"You just signed our death warrants."

Nikita closed her eyes, let out a breath, then looked at Michael again. "Michael, would you do something for me?" She took his silence as he watched her as an affirmative before she continued on. "Trust," she paused, "in your ability to train a good Section One operative." She slipped away then, hoping her words had at least mildly surprised him.

Michael watched her walk away with a slight smile in his eyes. With the blink of an eye, though, it was gone and he moved on.

That had been three weeks ago. Nikita trained ruthlessly with Jergun.

Michael watched her loyalty change. She no longer found reasons to enter his office. She no longer approached him to go for coffee. She no longer sought him out for no reason at all, or for any reason. He missed her.

So when he entered his office one day and found her sitting in one of the chairs, he was surprised.

Nikita rolled her eyes- as if he'd show any emotion. It had taken three weeks but she had begun to realize what he was doing to them- the three of them.

"Did you want something, Nikita?" He asked, his voice as flat as ever.

"Yes. I wanted a quiet place to think." Then she stood up and walked out. Back in her own room, she let out a sigh of relief. She knew, though, that it was only a matter of time, she'd have to move quickly.

"Nikita, you are on active status again. I want you, Michael, and Birkoff to find out exactly what happened to Jergun." Operations ordered at the end of the briefing.

"Something's not right about this death." Madeline declared to Operations after the briefing. "I may not have liked the man but he was a decent trainer."

Operations looked up sharply. "You didn't like him? Then why put him in charge of Nikita's retraining?"

Madeline smiled. "Because I was testing how strong their bond was. A strong bond between the two may not have been so wrong."

"May not have been? You sound as if it didn't hold up."

"Not to my satisfaction." Madeline shook her head.

"It was a simple gang killing. Maybe they thought he was running guns to both sides. Or he was wearing the wrong colors on the wrong side of the street. This is a rough neighborhood- anything is possible. The man could have looked at someone wrong and died for it down here!" Nikita sighed. Michael wasn't listening to her- what else was new? "Maybe he was prosing out- prostituting himself out- and the customer didn't like the goods."

That got Birkoff laughing.

Michael glared back at them.

"Birkoff, would you please tell Mr. Stress up there to loosen up? This part of town could eat him alive. They even think they see a cop- and with the tension he's carrying, that's exactly what they'll think- we will all die. The streets aren't a place to play in anymore." Nikita sighed.

Birkoff smiled. A little tiff.

Nikita walked around- remembering a past she could scarcely believe existed before the Section anymore.

"If ya want to know about the killing, ya have to find the long legged blonde- she offed the man."

"Long legged blonde?" Michael repeated.

"Yup, she met up with the dude. They spoke- he yelled, she shot him. The blonde was a looker. Classy, chic, well rounded."

"There was a witness." Michael announced at the debriefing.

Nikita laughed. "There were twenty witnesses, Michael, not one. You just got lucky that he wanted to talk."

Madeline stared at Nikita. She had changed but she was also withholding information.

"And this witness said?" Operations grew impatient.

"That there was a woman. That she was the killer." Michael stated.

"Find the woman!" Operations ordered.

"What the hell is going on?"

Operations laughed. "For someone who reads people as you do, you are missing the obvious. Nikita is the woman the witness saw. That is what she is hiding."

Madeline nodded slowly. She smiled. "You want to see how they play this out."

"Their bond is strong, Madeline." Operations stated before he left her new office.

"Billie, I thought I told you to keep quiet for now!" Nikita smiled.

"Geez, Kita! You know how dangerous it is to sneak up on a street man!" Billie jumped. "He was with you. I thought it would be okay. Besides, it ain't like I gave him your name!"

Nikita chuckled. "Billie, I want you to lay low for a few days. Michael- the man you were talking to earlier today- is gunna be looking for you again. Don't surface until I find you. I need a couple more days to finish with the evidence. After I find you, I'll come with Michael. Say something like you should know all about the shooter, you're with the woman, okay?"

"Sure thing, Kita. You okay?"

"Peachy, Billie. I may not like this new life, but at times it beats my old one. Be careful, Billie." Then she was gone.

"Where were you last night, Nikita?" Michael cornered her early the next morning in Section.

"I had to go out for a while. Why, something come up?" Nikita asked. "Hey, Birkoff, ya got that stuff for me?"

"Tomorrow, Nikita." Birkoff smiled.

"Thanks." Nikita rolled her eyes. "Michael, what is it?"

He walked away then.

"Sugar, here ya go. You be careful with it now." Walter smiled as he handed her a new toy.

Nikita kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Walter. I'll take good care of it. Oh, and if you see Michael, tell him I hit the streets to find our talking witness."

When Walter told Michael a couple hours later, he saw that something was really bothering the man.

"Where the hell is Nikita?!" Operations demanded, staring straight at Michael.

"I don't know. Two days ago she had Walter tell me she was going to find the witness who seems to have disappeared." Michael was at a loss.

Madeline spoke up then. "She spent her life before us on the streets- she knows them and she knows how to find people on them. Give her another day."

"Hey, Michael. Birkoff, thank you. Walter, it worked wonderfully." Nikita interrupted them at Birkoff's workstation.

Michael stared at her flatly.

"Did you find our talking witness?" Walter asked.

"Yup. He'll meet us tomorrow at the same place you first talked with him, Michael. Well, boys, I am in need of a shower."

"Nikita, I'd like to see you in my office before you do anything else." Madeline spoke up behind them.

Nikita groaned. "Coming, Madeline."

"You should have told us what you were doing."

"Michael and Operations have to learn some trust." Nikita grumbled.

"Nikita."

"I know, Madeline. I won't do it again." Nikita sighed.

