Elena got up at 5 a.m. again. Then, after a quick breakfast in the cafeteria, she had her first lesson with computers.

Ugh.

The man who’d explain this to her introduced himself as Birkoff and was young, around 25. He looked like the proverbial computer geek with baggy clothes, pale skin and tinted glasses. He showed her the basics of the system, but she didn’t really pay attention. In her opinion, computers were complicated and uninteresting, and she was glad when two hours had passed. Where was Nikita anyway?

The hall was huge and Elena stood a bit helpless in the middle of it, looking for Nikita. Her office was empty, and she didn’t know whether to go back to her room or to wait in the office.

Just then the perch, which had been dark, was illuminated and a moment later a person came in and stood with its back to her in front of the computer monitors she could make out at the back of the perch.

Elena couldn’t get rid of the feeling that this person - male - seemed familiar. She wasn’t able to make out his features, but there was something, a fleetingly quiet feeling that was gone before she could grasp it... Just then Nikita appeared and called her to her office. Elena followed her, but when she cast a last look to the perch, it was dark again.

~~~

“Oh.” That was all she could muster to say as Nikita handed her the daily schedule. It was certainly... interesting.

Good God, how was she supposed to learn all this stuff?

Martial arts, survival training, computers, equipment, first aid, etiquette (why the heck did she have to learn that?), weapons... the list seemed endless. And to make this already horrible day better, the next subject was a workout with Nikita. Elena groaned.

~~~

The walls of the shower were covered in steam and the water was already getting cold again, but Elena stayed just a little bit longer under the refreshing stray, just to enjoy the cleansing feeling that came with the water. When she stepped out of the shower she stood in front of the mirror, clearing the steam from it with her hand so she could see her reflection.

The face that stared at her wasn’t the face that had entered Section six months ago.

It was fuller, tanned due to two weeks survival training in wilderness, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were long gone. She looked down at her body; it had changed, too. She’d gotten muscles and had never been in a better shape. Elena almost didn’t recognize herself anymore, and sometimes she wondered who this girl in the mirror was… this girl who sparred daily with her sensei or Nikita, who made jokes with Walter while cleaning a gun, and who almost fell asleep while running sims.

She went to her wardrobe and opened it. Today was her free day, and she was going to spend it with Alex.

Alex worked at level 10 permanently, teaching her and the other recruits how to use the computers. The two women quickly became friends, as Alex had been pretty new in headquarters, too. And because Elena couldn’t leave Section alone, she’d asked the younger woman to go with her. Well, she’d asked Nikita first, but she’d just had a week downtime herself and had no time to skip her schedule for a shopping trip.

Sometimes Elena wondered how her trainer spent her free time. Where did she live? Did she have an apartment or a house? Did she have friends outside Section, a boyfriend?

When she decided on a long skirt (she knew that Nikita would scold her because it was unpractical to run in) and a white blouse, she made the decision to prod Alex about Nikita; perhaps she knew something.

~~~

After a week to herself, without calls in the middle of the night, not even her full schedule could bring Nikita’s good mood down…a week with scented bubble baths, long sleeps until noon, shopping trips, a good book and, of course, the best... Michael.

She sighed happily and stared dreamily at her computer screen. Michael could take only two days off, but he’d managed to come home every evening, and she’d almost felt like a normal wife with a normal husband who was always home in the evening... and the nights... her smile began to widen to a grin when the intercom beeped.

Damn, you couldn’t even have a decent fantasy here without being interrupted.

“Yeah, what is it?” she snapped somewhat impatiently.

“Could you come to my office, Nikita?” When she heard her husband’s slightly amused voice, Nikita almost blushed as she stuttered out a “Yes” and hurried out of her office.

~~~

Michael was seated behind his desk, reading Elena’s file. It was positive, and most of her scores were above average. She’d done well; he was a bit surprised by that. He’d expected low scores in the first week because of Adam’s death.

The thought of Adam still caused him pain; but it was a small pain and Michael had realized long ago that he’d really grieved for his son at the time he had to leave them.

But with Elena, it was a different matter. She’d watched her son die a terrible death; it was amazing how stable her psych profile seemed. Then, on the other side, recruits were kept busy during training; you hardly had time to think.

