Series Spoiler

Title: The End Justifies the Means

Spoilers: Hard Landing, Adrian's Garden/End Game, S4 finale arc, Gelman process, Adam and Elena, and Mr. Jones (so yeah, basically everything :))

Rating: N/A

Three and a half years ago

"Okay gentlemen, madam, let's get this meeting started."

The five occupants in the boardroom gathered around the large, cherry conference table, bringing their coffees and various breakfast pastries with them. Four of the members were all stately, middle-aged, Caucasian men elegantly dressed in indistinguishable business suites, white-collared shirts, and muted ties. The fifth member of the meeting was a poised woman in her late sixties stylishly dressed in a pale blue suit. Glancing around, Adrian observed the four other members of The Committee to Oversee the Center for International Intelligence. Each member represented one of the four Western powers to which C.I.I. and its branches were held accountable - the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France. She was the sole representative from C.I.I. These four countries supplied C.I.I. with the funds necessary to operate a counter-terrorist organization and in return they closely monitored the organization's activities.

Sighing internally, Adrian dreaded the topic of this meeting. While no official reason had been given for it, she knew they were here to discuss the future of C.I.I. In the last few years, the four governments have become rather dissatisfied with Center's results in the war against terrorism. The future of her organization hung in the balance, but Adrian was prepared to give a long, hard fight before surrendering.

"Gentleman, why is it you have asked me here today?"

The representative from the US spoke first. "Adrian, you know how much we respect the work you do and the enormous dedication you have given to C.I.I. since its conception. However, we feel that C.I.I., especially the Sections, are no longer fulfilling the purpose for which they were designed."

"In other words," the German representative interrupted, "the organization has gotten out of control. Under the leadership of Paul Wolfe, Section One's causality numbers for innocents has risen five percent. That is unacceptable."

Smiling benignly, Adrian calmly countered, "Of course. I understand your point and I agree. Under his leadership, Section One has become more ruthless, but it was by necessity. Since his installation as Operations the rate of terrorism has multiplied and we are fighting not only traditional guerilla warfare tactics, but chemical and biological warfare and cyber-terrorism as well."

"Adrian, I do not disagree with your facts and figures. But the truth of the matter is C.I.I. and its branches cannot carry on as before. Too many civilian lives are at stake and they are not receiving the necessary protection," added the gentleman from France.

"What do you suggest, Gentlemen?" Adrian inquired, bracing for the worst.

Glancing at his colleagues for confirmation, the final member of the group, the representative from Great Britain replied, "The Committee has decided to give C.I.I. three years to improve the internal situation. If by that time no improvements have been made, we will begin a major scaling back of the organization."

Encountering no protest or questions from Adrian, the four representatives bid her a farewell and exited the conference room. Once the men were sufficiently distant from the room, Adrian opened her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. After three rings, a voice at the other end answered.

"We need to talk."

***

Nikita remained on the deck of the old freighter long after Michael had left her and returned to Section. Standing at the edge of the rusty deck, she gazed out over the water and contemplated her next move. As much as she would love to stand there all day and replay the events of last night, Nikita knew, for both their sakes, she had to be moving on. Lost in thought about her future, she missed the approach of a black Mercedes with tinted-windows encased by two secondary vehicles. The cars crept into the shipyard, almost silently, and parked a good distance away from the freighter.

Exiting the Mercedes, a young, muscular Asian man moved to the back of the car and opened the back driver's side door. An elegantly dressed man stepped out of the car and slowly surveyed his surrounding behind dark, designer sunglasses. Following suite, six guards exited the secondary vehicles and moved into formation as the older gentleman casually made his way towards the freighter where Nikita remained.

A calm sensation filled the air as a light breeze blew across the boatyard and seagulls called to one another, diving into and retreating from the cold ocean water, taunting their kill below. Dark blue waves lapped at the docked freighters and boats scattered amongst the harbor. A strong sun beamed down upon Nikita's body, warming her despite the cool morning air. Inhaling deeply, she absorbed the unique combination of salt air and diesel fuel from the filling station below. Lulled by the activity around her, she began to lose herself in the rocking of the boat when a creaking sound below abruptly snapped her mind back to the present.

Cursing herself for not being more on guard, she crouched down next to a large wooden spool and retrieved her Glock from the waist of her fatigues. Waiting for the unknown intruder to approach, Nikita held her position and listened for any indication of the intruder's location. Slowly she heard someone make his way up the creaking stairs to the upper deck, followed by several more pairs of feet. From the length of time it took them to scale the stairs and the weight of the footsteps, she guessed her intruders to be all men.

As the first one, and by her estimation the leader, reached the top deck, he began to move closer to her location, but suddenly stopped. Then she heard his voice.

"Hello Nikita. You can put your weapon away. I only want to speak with you."

Fortunately for Nikita her visitor could not see her face because the blatant look of shock gracing it would have given away any advantage she held. Stunned at the recognizable voice, she wondered what the hell was going on and why one of the last people on earth she expected to find her here had arrived. Gradually rising from her position, Nikita counted three men behind the leader, could hear two more shuffling about below and presumed the final man was downstairs guarding the door. In the center of it all stood Mick Schtopel wearing a charcoal gray Armani suit and black, Gucci sunglasses. Standing to full height, Nikita stepped out from her hiding place and lowered her gun, but kept it in sight.

