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

Author's Notes: Sincere apologies for taking so long. Time really flies when you don't pay attention. The 2nd arc will not be as long as the 1st one. There will be three arcs to this story. The plot thickens further in this arc…

I'd like to thank FateKitty; xlheslydesux; Lance58; nanofatehere; LC Rina; nanofatelicious; Zarosguth; Guest; Vylria and 1e for your reviews. Thank you to all who have favourited, are following and reading this story.

Nanofatelicious: I do agree with you. I find Fate in the later parts of the anime very demure. I also prefer her in the earlier series. She is much more expressive :-) We will get to see many more sides to Fate in this arc. As to Nanoha, she will be the key to many of those sides…

Zarosguth: your review made me smile :-) I am also looking forward to writing the hectic bits so I would say it is definitely not bad that you are looking forward to reading them :-D Or does that make us both morbid…hmm… at least there are two of us lol. Loved the butterfly reference! :-) The butterflies will be crucial for the explosive end of this arc…

FateKitty: There will be more aggressive Fate to look forward to in this arc :-)

Guest: It definitely took them a while to kiss. You hit the nail on the head when you said these build-ups are necessary in order to make the story more realistic. It is exactly what I was hoping to achieve with this story. The identity and contents of the mysterious text from the previous chapter will be revealed in chapter 30 (which hopefully won't take as long to update) :-) I am planning 3 arcs for this story. Nanoha has a big part to play in keeping Fate grounded…


2nd ARC

Chapter 29

Ally

Arf's POV.

Fate Testarossa.

That name was going around in my head. I entered it in the database but nothing came up. Hayate had called me to tell me that Fate actually had a sister and that she was Alicia. She said that Alicia had passed away following a car accident with her father. But… something doesn't feel right.

I have been chasing the ghost of Alicia for over ten years now ever since that fateful day when she just vanished without a trace.

Alicia had never mentioned a sister or a father in the picture, not that she looked like Precia for that matter. Actually there was that guy. I can't remember his name but he had purple hair just like Precia Testarossa. I had originally thought Precia and him were siblings but was told otherwise by Alicia.

My gut churns uncomfortably. Something doesn't feel right about all this.

Why wouldn't she have mentioned a sibling? Yet it seemed that when I first saw Alic… I mean Fate that she had recognised me. Fate is exactly how I would have imagined Alicia to look today.

So where was Fate hiding all this time?

"Everything alright Arf?" I am interrupted from my thoughts by Captain Lindy Harlaown.

"Yes… well no." I sigh frustratingly. Lindy looks at me with a steaming cup of what I can only assume is her concoction of sweet milky green tea that she cannot do without. Sinful!

I have known Lindy pretty much since Alicia disappeared. No one would take me seriously because apparently Alicia Testarossa either wasn't registered in Japan or didn't exist. Considering my homelessness and shabby appearance they decided on the latter. According to them families don't just disappear into thin air. Precia Testarossa knew we were best friends, surely she would have told me had something happened to Alicia. She can't be dead! I can't accept that!

I remember the days following Alicia's disappearance as if it were yesterday. I had been making such a stink at the police station. They thought I was just a street kid looking for attention and a home. Consequently, I ran away from several social workers who were trying to place me in a foster home. I was having none of it. Nothing could deter me from finding my best friend. Alicia was missing! Eventually I was noticed by Lindy and she took a serious look into it for me.

She had found out that Precia Testarossa no longer lived at her current address. It was as if I had made it all up. The place looked like there had not been any sign of life for years. No one seemed to remember the blonde girl that had lived there with her mother. My determination, however, was unwavering. I was not mistaken. I had not dreamt any of it.

Lindy never stopped looking into it. She found a Precia Testarossa, however, there was no address or phone number. Furthermore it didn't state anything about a daughter. Lindy believed me though. That gave me comfort and hope. She never questioned me. She ended up taking guardianship over me. Needless to say I never gave up on my hope of finding Alicia and followed in Lindy's footsteps. I joined the police as soon as I could.

I constantly check the missing persons division only to be told again and again that they haven't yet found anything.

"Remember last week how I told you I ran into this person that looked exactly like what Alicia would be like today?" Lindy half sits against my desk and nods whilst taking a sip of her tea.

"Well, Hayate rang me to tell me that that person was Fate and not Alicia but that they were siblings. She said that apparently Alicia and her father had passed away following a car accident. I just…" I trail off and sigh again.

Lindy puts her cup down on my desk and picks up were I left off, "wanted her to be alive?"

"Yeah, I guess." I say in resignation.

"It is a shock, for years you held onto the notion that she was alive. Considering the circumstance it was probable, her mother had also left and they took all their belongings almost as if they were fleeing. However, mentally you had never prepared yourself for the possibility that she wouldn't be alive. You have yet to process that information." Lindy softly adds.

"It's just… Something doesn't feel right. The facts don't add up. I don't want to believe that after all this time she is… dead. She can't be." My stubborn determination hasn't won me any favours with certain colleagues although it has helped close cases. "I had looked for her potential death certificate at the births, deaths and marriages register previously and continuously throughout the years just in case. It thankfully continuously came back with nothing. I mean it is a possibility that it happened overseas but I saw her the day before she disappeared you know? It doesn't add up, I am not satisfied with the answers given."

