[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by vic-vic

Pitiful attempt to steal Nanya`s thread.

AU one-shot about Testarossa family.

Spoiler for Flashforward:

Flashforward.

It’s always like that… it always takes me too long to realize…

Darkness around her matched the darkness that consumed her heart long ago. She hid from her common sense behind that darkness, as well as her conscience and her love.

Yes, her love. In the very last moments of her life Precia Testarossa clearly understand that she didn’t love Alicia at all… She was obsessed with her. The driving motive behind everything was simple guilt; the wish to make up to her daughter for every act of neglect.

How pitiful.

But worst of all was her treatment of Fate. Yes, her daughter. She didn’t cast her away because she was a clone, but because she, Precia Testarossa, was too afraid to explain it to Alicia. She was afraid that Alicia would cast her away because she wasn’t strong enough to wait for her reawakening. And she was afraid that Fate wasn’t able to withstand the truth and cast her away too. So she just decided to have Alicia and throw Fate away.

How ugly.

But Fate wasn’t weak, in fact her heart was so much stronger that her own. She just couldn’t live beside of such beautiful girl. So she decided to ran away. To die. To ultimately run away from her mistakes.

How cowardly.

Her world drowned in the darkness, but even falling into the bottomless black she heard a desperate voice crying for her…

X-X-X

Precia woke up with powerful exhale. Gasping and sweating and her nightshirt clinging to her body. A Quick glance to a clock told her that she had awakened in the middle of the night – 3:17 to be accurate.

A soft feminine moan from her right side disturbed the storm of her thoughts.

“Precia, what’s wrong…?” The brown haired cat-eared woman was still half-asleep but she clearly felt that something was wrong with her bedmate.

“Oh, Linith…” Precia flung her arm around her closest friend and melded their bodies together. “It was horrible… that dream.”

Linith didn’t clearly understand what her master and friend wanted to say but the cat-familiar didn’t have any intention to leave her alone with her trouble and returned the hug.
“Shush-shush,” she cooed softly into the other woman’s ear. “Calm down Precia. Everything’s alright. You’re safe, in our home. Together with me and the children.”

“Yes… The children. I need to see Fate. Please!” Begged older the Testarossa. The sheer pain and plea in her voice make Linith to start to worry.

“Did you see something bad happen to Fate, Arf and Alicia in your dream?” Both women considered the twin blondes and little wolf-familiar as their bellowed babies, and their wellbeing always was their primary task.

“Oh god… It was truly dreadful dream. Alicia died and Fate… Oh, Fate… My little Fate! I did such horrible things to her, to my little treasure… I…I whipped her, tormented her… I…”

“Shush-shush. It was just a dream, Precia. I know you very well, and I know how precious to you our little girls are. Alicia is fine and you’d never do anything so horrible to Fate.” Linith eyes narrowed before she continued and in her gentle voice appeared steely traces “Because I’d fight you if you tried to harm our daughters.”

Precia slowly leaned backward and gazed in Linith’s eyes and saw everlasting resolve to protect the little girls that slept in the other room. It brought peace to the older woman’s heart.

“Thank you, Linith.” She whispered. “I’ll never forget those words.”

The cat-woman smiled brilliantly.

“You’re welcome. And, you know, let’s go and see Fate, Alicia and Arf. I think it will completely calm you down.”

Both woman stood up, cleaned up the messy bed and headed toward the second occupied bedroom in the vast mansion.

Precia’s nervousness got stronger the closer they got to their destination. She knew that Linith was right and this dream, no matter how realistic and horrible it was, was still only a dream. Still, the simple thought of her dearest baby girls suffering made her heart twinge in pain.

Linith understood her friend’s feelings and walked faster in order to get to the girls’ bedroom door first. She firmly held the door handle and slowly opened the wooden door. The steam of hot air burst through the opened door into the windy corridor making both woman shudder. The vast room was occupied by large bed in the middle of which lay three little girls – the red-haired girl with dog ears popping out of her red locked in the middle and two identically blond girls on both sides of her.

Precia’s heart skipped a beat. In the entire universe nothing was as precious to her as those girls.

Alicia – her firstborn, a slender build but lively. Somehow brash and curious girl who always was the number one troublemaker and incredibly prideful about her ice magic (she was good at this type of magic but sometimes her wish to show Fate “how you must do it properly” turned into major disasters). She was a bit selfish and sometimes show envy, especially when Precia takes care of Fate’s health. But still she was a caring and loving girl, even though her wish to become an enforcer just because she didn’t want to became her mother’s copy brought numerous arguments between her and the Testarossa family head.