"Ah," Mick responded, "That's much better. Now we can chat face-to-face. I am sure you are wondering how I found you and why I am here at all."

Again Nikita said nothing. Taking into account the expensive black cars Mick and his guards had arrived in, the weaponry on the men and their constant habit of surveying the area, she realized these men were no ordinary thugs working for a low level informant. No, their actions and weaponry screamed Section training.

"What is this?" she finally inquired.

Taking a seat on one of the wooden crates, Mick gestured for Nikita to join him and waited patiently for her to do so. Cautiously approaching the opposing crate, Nikita slide onto it, seating herself at the very edge poised and ready to escape if necessary. Smiling amusedly at her Section-ingrained habits, Mick raised his sunglasses to his head and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Nikita, do you understand the organizational structure that Section is under?" he asked quietly.

Thrown-off balance by his seemingly random question, Nikita did not answer Mick immediately. Making the assumption that she did not know the correct response, Mick continued, "There are eight different Section throughout the globe, Section One being the first and most important. All the Sections are monitored by Oversight, which is led by a man named George. George, along with his former partner Adrian, started the Sections and then eventually Oversight. However, both the Sections and Oversight now fall within a larger organization known as the Center for International Intelligence. Or simply known as Center."

Indicating her understanding with a soft mummer, Nikita gave no other response as she waited for Mick to tell her the rest. Her mind quickly attempted to process this information, trying to predict where this conversation was leading.

"Center is headed by a man known only as Mr. Jones. Very few people ever meet the person behind the title for obvious security reasons," pausing, he added, "I'm Mr. Jones."

Nikita's eyes went wide at his revelation. Out of habit she quickly shuttered her response, but inside she continued to reel from this information. "Mick oversees Section and all the branches above it?" she repeated in her head. Despite this dramatic piece of information, Nikita still has no idea what the purpose of his visit was or his plans.

Pinning him with her ice-blue eyes, she inquired, "Why do I get the privilege of meeting you?"

"Oh that," he humorously replied, "Well, because we need your help."

"We?"

"Yes, the organization. Center."

"How can I help?"

"We need you to be our informant inside Section One."

At his last words, Nikita gave Mick a dubious glance then rose from her seated position. Securing her previous stance against the freighter's railing, she leaned back and contemplated the man before her. He obviously has great resources to have found out that she was alive and to have uncovered her current location. The guards with him confirmed his connection to the organization and he did seem to have an extensive knowledge of Section. The real question however was, what kind of deal was the devil offering her?

"Okay," Nikita eventually responded, "Games aside, you obviously figured out that Michael helped me escape and that there is a personal component to our relationship. What do you want me to do?"

Unsurprised and greatly amused by Nikita's honesty regarding her circumstances, Mr. Jones laughed slightly and mentally congratulated himself. The young woman before him was already beginning to prove herself as the perfect candidate for the job. He knew Adrian would be pleased with his selection for this mission. Very pleased.

"Of course, you're right. I do know about the circumstances in regards to your escape, but I assure you Michael will receive no repercussions for his actions. At least not yet," he added as a warning, "He is far too good of an operative and we have too many plans for him in the future."

Nikita eyes sharpened at the veiled threat she heard underlying Mick's last statement and knew that both she and Michael would have to be on guard now more than ever. Mick and this place called Center may need both her and Michael's services at this moment, but if someone better ever came along Nikita knew their lives would no longer be of value.

Continuing on with the issues she raised, Mr. Jones stated, "As for your mission, you will return to Section and continue on as before, after all the necessary reintegration steps of course."

A look of suspicion crossed Nikita's face at Mr. Jones's description of her mission requirements. Somehow she greatly doubted that returning to Section was all that would be required of her.

"What else?"

"We don't have to get into the details here, but essentially Center has three years to prove that it and its lower branches still serve a very important purpose. We need you inside Section to help us ferret out the weak links within the system as well as the personnel. This is your chance Nikita. To make a difference. To change Section from the inside and create an organization that does what it is suppose to do - protect the innocent."

A seagull squawked loudly and swooped down close to the freighter, changing its path only at the last minute. The guards on the deck shifted restlessly as the heat from the sun seeping into their black clothing began to affect them. All around the boat yard a flurry of minor activity carried on as early morning shifted into late morning and a few lone souls who had business at the harbor arrived. Still, Nikita said nothing to Mick's proposal. She simply stood there, staring off into the distance at the scenery in front of her. Life on the streets had taught her how to detect a snow job a mile away and Mick's last words were definitely a snow job, appealing to her sense of honor and justice. Nonetheless, on some level Nikita knew he was being forthright with her and in all honesty the offer was extremely appealing. As she told Michael last night, her taste of freedom was not all it was cracked-up to be. Even after only three years, Section had embedded itself inside Nikita and she was beginning to realize that maybe she was not ready to let go just yet.

Pulling herself out of her internal conversation, she met Mick's gaze once again and asked, "If I don't agree?"

"You'll be canceled," he answered bluntly. "But know this Nikita. If you do decide to accept this mission, it will not be easy. Far from it. This will probably be the most difficult thing you will ever have to do. You and you alone will know about your mission."

