This chapter and chapter 4 were originally one, but it ended up being long enough that I could split it in two. Expect 4 soon.

Yuuno tossed his work shirt into his laundry basket, and slipped on a clean one. Business at the Infinity Library went on as usual, despite a few staff changes a month ago. Said staff changes had seen Yuuno being charged with murder. He was quite shocked to learn that his assistant had been the one to frame him. He had had complete faith in her stern, professional demeanour. He had been oblivious to the hatred that existed beneath.

It was all thanks to Fate that he was a free man. Yuuno would forever be grateful to her. Her only request was to go out for dinner together. It had been a fun evening. It made him realise that they never had the chance to connect outside of the work place. Even though the bulk of their discussion was indeed about their work, the casual air really made a difference. Fate opened up about other concerns she had as well. She had talked about Erio and Caro's blossoming relationship and her uncertainty over how much she should meddle in it. She also lamented about the rumours of the nature of her and Nanoha's relationship. Yuuno had to laugh a little at that. He was confident that if his friends were in such a relationship, he'd be one of the first to know of it.

They had opted for a simple family restaurant. The food had been good and reasonably priced. Yuuno had insisted on paying, but they ended up splitting the bill. Afterwards, they decided to make a habit out of it. Over the past month, they had gone out whenever their schedules had allowed. They turned it into sort of a tour of Mid Childa's restaurants. They'd go to a place at random, and try out foods they'd never eaten before. Some places were good, others not so good. Wondering to how the meal would taste and how it would differ from others was half the fun.

They were going out again tonight. Yuuno always looked forward to spending time with his friend. However, lately he had begun to notice something…

The sound of the doorbell derailed his train of thought. Pulling his ponytail out from the back of his shirt, he went to the door. He was surprised to see Fate through the peephole. He wasn't expecting her for at least another hour. Yuuno opened the door and was surprised further when he noticed she was still in her uniform. Her face was pale with a tint of green, and her eyes were tired and strained.

"Fate, what's wrong?" He asked. Fate tried to smile.

"I'm sorry, Yuuno… but I'll have to cancel on dinner…" It had been a struggle for her to hold it together this long, but she had finally reached her limit. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she let out a muffled "Excuse me" and rushed into Yuuno's apartment. She found her way to his bathroom, knelt before the toilet and emptied herself into the bowl. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, so she didn't have much to throw up. Gastric acid burned her throat and nostrils as it passed through. Tears stung her eyes.

Yuuno was instantly at her side. He swept back her blonde locks and held them in one hand. The other gently stroked her back. He had no idea what was wrong, but he was pretty sure it wasn't just a simple case of the flu.

"So much blood…" she sobbed. "So much blood… They were just kids… Bits and pieces… everywhere…" She retched again, but it was dry.

'So that's what it is.' Yuuno grimaced while still massaging her quivering back. Yuuno knew Fate to be a strong woman. It must have been absolutely horrid if it reduced her to this.

Fate remained hunched over the porcelain until her shivering subsided. Yuuno reached over for a towel. He handed it to her, and she wiped her mouth.

"I'm so sorry." She said weakly. Yuuno offered a sympathetic smile.

"It's ok, Fate." He said. "I understand."

X-X-X

"I'll leave a change of clothes here." Yuuno said, placing the clothes in the basket outside the bath door.

"Thank you." Fate called from the shower. She stood under the stream and let the hot water pelt her body. It washed away that disgusting feeling that had coated her skin.

She had let him see a pathetic side of her, she mused. Her hunched over figure heaving into a toilet was probably not a very appealing sight. But she felt no shame in it. She knew Yuuno wouldn't think any less of her. She knew that he would still accept her. She was able to show him her vulnerable side precisely because she felt so safe and comfortable in his presence. That's the kind of man he was. The kind of man she fell in love with.

She finished showering, towelled off, and changed into the clothes Yuuno had provided. It took her a few moments to register that the shirt and pants were his. Colour crept back on to her face, and she indulged herself in a little giddiness. She is a girl, after all.