"And that is what makes you an exceptional police officer Arf. Go with your instincts. It certainly sounds strange considering you never knew about Alicia's sibling and the fact that Precia also vanished into thin air. However, be prepared for the fact that Alicia may have passed away in that car accident with her father. Have you spoken to this other girl, Fate was it? She could shed some light on the situation. Have you checked her name in the database?" Lindy asks.

I nod an affirmative. "I have, she isn't registered in Japan. She may be visiting from another country though. Considering her and Alicia's features and the fact that we haven't been able to track Precia down suggests that they may have been overseas. Hayate said that they should be back today from their week-end away. I will go over at some stage and speak to her."

"I think you will find out a lot more from the source and hopefully put a lot of the confusion to rest as well as get the answers you desire. Let me know if you need me to look into anything or help in any way." Lindy gives me a warm smile as she grabs her mug and takes another sip from her drink.

I am very grateful to her. She knows how important this is to me. She has never mocked or questioned me on this. She believed and still believes me and that means so much.

I know things were a little strange in Alicia's life. She would always brush it off or try to change the subject but occasionally I would see things or she would mention things that had me worried. She always had my back and all I wanted was to be there for her but never got the chance. I wasn't and am not going to give up on her. I vowed to find her and I will. Fate holds the key to all my questions. I look at my watch. I still have some time ahead of me before I can talk to her.

I need to refocus my head on the task at hand: the case of the Golden Butterfly.

"Any news on our mysterious Golden Butterfly inside informant?" I ask Lindy. Lindy is in charge of the task force assigned to this case. I have been lucky enough to be part of it. We consist of a small team of trusted hand picked individuals. Originally it had been larger but there were suspicions of a leak within the team. We were unable to locate this person so decided to downsize our group to only trusted individuals. So far, so good.

Unfortunately we have other cases to investigate and police work to perform so we are unable to solely focus on the Golden Butterfly.

"Nothing this week but it doesn't surprise me. They have always been rather haphazard with their information."

"It would help if they actually gave us something a little more concrete instead of bits we can't really use anyway. It is so frustrating!" I cross my arms in indignation.

Lindy provides a smile at this. "We have been fortunate to receive anything concerning this case considering how long it has gone on for. And what's more the press hasn't caught wind of our source which is a miracle in itself. No doubt this is certainly a factor that has allowed us to receive information from our mysterious informant and keeping their people ignorant of this. The media certainly has a big say in how a case evolves."

I know she is right. We have been lucky so far. Our investigations over the years have produced absolutely nothing. This mysterious person has definitely allowed us much more insight and actual leads to start investigating.

We had tried to investigate who this unknown ally was but they made sure we couldn't trace them. They never gave us enough to stop a crime which made me wonder if it wasn't simply the Golden Butterfly trying to play with us, having us eat out of the palm of his hand. But that seemed unlikely since only Lindy was getting somewhat regular information and they were never taunts.

Through this person we discovered or at least were able to put two and two together that it was a sort of organised crime syndicate and that they had people everywhere. In other words apart from our small team no one could be trusted. It also explained why people didn't talk; they were afraid. Our files were specially encrypted. No one was allowed to talk about the case with anyone that wasn't part of our team. We assumed the Golden Butterfly was the man at the top in this syndicate and probably had his trusted honchos perpetrating the crimes which in itself were very random. A clear pattern couldn't be determined.

We learnt that this organisation was originally founded overseas. This was an important part of the information as we could now start looking into similarities within other countries and hope for a break. This, however, was also proving to be the longest and most pain staking part. The world is a massive place and we weren't exactly given a place of origin. We started with Interpol and have been working with their division that focuses on major organised crime syndicates. They are extremely busy and it is difficult for them as they do not want to compromise ongoing investigations.

No other country had a golden butterfly painted at the scenes of crimes. Often there were messages in blood but no spray painted butterfly.

The last piece we got notified us that the crimes were certainly going to change pace and M.O. It had said that some would probably go under the radar and never be discovered. That part had us worried. It could be anything from unexplained disappearances to unsolved murders? It could be any heinous crime. Although what is to say that they haven't done this already and we just haven't found any evidence?

"You know it feels like they are only purposefully giving us pieces to a puzzle." I have often thought of this. Where is this heading? What will the completed piece look like? Will we be able to handle it? What are this organisation's goals?

"Maybe they do not know much more than that. Maybe they are unable to provide more. They could be given just snippets of what is actually happening." Lindy offers.

"That seems very likely with an organisation such as this. But why not give us the one committing these crimes enabling us to take them all down and grant this informant anonymity and safety?" I ask Lindy.

"I think it is much more complicated than we assume. If they give us the one perpetuating these crimes, the organisation will be aware of a snitch. Conversely they may be more than one person committing these crimes and that goes back to the first point that they will be aware of a snitch. I wouldn't put it passed them to eliminated potential liabilities regardless of who they are. We could offer protection but I have a feeling that it still wouldn't be enough. Until we get the top people, no one is safe."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." With such a big group is anyone really safe? I would assume we haven't been touched because we are no way near apprehending anyone and that thought demoralises me somewhat. I tend to see things as either wrong or right. The reality, however, tends to be much more complicated.

