Used to be
Shamal all but shoved both Ginga and Nanoha out of her sick bay and back into the small portion of her office that served as a waiting room, biting the inside of her lip to hold back her laughter when she caught the almost pitiful expression her blonde patient wore. Despite having been freed from the Book of Darkness many years back, raw human emotions still had a tendency to absolutely confound and confuse her, and from the look on Fate's face, the knight certainly wasn't alone in that category. While she felt that she couldn't give any well-meaning advice or council, she could definitely give the poor enforcer some breathing space.
"Give her a moment, will you?" the medic hummed sweetly, leaving no room for argument.
Nanoha frowned inwardly, but anything she would have said was cut off by her angry vice-captain, slouched down and arms crossed in a plush chair alongside Shamal's desk, looking rather tired and irritated as she flicked her gaze up and down the brunette. "I see you've found my idiot."
The ace balked at that, the 'rival' at her side temporarily forgotten. "Hey!"
Vita caught sight of Ginga and arched a brow, lips quirking up into a smirk. "Oh, I get it now. The other idiot must be here too."
"Must be a late night for everyone." Shamal stated diplomatically, hoping to diffuse tempers before she developed a headache of her own. Her eyes caught Vita's and she gestured to Nanoha with a quick nod of her head. 'Perhaps you could…?'
Vita snorted. 'You really think she'll listen to me? I'd probably have to knock her out to get her to leave.'
'Oh dear…'
Oblivious to the silent conversation going on around them, the war was back on between the combat instructor and the investigator. "Nanoha," Ginga began pleasantly, "if you had some work to finish up, please feel free. I can take care of things here."
'Bet she would.' Vita mumbled in reply, pushing the thought out to her fellow guardian.
'I could have done without that.' Shamal all but groaned. 'It's bad enough I have to deal with Signum and Hayate when I get home.'
'You're welcome.'
Nanoha stood fast, fixing Vita with an even look. "It's no problem. We were done anyway, right?"
The vice-captain blinked slowly, shifting her gaze between Nanoha and Shamal. The atmosphere was starting to feel rather tense, and she was beginning to see why Shamal had requested some assistance in removing Nanoha. "Uh…"
Shamal hid her smile. 'Go ahead and tell her no, Vita. I have an extra bed available…'
'Oh ha ha.'
"So," The ace continued turning her attention back to Ginga and ignoring the knights. "I've got this one."
The corner of Ginga's mouth twitched. She really didn't like the idea of leaving Fate with Nanoha while she was in such a state, but she also knew that the ace was never one to back down. Despite her intentions to stay out of the whole ordeal, and let Fate sort things out for herself, it looked like this was something she was going to have to step in and handle after all. The polite smile faded as she crossed her arms, bright green eyes drilling into cobalt blue. While all of Subaru's stories of the fearsome instructor were not forgotten, Ginga chose to focus on the memory of the dark pain in Fate's eyes.
Meanwhile, Fate struggled to shrug away the remnants of sleep, squinting under the bright fluorescent lights as she reached for her shoes. The scent of sharp disinfectant and cleaners burned her nose and made her eyes water, and the sooner she could get out of here, the better. She hated clinics and doctors, not so much because of injuries associated with them, but because of the bad memories they seemed to stir up.
Through the door she could catch Nanoha's voice and Vita's muted replies, and she suppressed a groan, burying her face in her hands. This had surely been an unexpected development, and yet another mess to straighten out. Ginga had been nice enough to offer to take her home when she had caught wind of Fate's procedure, and suddenly here was Nanoha, pushing forward and in with her usual direct approach…
Fate sighed, pressing her hands over her eyes. She could handle this if she was just a little more awake, and yesterday's events were still fresh in her mind. Her whole plan had been to come home and remain under the radar until she could receive approval to deploy once more, but that seemed to be derailing rather quickly. In her efforts to patch up her friendship with Nanoha, she found that an all too familiar ache was settling in her chest once more. It had been so, so easy to slip back into old habits, and even after all that had happened, she found it hard to deny the instructor anything she asked for, and…
Nanoha's arms had been so warm…
She swallowed hard against the knot in her throat with a quick shake of her head. A promise not to vanish in the middle of the night wasn't asking too much, was it?
Fate picked up Bardiche and ran her fingertips over the cool metal surface, the familiar weight and shape of the device providing a sense of comfort.
