[Fanfic] AlternativeS

~**~

Vivio looked over at Nanoha once more before finally moving out of her chair and walking around the small table so she could stand next to the woman who was now looking at her. "Nanoha-mama... Does your tummy hurt or something?"

"Eh?" Nanoha blinked at the random question.

"Because... you're not smiling. I don't like it when mama isn't smiling..."

Nanoha looked at the girl in shock for a few moments before her eyes watered slightly. Reaching over, she picked up the child and sat the girl onto her lap. "Thank you, Vivio, but mama is doing fine. I'm just a little... preoccupied."

Vivio tilted her head curiously. "Preoccupied?"

"It means... I have something on my mind that is taking a lot of my attention."

"Is it... a bad thing?"

Nanoha tried to answer as best she could. "Its not a good thing, but its not as bad as it could have been... Fate-chan is so understanding it really hurts."

Vivio tried to absorb this. "Aunt Fate and Nanoha-mama had a fight?"

Not sure how to explain her situation to the girl, Nanoha simply smiled as best she could. "A-ah, something like that. I feel bad about it."

"So..." Vivio looked at her mother innocently. "Trying to make it better is what counts...right?"

"...Yeah," Nanoha hugged her close. "You're such a good girl, Vivio." The combination of hug and praise made the young girl laugh happily and hug her mother back as tightly as she could. 'Making it better... I wonder how my other self would handle this situation if the roles were revered...' The thought of actually having a wife and daughter for many years and then suddenly being alone all at once made her almost physically wince. 'If that were me, I'd want everyone to do everything in their power to return Fate-chan to me-' The thought made her hug Vivio closer and fight back tears. 'I'm the worst...'

"Nanoha!" The sound of the familiar voice made the girl in the wheelchair sit up at once and wipe her eyes.

"Hello," Nanoha turned to look over her shoulder at Yuuno and Fate. "Yuuno-kun, good morning." When Fate got closer, Nanoha moved to check the color of the ribbon. "Fate-chan, hello."

"Hello," Fate's words were soft, just like always.

No disgust was in the tone, making Nanoha almost wish that she were upset instead of being so kind and thoughtful. "Uhm, how is the research going on your predicament?"

Fate smiled brightly at the question. "We actually have a huge lead on a way to get me back. Yuuno has been working with amazing speed once we figured out we could use a relic to reverse what happened. Basically its only a matter of getting a specific relic and then adjusting a teleporation spell to protect me when I go through the rift."

Nanoha looked at Yuuno with wide eyes. "Really!?"

The male nodded. "Yeah, without the relic it would be near impossible to ensure she would end up in her own time line, or even when in it. My work up until now was just figuring out how to send her. Now that the second half of the equation was practically solved for me, I can almost guarantee Fate a safe trip home only a few days after we get the relic."

"But wait," Nanoha held up a hand to get their attention again. "You said it was a specific relic? How in the world are we going to get a specific one? Do we have it in storage here?"

"Unfortunately no," Yuuno shook his head. Nanoha and I checked as soon as we left Hayate's office this morning, just in case it was among one of the ones we recovered from our previous skirmishes with Scaglietti."

"However," Fate picked up. "The odds that Scaglietti has it is almost certain. I know because of what happened in my world: Erio was a troubled child who went berserk after finding out he was a clone. For him to be with Scaglietti now means that the doctor has given him a reason to be there. In other words, he's using Erio's desperate struggle to find out who or what he is in order to get the boy to work for him. If that's the case, then the relics relating to Project Fate would be stored at one of his bases so Erio could have access to it."

"Erio..." Nanoha thought back on the name. "I recall him, he has been in battles before, over relics. He has two summoners with him, who can give him insane amounts of power in the form of different styles of armor. They call them the Trinity, or Triforce..." Her hands went around Vivio to hold the girl still in her lap when the bored child started swinging her legs. "So that means you will have to face them as well?"

Fate nodded. "Against Scaglietti, the trinity, and any cyborgs, if they are activated. Not to mention anything else that was different from my time-line." With a sigh, she looked down at the table. "Even with me being so powerful, I don't know how well I will be against the children... they are just being mislead."

"Not to mention the army protecting Scaglietti," Yuuno added in. This won't be just a simple raid, it will have to be an attempt to capture him. Nanoha, are your students able to go against this kind of power?"

Nanoha shook her head sadly. "No..." After thinking a few more moments, she added in her thoughts. "Subaru and Teana are the only ones who have started to show unbelievable amount of potential... With their AI devices, they have started training every day after I have my lessons with them... I can't recommend sending them into deep battle, but as members of a force, I can see them doing fine."