"Furthermore, they could be trying to protect someone, maybe even family that is or isn't involved with this syndicate." Lindy continues.

"But why put them in danger to begin with? To be involved with a crime syndicate is for life. The only way out is by death. I doubt mistakes are tolerated either. Surely the benefits can't outweigh the dangers." This angers me. This can affect so many people.

"I understand what you are saying but we do not know why they got in or if they even had a choice to begin with. Not to mention desperate people are often pushed to make desperate decisions. Life and people don't always make sense. It's what makes the world go round." Lindy says with the wisdom and patience of her age.

"And drive me crazy." I chuckle. There is so much we do not know about this case and we have been on it for years. However, what kind of answers are we going to find once this is all over? Will it ever be?

As I think of all the questions I long answers for, one springs to the forefront of my mind. We actually have been threatened. "What about the attack on your dojo? That was quite personal. You don't think it had something to do with the informant do you?"

I see Lindy's brow wrinkle as she answers. "I don't know. I have been thinking about this too. It seems they know we are investigating them and that I am at the head of the team which is quite easy information to acquire, yet why now after all this time? Maybe the informant was made. We will unfortunately only know this with time, either we get more information or that last one was indeed the last one. However, another possibility is that we may have another leak. It is possible that we were close to discovering something important on this case and were either threatened or distracted."

"The attack does coincide with the raid we were planning on that cargo ship suspected of people smuggling. You don't suppose that it is connected with this case do you?" More questions.

"I am not sure I believe in coincidences anymore Arf. I had to assign the raid to someone else once I heard about the dojo. It wouldn't hurt to look into it. Find out what they found on that ship. I think it came from either Europe or Russia. It wouldn't surprise me if the Golden Butterfly syndicate dabbles in several illegal activities including human trafficking. I will send you the information on it as soon as I get behind my desk again. A sergeant by the name of Due was in charge of the operation." Lindy says as she moves off my desk and grabs her cup.

"Due? That's a different kind of name." I thought my name was bad. I have already heard most of the bitch jokes floating around the precinct.

"Indeed it is. She is a very promising and serious officer who is steadily climbing up the ranks."

"Right, well I will contact her and get the relevant info." I say as I clasp my hands together and sit straighter in my chair.

"Thank you Arf. We have to consider all the options. I have a feeling we are closer to cracking this case than we ever have been, as they say we must leave no stone unturned. However, saying that, be vigilant and careful. The closer we get the more dangerous it will become. We need to watch our ever step." I see the worry in her eyes. She cares deeply for the lives of every member on her team.

I nod at her and watch as Lindy slowly makes her way back to her office. I don't know where I would be if not for Alicia and Lindy.

I wait a few minutes then turn to my computer and open my e-mails. Lindy's promised e-mail is already there waiting for me. I open the folder with the information on the raid.

It was meant to be performed in the early hours of the morning when it docked at Uminari port. Not so coincidentally perhaps, we were called in to Lindy's dojo by an anonymous tip not even an hour before hand as the Golden Butterfly had vandalised it and of course anything involving the Golden Butterfly takes priority. Looking at the evidence before me it is clear how Lindy thought that there was a connection.

I scan the document and find Sergeant Due's contact details. I pick up my phone, take a deep breath and dial the number. After a three rings she picks up.

"Sergeant Due speaking." Her voice is cold and serious.

"Good afternoon, this is Officer Arf. I am calling on behalf of Captain Harlaown to follow up on that raid on a cargo ship that you were consequently left in charge of a couple of days ago."

"Yes, what a complete waste of time that was." Sergeant Due answers with the same coldness. She certainly doesn't mince her words. I am not sure I like her.

"So I'm assuming by your answer that you found nothing?" I ask.

"Apart from the filth associated with cargo ships and the usual pornographic calendars located in various places, there was nothing of interest. I suggest that your team do a more thorough investigation before you send others on a wild goose chase." What an insulting little… I clench my jaw shut to prevent myself from telling her exactly what I think of her. There was no reason for her to say the things she did. It is now official. I do not like her.

"Well I can assure you, that a thorough investigation was indeed performed on the vessel. You probably..." I need to stop myself before I say something I regret. She is a Sergeant and I have been in trouble in the past for letting my mouth run away with me and telling people exactly what I think of their behaviour. If I can't get my information from her this way, I will simply get it another way. I clear my throat and continue, "Our department expects your report on the raid and search sent to us immediately. Good day Sergeant Due." I do not wait for a reply and simply hang up the phone. I know it is petty but it is my small bit of victory for her bitting words earlier.

I think dealing with the Golden Butterfly would be far more enjoyable than another conversation with Sergeant Due.

I run my hands over my hair and smoothen it down on my scalp. I hope not to have to deal with her again in the future. Hopefully I can look over her report tomorrow and draw my own conclusions.

I look at my watch again, time to see Fate and get my answers.

Alicia… I will find you.

To be continued…