Nodding her understanding, she replied after a moment's pause, "I accept."

***

Three years ago

An impeccably dressed man around thirty-years-old entered the warm and inviting living room with great purpose and strode over to the large wooden desk on the left-hand side of the room. Taking a seat across from his superior, he patiently waited for the woman in front of him to finish her business. As he sat there waiting, Alessandro contemplated the graceful yet ruthless older woman who he had become very well acquainted with in the last ten years. Adrian constantly amazed him with her ability to always be one step ahead of everyone. When he had been assigned to her from Oversight, all those years ago, the young Italian would never have guessed such a cunning mind lay beneath such a gentile exterior.

The placement of a pen on the desk broke Alessandro out of his musing. Adrian smiled warmly at him, an intrigued look on her face as she tried to discern her assistant's previous thoughts.

"Alessandro."

"Signora," he gallantly replied.

The older woman's smile grew at his affectionate title for her. "Where are we with Nikita?"

Pulling out a small disc from his filofax, Alessandro slid it across the desk and answered, "Carla reestablished contact yesterday and they have plans to meet this weekend."

"Does she suspect?"

"Not completely," her assistant commented, "Although I do believe that Nikita questions the timing of Carla's reappearance. Nothing to worry about though. Nikita knows her job."

"Good. And what about the antidote?"

"Gelman has almost finished with it and it will definitely be ready by the time you need it," pausing, Alessandro hesitated before asking, "Are you sure you still want to go through with this? Placing yourself in the hands of your successors is extremely dangerous. You have no guarantee that this will work. They may forgo the entire procedure and cancel you out right."

Rising, Adrian pushed her leather office chair back and moved to the window looking out over the home's large grounds. "Yes, I'm sure," she replied with her back to Alessandro, "It's the only way. I cannot let the organization be dismantled. Not after all of my hard work. And as for guarantees, I know Madeline too well. She'll use the procedure in favor of cancellation."

Accepting her answer as final, her young assistant left Adrian to her thoughts and quietly exited the room.

***

Present day

Since the events at Section One and Oversight six months ago, the level of activity at Center was thrown into overdrive as the organization went into the final phase of Adrian's profile to save C.I.I. Three and a half years of total dedication by those involved in the profile was about to payoff if they could finish the final and most difficult phase of the mission. Madeline and Nikita sat in Adrian's large office discussing the most recent evaluations on all of the Sections and Oversight. So far the changes Center implemented appeared to be improving all of the branches' numbers, especially Section One.

Highlighting the most recent data on the civilian causality ratio, Madeline glanced up from her laptop and asked Nikita, "Why the anomaly at Section Five?"

Scanning her information quickly, Nikita replied, "We were incorrect in our assessment of placing Sonja as Head Strategist. She needed more experience. I transferred her to the Asian sector for more training."

Before Madeline could respond, Adrian glided into the office, a dour expression on her face. The two younger women made eye contact, but said nothing, preferring to let Adrian answer when she was ready. Making her way to the side buffet, Adrian poured herself a cup of hot water and fixed her favorite tea. When the bag had finished seeping she took a calming sip and then turned her attention to the matter at hand.

"I take it the meeting with the Committee did not go as well as planned?" Nikita inquired while Adrian took a seat at her desk.

"No," she answered briskly, "While they did agree there was marked improvement, they are still not convinced that we are an absolute necessity."

"Did you tell them about the al-Qu'iad mission?" This time the question came from Madeline.

Sighing, the frustrated woman replied, "No, as much as I wanted to. It is too important of a card to just though away in a rush. No, it needs to play out before we bring it to the Committee's attention."

Continuing on Adrian questioned, "What is the status of al-Qu'iad?"

"Michael has narrowed down the possible target to three people. He is implementing a profile to ferret out the actual member of al-Qu'iad," Nikita responded.

"That is all? We're only down to three?" Adrian demanded.

"Unfortunately yes. As it is, Michael has gotten farther in these two months than any other operative has in the nine months since the mission has been in play."

"Has the timetable changed?"

"No. So far the time frame for 'The Squad's' mission is the same. The attack will go down on the 31st," the youngest member of the trio supplied.

"Adrian," Madeline interrupted, "Everything else is in place and after tonight, Michael believes he will have the identities of all 'The Squad's' members."

"Yes, yes. I know," Adrian faintly commented.

At the change in her tone of voice, Nikita and Madeline returned to their work, knowing that if she had more questions they would come later. Grateful to the two younger women for understanding her desire to think, Adrian silently observed Madeline and Nikita as they continued sifting through the data on the Sections and Oversight. At least one aspect of her profile to save the organization was proving to be successful. She had taken a grave risk in approving Nikita as her inside informant all those years ago as well as making the decision to spare Madeline from cancellation and promoting her instead. Nonetheless, over the past six months her experiment had been paying off. Madeline and Nikita were finally learning from one another instead of participating in a contest of wills. The irony of the situation was that the two women were not as different as they had believed. Plus, Adrian did have to admit that she got a kick out of Madeline being forced to acknowledge just how formidable an operative and leader Nikita was proving to be. She just hoped their skills would be enough to save the organization built on her blood, sweat and tears.

