floor and replace it in my back pocket. I feel Linith's presence next to me.

"Oh my." Linith sighs deeply. "We need to tread carefully from here on in. Quattro still holds the same passionate dislike for you and I am sure mad obsession with Master Scaglietti. I am sure she will not hesitate to sabotage us from the sounds of it. What the hell is going on?" She rubs her right temple and closes her eyes. "I need to speak with Mistress Testarossa." Then randomly she starts giggling. "Hehehe does she honestly think you are a beginner in karate? I think that is an advantage for you. Although," Linith adds more seriously "watch your back. We both know how fiercely competitive she is and did I mention crazy. I swear Fate, you and Quattro are like chalk and cheese. Let's head back. I don't know about you but that surprise encounter tired me out. Hahaha those two still know how to press our buttons." Linith chuckles as she makes her way to the cashier. I agree with her although I haven't seen them since our training together, a couple of years ago. I presume Linith would have encountered Uno at the Fortress now and again.

Since Uno got assigned to Quattro during our training they have always been linked by their fierce loyalty to Jail and love of dirty tricks.

I can't let Quattro know about Nanoha.

To Be Continued…