Fate birth history was a very complicated and not a very pleasant story and Precia didn’t really wish to remember it. But tonight’s nightmare forced her to remember how exactly Fate Testarossa come into this world. When Alicia was 6th years okd, when Precia was too busy with her project, she went on a class trip with her class, and during their visit on the planet Cirvara she got infested with a deadly and rare disease – Cirvara’s Lung Rot.

X-X-X

Precia was almost crushed by this news. Lung Rot was a rare child illness that was caused by pollen of native flowers, or to be more correct, by symbiotic bacteria, that lived on said pollen. Normally a human’s immune system easily defeated them, but on very rare occasions the immune system isn’t able to protect the organism from invasion and the results were always horrifying – the patient literally coughed their own lungs out in the form of a blood-stained mess. Still, only children younger than 14 years old may be infected with it and a vaccine existed, but the problem was that Alicia had powerful allergic reaction to its main component and could be as deadly to Alicia as the illness itself.

Precia, who didn’t have any intention to let her only daughter die, plunged herself into desperate research of a new vaccine that could save her little girl. The problem was that she couldn’t test it on animals, or herself and she doubted that she could get a license to perform tests on volunteers, since they must be also be little children.

So Precia decided to answer the situation with illegal methods… by cloning her own daughter and used the artificial human as test subject for the vaccine. She put Alicia in cryogenic sleep and drowned herself in long hard research.

She kept that resolve right until the moment when the cloning process was completed and she met Alicia’s twin. Unlike Alicia, who even as a newborn baby was incredibly active, this girl’s movements were feeble. It seemed that special chemicals that she used to get rid any trace of the bacteria in Alicia cells, affected the little clone-girl. Precia marched into the room in order to check her future guinea pig’s health… and stood still, when her eye met the little girl’s innocent and gentle eyes. In the moment when their gazes met, the girl’s eyes flashed with love and happiness.

“Mo…” Whimpered the child, reaching her right shivering arm toward Precia, while using her left arm as a cane to lift her fragile bode from the bed.

Hearing this weak voice Precia started to tremble uncontrollably. “Stop!” Pleaded Precia inside. “If…if you said that…I…I just will not bring myself to… to…”

“…Mo…mommy.” Moaned the girl who then fell back on the bed with a little scream, visibly losing strength. A moment after Precia was already gentlely cradling her in her arms, whispering soothing words into the child’s ears and stroking her hair.

The little clone murmured in delight and burrow herself deeper into Precia chest, trying to get as close to her “mommy” as she could. Precia was almost drowned in the little girl’s overwhelming love, cursing herself for wishing to use the child as a test subject.

Precia lost count of the time she spent just holding the little girl and she didn’t understand that she was crying until she felt little arms on her cheeks. The child tried her best to dry her tears with her tiny fingers.

“Momma, why are you crying? You hurt? Please tell me where you hurt.” The girl’s eyes were filled with concern and love and Precia cursed herself inside for even thinking of hurting her.

“I m just so happy, my dear.” Whispered Precia. “You can’t even imagine how happy you make me by only just being here with me.”

“Wa, I’m so happy too.” Exclaimed the child, smiling brilliantly. “Um, mama.”

“Yes?”

“My…memories… so vague and blurry… I remember sitting with you on a hill…but why are you calling me Alicia?”

Precia stiffened – she had forgotten about the memory transplantation. By implanting those memories she wanted to avoid the teaching process, since a newly created clone was no difference from a newborn kid. But now she meet the consequences of her bind wish to cure Alicia. How was she suppose to explain to this girl that she was a creation living only to be a test subject.

“It… it’s a… memory of the time you spend with your… twin sister Alica. Yes! You and Alicia were twins but you and your sister got infected with a very dangerous disease. As a result you lost your memories and Alicia fell in coma.”

Precia understood that her words were barely believable but when the little girl nodded she felt how freedom returned to her body.

“How sad. I can remember your happy smile and all of those happy times with you…but I can’t really remember I have a sister.”

Precia gulped.

“It’s not fair!” The girl’s eyes started to water. “How could I forget about my dearest sister. And now she is in a coma and I can’t even talk to her. I don’t even remember my name!”