"It was so much easier when it was just you and me, yeah?"
"Sir."
She allowed herself a tiny grin and slid Bardiche back into her pocket before pushing her hands through her bangs and letting out a heavy puff of air. She supposed she had stalled long enough.
From beyond the door she could hear Nanoha, a bit louder now, and sounding rather irritated. For the life of her though, she couldn't figure out Nanoha's bout of jealousy, or why she had gotten so angry about Ginga. As it stood, Fate didn't owe anyone anything, and it shouldn't matter who she decided to spend her free time with. And the situation with Ginga? That was just another set of problems to deal with on top of everything else. She meant well, and Fate knew that, but she couldn't help but feel that maybe there were still some unresolved feelings there. Quick hands pulled shoelaces tight and she paused for a moment, adjusting well-worn sneakers. Fate was all too familiar with being teased for being a little slow when it came to picking up on certain things, but at this point, even she could tell something was awry.
So much for laying low.
Her cheeks heated up with the memory of their last mission together and she caught her lower lip between her teeth, brows creased.
All things considered, would being with Ginga be such a terrible thing? She was certainly easy to be around, and she understood Fate in a way very few people did. Fate had never really given much thought to relationships of any sort, having spent the bulk of her life around Nanoha and Vivio, and she was still surprised by the way these things seem to just 'happen'.
Her head swam woozily and she grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment until the feeling passed. Too much thinking, and that was never a good thing.
Steeling her gut and slipping on a mask of confidence she certainly didn't feel, she rose to her feet wearily. There were other matters to attend to now, and judging by the deathly silence in Shamal's office on the other side of the door, she had better get a move on.
As the door slid open behind Ginga, Fate found herself locked in place by two very different pairs of eyes. She flickered her gaze back and forth between the two women, choosing to pointedly ignore the smirk Vita was sporting. Before she could utter a word, her former partner moved first, looping an arm through hers and flashing a dazzling smile, the gesture leaving no room for debate.
"How are you feeling?"
Fate licked suddenly dry lips, worried russet eyes refusing to meet Nanoha's across the room. "Uh…just a little tired."
The brunette felt her hands ball into fists, not comfortable with the way her heart lurched down into her stomach, but the smile she plastered across her features hid it well as she struggled to find her voice. "I'm glad you're okay, Fate-chan."
Fate shifted in place, looking as awkward as Nanoha felt. "I'm sorry to make everyone worry, but it was really no big deal…"
"It's alright. How about we just get you into bed?" Ginga replied sweetly.
The blonde felt herself nodding in agreement, her cheeks dusted a light shade of pink. This was certainly not going the way she thought it would, and for that, she was almost thankful. The fewer decisions she had to make right now, the better. Black and white was much more preferable to this mess of grey her life had become since she returned home, and as she passed Nanoha on the way out, she didn't like the feeling in her chest when she at last met stormy blue eyes. She hated this feeling, and she hated the way she was no longer comfortable around the person who had once been closest to her.
The instructor could only watch her go, jaw clenched as the door slid shut behind them. Vita grunted, rising to her feet stretching her arms over her head, cracking her knuckles with a yawn. Well, that had been…interesting.
Nanoha tipped her head back and let out a weary sigh.
"I'm…I'm being childish, aren't I?"
Vita cast a sideways glace to Shamal for assistance, who only shook her head sadly in response.
"These things are difficult." Vita replied gruffly. "Can't expect everything to be back to normal overnight."
Nanoha chuckled humorlessly. "No, I guess not." She swallowed thickly, desperately trying to blink away the sting in her eyes. "Do you know what bothers me the most?"
"Pretty sure I could make a good guess." Vita muttered, earning a poke to the ribs courtesy of the medic beside her.
If the ace heard her, she ignored it. "We used to be so close. I feel like I've been replaced."
The vice captain sighed, crossing her arms. "And I'm sure she probably feels the same."
Nanoha closed her eyes, the all too familiar image of the look on Fate's face that night burned into her memory. Ever since then, all she had wanted was to return to simpler times, back to the way things used to be, before all this pain and confusion, back to when she could look Fate in the eyes and not feel like there was a huge wound in her chest, sucking the air out of her lungs and twisting her stomach into a thousand knots. "I…I think I already knew that."