As Michael saw one of Elena’s latest pictures, he smiled. She looked healthy. Almost happy. Perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary to let her know the whole truth; perhaps it would be possible to let out certain parts in the story of her father and the role he had played. For this purpose he’d called Nikita: Elena’s training was almost finished; she was ready.

~~~

The bright colors and the lively noises of the town never ceased to make Elena happy. She spent a very pleasant day with Alex, shopping, watching a movie, talking. The chance to ask Alex about her trainer came when they had a late lunch.

She waited until the waiter had taken their orders and asked as casually as possible,

“What can you tell me about Nikita?”

The other woman looked surprised. “Nikita? She’s your trainer. I think you know more about her than I do.”

Elena looked down for a moment. “Well, it’s just, she never talks to me about her personal life. She’s always so serious and businesslike.”

“That’s funny.” Alex said. “Nikita’s one of the most open and friendly people in Section. Everyone likes her; especially the people who knew Paul.”

Elena nodded. She knew that story: it was an open secret that Nikita had helped the current Operations to get his power, and rumors were that Paul had ordered her cancellation more than once, which seemed strange because Nikita was one of the best operatives Section had.

But she asked nevertheless, “What was it like? Was all really so different then?”

“Well, I’d been in Section just for a short time when the command changed, and I was at a substation… but yes, it was different, very different. You got in abeyance much easier, for example; only one botched mission and you had a nice little number on the termination list. Another factor was the permanent surveillance. Speaking freely inside Section wasn’t possible; there were cameras everywhere. And even if you got your own apartment eventually, that was observed, too. Can you imagine what it was like to be watched 24/7?”

The waiter interrupted their talk, bringing water and a Coke.

Alex took a sip and continued. “You could handle all this once you’d gotten used it. Kind of…habit, I guess. But the worst thing was that personal relationships were forbidden.”

“What!” Elena exclaimed. When several people looked at her, she blushed and spoke in a hushed tone. “But... how’s that possible? They can’t prevent that if you are in Section all the time.”

“It wasn’t exactly forbidden, but unwanted. Besides, most of the people kept to themselves anyway. You couldn’t be sure if your friend was really your friend, or just an operative with a mission to watch and manipulate you.”

Elena stared at her hands. How could a person live like this? No life of your own, no friends... now she understood why Nikita’s and Walter’s eyes seemed so old sometimes.

Her friend smiled slightly. “That, however, is luckily the past. But you wanted to know something about Nikita, right? As I told you, I don’t know her that much longer or better than you do, but there are rumors that she and Operations are involved with each other.”

For the second time during this conversation all Elena could say was “What?!”

Alex began to grin. “Have you ever seen her when she comes out of his office? Sometimes she smiles so broadly you’d think she won in lottery. And if you see both of them together... considering the looks of him, I don’t wonder.” Her grin broadened. “It should be against protocol to have a boss who looks like him, or what do you think?”

“Well...” Elena hesitated. She had never noticed, but as she thought about it now, she’d never seen Operations. Why not? Yes, she spent most of her time at level 10, but when she was on the main level he was never present, except that one time six months ago - that strangely familiar person in the perch had been him, she was sure.

She was about to answer when Alex’s cell phone rang. The younger woman scowled and picked up her call from Section.

~~~

Madeline terminated the phone connection and stared at her bonsai trees. They were so small, so easy to manipulate...

