Fate woke up the most relaxed she'd been in a long time. Her body was immobile; heavy and limp like a sack of blonde potatoes. Last night she had gone out with her squad to celebrate her "retirement." Years of active duty as a Time Space Administration Bureau Enforcer finally being rewarded with a comfy desk job and part-time instructor responsibilities. Her sleepy mind couldn't get enough of the idea of being home all the time. No more off planet assignments keeping her away from her family and all the time in the world to have fun. Her old squad had insisted she get a head start on that last night. She moved her arm to scratch the back of her neck, breaking the calm feelinglessness seeping through her body. That was when she realized she had a migraine.

"Owwwww!" she whined loudly, a noise she only allowed herself within the walls of her own home. The lack of a physical response next to her on the bed meant that her partner Nanoha had already gone to work. Fate couldn't decide how she felt about that, in fact, she couldn't decide much of anything with the bulldozer renovating her medulla oblongata.

Fate stumbled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, pushing through the pain. She fumbled noisily through the top drawer on the vanity for the bottle of acetophetimen Nanoha kept handy, embarrassingly struggled through the child-proof cap, and popped three pills onto the palm of her hand. Through the pounding she was able to have enough coherent thought to thank her girlfriend for not buying liquid capsules, since this was going to suck enough already. She quickly brought her hand to her mouth and began chewing on the Tylenol tablets, the extra strength surely adding to the taste of rotten chalk assaulting her tongue and sticking to the top of her mouth. She turned on the tap, filled one of the dixie cups off the stack next to the toothbrushes, and swallowed a shot of water. Then another. Then another.

She could tell the medicine was working because she was able to laugh at the situation. Wasn't much different from the night before.

Fate's eyes narrowed.

Was it?

She couldn't remember.

She finally paid attention to the woman in the mirror ahead of her. Long blonde hair sticking every which way, heavy black bags under her burgundy red eyes, the remnants of last night's makeup melting down her cheeks. She certainly looked hung-over and hoped Nanoha didn't notice this morning. Not like her partner got mad at her for drinking or anything, Nanoha was prone to doing it herself occasionally, but Fate always liked to look her best in front of those she cared about. She loved Nanoha with all her heart and wanted that to reflect in her physicality as much as her mentality.

The headache slowed very quickly thanks to the magic of Mid Childean medication and she smiled into the mirror. She looked really silly. A great way to wake up on her first official day of flying a desk at headquarters rather than getting shot at. That was when she realized she had to be at work by noon for her orientation.

Fate's head shot towards the clock on the vanity counter. 10:14. Plenty of time to fix herself up. She sighed in relief and hung her head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw black on the inside of her right arm. She turned her full attention to it and smiled yet again. Last night held some funny surprises for her. In black permanent marker written down the length of her forearm were the Japanese characters spelling out "Nanoha."

She ran the fingers of her left hand under the tap and began rubbing at the markings. Can't keep them there forever after all. They didn't so much as smudge. She added some soap and scrubbed it down really good this time with the loofa from the shower. Nothing. Fate's eyes widened at the realization.

She had gotten a tattoo.

She had gotten a tattoo of her girlfriend's name while she was drunk.

She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. She was even less sure how Nanoha would feel about that. The chime of a call rang into the silence of the house, breaking her from her thoughts. She walked back into the bedroom and signalled her device, Bardiche, to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Fate, what happened last night!?" Teana yelled. Fate winced to try and save her eardrums. "I can't remember a single thing!"

"I have no idea," Fate answered calmly, staring at her freshly marked arm.

"Great! All this crazy stuff happens and we can't remember it!"

Fate bit her lip. "What crazy stuff?"

"Where do I start?" Teana lashed. "First, I have a tattoo that says 'Subaru' in huge obnoxious letters on my left arm." Fate frowned. "Then, my dress from last night is covered in stains. I have a huge gash on my chin and craziest of all, Subaru woke me up this morning by calling me 'fiancee'!"

"Congratulations," Fate said automatically. "You didn't tell me you were getting married."
"I didn't tell me I was getting married!" Teana yelled.

"Huh," Fate mused. "I thought I had it bad enough with the headache and my tattoo."

"You too?" Teana asked, curious. "What's yours?"

"Same as you."

There was a silence on the line.

Fate coughed uncomfortably.

"...You have a tattoo that says 'Subaru'?"

Fate blushed, not that anyone could see. "N-no! Mine says 'Nanoha.'"

"Good."

Fate glanced at the clock again and started getting a bit worried. "Teana, I have to go into work, can we talk about this later?"