She walked into the living room to see Yuuno placing two cups of tea on his coffee table.

"Thanks again, Yuuno." She said. Yuuno was only a little taller than Fate, so his clothes fit her well enough. Of course, Fate had him beat in terms of… 'horizontal dimensions.' Her generous bust and smooth curves were outlined quite nicely by the fabric clinging to damp skin. Her moist hair shimmered under the light, and the steam induced pinkness in her cheeks added to her radiance.

Yuuno caught himself staring. "Ah! Please have a seat and drink some tea." He said, flustered. Not even Durandal could make a man cold enough to resist being enticed by his friend's beauty. It was a fact that was becoming painfully more difficult to overlook.

Fate sat and wrapped herself in the blanket Yuuno had prepared for her. She picked up the tea cup with both hands and brought it up to her face. She took in the smell of it, gently blew away some heat and took a sip. The liquid comfort flowed down her throat. She could feel the kindness of the one who brewed it contained within.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yuuno asked as he sat next to her. Fate nodded. She had gotten the worst of it out of her system already, but there was still more.

"We were called to a scene this morning." She began. "It was a warehouse in the old district… It was… How can I describe it…? Really bad… It… It was like something tore people apart and threw the pieces all over the room…" Fate swallowed hard. "No, that's probably exactly what happened… Blood and body parts were everywhere. We learned later that there were six kids. Boys who were only sixteen years old… It's just… horrible." Fate sighed at her lack of vocabulary. Those words were all she could think of to describe it.

Yuuno sipped his own tea. "I see." He said.

"I… I just don't know what to do…" Fate admitted. "The images are so clear in my head… Will they ever go away?"

"No, they won't." Yuuno said flatly. "I was only seven when I was involved in my first cave in. The risk is always there for archaeologists, but even knowing that can't prepare you. I was lucky enough not to be underground when it happened, but I was the first to rush in and try to dig the others out. We did manage to get through the rubble, but…" Yuuno shook his head. "The others had already been crushed. And… well… it certainly wasn't a pretty sight." Yuuno smiled sadly. Fate had no idea such a thing had happened to him in the past.

"How did you handle it?" She asked.

"Not very well, you could imagine." Yuuno chuckled at himself. "I was a wreck. But the other members of the tribe told me it was an inevitable experience that was sure to happen again. I didn't want to believe it, though. So I dedicated myself to making sure it wouldn't happen again. I trained hard to master barrier, teleportation, and healing magic. If a ceiling crumbled, I'd protect everyone. If we were trapped, I'd get us out of there. If some one was hurt, I'd heal them. And that's what you should do, Fate. Use that experience to propel yourself forward. Make sure you capture the culprit so it will never happen again."

Fate let it sink in. He was right. She had to work hard to make sure no one else would get hurt. "Thank you, Yuuno."

"People are such fragile things, aren't we?" He mused. "We get hurt so easily. That's why we wear various forms of 'armour' to protect ourselves. But sometimes the things we use to protect ourselves are what end up destroying us."

"That's why the world needs people like us." Fate nodded. "To make sure those things are used properly, and to stop those who don't."

"That's right."

Fate set down her tea cup and closed her eyes. She knew being with Yuuno would make her feel better. Her body felt incredibly light. As the stress fled from her body, her consciousness threatened to leave with it. Giving no thought to the implications, Fate let her body drift to the side.

Yuuno jumped a fraction when her head met his shoulder, but he soon settled. "It really was a tough day for you, wasn't it?" He said idly. He brushed a stray hair away from Fate's sleeping face.

X-X-X

Fate found herself alone in the room. There were no light sources anywhere, only darkness.

"Yuuno?" She called. She was still at his apartment, wasn't she? "Where are you?" Fate groped through the blackness. Eventually her foot hit something, and she fell to the floor. She met the floor, not with a 'thump' but with a 'splash.' She brought her hands to her face and met a familiar smell.

Blood.

She whipped her head around to see what she had tripped over. A familiar pair of eyes looked back at her.