Precia start shivering – how could she do that to Alicia and to this kid. How will she explain this to her daughter… No! Her daughters. But it was too late now, she will live to revive Alicia, atone for the pain she inflicted on this girl and make both of them happy. Ah, it can be an coincidence; yes, it’s definitely…

“Fate.” She whispered.

“Is that my name?” The little girl lifted her head and her eyes met Precia’s darkened ones

“Uh…yes.” The Testarossa matriarch smiled. “It is. My little Fate.” Smiling inwardly at the irony of those words.

X-X-X

Locked in her memories, Precia missed the moment when Linith walked towards the sleeping girls and crouched near. Despite a single pang of jealousy Precia smiled at the sight of the cat-familiar gently stroking the hair of sleeping Alicia. As always Linith didn’t miss a chance to caress her little girls.

X-X-X

Precia created Linith soon after she took Fate into her family. Precia really wanted to spend more time with her newborn (yes, she forbid herself to ever think that Fate was any different from Alicia in that sense) daughter, but even so she couldn’t abandon Alicia. So she used their cat, knowing about a feline’s strong maternal instinct.
She wasn’t disappointment – Linith was a great tutor. She was always was there to help Fate when Precia was busy in the laboratory, she was always there to teach Fate her thunder magic and she was always there to remind Precia that now she had a two daughters to love and care for.

Often Precia felt jealousy toward Linith, when she saw how strong the bounds between Fate and Linith had become, but her worry was always was dispelled by the sheer amount of love and joy in Fate eyes when she came to see her personally. But the Testarossa matriarch never imaged that the little girl managed to create strong bonds between her two “mamas”.

To be honest Precia didn’t really dislike Linith, but the stoic and distant Precia had poor chemistry with the bright and lively cat-woman. And maybe, just a little, a bit of jealousy. But Fate really wanted both of them to become close. She always showed her new learned spells only when both Precia and Linith were present. She kept Linith in the dining hall during the meal until Precia joined them both. And Fate always drew all of them holding hands. It’s not like they tried to avoid each other, no – they often talked when Linith accompanied Precia in the laboratory, but still they just don’t click together.

The whole situation changed when Fate was struck by pneumonia. The little girl’s condition was so bad that Precia totally stalled her work on Alicia’s vaccine creation. Both woman spent almost all of their time beside Fate’s bed, taking care of the young girl, injecting new doses of vaccine and forcing themselves not to hear the little girl’s heart shattering whimpers. Precia thought that she had spent all of her tears when she learned about Alicia’s illness, but the sight of her little daughter shaking uncontrollably, moaning and pleading her ‘”Precia-mama” and “Linith-mama” to help her, pushed more and more tears out of her eyes and Precia again and again gently took the little frail hands, kissed them and begged her little treasure to come back. Linith was also greatly affected by the blonde girl’s moans. the familiar-woman couldn’t stop her hands from shaking a little, and sometimes her eyes leaked a few trace of a tears.

One night when Fate’s condition at last become a little better, both woman were too tired to even get to their respective couches. And in her sleep Precia got together with her dead lover. She again was held gently by his strong arms and their lip mets each others like the first time. In an impulse of love and happiness Precia opened her eyes, just to understand two things – she really was kissed, and second – by her familiar. The woman’s eyes shot wide open and only the fact that her lips were locked with another person’s lips stopped Precia from shrieking out of shock. Linith, who’s nap was disturbed by Precia sudden jerk slowly opened her eyes. She came to an understanding of situation as fast as Precia and her reaction was also identical – widely opened eyes.

Both women were so shocked by the situation that they didn’t move even a bit until they heard a tiny voice.

“Precia-mama, Linith-mama… I knew that inside you love each other…” Both woman at last separated and slowly turned to the voice, since their faces were slowly turning redder and redder. Fate’s face was pale and her chest rose and fell weakly, but deep inside of her little eyes shined pure happiness. “I read that people kiss when they deeply care about each other, and my mamas now kissed.”

Precia and Linith’s reaction was touchingly equal – a low shriek and deep blush.

Precia wanted to say that all of this was pure misunderstanding, but she couldn’t bring herself to crush Fate’s hope, so she just nodded and said. “Yes, Linith and I care about each other as much as we care for you, Fate.”

“Really?” The girl’s face brightened a bit, to the unimaginable joy of both women. “I’m so happy.”