"Sure, I'll meet you at the TSAB." She hung up.

Fate telepathically cut the connection and sighed. At least she didn't get engaged while drunk. She looked down at her arm and frowned.

Hayate was signing the last forms to finalize Fate's transfer from the Enforcer corps to head offices when the woman knocked at her door.

"Come in," Hayate offered. Fate opened the door as surely as she usually did but oddly enough walked in holding her arm and looking like she didn't want to be there. Hayate grinned. Orientation was going to be better than she thought. "How does it feel to be free, Fate?"

The former-Enforcer took the seat across from Hayate's desk and answered with a smile. "Really good. I'm excited to make dinner for Nanoha and Vivio tonight." Fate crossed her legs nervously and looked to her friend. Hayate was a small girl, but the massive desk combined with the stacks of papers all over it made her look like a child. She held back a giggle.

"Only you would be so excited to become a house wife, Fate. Aren't you looking forward to going home every night to Nanoha oil massages and cracking beers?"

Fate frowned. "No beer for a while, Hayate."

She had it in one. "Oh? Why not? Something happen?"

Fate nervously looked around the room as if someone else would be there and then slowly undid the cuff on her uniform's right sleeve. She rolled it up to reveal the word "Nanoha" written in kanji down the length of her forearm. Hayate laughed.

"It isn't funny!" Fate protested, quickly fixing her sleeve. "I don't know what to do about it."

Hayate shrugged, still chuckling. "It's not a big deal, Fate. Lots of TSAB enlists have tattoos. Maybe not one so personalized, but nonetheless."

"What is Nanoha going to think about this though?" Fate wondered.

"That dom? It'll probably turn her on."

"Hayate!"

The commander shrugged. "Seriously, I bet she'll get off to her lover being branded with her name."

"You don't have to make it sound indecent," Fate grumbled. "Nanoha is a very traditional woman, she might not like my body being marred like that."

"Traditional?" Hayate repeated. "Fate, you know she's gay, right?"

The door popped open suddenly and Fate and Hayate jumped. A beautiful head of auburn hair in a side ponytail swished it's way in, sapphire eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I heard my name," Nanoha interrupted playfully.

"Nanoha!" Fate exclaimed excitedly. Hayate watched the features of her two best friends light up instantly at the sight of each other. It was as if they were incomplete parts when separated from the whole. It warmed her heart. Fate certainly got the right kind of tattoo.

"How are you, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked. She walked up behind Fate's chair and began massaging her shoulders. Fate sank into the touch. "You were pretty rough last night. You tasted like eyeliner when I kissed you. Any trouble this morning?"

Hayate laughed. Fate shot her a dirty look before smiling up at Nanoha. "I'm fine. I had a headache but that went away fast."

"Good. Last night you promised me a surprise and I don't want you to be too sick to share it."

Fate paled. Hayate laughed even harder.

Nanoha leaned down and kissed the top of Fate's blonde head. "Anyways, I have to get back to work. Are you still okay to pick up Vivio after school?"

"Of course," Fate answered simply, trying to hide her newfound dread.

"Perfect! I'll see you tonight. Bye, Hayate!" With a final squeeze to Fate's shoulders, and an acknowledgement of Hayate's wave, she was just as quickly out the door as she was in.

The two remaining women stewed in silence. Fate felt sick, Hayate couldn't have felt better. She lived for this kind of stuff. She couldn't resist.

"What's the surprise, Fate?"

Fate cradled her head in her hands and sighed.

Fate went straight to the TSAB headquarters' cafeteria after her meeting with Hayate. Teana was waiting for her and she looked even worse than she described on the phone. Her orange mop of hair was barely tamed, tied loosely in her usual black and white ribbons. Her eyes were bloodshot but almost unnoticeable compared to the black bags under them. Along her pointy chin ran a fresh red cut, not deep but deep enough to look imposing. Fate considered for a moment that her own situation might not be that bad but quickly abandoned the thought in a rare moment of selfish fear.

Teana grimaced. "I know I look bad, Fate, but you don't have to stare at me like I'm a ghost."

Fate shook herself out of her Nanoha induced drudgery and sat at the table opposite her friend. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No big deal," Teana sighed. She doggedly looked around the crowded cafeteria then said in a lower voice. "We should've met somewhere else. Now the rumours will start flying around."

Fate shrugged and said nothing. Teana took it as a signal to move on.

"I can't call this off," Teana said.

Fate tucked an errant hair behind her ear and leaned onto the table. "You could just be happy you're getting married."