Vita frowned. This, this wouldn't do at all. The redhead regarded her friend with sympathetic eyes, silent for the briefest of moments, before a wide grin spread across her features. "I will say this though, for about a minute there, I think I saw the old Nanoha."
The brunette turned to her at last, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"
"Come on," Vita laughed, "you know exactly what I mean. Your epic stare down with Ginga."
Nanoha blinked. "My what?"
The vice-captain smirked. "Now don't stand there and tell me you didn't think about giving her a Starlight Breaker, even if it was for just a second."
The brunette met her eyes and held a poker face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Vita arched a brow. "Really now?"
"Really."
The comrades were silent for a moment, Nanoha remaining straight faced and Vita staring straight back before the ace cracked, her stern features melting into a smile as her shoulders shook with quiet laughter. "Maybe." She pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Oh God, don't ever tell anyone about this."
"Secrets safe with me." Vita promised solemnly. "Just let the old Nanoha out once in a while. I haven't seen her in a few years, and she's much more fun to be around."
Nanoha laughed, dropping to her knees and pulling Vita into a tight hug. "Thank you."
"All right, all right, just let go already." The redhead grumbled, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "That wasn't an invitation to get touchy."
Shamal laughed quietly, circling around behind her desk. "If you two are quite finished, I'd like to go home sometime this evening."
Nanoha rose to her feet with a nod. "Sorry for causing so much trouble."
The medic shook her head. "Speaking of trouble, it looks like something was left behind…" From under her desk she produced Fate's leather jacket, and handed the garment over to Nanoha. "Perhaps you could drop it off for her?"
Nanoha eyed Shamal suspiciously. "Wasn't this with the rest of her things?"
"Oh my, wasn't it?" the blonde replied innocently. "How did it end up under there?"
Vita snorted under her breath. "And you're supposed to be the honest one."
Shamal waved her off. "These things happen."
Nanoha traced her fingertips over the worn leather, her heart warming at the memory of giving it to Fate for Christmas many years back. Vivio had helped her pick it out and wrapped it herself, handing the lumpy misshapen package to the enforcer with pride in her eyes. The blonde had fawned over the wrapping paper and rather squashed bow as though it had been packaged by tiny elves themselves, although the paper had been torn in numerous places and Vivio had gotten a little excited with the tape.
Her daughter had giggled with joy as Fate made a great show of unwrapping the gift as slowly as possible, until Vivio could stand it no longer and assisted with tearing through the paper. Warm russet eyes lit up as she shrugged the jacket on with a little twirl, scooping Vivio up in one arm and proclaiming it to be perfect in every way. Nanoha was next, as Fate's free arm wound around her waist and tugged her into the hug, the scent of new leather and hot chocolate hanging in the air. Fate's voice was soft and warm, her cheek pressed into Nanoha's hair…
Her chest tightened. "Thank you, Shamal."
By the time Nanoha returned home that evening, it was late, far later than she would have liked anyway. She stifled a yawn as she guided her modest family car into her parking spot, wincing when she noticed the glow of the bedroom lights on the second floor. Yuuno must have waited up for her. After a fierce internal debate, Nanoha had decided to return Fate's jacket in the morning before her scheduled class, and even now, she couldn't help but wonder what the enforcer was doing as she sat in the darkened driveway. The jacket still lay on the passenger seat beside her, and she knew that just bringing it into the house would open the door to all sorts of grief, something that she really didn't have the energy for today. She pulled it into her lap, fingertips absently worrying at the cuff of a sleeve.
Oh well.
She leaned back in the driver's seat, allowing her gaze to wander up to the clear night sky overhead. The stars twinkled brightly, and although there was no moon, visibility was perfect. It would have been the ideal night to fly.
Nanoha was struck by another pang of nostalgia, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost swear that she was ten again, waiting for Fate to sneak over to her house in the dead of night. Fate always had this sixth sense when it came to her feelings, and whenever Nanoha had been down, or lonely, she knew she could expect a visit. She would sit in bed, eyes wide, heart racing, waiting for that timid knock on her window. Fate would grin, holding out an open hand for Nanoha to take, the edges of her dark cloak tickling against her bare legs as the young brunette clambered through the window sill to join her. Their paths would be aimless, blazing trails of pink and gold over the sleeping city below.
They used to own the sky.
The minutes ticked by, and the light upstairs still burned brightly, reminding her that things were not so simple anymore.