Today, she’d get her revenge… the revenge she’d waited so long for. In destroying Elena, she could show Michael and Nikita that they were still in Section, and that it was still deadly to mess with her plans.

~~~

Elena stood before Madeline’s office, mentally collecting herself. In her time in Section, the hours she’d spent with Madeline had been the scariest. The older woman wasn’t unfriendly or rude. But she had an aura around her that made Elena want to run in the opposite direction almost every time she saw her. But the second-in-command had called her immediately to her office after she and Alex had returned, which increased her nervousness. Hesitantly she punched in her code and entered the office.

“Sit down, Elena.” Madeline smiled as she stepped in, as always.

She sat down somewhat anxiously, straightened her skirt and twisted her fingers. It was a bad habit she’d tried - without success - to get rid of, because it showed her emotions too clearly. Was it her imagination, or did Madeline’s eyes seem colder than on other days?

Madeline chose her next words carefully.

“Over the last few months you’ve developed well. We are very pleased with your progress. However, we think it’s time for you to know the truth.”

The truth? About what? Elena’s anticipation grew. Had this to do with Nikita? Or the men who had killed Adam?

“Your recruitment was no coincidence. You were registered in our databases long before your imprisonment. Elena. What do you know about your father?”

That caught her off guard. Her father?

“He left my mother and me when I was a child,” she whispered hoarsely. “He... he died five years ago.”

“How?” Madeline inquired. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to see Elena tell about it herself.

Elena swallowed. Hardly. It still hurt, after all these years. “He was shot. When he… when he visited me in the hospital. It was an accident. He worked undercover for the government and a hostile organisation found out his true identity and killed him.”

Section had excelled itself with this mission and the aftermath of it. Even Vacek’s own daughter believed the story Section had set up for her. Hilarious. Vacek, an undercover agent for the government. It explained everything: his absence, no traces of him anywhere, his hesitation to meet his only child. Perfect. It was almost a pity Madeline had to destroy this picture perfect for Elena.

Almost.

She waited a moment, then smiled a fake compassionate smile. “Yes, that’s what was told to you. It’s wrong. Salla Vacek, your father, was a terrorist. He was one of the most dangerous men in the world. Section One tried to find him or links to him for years.”

To say she was shocked was an understatement. Elena breathed out sharply, a ragged, agonized breath. She tried to look at Madeline, but the room had begun to blur, and Madeline’s words kept spinning in her head.

Father... terrorist... dangerous...

terrorist...

terrorist...

terrorist...

Shock, labored breathing, confusion, paleness... that was expected…the analyst in Madeline noticed Elena’s reaction automatically and dispassionately. A tiny part of her, a part which she believed dead, screamed that this wasn’t right, that this was cruel... however, it was just a tiny part, one that Madeline had learned to ignore a long time ago. Still, she gave the other woman some time before the next blow, a blow which would shatter her and her world into thousand pieces, irrevocably.

Long minutes passed, minutes that stretched into eternity...

Finally Elena managed to say, ” How? How did you find him?”

“We put pressure on him with your illness. As you know, he came and was cancelled immediately.”

Eyes full of unshed tears that would flow later, Elena lifted her gaze slowly. “No... no, you had no… how did you know I was ill? It was so sudden. You had no time... unless Nikita… had Nikita something to do with this? Was she sent to watch me?”

“No.” Madeline saw Elena’s pale, anguished face and had to suppress a smile. “No, Nikita was an accident. To be honest, she almost destroyed the cover which was set up much earlier. No, the operative watching you was another person.”

Madeline’s serene face.

The almost inaudible hum of her notebook.

Her perfect manicured fingernails, clasped together.

The gray wall behind her.

A soft whisper. “Who?”

“Your husband. Michael Samuelle.”

And the world broke apart.

~~~

Later, Elena sometimes tried to remember the day her past was destroyed, but all she came up with was a fuzzy blur.

Most of her memories were blocked in an attempt to save her sanity, but not her feelings. She might not remember Madeline’s face as she showed her Michael’s file, nor Nikita as she tried to comfort her, nor the horrible night that followed. But she felt her shock, anguish and utter desperation every time she thought back to her life then, as if it had been yesterday.

And sometimes, in the lonely nights she couldn’t find peace in sleep, she’d lie awake for hours and stare in the darkness around her. After that, the nightmares always came, every one different. One was the worst, a blurry, forgotten memory, pushed aside: her aiming a gun at Michael and threatening to kill him.

~~~

The main hall was deserted. A mission had just been completed and most of the operatives had taken a break. The perch above her was black and seemed empty, as always. It was always dark, at least every time she’d seen it. And he’d been there the whole time, watching her, observing her...

Elena quietly looked around, checking her surroundings without really seeing them. If someone had been near her, he’d have seen a pretty woman around thirty years old, her dark hair in sharp contrast to her pale face. Her posture was stiff as she stood there, looking at the perch above her with huge, almost black eyes. And if this someone had come nearer, he could have seen that those eyes seemed lifeless and that there were tears in them.

How long she just stood there, she didn’t know. Time seemed to have stopped. It could have been seconds, some minutes, even hours. The world outside of Elena had ceased to exist, had faded into darkness and chaos. All she could do was to feel - feel her emotions trying to grasp her reality, trying to hold together what was left of it. Her reality... deep down in her mind, she remembered a quote, something about a knife, someone’s definition of reality.

Elena wanted to cry; she had the small hope that she’d cry and fall asleep and wake up in the morning, next to Michael, only to see that this nightmare of the past four years never happened... but stop.

Michael... he’d betrayed her, too. He’d never been her husband, he’d never loved her, her or Adam.

Adam. Her son.

Madeline’s words kept coming to her, words she hadn’t wanted to hear, had tried to block them out... yet they came and she could recall them clearly: “Section needed Vacek by all means necessary.. a blood cover seemed appropriate.” Appropriate. Adam, her only son, had been betrayed before he’d been born.

A single tear rolled down Elena’s cheek. She absently wiped it away, now focussing on her goal: Adam had died because of Michael; her whole life had been destroyed by him. It seemed only fair that Michael should suffer, too.

Elena reached for her purse, opening it. She felt the cold metal in her hand, and, her decision made, she went in direction of the stairs.

~~~

Nikita saw that Elena was heading towards the perch. Actually, she’d been watching the other woman for a while. She’d been puzzled by her behavior: standing in the main hall for a full ten minutes, staring at the perch... what was going on? Michael stood next to her, and suddenly he grabbed Nikita’s hand.