"Easy for you to say!" Teana accused, pointing a finger so close it almost poked Fate's nose. "Why aren't you married if it's such a nice thing? Poor Vivio has to go home knowing her mothers are living in sin!"

"Don't bring Vivio into such a stupid argument."

Teana's composure fell. She would swear that quick dark tone dropped the temperature by a few degrees. Fate could be very serious when she felt like it. Using her daughter was crossing a line and Teana knew better.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Fate assured, fully back to her carefree calmness. "To answer the question, I was always away and well...I didn't want to tie Nanoha down to someone like me."

Teana quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"In the possibility that I-well, if something were to happen to me I didn't want Nanoha to be yet another in the long line of military widows. I also wanted to leave her open in the case that someone who would be there-"

"Please stop talking," Teana ordered. She slapped her palms to her forehead and rolled her eyes. "You can be such an idiot sometimes. Anyways, nothing is stopping you now."

Fate nodded. "Nothing is."

"Ladies!" Came an interrupting call from a tall man who shamelessly took his seat at their table. Not that he wasn't welcomed.

"Hello, Vice," Fate greeted warmly.

"What's up?" Teana added.

Vice smiled brighter than they'd remembered for a long while. "I just wanted to thank you girls again for showing me the greatest time of my life last night. You Enforcers sure know how to party."

Teana and Fate glanced at each other in dread. Teana voiced their thought. "What did we do?"

Vice quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I remember almost nothing," Fate said shamefully. Vice's mouth fell open. He leaned back and fished through his pocket.

"Check this out." He pulled out his civilian level AI deficient device and opened up a hololog. A small screen materialized and Fate repositioned her body so that she was blocking its view from the rest of the crowded galley.

"What the hell," Teana whispered as the screen panned over to an image of herself standing on top of a bar table. She had a wine bottle in each hand, both red and white of course, and Fate was carefully pulling down on her friend's dress, trying to save her from the wide-legged stance giving an unfortunate panty shot. She wasn't too successful.

"Tonight!" Video Teana screamed like she was at the gates of Mordor. "I am going to FUCK my girlfriend!"

A chorus of cheers erupted from the bar patrons, Fate wasn't too pleased to find herself to be among the enamoured crowd. Teana slammed her head on the table and shielded herself from the embarrassment with her arms.

"Then!" Video Teana bellowed with the intonation of a lead singer in a heavy metal band. "I am going to ask her to marry me!"

The cheers were even louder this time, and soon deformed into chants encouraging Teana's act of upending both bottles of wine into her guzzling maw at the same time. As she fell off the table the video cut out.

"Explains the cut," Fate said simply, hoping that Teana didn't feel nearly as embarrassed as she looked.

"And that was only the first bar we were kicked out of," Vice explained with his million dollar grin.

"Why?" Teana lamented through her arms.

Vice was about to pull up another video but Fate stopped him with a wave. "When did we get the tattoos?"

Vice smiled even goofier than before. "You got tattoos!?"

"Be quiet!" Teana commanded, finally coming out of her shame fortress. Her face was still as bright as a tomato. "You didn't know?"

"I left after the third bar with that girl you two hooked me up with. Thanks for that."

Fate ignored that comment and moved to more pressing matters. "Vice, did I ever say anything about Nanoha last night?"

Vice rolled his eyes. "What didn't you say about Nanoha last night? Every word out of your mouth was related to her in some way. I get that you and her are really serious but it's hard to get down to some debaucherous stuff when you keep mentioning all the cute things your family does."

"Did I mention doing something for her? A surprise?"

Teana seemed confused but Vice just smiled brighter. "Nothing about a surprise but you did mention something really interesting about how occasionally you dress up for her in your old barrier jacket and she-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Fate warned.

Driving her fancy sports car always cleared her head so Fate left to pick up Vivio earlier than she needed to. She eased into the turns and cruised around the neighbourhood, enjoying the catch when she made that perfect connection between clutch and gear. She had so much fun driving she almost forgot to pick up her daughter until she sped past the school for the fourth time and saw her exiting the building with her friends.

Feeling extra risky today (because how could her day get much worse?), and seeing no traffic in her mirrors, Fate pulled the handbrake and turned the wheel all the way over. Her car fishtailed right up to the curb with a loud squeal. She rolled down the window.

"Vivio!"

It was like time stopped. All the kids leaving the building stopped whatever they were doing and looked up. Her car purred impatiently under the scrutiny. The wide eyed stares made her nervous.