“Now-now, little girl.” Linith smiled and crawled to Fate and slowly stroked Fate’s hair. “Now we are all happy, but certain little girls need to have a good sleep. O’kay?”

“Yes.” Fate smiled beautifully and started to drifted away. “Good night, Precia-mama. Linith-mama I love both of you”

“And we love you too, Fate.” Reassuring her, the older Testarossa also caressed the little blonde. “Sleep well, our little miracle.”

As if she obeyed an order, Fate quickly fell asleep. Precia and Linith shared a sigh of relief but when they turned to face each other they remembered the circumstances that made the little girl to wake up in the first places and blushed heavily.

Linith was first to find her voice.

“W…well, since we at last recognize our undying love for each other and since Fate got a little better can we get some sleep?”

Precia blushed even harder but found strength to respond.

“Funny that you, Linith, say that since it was you who decided to get all lovey-dovey and kiss me.”

Precia felt much better when she witnessed the cat-woman’s face to get even redder.

“Hey! It was an accident okay? Moreover you returned the kiss and you enjoyed it.”
Linith pointed her finger accusingly at Precia.

“Wh…what?!! Enjoyed?! ENJOYED?!!!” Shrieked older woman, now crimson red. “You tried to assault me in my sleep and now you try to put all the blame on me?!! You perverted no-good flea-pasture!”

“Bwah!” Linith face now was almost on fire from both anger and embarrassment. ”Look who’s talking, lonely miserable sag-chest woman!”

Now it became a glare competition between them two: both of their faces were pure scarlet, chests rising and falling rapidly, hands rested against their hips. Precia and Linith even started to march toward each other, almost trying to suppress their opponent with sheer rightful anger. They both came back to their senses when their lips again become dangerously close.

The Cat-woman and human-woman yelped and jumped backward, immediately putting reassuring distances between them. Now both of them looked scared rather than angry, almost cartoonish hiding behind pieces of furniture.

Linith was first to burst out laughing, Precia joining her a split-second after. After the storm come to an end Precia managed to whimper:

“Oh my, I almost wish to someone from the Central Science Committee could see me right now – in messed up clothes, blushing with my familiar, with who I argued about kissing each other! Even if I’m be banished from the science world forever, the look on their faces will definitely make up for it.”

“Well, it was worth everything if it can make Fate fell better.” Linith smiled gently. “I can endure every kind of humiliation, if it makes that girl to smile.”

“Agreed.” Nodded Precia. “Her smile can brighten entire world for me and I’d do everything to make her happy. That’s my oath to her.” Then her smile turned to slightly saddened one. “Sometimes I’m so jealous of you Linith. You may spend so much time around Fate, so your influence on Fate is much bigger than mine. And, it hurts to admit, I think it’s for the better – you are so bright and friendly and Fate will rise to be a wonderful woman under your care. I think I’ll put Alicia, after I cure her, under your care too…”

Precia’s speech was interrupted when Linith gently put her finger on older woman’s lips.
“What are you saying, my master. Fate is much more influenced by these short amounts of time that she spends with you, or should I say…” Linith lips twisted into smirk. “…in your bear hug. Gosh, you almost never allow her to walk, since you carry her in your arms everywhere.”

“I can’t help it.” Presia blushed again. “She too precious to me, I just try to savor every moment I have with her. I so want to go with her on vacation, to play with her, to buy her new clothes, to watch a movie with her.”

“You’re such a softy for her.” Smiled the familiar

“Aren’t you too?” Precia looked deeply into Linith eyes. Her assumption was proved to be right when the Testarossa matriarch recognized signs of sorrow into cat-woman’ eyes.

“Yes. I love this girl with all my heart too. She so loving, hard-working and gentle that it’s almost unbelievable. Every time I see her laughing face my heart melting, and I can recall every hug that my little angel gave to me. You said you jealous about my influence on her, Precia.” Now Linith also gazed directly into Precia eyes. “But you never imagine how I am jealous about your place in that girl’s heart. She always worked so hard just for your sake, almost every conversation primary or indirectly considered you and her love for you is undying, Precia. She can do everything for your sake, and she can endure everything if it’s for you.”

“But it’s true for you too, Linith.” Reminded Precia. “You may not know, but my talks with Fate almost always have phrase “Linith is so great” or “I love Linith so much”, I hope you didn’t dare to doubt how that girl feels for you.”