Nanoha did her best to slip into the house as silently as possible, on the off chance that Yuuno would have fallen asleep, the jacket clutched to her chest. Weaving her way through the darkened living room and around the corner, a sing-song voice rang out from the dining room.
"Oh, somebody's in trouble."
The ace furrowed her brows, following the sound and heaving a sigh when she spied Vivio leaning over the kitchen counter on her elbows, a rather large dish of ice cream in front of her.
"Yeah, and it's going to be you. Shouldn't you be in bed?" Nanoha grumbled, all attempts at stealth abandoned.
Bright eyes blinked up at her impishly. "I was hungry."
Her mother frowned. "It's a school night."
"Same to you."
"It's different." Nanoha replied easily enough, laying the jacket across the counter beside Vivio and removing the spoon from her hand. "I'm an adult."
"And I'm pretty close to that." Vivio pouted as Nanoha stole a bite of ice cream. "Hey, get your own!"
The ace winked. "But this tastes so much better."
"Seriously?" Vivio grumbled, pulling open a drawer to retrieve a second spoon.
"I thought I taught you how to share."
"I'm sharing, I'm sharing."
They ate in comfortable silence for a moment before the sound of footsteps from the floor above caused two sets of eyes to flicker up towards the ceiling.
Nanoha sighed. "On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in?"
Vivio laughed at that. "Ten being the worst?"
Nanoha nodded in the affirmative around a spoonful of chocolate.
"Eight."
"Eight? Really?"
Vivio arched a brow. "The rings. You were supposed to go with him to get them sized today."
The brunette groaned aloud, covering her face with the palm of her hand. "I completely forgot."
"He's sensitive, like a girl." Her daughter sniffed. "He's going to be all broken up about this."
"Vivio…" Nanoha chided gently.
"What? It's true."
Well. She couldn't really argue with that.
"So." The blonde started with a grin. "Scale of one to ten. How much trouble am I in?"
"Ten if you don't get to bed."
"Yeah yeah." she muttered, taking the now empty bowl and depositing it in the sink. Her eyes spied the leather jacket on the counter and lit up in recognition. "Hey, isn't that…"
Nanoha nodded. "Fate left it in the sick bay."
Vivio picked it up, smoothing out the fold lines. "I can't believe she still has it after all this time."
"You know your Fate-mama." Nanoha replied warmly as Vivio slipped it on, the long sleeves flopping over her hands. Fate was much taller, and the way the jacket hung off of her petite frame almost made Vivio look like a little girl again, sneaking into their closets to play dress up. She smiled fondly, knowing it was something she could never say to her out loud. "She hates change."
"Wow." The teenager remarked, eyes wide. "I can't remember the last time you called her that."
Nanoha frowned inwardly at the comment, watching as her daughter fussed with the collar and began to rifle through the pockets.
"Maybe we should get her a new one, because then she…" Vivio trailed off as she fished out what looked to be a scrap of paper from the inside pocket.
"What is it?" Nanoha questioned, stepping around the counter and peering over her daughter's shoulder. "Oh…" she murmured softly, recognizing the photograph in Vivio's hands instantly. It was an image of Nanoha and Vivio, the very first photo taken of the two of them together in fact, and she hadn't seen it for a very long time.
"Mom?"
"Ah." Nanoha swallowed the lump in her throat. "You were five, and this was our first picture. It used to sit on Fate's desk when we worked in Riot 6." They had been playing together outside, or rather, it was more like Vivio was tearing around the base while a ragged Fate and Nanoha struggled to keep up. Nanoha had finally caught up to her and scooped her up quickly, holding her close. Just looking at it was enough to make the brunette feel far older than her years, and the photo reflected it's age. It looked battered, to be sure, lined with creases and bent at all the corners.
Vivio flipped it over, squinting in the dim light. "There's a bunch of writing on the back." the blonde murmured, handing it over. "It looks like, planets?"
Nanoha scanned over the small, cramped writing, recognizing the names almost instantly. "Her missions." she breathed, right down to the last planet she had been on before she had come home just a few days back. There had to be at least a hundred names, maybe more. She handed it back, and pointed to the first name on the list. "This was her first deployment after Riot 6 had broken up. And this…" she said, trailing her finger down five lines, "this was the first mission she and I had together after I adopted you. Do you remember? You stayed with Grandma and Grandpa…"
Vivio nodded. "And the rest?"