“She knows.”

~~~

The pad looked ordinary, like all the others which were used in Section. Elena hesitantly punched in her code. Nothing happened. Of course not. Only full operatives could enter Operation’s office without special permission. But Madeline had given her a new code, after Elena hadn’t wanted to believe that Michael was alive.

“See for yourself”, the older woman had said.

See for yourself.

The door opened and Elena stepped in.

What had she expected? Shocked faces, panicked voices? This was Section. She should have known how things worked by now. But as Elena entered the office it seemed as if they’d awaited her. Nikita... and Michael.

At first she could neither move nor speak.

Michael.

Even though she’d seen recent pictures of him, seen his file, a tiny part of her hadn’t believed Madeline. He was dead, she’d witnessed it with her own eyes. But now he stood there, staring at her with those eyes that were uniquely his. Seemingly green, but when you looked closer you could see many different shades in them... Elena had loved those eyes, they’d always shone with love... but not anymore. They were emotionless and seemed like steel.

Elena took an unsure step further into the room, breaking free from Michael’s gaze. He’d changed so thoroughly, he seemed like a completely different person. His hair had grown long again, and he wore a black suit - completely black.

Another step and the door shut with a soft click. This tore Elena out of her trance and she raised her head. Her voice sounded smooth, soft.

“So it’s true.”

The silence in the room was deafening. Michael, for once, didn’t know how to react. What could he do in a situation like this? What to say? He couldn’t apologize for this; he couldn’t make up for stealing a woman’s life.

At last, Elena spoke. Her voice had this unemotional quality that sounded strange in her own ears.

“What? Do you have nothing to say? Don’t you have anything to say, either of you? Or is this the way you handle all things? Simply ignore them?”

She didn’t even notice the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. The last two hours had pounded her reality to pieces, and that began to take its toll on her.

“Elena...” Nikita said quietly, and made a step towards her.

Nikita.

A supposed friend.

A person to rely on.

A friendly and caring woman.

Nikita, Michael’s wife.

“Shut up!” She screamed as all emotions suddenly seemed to break free. “Just shut up! I don’t want to hear that Section crap from you! What you did to me... what you do to me... YOU’VE BETRAYED ME! You stole my life from me! You stole my son, you KILLED HIM!”

The tears flowed freely now, as if a dam had broken.

At these hateful words, Michael flinched and Elena noticed the motion. “Hit a nerve? What was your reward for another successful mission? Were you happy when you finally killed my father? Finally you got rid of us and could return to your precious Nikita and marry her right away! Or did you marry her before? During one of your ‘business trips’?”

Elena could see herself waiting for Michael for weeks with almost no word from him. And when he returned he was often tired and moody. She could see herself kissing him, making love to him... giving birth to Adam, his son. She could see Michael, playing the cello for him. All fake, all a lie. He’d had someone else all the time. He’d never loved her, he’d never loved Adam.

The gun in her hand was cool and firm. She’d gotten it soon after her recruitment, from Walter. Normally recruits didn’t get guns that early, but she was a special case... The barrel gleamed silvery in the dim light, and there was a soft click as Elena cocked the weapon and aimed it at Michael, her arm steady and unwavering.

“Tell me,” she whispered, “tell me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you.”

A few seconds went by. Time slowed down and then, an equally soft whisper.

“I don’t know one single reason.”

She inhaled sharply, unbelieving. Just now, after hearing his voice again, she became aware of her actions. The gun... she stared at it in wonder, as if she were seeing it for the first time. She’d practiced shooting, but never in the simulator, with persons. Not since that fateful night so long ago...

Elena could feel it again, the horror at seeing Adam’s dead body, the initial confusion and the uncontrollable rage… the rage that made her act without thought, that made her want to kill everyone... the rage she felt now against Michael. Her hand began to shake more and more. A sob escaped Elena’s lips before she threw the gun to the floor and fled from the room.

~~~

Elena’s sobs were the only thing that interrupted the darkness and the silence of her room. She laid crouched on her bed, hugging herself and crying out all her desperation. The almost unbearable rage she’d felt earlier was gone, completely vanished, and now she just wanted to die. Her body shook violently with each sob, and it began to hurt.

How could this have happened?

The look in Michael’s eyes as he whispered those words to her, no longer cold and unemotional, but full of pain and regret. In that moment he wasn’t the cruel Section operative who’d manipulated her for years but her husband, the Michael she’d fallen in love with.

And she couldn’t pull the trigger.

How could she even have considered it? Killing him? In those moments, Elena had relived all the happy times she’d had with him, like in a film: their first date, his proposal, their marriage, Adam’s birth...