***

Operations looked out over Comm. and still marveled at all the recent changes. With the exception of Quinn, nothing seemed recognizable any more. The light of Michael's office remained off, the room closed-up until a suitable replacement could be found. He wondered if that was even possible. Michael had been a rarity and Operations doubted the person assigned to fill his post would even come close to measuring up.

At the sound of laughter coming from Munitions, he shifted his attention over to Sammi, Walter's former assistant and current head of Munitions. Extremely adept at handling Munitions and showing promise of being as creative as Walter in developing new technology, Sammi managed to make her area's transition the smoothest. But still...Operations missed the old. Change brought about too many unknowns, the possibility for too many anomalies.

A quiet clearing of a throat brought the leader of Section One out of his reflections. Cocking his head to the right, Operations found his new Chief Strategist Daniel waiting to speak with him. Daniel had been transferred from the former Eastern European sector. Born to a French father and Vietnamese mother, the thirty-three-year-old was graced with the best features of both his ethnicities, combing to create an extremely beautiful and exotic portrait. Currently, his rounded, dark brown eyes were assessing his superior with a cool façade. Suddenly reminded of Madeline, Operations wondered if all future Chief Strategists must learn to imitate that reserved, assessing façade.

"Yes Daniel?"

"Sir, we have a problem. There seems to be a high level of activity occurring amongst al-Qu'iad in the last several days."

"Unusual?"

"Yes," the new Chief Strategist replied, "Their levels have spiked twenty-five percent, yet there has been no indication that they are on the move."

"Fine. I want this looked into and report back as soon as you find anything."

"Yes sir."

Daniel left the way he arrived, without any fanfare. Automatically returning to his previous position, Operations once again glanced out over Comm. and this time observed Daniel's movement over to Quinn's station. Wincing slightly, a small part of him was still uncomfortable with the idea of Daniel fulfilling Madeline's position in Section. Her decision to handle her own destiny within the organization she devoted herself to for over twenty years did not surprise him. He just wished he had had a little more time to be with her before her death. Although, knowing Madeline, she probably would never have let him say the things he wanted to say.

Since the evaluation six months ago Center seemed to be satisfied with Section's progressive improvement and so far had not intervened in anyway. However, Operations could not help but wonder if this new information on al-Qu'iad was a test from Center - to see if the situation really was improving. Sensing that this information was extremely vital to Section's future, Operations turned to his monitor and began planning for any future contingencies.

***

Michael parked the forest green Acura Legend several blocks down from the house he was observing. If his target followed her usual patter, then tonight she would be leaving in an hour. His target in question was Dr. Julia Aragon, head of the research laboratory in the Infectious Diseases department at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. For the last two months he had been monitoring the activities of Dr. Aragon, her colleague in the department Dr. Nicolo Dumas and Dr. Peter Templeton of the Epidemiology Program. After running several Simms and reading through the debriefs from the Section Six operatives assigned to this mission, these three doctors appeared to be the most likely CDC employees, of those suspected, involved with the terrorist group al-Qu'iad.

Allowing his mind to wander for a few moments, Michael reflected on the events of the last several months since he had walked away from Nikita and the site of his supposed cancellation. Approximately two weeks after he had received the first communiqué from Nikita on the P.D.A., he was contacted again and simply told to be in Amsterdam in fifteen days. An address and time were included in the message, but nothing else. Fourteen days later Michael bid farewell to the Borelli's and traveled to Amsterdam. Arriving a day early, he used his time to investigate the meeting location and the surrounding area.

At ten o'clock the next morning Michael arrived promptly at the small apartment designated as the meeting place. Inside he was shocked to find Madeline and a two-man team waiting for him. Cursing himself for his lack of preparation, he waited for the two men to attack. However, no such attack occurred. Instead Madeline began to fill him in on the details of his mission and demonstrated how to use the prosthetic procedure developed by Craft. She instructed Michael to change appearances and locations in a random pattern, staying no place longer than a month. Until he was contacted again for the mission, he would be on his own devoid of all contact from the organization, except in the case of an emergency.

Michael left the apartment two hours later with a completely new physical and legal identity. From Amsterdam he bounced around Europe, following Madeline's instructions perfectly. Almost three months later, Nikita once again contacted him through the P.D.A. and downloaded the necessary information regarding his assigned mission and instructions on where to obtain his equipment. They sent him to Atlanta, Georgia as Dr. Evan Jamison who had just been hired as a junior research assistant to Dr. Aragon. The real Dr. Jamison was being contained at Section Six's headquarters. His credentials listed a B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University, a M.S. of Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a PhD. from the Harvard School of Public Health, specializing in infectious diseases. Combing his educational and Section experiences with a through briefing, Michael managed to easily replace the real Dr Jamison.