“No, I’m don’t. This girl just so wonderful – she doesn’t choose a favorite between us, but instead she decide to love both of us as her mothers equally.”

Precia nodded slowly. Suddenly she remembered her conversation with Alicia in the distant past.

“I suppose some wishes can be translated through genes.” She whispered softly and then said with straight tone.

“Familiar Linith I want to ask you one thing.”
“Eh? Why you so serious all of sudden.” Started Linith, but then, witnessing the seriousness of Precia’s eyes, she became very serious too. “I’m listening, my master.”

“I want to know, for how long you intend to watch over my daughter, Fate Testarossa, without considering any wishes other than your own?”

“As long as I can fight and work for her sake.”

“Will, you provide your help to her sister Alicia?”

“Yes, I may not to know her, but judging by Fate and your character I suppose she is nice girl too, so I will love and care for her as much as I care for and love Fate.”
“Then, Linith, I want to offer you a chance to raise Fate not as her tutor, but as her second mother. I wish you to become Linith Testarossa – my adopted sister.”

“Eh? EEEEH?!” Yelped Linith, flushing fiercely. Precia couldn’t help but slightly blush too.

“Uh, you know… Actually, like my daughter, Alicia…I always wanted to have a little sister… you know, to dote on her, to help her, to rely on her… And you’re such a wonderful person and…”

Her weak sentence was interrupted when Linith charged forward, smashing their bodies together and flinging her arm around Precia’s waist.

“I want, I want.” Repeated Linith, hugging older woman tightly. “I wholeheartedly want to become part of your family…big sister.”

“You’re welcome, my little Linith.” Smiled Precia, hugging her new little sister back. “By the way Linith, from now on you can sleep in my room. My bed big enough for us both and I can’t allow my sister and my… our babies second mother to sleep on some couch.”

“But you know, big sis…” Linith gently get away from Precia and stared at her somewhat shyly.

“Yes?” Smiled Precia at her reassuringly.

“I’m a heterosexual, so I can’t satisfy you lust for young innocent maidens. Please, forgive me, big sis!”

It didn’t take a long amount of time for Precia to become redder than a tomato. “How dare you?!”

“Woah, naughty big sis is angry. I must run away, or who knows what twisted sexual deeds my sis will force me to do if she catches innocent and cute me.” Screamed Linith gleefully as she stormed out of room.

“Dammit, Linith come back here!”

This race lasted for almost the entire night until both women fell in exhaustion, laughing and hugging each other. After taking a bath, they changed into night shirts and lay on Precia’s large bed and snuggled close. They were truly happy.

The next day Fate’s condition became even better, and results of an exam told Precia and Linith that their daughter now on the firm road to recovery.

And not only Fate – after many failures, Precia managed to create a working vaccine and thus opened the path to returning to her long missed daughter. Precia preformed Alicia’s treatment with mixing feelings of joy and terror.

She was undoubtedly happy to have her dear Alicia back, but how would she explain the situation with Fate? Moreover, how would she explain the situation to Fate?

In the end she told Lunith that she would, right after Alicia condition became stable, bring Fate into the room, and explain everything to both of their daughters and accept every punishment they decided to bring on her. Linith just laughed and said that Precia should stop being so dramatic and more importantly to not try to make herself a martyr and just present to Alicia her new long wanted sister and her energetic and cute second mommy.

Precia didn’t want to hide behind such words and when Alicia was finally free from the illness’s clutches, the head of the Testarossa family brought all of her new family members before the eyes of Alicia. Alicia’s eyes widened in shock when she witnessed Fate. Precia took a deep inhale and started.

“Alicia-dear, I want you to meet your little sister – Fate… and… and I want a confess a sin that I’ve committed to her.” She turned her gaze to her second daughter. “Fate, I can’t even hope that you’ll forgive me, and you’ll be totally right… I…I…”

“Alicia, Fate your stupid shy mom can’t even say a pair of phrases, but your smart second mommy definitely can.” Precia gawked when Linith rudely interrupted her speech. “Alicia I’m your Linith-mama and this cute little girl that resembles you runaway reflection is your baby sister Fate. Both of us were created by your stupid Precia mama when you were in a long sleep, because she wanted you to have a big and happy family when you woke up.”

“Aha.” Alicia brightened at this sentence while her mother reddened both from embarrassment and anger, but Fate’s clearly bright expression turned pale and pitiful.