"It's Fate Testarossa!" she heard some kid yell and then all hell broke loose.

Vivio kicked off and ran as fast as she could. Fate watched her poor daughter as she narrowly avoided getting trampled by the wave of kids rushing up behind her all yelling variations on her famous name or asking unintelligible questions. Fate rolled the window back up with a frown and unlocked the door trusting Vivio to be the first one there. She wasn't.

"Ms. Testarossa!" screamed the boy who pulled the door open first. "Please go to the homecoming dance with me!"

"Uh," Fate stumbled hopelessly. "I, um..."

"Step off!" Vivio yelled through the prongs of kids. She grabbed the unfortunate kid by the collar and threw him out of the way. "Do none of you fear the White Devil!?" she screamed as she jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door.

"Why did you do that, Mama?" Vivio pouted, pulling her seat belt on and signalling Fate to go. Presumably before kids started throwing themselves on the car.

"The last time I picked you up all the kids were so nice," Fate explained. She checked to make sure she wasn't running over any limbs then peeled out of the school with the revving of her expensive engine.

"The last time you picked me up from school I was ten and there weren't movies made about your life."

Fate frowned. "Has it been that long?"

"Yeah," Vivio answered, starring out the window.

Fate looked her daughter over. A fifteen year old not just in name, her little girl had grown up while she defended the galaxy. Fate always felt that she was never there enough and this wasn't a new pain to her. Time and again that old wound always found a way to reopen.

"Don't get sad on me, Mama. It's okay," Vivio assured. She patted Fate's hand on the gearshift and smiled brightly. "You're here forever now. I won't let you go away again after you went through so much trouble to get out of your old job."

Fate felt happy but her body wouldn't let her smile. "Thank you, Vivio. That means a lot."

They sat in silence for a minute or two of the drive until Vivio spoke up again.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Thank you again for last night."

Fate felt her stomach drop. She sighed.

"Vivio."

Her daughter seemed apprehensive all of a sudden. "...Yes?"

"I'm going to be very honest with you, and you are not to repeat anything said here to your mother."

"Uh, okay."

Fate took a deep breath. "I don't remember a single thing that happened last night."

Vivio smiled. "Really? I knew you were drunk but that drunk?"

"I'm a bad influence. I'm sorry."

"Don't be dumb, Mama," Vivio chided. "We all have fun sometimes. Don't be ashamed."

"You're the best," Fate said. "Nanoha is a great mother."

"You are too!"

Fate felt a lot better. She could always trust her daughter to lift her spirits. She turned the corner to the street their house is on and eased the gas. "So, what did I do for you last night?"

"Nothing."

Fate's eyes narrowed. Never let it be said that years of violence and interrogations had no application in the household. "You answered way too quickly."

Vivio bit her lip. "Don't worry about it."

Fate pulled into the driveway, parked the car, and then locked the doors. "I was honest with you, now it's your turn."

Vivio looked around out the windows as if scared of something. "I'll tell you if you promise not to tell Mom."

"Of course," Fate agreed. "You promised for me."

"I'm really serious here," Vivio emphasized. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I want you to swear on the engagement ring you have in your underwear drawer that you won't tell Mom."

"Vivio!" Fate cried, embarrassed. "How do you know about that?"

"I'm a nosy teenager and you have better underwear than Mom, now swear!"

Fate gripped her steering wheel tight. "I swear, but we're going to have a talk about this."

"Fine," Vivio agreed. "Now, promise not to get mad."

"Vivio."

"Okay, okay!" Vivio conceded, waving her hands. She scratched the back of her neck then leaned over to speak very quietly.

"Last night you caught me sneaking Einheart out of the house when you got home."

Fate felt like she got punched. "What!?"

"Don't get mad!" Vivio defended. Fate breathed in and out very quickly while she waited for Vivio, her sweet innocent child, to continue. "At first you were shocked, but then you winked at us and gave us a terrible mini lecture about being very careful and how society treats those in a lesbian relationship and all this outdated Earth stuff and how Grandpa tried to stab you one time and-"

"Slow down, please," Fate begged, her mind exploding. The years of off planet military work didn't kill her, but at this rate her daughter would.

Vivio closed her eyes and forced it out. "I'm in a sexual relationship with Einheart."

Fate's head fell forward and hit the steering wheel. She promised not to tell Nanoha but she had no idea how to keep this bottled in. "Vivio, do you know how big of a step that is?"

"Yes, Drunk Fate gave me the whole lecture about it."

"Vivio."

Her daughter leaned over the console and hugged her loosely. "Mama, I really love her."