"Lindy-kaa-san!" She cried. She stared in horror at the torso of her adoptive mother. That's all there was of her. She scrambled backwards and felt her rear hit a wall. Something dripped onto her head, causing her to look up.

"Onii-chan!" She screamed. The right side of his face gawked at her. The other half had become one with the wall. Breathing heavily now, Fate tried to crawl away, but her path was blocked.

"Erio! Caro!" The boy's insides spilled out of the gaping hole in his gut, while the girl's face had been torn off. Covering her mouth, Fate pulled herself to her feet.

She almost tripped again when she came across the body of a small child. It had been snapped in two like a cheap piece of china.

"Vivi…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the name. Then she saw the giant spike. It had skewered some poor soul between the legs and erupted from the top in a spew of grey matter.

"Nanoha…" Fate fell to her knees. "No, no, this can't be real, this can't be happening! Is anybody still alive?" She spotted a figure standing in the corner. Recognising him immediately, she got up and ran towards him.

"Yuuno! You're ok!" She put her hands on his shoulders. "I'm so…" The vibration caused his face to smile up at her as his head rolled onto the floor. The spray from his neck soaked Fate's face before the body crumpled. Fate stood in shock as she slowly brought her hands to her face. She raked her fingers into her cheeks and screamed.

X-X-X

Fate shot up right into Yuuno's awaiting arms. He knew the nightmares would hit her, and he was ready for them. She convulsed in his embrace, her haggard breathing and wet sobs filled the room.

"They're dead, they're dead!" She wailed.

"Shhh, it's ok Fate." Yuuno stroked her hair. "It was just a dream. I'm right here."

"Nanoha, Vivio, Erio, Caro…"

"They're all ok. Nothing's happened to them. They're safe. You're safe."

"Yuuno… you were…"

"I'm just fine. Everything is just fine."

Fate took several deep breaths and stopped shaking. She reminded herself where she was. She was in Yuuno's apartment, and he was right there with her.

Satisfied she had calmed down, Yuuno began backing away. However, to his surprise Fate's arms wrapped around him and held him there.

"F-Fate?" He blushed. Her face was buried in his chest, so her expression was unknown.

"Just… Just a little longer…" She muttered. "Just stay like this for a little longer…"

Yuuno offered no objection. Fate fell asleep again to the beating of his heart.

X-X-X

This time, Fate woke up to the artificial sunlight. She allowed herself a big yawn and stretched out her arms. She felt refreshed. She froze as she scanned the unfamiliar room, but relaxed when she remembered where she was.

And promptly froze again. She recalled falling asleep on the couch. So why was she in a bed? The only way she could have gotten there was if some one carried her…

Fate pulled up the sheets to hide her blush, even though she was alone in the room. She buried her face even deeper when she remembered what happened after the nightmare. He had been waiting by her side, and she had latched onto him. She still felt the warmth of his embrace.

Even though she was embarrassed, she couldn't help but grin. It was so nice. Being in love was such a funny experience.

While part of her found the idea of lounging around in Yuuno's bed highly appealing, she decided she should start the day. She wondered if he was up yet. She got her answer when she entered the living room to find him asleep on the couch.

She felt it best to let him sleep. She had no idea how long he had stayed up watching over her. She bent over and pulled up the blanket he had thrown over himself. She remained a moment, watching his peaceful face. He might not have been drop dead gorgeous, but Fate still thought he was a very handsome man. Of course his looks were secondary. She loved him for his gentle kindness. The same that he had shown her the previous night.

Her eyes focused on his mouth as it silently drew in oxygen and expelled carbon dioxide. She caught herself, trying to shake the idea out of her head. It half worked. She brought her face to his and briefly pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Thank you for everything." She whispered. She had been thanking him a lot lately. Yuuno stirred slightly, but didn't wake. Fate hurriedly shuffled off to the kitchen. She could at least make them breakfast.

Recalling that she hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four hours, Fate was starving. She felt a lot better, so she figured she could keep breakfast down. If not, it was still better to have something in there to throw up.