“Eh? Created? But how and didn’t momma say that I am Alicia’s little sister?”

“Fate.” Moaned Precia. “Of-Of course you are Alicia’s sister and I love and cherish you as much as her, but it’s a truth that I created you from…”

“…Her own love.” Ended Linith resolutely. “Mothers and daughters are always mothers and daughters and they love each other. That’s the only truth.”

“Linith.” Whispered Precia.

“Mmm, so you’re my baby sister?” Asked Alicia, gazing at Fate with definite interest.

“Y-Yes!” Yelped Fate in surprise, her cheeks flared. ”Fate Testarossa, nice to meet you, big sister Alici.” Fate ended her frantic sentence with a quick bow, which threatened to rip her head off. Alicia giggled.

“You’re so adorable!” Exclaimed Precia’s firstborn. “Can you come here so that I may hug you? I’m still drowsy after this illness and those injections.”

“Okay.” Smiled Fate who walked toward her twin sister. She easily climbed on the bed and gently wrapped her arms around Alicia’s neck. Alicia wasn’t hesitant to return the hug.

“So warm and soft.” Mumbled the cured blonde. “I always dreamed about having a baby sister and now mama not only returned my life to me, but also give me such a wonderful sister.” She raised her gaze and look on broadly smiling Linith. “And even a second mama. I don’t think I can even wish for more.”

Precia felt that her eyes leaked tears. “Oh, Alicia, I’m so glad. I was so scared that you’d push Fate away.”

“Why would I do such a thing? She’s so cute and lovely, I already love her very much. Now, it’s decided!”

Alicia pointed her finger dramatically at the cellar. “As her big sis I’ll personally look after her progress and make sure to make her into a splendid magician.”

Linith giggled. “Wow, what a hot-head, I suppose we shall give our heroines a hug too?”

Precia didn’t find any reason to complain. She and Linith walked toward pair of little girls and warped them in a powerful hug, covering all of them in a cocoon of love.

X-X-X

Precia giggled softly and walked toward bed where Linith was busy with caressing the sleeping Alicia. Since Alicia was in Linith’s clutches, Precia decided to have some time with Fate.

Unlike Alicia, who let her hairs free, Fate tied her hair in two pigtails, partly because she liked this style and partly because she didn’t want to be Alicia’s copy. Precia gently touched the little blonde’s hand, slowly caressing with her thumb. Fate quietly giggled in her sleep and shuddered in joy, murmuring happily. Precia’s heart melted at this sign of affection. Fate truly was sinfully cute and lovely.

“Munyaa.” Precia’s game with her daughter was interrupted by loud moan. Precia craned her neck, to see, and giggled softly when she witnessed how Linith scratched and caressed Fate’s familiar Arf’s ears and areas around then, the little redhead’s weak spot. Now the little dog-girl laid on her stomach, pressing her hands to her chin, shivering and moaning in delight like a very big puppy (then again, the “like” part can be debated).

X-X-X

Arf came into the life of the Testarossa family on one stormy day. Alicia and Fate got too carried away in their playing like always and were caught in the rain. The two blondes found shelter under the vast cover of an old oak. While they clung to each other, Alicia and Fate suddenly heard a tiny, almost inaudible whine. When the girls started to search for the source of the sound they discovered a little cavern between the tree’s roots. In this little chamber lay a little red-furred and injured wolf pup.
The little puppy was so weak that it didn’t even turn her head when Fate called her sister and didn’t even resist when the younger Testarossa twin gently picked her up. The girls wrapped the wolf in the blanked that the provident Linith always forced them to take on walks and, despite the strong rain, ran home.

Both of them were totally soaked, with clothes and hair clinging to their bodies. Linith was the first to meet the twins, but before she could scold them, Fate stepped forward and showed her second mama the wounded cub. Seeing naked pain and pleas in both Fate and Alicia’s eyes, Linith ordered them to go to the bathroom and take a warm shower. She then went straight to Precia, hoping that the head of the Testarossa family could manage to help the little creature.

When Alicia and Fate stormed into Precia’s lab, already in new dry clothes, their mother already finished examining the little wolf. Unfortunately Precia’s sombre look said everything to the little girls. Precia really didn’t want to crush their hopes, but even more she didn’t want to lie to them.

“I’m sorry, Fate, Alicia. But this little fellow’s condition is too bad for me to do something about.”