Entering the mission in its final phase, Michael's job was to determine which of the suspected CDC employees could be a member of an elite terrorist team known only as 'The Squad.' This elite team was a special faction of the terrorist organization al-Qu'iad, lead by Osama bin Ladin, a Saudi dissident. Al-Qu'iad was currently one of the most highly monitored groups by the Western world and its leader bin Ladin even acquired a coveted spot on the United States FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. Responsible for such acts as the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, al-Qu'iad was one of the most feared global terrorist organizations. Nonetheless, between his strategy of constantly moving and his supposed $300 million inheritance, bin Ladin made monitoring him and his group extremely difficult. Several months ago, an operative inside the Afghanistan camp of the group uncovered a terrifying plan to attack the CDC in Atlanta and steal the last of two remaining viles of smallpox. Despite the difficulty of the plan and the knowledge that other biological weapons were more readily and easily available, bin Ladin designed the plan in order prove al-Qu'iad's superiority to the United States' government. As the only disease officially on record as being completely eradicated, the two remaining viles of smallpox, the other located in Moscow, were extremely important to the field of infectious disease research. If al-Qu'iad was to achieve success, the United States' sense of moral and feelings of domestic security would be devastated - a consequence that would be felt around the world.

Over the next several months the operative working inside the Afghanistan base obtained as many details as possible regarding the attack. He was able to learn that the attack was scheduled to take place January 31 and that members of 'The Squad' had been in place for several years already, establishing legitimate covers. Currently, they were in preparation for the final stages of the attack. Unfortunately Center obtained only those few pieces of information before the operative was killed during a mission for al-Qu'iad. Working with those basic facts and the little knowledge they had on 'The Squad', Center developed a profile using a team from Section Six to create a list of people within the CDC who could possibly be a member of 'The Squad.' The team managed to narrow the list down to fifty employees that fit the loose profile of the unknown target, but they could not reduce the list any farther. Analysis showed that the operative with the highest chance for success was Michael and so Center brought him in at the last minute in hope of achieving closure.

With just over a week until January 31, Michael sat parked outside Dr. Aragon's house, waiting to see if his analysis proved correct that she was 'The Squad' member posing as a CDC employee. Using a couple of quick and dirty methods he knew to eliminate even more suspects off the list of fifty, Michael ended up focusing his efforts on Drs. Aragon, Dumas, and Templeton when the analyses showed several anomalies in their patterns of behavior outside of work. They also all fit the physical profile of having a indefinable exotic complexion so that they could pass themselves off as a variety of ethnicities - Hispanic, Italian, Greek, and most importantly, Arabic.

Michael now waited outside of Dr. Aragon's home specifically because three days ago he discovered a pattern to her irregular behavior. In addition, the doctor lived the closest to work out of all three suspects. Located in a highly sought after neighborhood at the edge of Emory University where the CDC was located, her home was a small, yet elegant structure. Normally her ability as a single woman to live in such an expensive neighborhood while making a researcher's salary would raise questions, but Dr. Aragon's profile claimed a family inheritance as an extra source of income. This fact, however, made Michael even more suspicious because the explanation was almost too simple.

Just then, as if on cue, Julia Aragon stepped out of her house and walked down to her car parked in the driveway. A woman of average height, around 5'6", with short, bluntly cut chocolate-colored hair and a thin build, she appeared to be several years younger than forty-two. Her exotic beauty was most evident in her face - a combination of warm, cinnamon-colored eyes, long eyelashes, high check-bones and a slightly brown skin tone that made her appear to be tan year round. Getting into her 1998 dark blue Honda Accord, the doctor backed out of the driveway and headed out of the neighborhood for the main road. Giving her a few seconds lead-time, Michael started the Acura's engine and followed at a comfortable distance.

Thirty minutes later, Dr. Aragon slowed her car down and pulled into the parking lot of an old warehouse. Exiting her car, she walked over to a small entrance on the right side of the building. Carefully pushing the door open, she stuck her head inside first, as if announcing her presence and then entered the building. Sensing that she was the last to arrive, Michael activated his surveillance equipment and listened in as he discovered 'The Squad' discussing their last minute plans to steal the smallpox vile from the CDC.

***

The doors to Adrian's office swung open gently as Madeline and Nikita entered in unison, both holding updates on current activities. Stopping in front of their superior's desk, both woman handed Adrian a disk with detailed reports and then waited to begin their verbal summary of these reports.

"Nikita," Adrian stated, requesting that she report first.

"Michael had success. His suspicions of Dr. Aragon proved to be correct and last night he recorded her meeting with the other members of 'The Squad.'"

"So we're ready to proceed?"

"Yes," Nikita answered, "We're just waiting for your final authorization."

"Tell Michael to proceed as planned then."

"Fine. Do you still want Dr. Aragon captured for interrogation?"

"Yes. We need to know the full extent of their plans."

Nikita nodded her head in understanding and with a glance deferred to Madeline.

"We have a problem at One," Madeline stated succinctly.

Adrian's eyes narrowed at this piece of information. This was the last thing she needed to hear at this point, not when she was so close to achieving her end game.

"Recent increases in al-Qu'iad activity have been brought to Paul's attention and he is planning on sending in a reconnaissance team."

Releasing a little of her tension with a laugh, Adrian commented, "I should have known better than to think Paul would ignore such promising information. Can you handle it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then if there is nothing else?" she inquired of the two women.

Both Madeline and Nikita indicated they had nothing more to say and then exited the room to carry out their assigned tasks.

***

Reading over the latest report from Daniel updating him on Section's current mission status, Operations paused for a moment in his activity when his intercom system beeped twice.

Pressing the reply button, he said, "Yes?"

"Sir, Mr. Jones is on the phone for you."