The problem was if there was anything to eat at all.

Fate checked the fridge and was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't completely empty. Yuuno usually spent all his time at the Library, working late into the night and sleeping at his desk. The presence of milk, eggs, cheese, and other items showed he had been coming home and having breakfast there. Fate hypothesized that their frequent dinners had a hand in that. It got him to punch out for the evening.

Finding a loaf of bread in the cupboard that had yet to go stale, Fate decided on a simple breakfast of eggs and toast. She found the pristine toaster on the bottom shelf, along with various other catering contraptions. Yuuno had told her about how people always seemed to give him cookware as gifts. He had everything from a waffle iron to a sausage stuffer.

If she recalled correctly, her brother had given him the latter. It was almost certainly meant as a joke.

Ignoring it, she found a frying pan and put on the stove. Fate had worked hard to sharpen her skills in the kitchen. Lindy had been a great teacher. She tossed four slices of bread into the toaster, and deftly cracked an egg into the pan. Sunny-side up sounded good.

Yuuno woke to a pleasant aroma. He groggily wiped his eyes and absently put a hand to his cheek. He looked around the room and it took him a moment to realise the smell came from his kitchen. He pulled himself up the plodded over.

"Oh, good morning, Fate." He yawned.

"Ah, good morning Yuuno." She turned to him. "Perfect timing. Breakfast is ready." She placed two plates on the small table.

"Thanks for the trouble." He said as he sat. "I don't think I've had your cooking since we were kids."

Fate flushed and sat as well. "Well, it's just eggs and toast, nothing fancy."

"Well, it's not like there's much to work with here anyways." He noted. "Thanks for the meal."

Fate watched while he ate. Eating breakfast together like that… It was as if they were married…

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Ah! Nothing." Fate bit into her toast. What was she thinking?

"So what are your plans for today? Are you going back to work?"

Fate considered it a moment. She certainly felt up to it, but the detective had told her to take the day off.

"No. They told me I should go ahead and take today off too." She replied, but then considered something else. "So… if you aren't busy, how about we go out somewhere? You know, to make up for last night…"

Yuuno thought about it for a beat. "Sure, why not." He decided. If any demons lingered, a day out on the town would chase them away. "I just need to make a call. Thanks for the food. It was good."

Fate smiled. "Ok. I'll handle the dishes." She took his empty plate with hers to the sink.

Yuuno went into his living room and called up a display. He punched in the numbers and waited. And waited. And waited some more. He frowned, but a face popped onto the screen before he hung up.

"Yeeeees, L'Aries residence…" The young woman, clearly fresh out of bed, yawned.

"Good morning Chrys." Yuuno chuckled. "Sorry to wake you so early." Her tired blue eyes snapped to attention.

"Ah! Sensei!" She attempted to pat down her frazzled, pink hair. "I wasn't expecting you to call! I thought I didn't start until ten… Am I late?"

"No, no. I'm just calling to tell you that I'll be taking the day off. So you're in charge." The girl was still a little rough around the edges, but she had proven herself capable of handling the tasks required of her as Yuuno's new assistant. She had stepped into those shoes after the aforementioned staff changes.

"Did something come up?" Chrys blinked. "It's rare for you to suddenly take a break."

"It's nothing to worry about…"

"Yuuno, I'm done with the dishes." Fate said as she walked into view. You could almost hear the tumbleweed blow past as Fate blinked, Yuuno panicked, and Chrys's mouth moved in slow motion. It eventually formed a lopsided grin.

"Good morning, Fate-san. Sensei, you dog. Why didn't you say so?" Chrys made special note of Fate's attire. Those weren't women's clothing. "Have too much fun last night?"

"Ah! You're misunderstanding!" Yuuno insisted. His assistant just laughed.

"Well then, I won't keep you two. Don't worry about the Library." She winked. "You just enjoy yourselves." And she hung up.

Fate and Yuuno stood in silence a moment.

"She totally has the wrong idea, doesn't she?" He sighed.