Fighting against every single impulse her brain and body were sending her, Fate let out the biggest sigh of her life. Now she knew how Shiro felt.

"Vivio, I can't be a hypocrite. Nanoha and I might have started...being intimate earlier than you."

Vivio let go of her mother like she was on fire. "What!? How old?"

"That doesn't matter!" Fate yelled, shooting up from her uncomfortable place on the steering wheel.

"Grandpa is right about you!"

Fate ignored that outburst and hoped her patience would hold out just a few minutes longer. "I'm not going to tell you to stop, I just want you to understand how important it is. If Einheart really means that much to you then who am I to come in the way of that."

Vivio squealed and hugged Fate again. Her mother hugged back. "This is why you're my favourite, Mama!"

"Don't say that," Fate said. Then she felt an uneasy quake in her throat. "And do not let Nanoha catch you. Do it somewhere else. If she finds out in the wrong way Einheart might not ever be seen again. Shiro has nothing on his daughter."

Vivio pulled out of the hug first. "Now that we're being so open, I also want to apologize for something else."

"What's that?" Fate asked innocently.

"I wore your light blue panties last night when Einheart came over."

Fate paled. Vivio tried not to cough during the awkward silence.

"...the ones with the pink bows?"

"Yeah," Vivio answered, full of regret.

Fate felt like she could cry. "You have no idea where those have been!"

"Gross!" Vivio's face twisted. "What does that mean?"

"Don't wear my underwear again," Fate commanded before loudly exiting the car and heading to the door.

"Mama, are you mad?" Vivio asked as she got out of the car. "Mama, don't be mad."

Fate ignored her while she turned the keys and walked inside her and Nanoha's house. It felt a lot dirtier than the last time she entered. She pulled off her jacket and hung it on the nearby rack.

"Clean the house top to bottom and I'll forget it ever happened," Fate offered. She rolled up her sleeves and headed to the kitchen to rest her nerves with the calming aroma of tea. Vivio followed her.

"What's on your arm?"

Fate dropped the empty kettle to clang on the ground loudly. She looked down at her arm. She couldn't believe that she forgot.

"Does that say 'Nanoha'?" Vivio asked, suddenly amused.

The front door opened and closed.

"I'm home!"

"Shit," Fate cursed under her breath but loud enough for Vivio to hear. The teenager grinned.

"Welcome home, Mom!" she called. She then reached over to pat her mother's back consolingly. "I'm sorry."

"Vivio, no!" Fate begged, as her daughter quickly left the room and Nanoha entered. Fate hid both of her arms behind her back.

"Where are you going so fast?" Nanoha asked, turning towards their daughter. Fate tried to use the time to pull her sleeve down. Nanoha foiled the attempt by immediately turning to her and smiling. She smiled back.

"Homework, Mom!" Vivio returned while halfway up the stairs.

"Oh, okay, do your best!" Nanoha's eyes narrowed seductively. She spoke under her breath and stalked forward. "Now we're all alone, Fate-chan."

"Y-yes, we are, aren't we?"

Nanoha stalked forward on the balls of her feet, swaying her hips, and purring like a feline. Fate was much too panicked to be as aroused as she should be. Since their eyes were locked together Fate only heard the clang as Nanoha kicked aside the kettle.

"Fate-chan, why is that on the floor?" Nanoha asked as she finally got close. She bent at the waist and stuck her nose on the front of Fate's blouse. Fate watched the top of her girlfriend's head slowly move up as she took in her scent. Her knees went weak when Nanoha removed the tightest button on her chest with skilled teeth.

"I was-uh-trying to make tea and-"

She was silenced by a kiss. Fate backed up and felt the counter after one step. Nanoha used the new leverage to push Fate further in. Fate did everything she could to stop herself from grabbing her lover. The damn tattoo was making her stop and think about everything and her body hated it. Nanoha licked her lips as she pulled away. She stayed close and slid up next to Fate's ear.

"I don't care, Fate-chan," Nanoha breathed. Fate whimpered when she felt the sandpapery slippery sensation of a tongue caressing the shell of her ear. "It'll be kept company by your skirt."

"Nanoha!" Fate moaned or protested. Neither woman could tell which. "V-vivio is right upstairs!"

Nanoha pushed her lower body up and began rubbing Fate. She tried to grab her girlfriend's arms but Fate stubbornly held them behind her back. "Do you know how long it's been since I ravished you, Fate-chan?"

"Two days," Fate answered weakly. She let out a choked gasp as Nanoha gripped her throat.