Picking his cell phone up off the window's consol, Operations flipped the top of his phone up and pressed talk.

"Mr. Jones."

"Paul. I understand that you are sending a team into Afghanistan to carry out a reconnaissance mission on al-Qu'iad."

Unsure of where this line of questioning was leading, Operations cautiously replied, "As my most recent report shows there has been a heavy increase in activity in that region. They appear to be preparing for a major attack."

"Yes, your report was quite thorough on that account. However the situation is being handled so there is no need for One to send in a team."

"Handled, sir?" Operations inquired.

"Yes. Actually, there is a more pressing matter I would like One to handle. I am sending the information to your panel now."

"Of course. Is there anything else?"

"No. Good-bye Paul."

Hanging up, Operations angrily wondered why Section was being taken off a seemingly important situation, important enough for Mr. Jones to interfere. Deciding to let the matter rest temporarily, he contacted Daniel and updated him on the situation. Despite his acquiescence to Mr. Jones orders, Operations was not going drop Section's investigation so easily. He planned on finding out what was really going on.

***

For what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour, Madeline once again pulled her lagging attention back to the information in front of her. Normally not one to waste time and effort on the 'what if's' and 'could've been's' of life, ever since her transfer from Section One to Center she seemed to be doing a great deal of contemplation on those very issues. Pushing the laptop further back on the desk, she leaned back in her chair and decided to stop fighting the path that her thoughts wanted to follow. It would be much more productive if she dealt with them so she could put them behind her and move on.

The truth of the matter was, in her own way, Madeline missed Paul. In seventeen years together, she and Paul had been through a great deal as fellow operatives, friends, lovers and finally as partners. Letting go of such strongly developed intimacy was not easy, especially when he believed her to be dead. Like her, his world was different now and what was familiar had now become a semblance of a memory rocking at the edge of the brain, almost tangible but not quite. They both had the same jobs to perform only now she was at Center and Paul had a whole new cast to lead. Life was permanently altered in ways neither could change.

Madeline still smarted from her lack of foresight regarding the events that occurred at Section One and the hand guiding them. She should have known all those years ago after she and Paul took control of Section that that would not be the last they saw of Adrian. The mother of Section One was too formidable to concede so easily and she had trained Madeline to know that the only way to deal with an advisory was to eliminate it. Strategically, they should have canceled Adrian the first time they defeated her. Unfortunately the timing was wrong and despite George's support of the coup, he would have never forgiven them for Adrian's death. Madeline had to give credit where credit was due and Adrian certainly deserved high kudos, thinking back to the day of her evaluation.

###

When Nikita had come to Madeline just prior to her evaluation with Mr. Jones, she had been surprised at the young operative's orders. Nikita instructed Madeline to become visibly angry with Mr. Jones and herself during the evaluation and then just before the final decision about Madeline's future was announced, she was to fake her death. Nikita then proceeded to hand Madeline a small tablet that resembled a cyanide pill. The young operative informed Madeline that the tablet was a sedative and she would awaken a few hours after ingesting it. Asking what would happen once she awoke, Nikita merely replied that Madeline would have to wait until then to receive further instructions and left to begin the evaluations.

Slightly groggy from the drugs, Madeline awoke to find herself in a spacious bedroom decorated in soft yellows and blues overlooking a large, peaceful lake. She had been placed on the bed in the center of the room. After a quick survey of the quarters she found it to be empty and no sort of instructions left for her. However, a few moments later Nikita entered the room.

"Madeline, how do you feel?" Nikita inquired sincerely.

Assessing the woman before her, Madeline hesitated before answering, feeling at a complete loss for once, but finally admitted, "A little groggy."

"That's expected. It should wear off in half and hour or so. Would you like that time to rest or are you ready to move on?"

Seeing no need to further waste time, Madeline said, "I'm ready."

Nodding, Nikita gestured for her former superior to follow her, leading Madeline through a long hallway, down a set of stairs and through another series of hallways until they finally entered an expansive office, brightly lit by the midday sun. In the midst of the tremendous room sat Adrian, posed and serene as ever.

"Thank you Nikita. You may go now," the older woman softly ordered. As soon as the young woman exited, Adrian turned her attention to Madeline and said, "Welcome to Center, Madeline."

###

Shaking her head slightly, Madeline brought her thoughts back to the present, still reeling from the shock of seeing Adrian calmly sitting in her office, all mental faculties intact. After her initial greeting, Adrian ventured to explain to Madeline the reason behind the events at Section, her position at Center and Madeline's own position within the organization. It was all quite overwhelming, but to Madeline's credit, she handled it with her usual aplomb, taking the events in stride and making the necessary adjustments.

In many ways, Madeline realized she has been given a second chance. That if Adrian did not believe in her and her abilities so strongly, the pill Nikita gave her would have probably really been cyanide. She had disappointed Adrian in many ways over the last ten years or so, but Madeline also knew that if she had the chance, there were very few things she would do differently. She had done her best to keep the organization going in a world where the lines of power and politics became more blurred everyday.