And when she’d finally realized what she was doing, training a gun at a person, she’d panicked, remembering the last time this had happened. Elena had done the only thing she could do: run and hide in darkness and try to forget everything. And so she cried.

~~~

The door opened soundlessly and Nikita entered. Adjusting her eyes to the darkness, she could make out Elena in the corner of her bed, huddled and crying. She gingerly kneeled next to the woman, not daring to switch on the lights. It was probably not wise to try to comfort Elena now, but she couldn’t just stand back and watch Elena’s misery - it tore her apart.

As the other woman didn’t seem to have noticed her, Nikita spoke softly. “Elena…” but didn’t touch her. The other woman flinched and crawled away until her back was against the wall. It was still black in the room, except from the small light from the notebook, signaling that it was currently on stand-by.

“What do you want?” Elena asked bitterly. “To tell me more lies?”

“No,” Nikita replied softly. “I... I want to help you.”

“Help me? You come a bit late, don’t you think? Where were you when Adam was killed? After you used me for years, you’d think you could at least protect us. But wait, perhaps it was another little plot, courtesy of Section, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on, Nikita, don’t play dumb. A living reminder of a mission... of Michael... plus the wife. You probably decided that we were ‘acceptable collateral’. And why not? Just another two innocents, another family tragedy: ‘woman commits suicide after killing the murderers of her son’. Or was it jealousy? Were you jealous of me?”

“NO!” Nikita answered fiercely. “I was never jealous of you. How can you think that of me? Killing in cold blood? I thought you knew me better than that.”

“I know you?” Elena hissed. “I’ll tell you what I know about you. I thought I knew a woman related to my husband who miraculously disappeared after his death. I thought I knew a woman who was my trainer and who I could trust. All I know about you now is that you deceived me all along and on top of that, you’re married to Michael! Didn’t you see him often enough so you decided you could pay a visit to us? To have something to laugh about? So you could make a fool of me? Are you happy now? After you destroyed everything I had? After taking me into Section? You should at least have left me in prison. At least I’d have the knowledge that I had a father who did good even if he was never there and a husband who loved and cared for me! Now I have nothing, thanks to you and Michael. You’ve got your revenge.”

The tears had stopped; she simply felt too drained and tired for crying. She just wanted to be left alone.

Nikita chose her next words carefully. “That’s not true, Elena, and I think you know that. I never wanted to hurt you. I… I didn’t know about Michael’s mission when I came to your house.”

“What did you want then, Nikita? A good screw from your husband, perhaps?” Elena lashed out hatefully. In this moment it didn’t matter that the other woman could cancel her in the blink of an eye; she wanted to hurt Nikita as she’d hurt her.

Nikita winced but stayed calm. “No... I needed help - very badly,” she admitted. “I saw no other way than to contact Michael. We didn’t have a relationship then, and I didn’t know about you, I swear. Please... please believe me.”

Slowly Elena curled up on her bed and said in a muffled voice, “Go. I don’t want to hear your reasons or your apologies. I have every reason to hate you, Nikita, and why should I believe you? You betrayed me long enough, so why should you tell the truth now? Go away and let me alone.”

Hesitantly, Nikita rose. At the door she stopped for a moment, looking at the dark figure on the bed before she left the room, and quietly shut the door behind her.

~~~

Madeline watched Elena’s room, sipping on her tea. There wasn’t much to see, but the conversation was certainly interesting. She had to suppress a smile. Sometimes people reacted so predictably, it was laughable.

The door opened and Michael came in; she looked up from her screen and quickly disconnected the link. He moved seemingly unhurried, his face a mask as always, but Madeline knew that he fumed inwardly.

Good.

“Explain,” he hissed. He didn’t need to say what, and she didn’t play dumb.

She carefully place the china cup on the saucer, crossed her legs and looked openly in his face. “It’s better for her to get the facts now, the earlier, the better. She has time to deal with it now; she’ll be over it by the time she’ll be on full operative status and will be able to work with you.”

That was a lie. Elena would never be able to work with Michael on a strictly professional level; she was too emotional and too attached to him. But he couldn’t object. If he did, it would be grounds for Elena’s cancellation; that had been her intention all along.

Michael was livid and close to exploding. Still, he managed to keep his voice even and unemotional.

“It wasn’t your decision to make, Madeleine, but mine, and Nikita’s, who’s her trainer. I warned you once Madeline, not to play games with me. Don’t cross my affairs; should you mess with this again, I’ll notify Oversight and have you replaced.”

Both knew that ‘replaced’ meant cancellation, but that wasn’t Madeline’s concern.

“What’s there to tell, Michael? As far as I know, Oversight doesn’t even know about Elena’s recruitment. They’d be very surprised about that, don’t you think?”

Suddenly Michael’s face was only inches away from hers as he whispered, “Behave, Madeline, or I’ll kill you myself.” With that, he turned around and left the room.