"Don't talk back to me," the White Devil warned with a smile and a wink. Fate was completely turned on. "Now stop struggling and grab my ass."

Fate shook her head in denial. The grip around her throat tightened.

"I kind of like it when you say no," Nanoha teased. She shoved a knee between Fate's legs and started grinding.

"Nanoha!" Fate screamed in ecstasy. Without thinking she broke the hold, made her hands occupied with Nanoha's demands, and kissed her girlfriend hungrily.

THUD

The ceiling above them. Nanoha jumped away fast.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" Vivio yelled from her room. She audibly stomped around upstairs.

"Whoops," Nanoha said as the stomping moved to the stairs.

Vivio appeared in the kitchen, hands covering her eyes. "Are you decent!?"

"We're clothed, if that's what you mean," Nanoha answered.

"Ugh!" Vivio groaned, removing her blinders and balling her fists up at her sides. "Mom, you're such an asshole!"

"Language, Vivio!" Nanoha shrieked, almost in horror. Fate cringed at the pitch. "We didn't raise you to speak like that!"

"Apparently your parents raised you with a desire to bang on the kitchen counter while your daughter is home!" Vivio retorted. Fate's face twisted in fear at her daughter's words.

Nanoha blushed and false started a few times before she finally got her words out. "W-where did you learn to speak like that?"

Vivio smirked. "I'm fifteen years old, Mom. You'd be surprised at the things I know."

Nanoha's eyes widened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Please stop!" Fate yelled, falling to her knees and clutching her ears. "I want to live the rest of my life ignorant to my daughter's adulthood! Please stop talking!"

"Don't cry, Mama."

"Stop growing up!" Fate pleaded hopelessly.

"Oh, Fate-chan," Nanoha sighed. "Vivio is a teenager. You have to expect...this..."

"Mom?"

"Nanoha?" Fate followed her girlfriend's eyes, which were focused on her arm. Her exposed arm with the big kanji on it. "Oh."

Nanoha shook her head really fast then smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Fate-chan, I'm still getting used to it."

Fate's stomach dropped. Vivio hid a smile behind her hand. "What?"

"You only showed me last night," Nanoha explained. "Nyahaha! It's kind of weird to see my name on your arm. I like it. Hey, I almost forgot about your surprise! What is it!?"

"Surprise?" Vivio said. She grinned obnoxiously at Fate. "What is it, Mama?"

Fate frowned. "Nanoha, Vivio spends too much time with Hayate."

Nanoha nodded. "Yeah, maybe she can stay with Yuuno next time. Now, surprise!"

Her partner was bouncing on her heels like a ten year old. Fate sighed. "Vivio, could you leave the room?"

"What? Ewww!"

Fate threw up her arms defensively. "No! No! I just-well...fine, you can stay." She got off the floor and walked over to Nanoha, taking her hands in her own. She rubbed the tops of them gently. "Don't be mad."

Nanoha frowned. "I thought this was a happy surprise."

Fate resisted the urge to lie and exhaled. "I'm going to be completely honest with you," she started. "I can't remember a single thing that happened last night. I don't even know what the surprise was."

Vivio watched her mothers stare at each other, enraptured by the drama. Fate was pale and her lips were a tight thin line. Nanoha's sapphire blues stared on blankly. The hum of the air conditioner kicking on broke the silence.

"You didn't get the tattoo on purpose?" Nanoha asked, her voice flat.

"I guess not," Fate admitted. To her credit, she kept her gaze matched against her partner's.

"And you were drunk when you told me I could get a cat?"

"Uh, yes?"

Nanoha crossed her arms, her face darkening. "I was excited for that cat, Fate-chan."

Fate scratched behind her neck. "Well then, give me a couple hours and I could have a surprise for you."

"Nope, not good enough," Nanoha said. "I want an even more special surprise than that."

Fate could feel the sweat pooling on her brow. Nothing terrified her more than an angry Nanoha. An impression, she often imagined, left from the sizzling pink beams of a Starlight Breaker so many years earlier.

"I'm going to take a drive for five minutes. When I come back I want the surprise to feature my ring that's been collecting dust in your underwear drawer."

Vivio gasped. Fate choked on her breath. Nanoha defiantly stared at her girlfriend, her fingers tapping a quick rhythm on her biceps. Her posture held the spirit of not anger, but impatience. Fate had no idea what to say, so she said what seemed to be the most intelligent thing her mind could come up with.

"Excuse me?"

Nanoha narrowed her eyes. "Do I have to repeat myself?"