Working with Nikita was proving to be an interesting situation as well. It was obvious that Adrian held the younger woman and her abilities in great esteem, evident in the task Nikita had been given those three and half years ago. Nikita's guise demonstrated that Adrian was not the only one playing a role all these years. The woman Madeline has been working with over the last six months has proven to be a formidable combination of both her personalities - at times emotional and compassionate while at others reserved and analytical. At first Madeline had been more than a little angry and insulted at Adrian's insistence that she and Nikita work together, disbelieving that the young operative could have disguised her abilities so completely over the last three years. However, once again Nikita proved her wrong and over the last six months the two former advisories formed a developing partnership. Still, Madeline knew she had a great deal of experience and training to offer Nikita as her skills strengthen.

Overall, Madeline's transition has been relatively straightforward with fewer complications than expected. Then again since the day she set foot inside the Farm, she formatted her life to fit around the goals and needs of the organization. Now, she was just needed in a different place and as always she would adjust herself to those needs.

***

A cold, damp wind whipped through the inky night as a light drizzle fell unheard over the city. Only a few souls braved the slick winter streets, including a gray mission van. As the van reached its final destination, Michael once again checked the thermal ratings on Dr. Aragon's house. Certain that the doctor was the only inhabitant at home, he gave the team the signal to exit the van and proceed towards the house. Team One headed to the back of the house to secure their entrance. Disabling the simple alarm system, the operative on point easily popped the lock on the back door and stepped into the kitchen. Moving to the small laundry room on the right and locating the circuit breakers, she tripped the system and disengaged all power. When finished she signaled Michael with two pulses on her Comm. unit for the rest of the team to proceed.

Falling into position, two other operatives from Team One slipped upstairs to capture the target while the rest of Team One held positions at the bottom of the stairs and by the front door. The Team Two operatives maintained positions at the back entrance and around the perimeter. From the van, Michael monitored Team One's progress upstairs as they advanced towards the target's bedroom.

Approaching the closed door, the first operative silently signaled for his teammate to continue while he maintained cover. She slowly cracked the door open and without a sound stalked around the target's bed to the left side. As she pulled a tranq gun out from her utility belt, the operative holding cover at the doorway entered and shifted to the exposed side of the bed. Pausing to verifying the still slumberous state of the target, the female operative then shot the dart into the base of the target's neck and watched as her body went limp. The male operative immediately moved in and picked up the target, carrying her over his shoulder fireman style. Another two-pulse signal informed Michael and the rest of the team that the target was acquired.

While the two operatives with the target returned to the mission van, the rest of the team went into action to complete the final phase of the mission. The operatives from Team Two retrieved a corpse from the van and placed it upstairs in the target's bed. The rest of Team One left their positions at the stairs and front door to move to the kitchen where they placed a small bomb inside one of the electrical outlets. Quickly replacing the outlet covering, the operatives exited the house and returned to the van. At their entrance Michael detonated the small device. Once it was evident the house was on fire, the team vacated the premises.

A short phone call from an untraceable cell phone number alerted the local emergency services about the fire at a home in the Emory area. The fire department arrived just on time to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighboring houses, but tragically Dr. Julia Aragon was killed and her house destroyed. The official report read accidental fire due to poor wiring. ###

A double beep sounding from her P.D.A. informed Nikita that she had an incoming message. Reaching for the panel at the end of her desk she scrolled the location of the message to find Michael checking in with an update. Her panel read: Mission complete. Target acquired.

***

"Sir...."

Operations stepped away from his monitor to answer the summons from his assistant. "Yes?"

"Mr. Jones is waiting to speak with you in Committee."

"Mr. Jones is here?" Operations asked, too surprised to prevent it from showing in his voice.

"Yes sir and he wants to speak with you immediately."

Unable to prevent a sigh of frustration from escaping, Operations stalked out of the perch and headed towards Committee. Taking a deep breath before entering, he walked down the ramp to find Mr. Jones seated on the circular bench.

"Paul," Mr. Jones said in greeting.

"Sir. Another visit so soon?"

Chuckling, Mr. Jones replied, "No need to worry Paul. This is not another evaluation. No, I'm here this time to inform you of some changes that will be occurring at Oversight, sort of the final phase."

"Changes?" Operations inquired.

"Yes. We have decided on the person who is going to replace George." Holding back on the name, Mr. Jones patiently waited for Operations to grab the bait.

"You're here to tell me then?"

"Yes, yes. Quite a fine candidate actually. I think you might even approve," he commented, pausing before reveling his surprise, "We've chosen Michael to replace George."

Stunned was hardly the word to describe the look on Operations' face. For once he was at a complete loss for words. Even all his years and experiences at Section did not prepare him for such a revelation.

After a few moments, he recovered enough to ask, "I take it he wasn't canceled?"

"No. We had one more mission for him to accomplish before instating him at Oversight. The al-Qu'iad mission actually."

Beginning to obtain a clearer picture, Operations said, "That's why you pulled One off of it."

"Hmmm...," he replied, "We had been aware of the situation for months, but were having no luck at getting a lead on it. We knew Michael could handle the job, but we needed him to be completely at our disposal. Faking his cancellation was the easiest method,"

"I see. Is there anything else then?"

"No. But let me say this Paul, all past history between you and Michael must be erased. The people we put in charge of Section One and Oversight are those best suited for the job. You serve an important purpose here. Keep that in mind," Mr. Jones warned.