Nanoha shook her head. "We had a few more together, after that. But for the rest, she was alone."
"There are so many." Vivio murmured, her voice cracking. "It always felt like she was gone for so long."
"She was," her mother agreed, "but she was doing something she loved, and she has helped so many people."
The hands holding the photograph clenched tight. "I wonder if she was ever scared."
"Fate?" Nanoha smiled, an image of Fate throwing herself headlong into fierce battles without so much as a backwards glance immediately springing to mind. "No. I don't think I've ever seen her scared of anything."
"It…it had to be lonely though."
Nanoha slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head, using her free hand to brush away a stray lock of hair. "And that's why we always waited for her, so she had a loving home to return to."
Vivio's eyes swam with tears, and Nanoha stiffened when she saw tiny drops spatter across the photo. "Until Yuuno…"
The ace sucked in a breath, her heart seizing up in her chest.
"But we were still there." Vivio whispered. "Even after that. She still took us on every mission…"
"Oh, honey." The ace sighed, wrapping her daughter up in a tight hug, quiet sniffles in her ear.
Vivio held her tight, burrowing her face into Nanoha's shoulder, her voice muffled by the stiff fabric of her instructor's jacket. "I miss her so much sometimes."
Nanoha stroked her hair, though the action seemed to do little to comfort her. "Me too, sweetie. Me too."
Once assured that Vivio was in bed, Nanoha made her way to her own bedroom, not liking the heavy feeling of guilt settling in her belly. As expected, her fiancé had waited up for her, seated on the end of the bed, elbows propped up on his knees.
"Long night?" he asked quietly, though his lips were drawn into a taunt line.
"I'm sorry." Nanoha began quickly, brows furrowed. She had been dreading this, and after her conversation in the kitchen, she was already feeling emotionally drained. "I started going over the new training plans with Vita, and one thing led to another, and…"
"I figured you forgot."
The ace winced. "I didn't mean…"
"Hey." Yuuno cut her off, hurt evident in his tone. "Let's just go to bed, yeah? We can fight about it tomorrow."
Nanoha felt her hands ball into fists. "If you've got something you'd like to say…"
"How about you?" he replied evenly, green eyes peering up at her through a thick curtain of blonde bangs. "Got anything you'd like to tell me?"
She froze on the spot, her heart hammering in her chest as she swallowed thickly. She opened her mouth uselessly, willing the words to come. Hell, any words at all at this point, but her body betrayed her. This was too much, too fast, and if she could just get some sleep…
She watched the man she had known almost all her life rise to his feet wearily, his dark eyes reflecting something Nanoha had become almost all too familiar with. "I guess that says it all."
"Wait." She tried again, with a shake of head. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. There's just been so much going on, and we have all the new cadets coming in, and there is still so much I have to do before next month, and…"
"Are you sure?" Yuuno asked quietly, his tone doubtful.
"Sure?" she echoed back. "Sure about what?"
He took her left hand in his, and slipped a cool ring over her finger. "This."
She held her hand out in the dim light, the glint of gold that had not been there moments before reflecting back at her. Her head spun dizzily under both his stare and the almost heavy weight of the wedding band on her ring finger, and for a moment, for a fleeting, impossibly wild moment, she considered leaping out the window and into the night air. But there was no quiet knock on the pane. No warm hand waiting on the other side to lead her off on a tour of glowing lights and sleepy sunrises. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, counting to ten in her head.
She only got to four before there were lips on hers, and by the time she got to nine, she felt herself being guided down onto the bed.
For the first time in a long time, her sleep was dreamless.
Fate was awakened early the next morning by an almost frantic pounding on her door. Fumbling her way out of bed and holding back muttered curses as she tripped over herself with sleep-numbed legs, the enforcer slipped on a pair of glasses and shoved a hand through unruly, rumpled hair.
"This had better be good." she mumbled half-heartedly, eyes still bleary and unfocused. She had barely had a chance to flip the lock before her door was thrown open and she was almost bowled over by a rowdy teenage girl. Arms were around her waist in a death grip and she staggered on her feet, patting the top of a very familiar mop of blonde hair.
"Uh, good morning?" Fate tried, still confused, her voice thick with sleep. "Everything alright?"
"I love you, Fate-mama." Vivio declared, the arms around her tightening even more.
"I love you too." Fate replied, returning the hug when she caught sight of a sheepish looking Nanoha lurking in the doorway. "…am I missing something?"