"No!" Fate defended. She looked to Vivio for any kind of support but her daughter was frozen. hands covering her mouth. "I just-why were you in my underwear drawer?"

"Do you really want to know what I do with your underwear while you're gone, Fate-chan?"

"Not while our daughter is present."

"Gross!" Vivio screeched. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

Nanoha broke her hard posture to pick up the kettle from the floor. She placed it on the counter and smiled wearily at her partner. "I'm sorry I spoiled myself, but I couldn't resist. I get bored when you aren't here. Besides, you didn't even try to hide it. It was right on top of everything. I've been admiring that ring for over a year."

Fate could feel her heart drop. That wasn't a tone of impatience, it was a tone of reservation. They'd been together for more than half of their lives and Nanoha never once left her side. She knew it was coming but held herself back in respect of Fate's ambitions. "Nanoha..."

"I was fine with waiting while you were an Enforcer," Nanoha revealed. "I know how seriously you take commitments and how you wouldn't want to be the absent spouse." Nanoha slapped her hands on the counter and grit her teeth. "But you've been home from your final off-planet mission for more than a week and you still haven't proposed to me yet!"

Fate, conscious of the other in the room, kept her voice down. "I've been busy."

"Mom, you're being crazy," Vivio, the fifteen year old voice of reason, tried to explain to Nanoha. Her mother responded by with a quick turn of her head.

"Unless the woman in my bed last night wasn't the real Fate-chan, I'm just speaking both of our thoughts." She thumbed the pendant on her neck. "Raising Heart? The audio log I asked you to save last night."

"Yes," the device answered in her robotic twang. She glowed red and sound started up, transmitted directly into the heads of the three women in the room.

"Nanoha?"

"Mmm, yes?"

"Do you know I love you?"

"Nyahaha, of course I do! Silly girl."

"...I'm an idiot."

The sound of ruffling covers signified Nanoha turning over. "Only in moments when you call yourself one."

A pause. "Teana is proposing to Subaru tonight."

"Really? That's great! I'm happy for them."

"...They've been together almost ten years less than us."

"Fate-chan, that doesn't matter as long as they love each other."

"No, but I think we've waited long enough."

"Fate-chan?"

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow."

"Fate-chan!?"

"I believe it's finally time to celebrate just how much we love each other."

"Fate, are you-"

"Tomorrow. Now let's sleep."

The sound of a kiss. "Fate-chan, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Nanoha."

The audio ended with a click and Fate was devastated. The looks on her family's faces said it all: how could she possibly forget about that? She balled her fists tight and shut her eyes, trying to think of anything to make this right. Instead her mind betrayed her thoughts once again.

"I'm never drinking again."

Nanoha smiled softly. "Don't worry, Fate-chan. I'll see you in five minutes."

"Don't go," Fate begged in a hushed cry. She grabbed Nanoha's shoulder and held her in place. "Please. I'm sorry. I didn't want it to happen like this."

Nanoha shrugged out of the grip and winced. Fate cursed herself once again. "How did you want it to be, Fate?"

Fate's stomach twisted. The dropped honourific never meant much but it always played with her mind. What was Nanoha really thinking when she dropped her beloved nickname? She spun her best friend around and took her hands in her own. They were cold, but as soft as they were in her dreams. Soft and comfortable in her own hardened set.

"Nanoha," she started. "When I was away on missions, the only thing that kept me going, that kept me sane, was knowing that when I came home I would have you and Vivio to welcome me back. The love I feel for you two is something a clone like me never had the right to experience."

"Fate-ch-"

"And that's exactly what I am. I'm a clone, living a borrowed life that belonged to my sister. I would've been nothing but a tool for my mother, eventually tossed aside in favour of another one down the line, I'm sure. Then you came into my life." Fate took a deep breath and held back the tears. "You saved me, Nanoha. You saved my life in every single conceivable way. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. I wouldn't matter if it weren't for you."

"Then, years later, I saw you doing the same thing for Vivio. You, the most wonderful, kind, beautiful person in the universe, were going out of your way to save yet another life. I couldn't sit by and let you take another burden all by yourself. Adopting Vivio was the best decision we've ever made and because of you I was able to know how wonderful it is to be a mother."

Vivio silently ran over and took Fate in a hug. Fate gladly returned it and used an arm to pull Nanoha into the embrace. "You two are everything to me. You're the reason I was an Enforcer for so long and why I finally quit. I would do anything to protect you and your happiness."