Yuuno nodded. "Thank you, but its still not enough..." His eyes looked at Nanoha, who almost cried out in a regretful moan.

"What?" Fate asked, shocked at the sudden atmosphere around them.

Yuuno put his palm against his face. "We're going to have to ask Lexus for help..."

~**~

Fate knew that the man was going to enjoy this, but she didn't expect him to be a complete jerk over it. In front of her friends sat Lexus behind his desk with his feet casually kicked up on it. A large, sickening, smirk was on his face, and he asked the question once more, just to hear Hayate say it again. "We," Hayate tried not to growl. "Would like to request your assistance in a raid against Jail Scaglietti."

"That's what I thought you said," Lexus mused, making Hayate grip her fists. "This is the same person that you have always been so insistent on catching, right? So why are you asking for help now?"

"We have an inside source," Hayate continued. "That can give us the location of where he is, as well as his main base where he stores relics. With a joint effort, we can accomplish this with minimal damage."

"I see," Lexus kicked back and stood, walking around his desk and sitting on the front of it while looking at the small group. "So, what will I get from lending you my people, who could possibly be hurt?"

Before Hayate could say anything, Fate stepped forward. "I will transfer to your base. I'm sure you know by now that my official ranking test placed me at double S. This should more than cover and debt."

Lexus whistled lightly. "So you are using this to get away from the weak group of people and come over to me, huh?" Fate nodded at him but didn't say anything else. "Well, I can't let my fans down. If she wants to be with me so badly, I guess I have no choice. But tell me, didn't you say you had a wife?"

Fate almost flinched at the words, catching the hidden statement in it. "We are currently arguing."

Lexus smirked. "Well then, I'll draw up the paperwork and have it sent over. Let me know when your plan will go through, Commander." The people in front of him nodded and turned to the door. "See you soon, Babe," Lexus grinned, slapping Fate on the rear as she left.

Once the group made it outside the neighboring base and back into the van that brought them there, Hayate finally addressed Fate. "Thank you, Fate-chan."

The blond nodded, looking out the window with still tinted cheeks. "You're doing this for me anyway. The least I can do is put up with the pervert for a few days after it is over... though I can't promise I won't break his hand if he touches me again." The way she said the words made it clear that it wasn't a joke, and everyone went silent after that in an unspoken understanding of how much the blond was offended.

Nanoha leaned towards Yuuno a bit in the back seat, enough to make the male put an arm around her while she fiddled with the gem version of Raising Heart around her neck. "What's wrong?" he asked softly so no one else could hear them over the faint playing radio."

The girl shook her head and leaned against him more, trying to take comfort in the familiar embrace. 'What I did was no better than Lexus...'

~**~

Alicia looked over at her twin as she was approached, a sly grin on her face. "You seem positively pissed off, did that guy turn down the offer?"

"No," Fate shook her head and sat at the table Alicia was waiting at. "He agreed, but got a little too friendly with me."

"Oh?" She grinned at her. "That's right you said so yourself that you and your wife didn't fool around much, so I bet that really rubbed you the wrong way, pun intended."

Fate couldn't help but laugh and cough at the same time, looking at her sister in shock. "Not very sensitive, are you?"

"Nope, but hey," Alicia put her arm around her sister and gave her a half hug. "Growing up on the streets will do that to you. I'ma little desensitized to it."

"Oh... I see."

Alicia slid closer, grinning at Fate. "Unless you wanna... you know?"

Fate shrieked and quickly jumped away, panting hard and covering her chest with her hand as Alicia laughed it up. "S-sis! Don't even joke about that!" When her sister continued to laugh, Fate huffed and sat back down, still blushing.

"But," the woman managed out between hiccups of laughter. "You feel better now, right?"

Fate went to deny the fact, but seeing the sparkle in her sister's eyes, she smiled lightly. "Yes, a little." Giving the twin some time to finish calming down, Fate accepted a sip from her soda and made a funny expression at the taste. "Diet?"

"Hey, it taste good," the younger one protested.

"Anyway," Fate gave the soda back. "I'm sorry the made you sit here by the training field while we were gone."

"Yeah, I haven't proved myself yet." The girl didn't seem to mind being watched over and kept a safe distance away from Vivio at all times. "But Hayate offered me a place here on the base."

"Really? that's wonderful!"

"Yeah..." Alicia made the can in her grip roll across the table in slow, half circles. "Hey, Sis?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you stay here?" She asked softly. "This world could really use you and... its not one hundred percent guaranteed you can even make it back to your specific time-line, right?"