"Nikita, why haven't you been seeking Michael out these past few weeks?" Madeline asked, changing the subject swiftly.

Nikita laughed harshly. "Because I've begun to finally seen he won't change no matter what happens. Besides, it isn't like he ever seeks me out. Anything else?"

"How did you feel about Jergun?" Madeline inquired.

"At least he talked to me like I was a person." Nikita growled.

Madeline nodded. After a few moments of silence, Madeline dismissed her.

Nikita ran into Michael before she got to her room in Section. She shook her head- they were conspiring against her so she couldn't take a nice long shower!

"What, Michael?" Nikita snapped, impatient.

He looked into her eyes for a second then shook his head and walked away from her.

"I need more on the woman." Michael approached the witness the next morning. "Any distinguishing features?"

"I'd say she had distinguishing features! But hasn't she told you all about the hit yet?"

Michael hid his shock. "What do you mean told me all about the hit?"

"You came here with her today. She's right there by your van, man! She's the one that shot the dude you are talking about!"

Michael turned to look back at Nikita. Why? Why had she done it this way?

Just then another van pulled up. Nikita sighed- it was going to be sooner not later. She went without a fight.

"What is going on?" Walter demanded when he saw Nikita being brought in.

"Walter, what are they doing with Nikita?" Birkoff asked, concerned.

Nikita refused to talk until Michael arrived. She sat there, face forward, empty eyes, waiting in Operations' office.

"Why did you kill Jergun?" Operations demanded.

"Because he was a traitor." She answered flatly.

Everyone was stunned. "There is proof of this, of course." Operations stated.

"Of course. If you had waited a few more hours this wouldn't have been necessary. We need Birkoff and his computers." Nikita rose form her chair and started for the door.

"Birkoff, pull up the files I had you working on"

"The SIMMS?"

Nikita smiled. "They weren't SIMMS, Birkoff. They were Jergun's transmissions to various Freedom Fighters. By the way, you haven't got the remaining ones, they only made it look like you got them. Birkoff also has their actual locations so you can strike them.

"And, Madeline, as for my feelings towards him, he was a bastard." Nikita added after she outlined her proof.

"Why did you kill him like that?" Michael asked, curious.

Nikita answered but didn't look at him. "He tried to rape me. We were going out for coffee, he brought me there- his mistake. I know the streets well."

Operations nodded. "You are fully activated, Nikita. Good job. Birkoff, ready those locations. Michael, I want teams ready to strike in less than ten hours."

Michael wanted to talk with Nikita but she walked off with Madeline.

"Nikita, why did you really kill Jergun?" Madeline asked when they were seated in her office.

"Because he was planning to take Michael out. The meeting was intended for Michael, I just intercepted the message." Nikita admitted on a sigh. She was too tired to worry about being psycho-analyzed by Madeline. "Madeline, I don't want him to trust me. I just want him to trust in his own ability to train a decent Section One operative. I didn't think it was that difficult. Then again his perception of difficult and mine are completely different!"

Madeline smiled. "Things, Nikita, have a way of changing without our interference."

Nikita stood up. "May I go now, Madeline? I would just like to get some rest."

"Do you think he'll ever realize your excuse wasn't the correct one?"

"I honestly don't know anymore." Nikita answered before she left the office.

She had changed into sweats after her shower and was listening to the Blues when there was a knock on her door. She had slept only two of the sixteen hours that had gone by when Michael knocked on her door.

"Yes, Michael?" Nikita opened the door slowly.

"Bring your CD's, Nikita." Michael ordered.

She smiled at the apartment. It was not the same location, but it would do. She would surprise Michael, she knew, with a different decorating style than the old Nikita would chose.

"Could I go see Carla every once in a while?" Nikita asked softly.

"You may but be careful." Michael smiled. "Why did you lie, Nikita?"

Nikita stared at him. "When have I lied to you?"

"You didn't kill Jergun because he tried to rape you." Michael stated.

Nikita smiled slowly. "Madeline and I were wondering if you would realize that. While true, you are correct, I wouldn't have killed him for that. I killed him because I realized what he wanted."

"You."

"No, Michael. He wanted you, your position in Section, the respect everyone- especially Ops and Madeline- gave you and the way I gave you my loyalty." Nikita sighed, deciding then she didn't have to tell him all of it. "I realized two weeks ago his reason for helping us. The next day I began to suspect him of selling out. He had realized, at least subconsciously, he could never be you. The meeting I killed him at was intended for you. I intercepted his message to you. How did you know I didn't give you the right reason?"

"The street man's words. You met him there, he didn't bring you. Mostly, though, I know that you wouldn't kill without provocation, and while attempted rape was provocation, it wasn't enough, to you, for killing him or any man." Michael answered her with the truth.

Nikita shook her head and smiled. "It's a nice place, Michael. Thank you."

"Want to grab some coffee? There is an all night shop a block from here." Michael asked suddenly.

Nikita stared at him before breaking out in a laugh. "Lets go! I ain't even going to take the time to change clothes in case you change your mind and jet on me!"

Michael chuckled as she linked her arm through his and half pulled him out the door.

He saw her home at 2 am. As she closed the door, he whispered, "I don't need to trust my training ability. I trust you, Nikita." Then he turned and headed home.

"Operations, Michael will never know the truth, will he?" Nikita asked the next morning in his office. She was debriefing from her mission.

"I see no need to tell him anything. The mission is over, the traitor canceled. Your job is done and you have proven your loyalty yet again." Operations answered.

Nikita rolled her eyes. He knew she had done it for Michael, not just the Section. Her freedom had showed her how much she counted on various members of the Section. Operations had been right all those years ago- the Section became your family.

The End