A cruel smile played around Madeline’s lips. Her plan had worked.

~~~

Two days had passed, two days since Elena had found out the truth about her father and Michael. Two days had passed since she’d left her quarters. She refused to speak with anyone, not with Nikita, not with Walter, not with Alex, who had no clue what was going on, and Nikita and Michael began to get seriously worried.

Madeline really had chosen the worst time possible, because the evaluation was near. Every four years, Section One was evaluated, beginning with Operations and Nikita. It was the second time since they had taken over Section, and if George wasn’t satisfied with the results, they’d be replaced. And considering their current emotional state, this was going to be very, very difficult.

~~~

Michael’s face darkened as he read the intel Birkoff had provided him with.

First the evaluation: he and Nikita would be gone for several days. Second, an impending abeyance mission would take place during their absence. It was a dangerous mission with no chance of survival; the base was heavily guarded; it would take at least ten operatives to accomplish their goal: to destroy their computer system. The problem was, once the system was deleted, the whole building would blow up automatically.

No, he didn’t like this at all.

Michael had a bad feeling about leaving Elena alone under Madeline’s reign. So far, the other woman had done nothing but wreak havoc on Elena’s already fragile psyche, and he wasn’t sure what she planned next. It was time to take Madeline out of the equation permanently.

He sighed and began to prepare his leave.

~~~

Nikita paced in her office, waiting for Michael. She was impatient and nervous, not having slept the last few nights, and still concerned about Elena - and Madeline. The older woman had chosen the worst time possible to drop her little bombshell, and Nikita wondered what she was up to. Madeline did nothing without a plan. And Elena...

She sighed deeply and sat down, only to stand up a moment later and resume pacing. She glanced out of her window, closing the blinds and checking her bag for the fifth time.

She hated those evaluations. She’d lived through one and in her opinion, once was more than enough. But George insisted on them after the incident with Paul - understandably so. But still...

Nikita had a bad feeling about this, a nagging little feeling that told her something wasn’t right - her instinct. Michael didn’t believe in instinct, but she did. With one last glance around her office, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for Birkoff’s workstation.

~~~

“Please, come in.” Madeline sounded amiable, but there was an underlying threat in her tone, leaving Elena with no doubt as to what could happen if she refused to do so. She sat down without an invitation, not really caring about the other woman’s power over her.

Madeline’s face remained unreadable but she sighed inwardly. Elena was a mere shadow of her former self… hair loose and uncombed, face red and swollen from weeping, eyes huge and empty.

“We understand that you had some... difficult issues to deal with, Elena. However, we can’t accept that you defy direct orders and lock yourself in your room. Operations may tolerate this; I don’t. You’re a Section operative. We expect that you can deal with the personal matters concerning Michael and your marriage.”

Elena winced slightly but otherwise showed no reaction. It didn’t matter anymore. Currently she felt like she wanted to die; that was the easiest way out. Perhaps Madeline would cancel her; it seemed like mercy. She was in Section; she’d lost all, even her freedom. If she couldn’t even have that, Elena saw no reason to live anymore. She shrugged.

“Whatever.”

Madeline nodded, seeing Elena’s reaction and knowing her thoughts. “As I said, despite that, we’re pleased with your progress... and due to our shortage of operatives, you’re required for a mission next week.”

“What?” That got her full attention. A mission! That was impossible! She’d had only six months of training. “But... but I’m not ready and...” Elena stuttered nervously.

“You meet the requirements for this specific mission. Certain aspects of your training are already finished. I’m sure you’ll do fine. The briefing is scheduled for tomorrow, 10:00 a.m. I expect you to put your emotions aside and be prepared. Failure is not an option.”

Still speechless, Elena understood the dismissal and hurriedly left the room, eager to escape.

Madeline smiled, just a little bit. Another part of her plan was working. She looked at the screen, bringing up Elena’s file and updating it. She quickly scanned through the pages. Yes, all was as it should be... including the newest, encrypted part:

Abeyance list- Termination number one.

~~~

The soft beep pulled Birkoff’s attention to the screen. Frowning, he scrolled through the pages and typed in some commands. There it was, a new entry had been made in the classified files, files he was supposed to keep hidden on Nikita’s orders. Very few people had the codes to access those files. Scanning for the update, he knew that something was wrong when the computer came up with nothing. Some commands later, he had the entry. Birkoff’s face grew pale, and he stared at the screen for at least ten seconds before he frantically began to track down Michael and Nikita.

~~~

The phone rang.

Damn.

Michael stared at it crossly, contemplating whether to pick it up or to toss it out the window. Could it be some trick of Oversight? Another psyche test? But what if it was important? An emergency? Sighing, he picked up.