Fate stayed quiet a moment, clearly understanding the meaning behind the question. "I'm sorry, I can't... I have my whole life there. I have a wife, a child, and all my friends." Selfishly, she turned to her sister again. "Come with me."

"Trying to cross dimensions? There's no way." Alicia shook her head. "We could appear anywhere, even in space, and just die," she snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

"I trust Yuuno."

Alicia looked down again. "I'm sorry, this just feels like suicide... please, at least think about it? Promise?"

Fate closed her eyes sadly. "I'm sorry, I can't."

The younger twin looked forward again, not speaking for a while. "Yeah... I guess not, huh?"

"I'm sorry." Silence passed over them once again, hanging in the air as each one thought about their future away from each other once again.

Normally I was a rational person, being able to sit in a meeting for hours on end while juggling many different topics without so much as looking at my notes... My current situation, however, was giving me mixed signals. On one hand, I finally had my sister... On the other, I missed my family back home. I wanted to return so desperately that it was driving me crazy now that we were so close, but when Alicia smiles at me I feel a family love from her so great that it makes me want to break down and cry at the thought of leaving her. These feelings made the past three days exceedingly difficult, and I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted Hayate to hurry up or to take her time.

AlternativeS VIII
By: Satashi

Fate smiled as she walked into Nanoha's room during their lunch break. The instructor was currently laying on her back on the couch with a sleeping Vivio curled on her stomach. Out of habit, the blond brought up her hands to form a monitor so she could take a picture of the scene. 'Seeing Vivio so young really brings back memories.' The target of her thoughts seemed to stir at that moment, sleepily lifting her head. Fate tried her best not to fawn over the half asleep eyes and slightly parted mouth paired with the confused face of the child. Instead, she walked over to the girls and leaned over, offering her arms.

Vivio took the silent request to be picked up and layed against the woman while trying to wake up. "Sleepy?" Fate asked softly, looking past Vivio and to Nanoha.

"Mmn aunt Fate..." Vivio's reply was stifled by a face-splitting open mouthed yawn. "Aahhhhhwwwnnnn..."

Nanoha interrupted Fate's silent cursing for not taking a picture of that scene by running a hand along her stomach in an attempt to find out why the warm child was no longer sleeping on her. The blonde knelt down by the woman and took her hand to show that someone was still there. "Fate...-chan..." Nanoha whispered while slowly waking up. Her hand gripped Fate's softly and the blond watched in amazement as Nanoha brought it to her mouth to kiss a finger. " love you..." Her half mumbled words were barely audible, but slate blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Looking up at a bewildered Fate holding Vivio, she smiled fondly. As her mind woke up more, her expression changed and she sat up quickly, holding a hand to her chest. "Fweh-chyan!?"

Fate looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Vivio said my name perfectly when she woke up." The comment made Nanoha blush darkly and look away. "Lunch time is almost over," The woman continued. "I came to make sure you woke up for afternoon training like you asked."

"A-ah..." Nanoha nodded. "Thank you..." She watched Fate sit Vivio onto her feet and move closer to her. "Fate-chan? Kyan!" She held onto the blonde when she was suddenly lifted up off the couch.

"Should I just carry you?" Fate asked curiously. "I don't see your chair."

"Pendant form," Nanoha revealed, showing her necklace. "I was scared Vivio might roll off of me so I didn't want her to hit the chair if I had to make a grab for her..." Nanoha's words slowly trailed off, and she looked down at her lap, embarrassed. "Uhm..." She was taken to an opening in the room without being asked so she could toss the small gem to the floor, where it glowed brightly before changing into her smart chair.

"Hayate would have loved to have a device like that in the past," Fate mused while setting Nanoha into it.

"Y-yeah... This model was specially build for me. It allows me to do so much more than the normal models." Nanoha lifted herself slightly with her arms and adjusted herself to sit comfortably.

"Mama?" Vivio's voice made them both turn to the girl. "Why do you always sit in that chair?"

Fate felt her heart break at the question, but Nanoha simply smiled at it. " Mama's legs don't move like yours do," She explained simply. "So this chair helps me get around."

"Oh," Vivio looked sad at the answer. "...Ne, mama?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever need something, I'll get it for you, okay?" Vivio put her hands on Nanoha's knees and peered up at her. "Okay?"

The mother smiled down at her, leaning over to pick up the girl to sit on her lap. "Mmn. Thank you, Vivio."