Nanoha laughed, scratching the back of her neck. "Well, we were on the way to school, and she insisted on seeing you, so…uh, I hope you don't mind."
The blonde smiled down at Vivio affectionately. "Of course I don't mind. I just wish I had known you were coming. I would have made coffee, or tea, or something."
Vivio pulled back, arching a brow at the enforcer. "Now, we both know you have no food here."
"Hey, hey." Fate cut her off, ruffling her bangs. "Don't spread such wild rumors."
"It's true. Last time I was here we had to get take out and…"
"Watch it kid."
"Anyway," Vivio started, taking the jacket draped over Nanoha's arm. "we just wanted to make sure you got this back."
Fate's eyes lit up as Vivio handed her the garment. "My jacket! I was worried sick about it last night!"
"You uh, left it in the sick bay…" Nanoha said. "Shamal wanted to be sure it didn't get lost in the shuffle."
"Thank you." Fate replied warmly, returning it to its proper hook near the door. "It's kind of my good luck charm. I'd be lost without it."
"Good luck charm?" Vivio questioned innocently, casting a sideways glance at Nanoha, who seemed to be turning rather red.
Fate nodded. "Goes with me on every mission."
"Ah, Vivio." Nanoha coughed, trying to shake off her very flustered feeling. "We're going to be late."
"Mom," the teenager pleaded, eyes wide. "don't you think I could skip? Just this one day?"
"No." Fate and Nanoha echoed in unison.
"But…"
"No."
"After school." Fate offered. "I'll come pick you up. We can go do whatever you like, if it's alright with your Nanoha-mama."
"It's fine." The brunette laughed at the pout casted her way. "Just move your butt."
"Fine fine."
Fate crossed her arms, sporting a bemused expression. "Good girl."
Vivio made her way out the door, followed by Nanoha. But before Fate could close it behind them, the ace spun on her heels, catching the door halfway. "Fate-chan."
Russet eyes blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Nanoha raised a brow. "Do you really have no food?"
The blonde felt a blush spring to her cheeks. "What? Of course I have food."
Blue eyes narrowed. "Really?"
"Really."
"Do I have to come in there and check?"
The enforcer was taken aback. "No!"
"Fate-chan, take-out boxes don't count."
Fate shifted in place nervously. "Look, I'm not home much. It doesn't make sense to stock up if it's just going to go bad."
"Here's the deal." Nanoha stated firmly. "I'm going to drop Vivio off, and you're going to get dressed. I'm going to come back, and we are going to go get you some proper food supplies."
"But, I…"
Nanoha fixed her with a firm look. "Do I have to call Lindy?"
Fate's jaw dropped. "…you wouldn't."
"I would."
"She would." Vivio whispered.
"Not helping." Fate grumbled.
"Deal?"
Fate shook her head. What the hell was going on? One minute, she was sleeping so peacefully, and the next…
"Good." Nanoha declared.
"Wait." Vivio cried. "You can skip work, but I can't skip school?"
"Adult." Nanoha reminded her.
"That's not going to work in two years." Vivio retorted.
"This is true," Nanoha replied. "but for the next two years, you are mine."
"Can you believe her?" Vivio grumbled to Fate.
Fate wasn't sure how to answer that, and as quickly as they had come, they were gone, leaving a bewildered enforcer in their wake. She blinked slowly, alone again in her living room, still in her pajamas, and feeling like she had just hallucinated the last five minutes.
"…the hell just happened?"
AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but I was away from home for quite a bit there. I have to travel a lot for work, and most of this chapter was cobbled together in different hotel rooms. Hopefully the next bit won't take as long. -_-
I'm glad to see that everyone is enjoying this so far. It's fun to read all the reviews and the PMs I get when I find myself in some strange city halfway across the country. Seriously, y'all are awesome!
…you know what else is awesome? Nanoha getting back to her old fiery self. XD
And on a completely unrelated note, I put on an episode of StrikerS, specifically to watch the opening, because some corner of my foggy little brain remembered Fate putting some photographs on her desk. Right after she does this, Signum just kinda stands around and stares at her. I rewound, and watched it three more times to be sure. And then my brain was all, 'HEY, do you know what would be fun? Signum/Fate!'
/facepalm
So yeah, if a story like that pops up under my name in the future, I'M SORRY.