“Yes,” sounding emotionless and cold. He listened for about ten seconds and if one could’ve seen Michael’s face through the darkness he would have read nothing… no surprise or distress or anger. But as he hurriedly dressed and proceeded to wake Nikita, one could've seen the tremor in his movements and the unconcealed fury in his eyes.

~~~

Elena crouched in the shadows under the trees, avoiding the lights and surveying the building before her. It was night - a clear, beautiful, cold night, with millions of stars scattered across the sky… a night made to watch the stars and the moon in the warming arms of your lover, just enjoying life and sharing a kiss here and then.

Such nights she’d spent with Michael, basking in his apparent love, relishing the tenderness with which he’d made love to her. She’d lie in his embrace for hours, listening to his heartbeat and feeling like the luckiest woman alive.

What a fool she’d been.

“Report,” the team leader ordered, jolting Elena back into reality. Oh, the irony wasn’t lost to her: here she was, looking out for hostiles, her own gun in her hand. She’d probably be dead by the time dawn approached. The man who was responsible for this was the same man who’d died over four years ago, the same man who’d betrayed and hurt her beyond repair. And yet here she was, dreaming about him...

“Elena, report!” The impatient voice startled her. Blinking, she glanced around.

“No movement, everything seems quiet”, she spoke into her com unit.

“Proceed.” The order sounded harsh, cold. Would it always be like this? Was this the way she’d spend the rest of her life?

Elena didn’t realize that her hands were shaking as she ran toward the building and stopped at the small door. Her breathing was uneven; she wasn’t prepared for this, wasn’t ready. Of course, she didn’t really care if she died, but to die like this... what had they thought when they’d sent her on a mission? She was only a recruit, not trained for this; and yet here she stood. What a crazy world.

“I’m entering now.”

Elena swiftly kicked the door open, her gun aimed at the darkness. She was in a storage room, small and dirty. There was another door, closed. She tried to open it, surprised that it wasn’t locked. The voice in her ear was quiet, reporting that the system had been destroyed. Then, gun fire and a single cry.

Silence.

She winced. Had the other operative died?

Again, the team leader. “All teams, hold positions.”

Why? They’d reached their aim, so why stay?

But Elena obeyed, taking a few steps farther. Weren’t there voices? Panicked shouts? She strained to hear something, momentarily forgetting her surroundings.

A single shot rang out.

~~~

Elena turned around rapidly, stunned, just in time to see a dead body drop to the floor. Who...?

Two people stood in the doorway, black clad from head to toe. She shrieked as one of them approached her and grabbed her hand. She was too afraid to do anything.

“Come on, get out, run!” a familiar voice shouted.

She was pulled out of the corridor, out of the storage room and back into the night. But they didn’t stop, they increased their speed. The one who’d taken her hand yanked Elena’s com unit out of her ear and threw it behind them.

And suddenly the world exploded into red and yellow flames.

~~~

“Oooow,” she slowly came into consciousness. Elena’s whole body hurt and her head seemed to burst. She gingerly sat up and looked into the concerned faces of Michael and Nikita.

“You?” she asked, “What are you doing here?”

Michael gave her a small bottle. “Drink that. You’ll feel better after it.”

Elena took a sip and coughed. The liquid burned in her mouth and throat, but she really didn’t feel as dizzy as before.

“We don’t have much time,” Nikita explained.

Elena was confused, stunned, and most importantly, angry. “What was that?” she hissed, “Why did you send me on this mission?… and why did you come? Were you in the mood to play hero?”

“No.” The word was spoken quietly but firmly. “No,” Michael repeated softly. “You weren’t supposed to go on this mission. That was my... mistake. I didn’t pay enough attention to Madeline.”

“Madeline? She didn’t plan this mission, you did! And you screwed up! All... all the operatives in there! They’re dead because of your mistake!”

Michael looked down. Should he tell her the truth?… crush her more with the ugly reality? Or lie to her and let her remain in the dark? He looked at Nikita; her eyes were bright, two blue orbs in the darkness. She nodded almost undetectably, smiling a small, sad smile. He swallowed.

“Yes... that was my mistake… an unforgivable one. But I swear, I never sent you on this mission. Madeline did.”

“But why?” Despite all, Elena believed him. He’d lied to her for so long, and yet she found herself believing his eyes once more.

He sighed. “You aren’t fully trained. She hoped you’d make a mistake and get yourself killed.”

She winced. Killed? Many questions shot through her head. So many things unclear, so many questions unanswered.

“Michael.” Nikita sounded urging before she left them and went in direction of the woods, leaving Elena and Michael alone.

“Elena, I have to go before they discover our absence. But please, believe me, it was never my intention to cause you so much pain. I… I always wanted to keep you safe.”

He looked intently at her and she felt as if he was staring right in her soul.

“You’re free, Elena, free to go wherever you want to go. I didn’t want it like this, but now it’s too late to change it. Here.” The disk in his hands was small and shined silvery under the stars. She stared at it, not understanding.

“This disk contains all the things you’ll want to know… the whole truth and... some things you’ll need. You’re free, but never, ever return to Paris, Elena.” Before she could say anything, he leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the forehead.

She stood there for a long time, the disk in her hands. Gently touching the skin where his lips had touched her. She turned around and went into the darkness.