Fate broke the hug and took Nanoha by the hands once again. Tighter this time. "Nanoha, you've given me all of this. You deserve nothing but perfection and that's why I was waiting. I wanted to make it perfect. I ruined that all last night and I hope you'll forgive me."

"Fate-chan, I haven't given you anything," Nanoha replied. She removed their hand hold and replaced it with an embrace. "You earned it all yourself."

"No, I-" She was stopped by a finger on her lips.

Nanoha winked. "My turn to talk." Fate nodded obediently. "Everything I've done is out of my love for you. You earned that love with your mysterious sad red eyes years and years ago. You never had to go out of your way. You never had to be perfect."

Fate buried herself in her lover's shoulder and let a few tears fall. "Then what did I have to do?"

Nanoha's comforting arms wrapped around her completely and cradled Fate in her chest. She never felt as alive as she did in Nanoha's embrace. The world fell away, the only things that mattered were the woman holding her body and the young girl who just took one of her hands.

"That's easy, Fate-chan," Nanoha answered. She brought her head forward, her lips tickling Fate's ears. "You just had to call my name."

KNOCK KNOCK

Hayate pushed aside her paperwork of the day, adding it to the ever growing pile of things she just didn't care about enough to deal with, and sat up in her chair.

"Come in," she called.

The door was opened in the exact way she expected as Fate Testarossa-Harlaown-soon-to-be-Takamachi made her way into Hayate's office. Her white t-shirt tucked into her brown army pants was covered in mud. Hayate was not surprised to find her boots spotless; Fate didn't like tracking dirt into other people's offices. On her arm, displayed proudly for anyone to see, was the name of her fiancé in elegant kanji.

"What do you need, Hayate?" Fate asked. "I'm in the middle of teaching some new recruits how to grapple."

A sly grin overtook the Commander's lips. "Really? You knock someone's eye out with the rock on your finger?"

Fate blushed. She held her left hand up and inspected the sparkling engagement ring. It was immaculately clean despite how dirty the rest of her was. "Nanoha wouldn't let me have a diamond smaller than hers."

"I bet she wouldn't," Hayate agreed. "You do know most people don't wear their rings while doing physical stuff, right?"

"Yes, but I'm proud of it," Fate dismissed. "Now did you just call me up here to make small talk?"

Hayate leaned back into her seat with practiced leisure. Fate almost lost her sight of her behind the tower of papers on the desk. "Yeah, I did. Just wanted to see how you're adjusting to flying a desk."

Fate nodded contemplatively before taking the seat across from her friend and relaxing into the comfortable office chair. More comfortable, she noted, than the one in her own office. She had never really thought about how she felt considering how busy she had been in the last few weeks. She shrugged. "I like it."

Hayate pressed on. "Really? That's it?"

Fate nodded her reassurance. At Hayate's hungry glare she dug for the words to press on. "I don't really know what to say. I'm not doing a whole lot, especially compared to when I was out in the field. It's like a vacation."

Hayate raised an eyebrow. "You aren't bored? That tends to be a problem among returned field troops."

Fate thought about the last three hours she had spent physically abusing the poor kids who wanted to learn how to fight from Fate Testarossa. The two or three new bruises she earned pulsed at the recollection. "No, I'm not bored. Maybe I will be one day but I doubt it. Nanoha is here."

Fate jumped as Hayate slapped her hands to her desk. "There's the magic answer! The soothing massage of true love saves us all!" The small girl with large power swooned exaggeratedly from behind the paperwork. "Oh, forsooth! When will spring come for the eligible Dutchess Yagami? Will her delicious maidenhood be ravished in its prime, before her youthful beauty leaves her old aching bones?"

Fate didn't know how to respond to the theatrics. Luckily the woman who just silently entered the office did so for her. "You better not be trying to hit on my wife, Hayate."

Hayate rolled with it. "You aren't married yet. I'm trying to hit on your girlfriend."

Nanoha strolled up behind Fate and hugged her protectively. Fate brought her hand up to appreciatively squeeze her partner's wrist. "Mine. Get your own cute blonde."

"Objectification at its finest!" Hayate accused, standing tall and levelling a falsely irate finger at the offender. "How does poor Fate feel about this?"

Fate shrugged and gripped the cuff of Nanoha's sleeve. "I'm just wondering how many rules you have to bend to classify yourself as a maiden. Besides," she pulled the sleeve up and Nanoha offered her arm to Hayate. The Commander's smile lit up another few watts at the plain black lettering Fate was now tracing with her fingers; in perfect Mid-Childean, the name "Fate."

"Nanoha is just as much mine as I'm hers."