“B-but, mama is a genius.” Pleaded Fate, her eye started to sting. “You so smart, you managed to create alternative vaccine to cure big sis. I’m sure you can help this puppy.”

Precia lowered her head in sorrow.

“I’m really sorry, Fate, but this girl’s condition went too far. I didn’t have a cryogenic chamber specifically for animals and a human one can’t sustain her life. And I simply don’t have enough time to get the necessary medicaments and to save her.”

“Linith-mama?” Alicia, who couldn’t abandon her sister, stepped forward and gazed at the cat-woman. “Can’t you help? Aren’t familiars former animals, and moreover you are Precia-mama’s main assistant. I’m sure you know more about the animal’s health.”

But to her dismay, Linith also tilted her head sadly. “Sorry, dear, but Precia’s right, we are not gods and we can’t create a miracle on our own.”

Fate didn’t want to take it. She narrowed her already watering eyes, still shining with determination.

“Th…then how about we turn her into a familiar. An animal who is turned into a familiar will gain prefect a healthy condition.”

Precia looked thoughtful for the few moments, but then shook her head.

“Sorry, but I already sustain Linith and I can’t risk her well-being.”

“I can!” Fate eyes flared as bright as lighting that pierced the sky behind the window. “I can save this cub. Please momma, help me!”

“B…but Fate.” Gaped Precia. “It’ll bring a heavy strain on you, how could I as a mother allow my child to carry such a weight in her young years.”

“But momma.” Alicia’s determination wasn’t even a bit smaller than Fate’s own. “Didn’t you say that Fate and I are child-prodigies, who can do anything if we worked hard?”

“Well, of course.” Linith came into the conversation again. “Precia and I didn’t have any problems with one of you or both having familiars, even more so, we’ll encourage you to have one, but only when you become older and your endurance and stamina grow larger.”

“But this pup doesn’t have any time.” Alicia clenched her tiny fists. “Please Precia-mama, Linith-mama, help us. I’ll help Fate to sustain her, if we both use our mana storage then we can bear this. How could you allow such an innocent life to go.”

Both elder women were already shaken by the girl’s resolve, but the last straw was when the wolf-cub managed to lift her tiny head a bit and let out little heartbreaking whine.

Precia sighed and said.

“It’s seems we have no other choice, do we Linith?”

“No sis, we don’t.” Linith agreed with her, and for the first time in the evening on her face appeared a smile.

As Fate predicted, after transforming into a familiar, the wolf-pup’s condition was turned 180 degrees. The little happy wolf-familiar yelped and jumped into Fate’s arms and started to lick her and stick her nose into the girl’s face to show her love and gratitude toward Fate. Alicia also had her dose (no less than Fate’s) of love and affection from the red-furred cub.

Precia couldn’t help but feel a warm wave of happiness rising in her chest as she witnessed this scene. Even as pre-teens, her girls already had dignity and kindness and resolve of an old and experienced mage. Moreover, the little puppy was really cute and adorable.

Since then the Testarossa family grew even larger. Arf, as Fate and Alicia named her, was an energetic, passionate girl and somewhat airheaded, that made a sharp contrast with her former master and shocking similarity to her latter.

Together with Alicia, she dragged Fate into many troubles (Precia can’t suppress the shudder when she remembered the wasp-hive-ball) and brought many headaches to Precia and Linith. But it was simply impossible not to love her. Arf was loyal and cared for every member of her new family. Precia remembered the incident when Alicia and Fate went on vacation with Linith, but Precia was forced to stay at home in order to complete her report to the Central Science Committee. Precia was able to go to the bed only after midnight but sleep didn’t come.

She had gotten used to feeling Linith’s warmth beside her, gotten used to going to bed only after giving her little treasures good night kisses, gotten used to sleeping only knowing that her beloved family was together with her. She turned from side to side, tried to count a sheep, but it didn’t helped. She just grieved without Fate, Alicia and Linith, she wanted to be with them so badly. But she just couldn’t spoil their vacation, moreover it would last only for two days, she must stay still and wait for them. Precia moaned and, after the next roll, she forced herself to lie still, biting her lip and swallowing uncontrollable tears.

Suddenly something jump on her feet. She yelped and sprung on the bed, tossing the blanket away. After a few seconds of a frantic search she recognized a visitor.