~~~

The door opened quietly and Madeline was surprised to see both Michael and Nikita. Of course she didn’t show her surprise. “Come in,” she invited the couple. Then she waited for them to say something; when they were silent, she looked up.

“Is there anything particular you need? The report about the week you were absent is almost finished; you’ll have it in another hour.”

“I have a question,” Nikita said. “Did you really think you could get away with this?”

Madeline didn’t even pretend not to know what the other woman was talking about. She regarded her calmly. “It was a necessary step; she was a liability and I think you know that. You both were too emotionally attached to Elena to evaluate her properly; It was my duty to ensure that she didn’t interfere with our job.”

Michael’s eyes bored into hers, making her feel uncomfortable. If looks could kill...

“Was it your duty or your wish for revenge? You wanted to cancel her from the beginning; it was your plan. And our evaluation was a lucky opportunity, wasn’t it?”

Madeline’s smile was frosty. “Perhaps. But you can’t prove it, Michael, so I suggest we move on to more important matters.”

“Yes,” he whispered, “more important matters.” He took out a disk from his pocket. “Do you recognize this? It belongs to you. A disk containing all your contacts to Black Wing... and the order you gave the surveillance team watching Elena. All on one disk. I almost thought you wanted it to be found.”

She stared at the silvery disk.

“You’re wondering where I got this? George was helpful after he witnessed some of the things you did to Adrian.”

Madeline paled and looked at him silently.

Michael leaned against the wall. “Was it worth it? Was your revenge for Paul more important than your own life? Was he worth it?” He took Nikita’s hand and the door opened.

“I hope it was. To know that you failed completely in all your tasks must be a hard burden for you. Although I don’t think you have to carry it much longer.”

He looked back at her. He and Nikita, they seemed almost... pitying as the security team entered. Madeline had little doubt what her destination would be.

“Goodbye, Madeline.”

~~~

Anne inhaled deeply, put on her best smile and rang. She was holding a small plant in her hands, nothing extraordinary, just a welcoming gift.

After a moment the door opened. “Yes?” the woman asked, a bit unfriendly.

“Uhm”, she hesitated briefly. “I’m Anne... I’m living in the flat next to you and I thought since you were new here, you’d like something green...” She gestured towards the plant. “But if I came at a bad time, I’m sorry... I’ll come back later?”

The woman opened the door completely and smiled a little. “No, no, you weren’t interrupting anything. I just wasn’t expecting any guests. Please, come in.”

Anne slowly stepped into the apartment and looked around. It mirrored hers, a big living room with separated bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Not very big, but nice. “Uhm, should I put it on the table?” Anne asked the woman.

Now she laughed. “My, I’m rude. Yes, thank you,...?”

“Anne. Anne Winters.”

“I’m Elena. Sorry if it’s a bit messy, I haven’t had time to clean up yet. Would you like something to drink? I can make coffee, or tea.”

“Coffee would be great.”

“I’ll come back in a moment” Elena said, going to the kitchen.

Anne could hear her rummaging through the cupboard as she looked around the living room. Some boxes were standing on the floor, still closed. On the table were several books and an open notebook. Curious, she stepped closer. The screen showed a picture of three people, one of which was Elena herself, a man, and a small boy. Her family?

“The coffee’s ready.”

Elena’s voice startled her and Anne quickly stepped back. If the other woman had noticed her surprise, she didn’t comment on it, but set two steaming cups on the table. Then she carefully closed the laptop and sat down.

~~~

While sipping on her coffee, Anne couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Do you have a family?”

Elena seemed taken aback, then sad. After a moment, she answered slowly.

“I had one... a long time ago. They died in a car crash five years ago.”

Realizing her mistake, Anne hastily excused herself.

“I’m sorry, if that... I’m really sorry.” Pretending to glance at her watch she stood up. “It’s late... I should go. Thanks for the coffee...”

“Yes, no problem...”

Elena smiled as she closed the door.

Anne just stood there, breathing out slowly. Something seemed wrong with the other woman… of course, if she’d lost her whole family... Shrugging, she opened the door to her flat and shut it softly behind her.

FIN