“Arf?” Gasped Precia as she looked at the little form of the wolf-familiar lyng on the floor – she fell together with blanked. Arf lifted her gaze to meet Precia’s own, and declared:

“I feel that you suffering. I can’t let Fate and Alicia’s mother suffer in solitude.”

“Wait, why are you here; you must be together with girls and Linith on the trip.”

Arf lowered her head and Precia immediately understand – out of sorrow.

“I wanted to go, I wanted to go with my masters and Linith on the trip, but Fate and Alicia didn’t want to leave you alone and they said, that if you didn’t go, that they would also stay at home. I can’t allow them to miss their happy time, so I said that I will stay here and keep you company.’

Precia felt twinge of a pity and shame. Pity for a little familiar and shame for her self-pity.

In an impulse of feeling she stormed toward the little form and gently cradled her in her arms.

“Oh, Arf, I’m so sorry. I was so selfish, so self-concerned that I totally missed your own loneliness and sorrow. “

“It’s okay.” Replied Arf. “You didn’t even know that I was here.”

“But now I know…Hey, if you want to keep me company how about we sleep together. I think it will keep us out of self-misery.”

“Why not?”

Precia carried the little wolf to the vast bed and carefully put her beside herself.

“Um, can I ask you a favour?”

“Of course! What’s your request?”

“Can you turn into your human form.”

“Um, ‘kay.” Arf was confused a bit, but without complaining she turned into a little redheaded dog-eared girl. Precia gently hugged her and pulled her close.

Soon, Arf started to drift away and Precia couldn’t help but compare her to ordinary girls and she didn’t find any differences. Expect her ears, cute animal ears that tilted so seductively. Precia smiled mischievously and stretched her arms toward them.

She gently compressed the tip of Arf’s ears between the tips of her fingers and started to rub them. She slowly increased the speed of her movements and started not only rubbing but also caressing them. The wolf-girl’s reaction was incredibly cute – she twitched and groaned (that’s right) in delight, clutching the sheet in sweet agony.

The older woman stopped when she noticed that the familiar’s hand fell limply on the bed, then she slowly warped her hands around little girl’s back and whispered into her ears:

“Have a nice dream, my dear and again sorry for everything.”

“Good night, mommy.” Whispered the dog-girl unconsciously.

Precia sighed, everybody in the Testarossa household knew how deeply Arf was wounded by abandonment by her own pack. But to think that she would substitute her – Precia – of all people for her mama. But then Precia’s lips slowly curled into a smile – maybe having another daughter really wasn’t a bad idea, and Alicia and Fate will be happy. And she will have more opportunities to play with those super cute ears.

X-X-X

Precia still considered continuing teasing Arf’s ears when Linith got bored of it (the wait will be long – Linith also finds those little puppy ears hypnotically adorable), but then suddenly the cat-woman resolutely lifted the blanks and carefully slipped under them beside Alicia.

“What are you doing?” Asked her sister Precia via telepathy.

“Isn’t it obvious – I’m gonna to have a wonderful night’s sleep near our little girls.”

“Eh? But we might disturb their sleep.”

“Come on, we’ve slept with them many times, they don’t mind us, on contrary – they love when we sleep together. You know that.”

“I simply can’t out-talk you, can I?” Precia chuckled inwardly.

“No, I’m just too smart for you to do so.” Linith stuck her tongue at her.

Precia rolled her eyes, but nevertheless joined her sister under the warm blanket. To her utmost joy Fate rolled in her sleep and snuggled close to her. Linith smiled gently at this display of the family’s bond and stretched her left arm toward Precia. The Testarossa matriarch replied with an identical gesture, meeting Linith’s arm right above Arf. Slowly both women started to drift away, but now Precia was certain that dream was a warning or a flash forward to a grim future, that would happen if she was be weak, if she allowed darkness and sorrow to blind her mind, if she allowed something horrible to happen to her precious family.

Precia Testarossa inwardly renewed her oath to protect her dearest ones and almost immediately she drowned in the peaceful dream and no nightmares would dare to disturb the happy family tonight.

AN: I know that Precia can be considered as OOC, but still, we all know that Precia was incredibly kind and caring before Alicia’s death, so I played with the possibility that if Alicia was alive that Precia didn’t become that bitter and hateful as she was in season 1 and the movie.

P.S. Again, thanks 00-Raiser for beta-reading.

That's very sad. I really liked it, the scene where Precia gives in and holds Fate really shows how it was the turning point in changing how the series could have gone.