A silent glance between the two men satisfied Mr. Jones that his message had been received. Tilting his head in farewell, the man in charge of Center left Operations to contemplate his visit and the changes it brought.

Operations remained in Committee for a while, figuring and refiguring all he had just learned, determined to be ahead of the game the next time.

***

Soothing jazz music floated over the Infinity sound system as Michael sat back and allowed himself to enjoy this brief respite while traveling to Center from the airport. Once he completed the al-Qu'iad mission in Atlanta, he had received a message through Section Six's leader that Mr. Jones requested his presence at Center immediately. Wasting no time, Michael packed his few belongs and met the car taking him to the airport at Van Access. Almost ten hours later, Michael was now only a few minutes away from learning about his future position within the organization.

The other question most prominent on his mind was when he would see Nikita again or even if he would be seeing her. As relieved as he was to learn that her part in his cancellation was only for the sake of a mission, there was still a great deal for them to discuss and work out. In the six months time he had been away from her, Michael reaffirmed time and time again in his own heart that he still loved her, fiercely. Short of a complete disaster he did not think that would ever changed. He also continued to believe his gut reaction after receiving the first message from her that Nikita loved him as well. Still, Michael wondered if their love would be enough or had too much changed?

Unaware of his surroundings, Michael did not realize until the driver opened his door that they had arrived at Center. Stepping out, he surveyed the tremendous chateau and grounds, a bit surprised at the manner of Center's headquarters. Before he could ponder his thought further, the large front door opened and Alessandro stepped forward to greet Michael.

"Welcome to Center Michael. I'm Alessandro. Please follow me."

Preceding him inside the looming manor, Alessandro guided Michael to the back of the chateau into Adrian's office. Leaving another victim to Adrian's surprising presence, Alessandro unobtrusively backed out of the office, an amused smile gracing his face.

"Hello Michael," Adrian greeted, "I'm sure this must all come as a shock to you."

"Not completely," he replied.

Tables turned, Adrian now displayed a look of disbelief at Michael's words. Gesturing for him to take one of the seats across from her, she asked, "How so?"

"I checked on your status at the home after Nikita helped me escape. I knew you were gone."

"I see," she commented, a faint hint of approval in her voice, "And from there you figured out the rest."

Giving nothing away he replied, "Not exactly, but I began to piece parts of the puzzle together."

Intrigued, she inquired, "And what did you discover,"

"That Nikita's escape was the last in a long line of test for Section One. Over the last year or so there had been complaints amongst the powers that support the organization about the need for reform. Center's actions at Section were about implementing those reforms."

"You are well informed Michael. I must say I'm impressed, more so than before. So, why do you think you are here now?"

"For my new role within the organization," he solemnly and humbly responded.

"Yes, that is true. Your performance over the last sixteen years has been remarkable Michael. You devoted yourself to both Sections and took on a mission that would break most operatives, a blood cover. You continuously sharpen your skills and develop your knowledge of the system," Adrian paused, waiting to see if Michael would respond.

"But I still betrayed the organization. As I told Nikita, I put her above all else," he said honestly.

"Ah," Adrian commented, "That's true in several cases. However, you are not completely at fault. Madeline and Operations did back you and Nikita into a corner regarding your relationship. A relationship that taught you as much as your Section training, yes?"

Michael did not respond in the affirmative or the negative, content to allow the older woman draw her own conclusions.

"Overall, you have been a superior operative and are the exact person needed to replace George at Oversight."

Displaying an expression that would be the equivalent of being hit by a truck on anyone else, shock radiated from Michael's face, taken aback at receiving such a promotion. He had planned for several different outcomes, but leadership of Oversight was not one of them. Thoroughly entertained by his shock, Adrian smiled coyly and waited a few moments while Michael absorbed the news.

Finally, she asked, "Do you have any questions?"

Sharpening his eyes at a rarely asked questioned, he eventually inquired, "What is your role?"

"Oh," she said, startled, "I would have thought you'd have figured that out. I am head of the Center for International Intelligence."

"And Mr. Jones?"

"You could say he is Center's managing director. He handles more of the detailed, day-to-day aspects of the organization. I was asked to take this position around the same time I discovered Paul and Madeline's plans to takeover Section," she answered

"So you let the takeover happen?"

"Yes. It made my transition that much less complicated," she replied, adding, "If there is nothing else I must ask you to excuse me. I have a meeting to attend soon."

"Of course."

As she rose from her seat, Adrian glided toward the doors of her office, leaving Michael to his thoughts. However, before she exited, Adrian turned back to the new head of Oversight and commented, "At this time of day Nikita usually likes to take a break. You'll often find her down by the lake. Alessandro knows where."

Then without further ado, she left.

***

Michael stood at the end of the pebbled path leading to the man-made lake behind Center's headquarters and observed Nikita on one of the benches by the water. Now that the moment had come uncertainty filled Michael and he remained where he stood, awkwardly unsure of what to do next. Fortunately Nikita took the responsibility out of his hands.

"Michael," she said neutrally, not turning around to face him.

With her acknowledgement, he walked off the path and down to the water's edge to stand next to her. Shifting slightly to her right on the bench, Nikita glanced up at Michael, her eyes hidden once again by dark sunglasses. This time she lifted them off her face and looking down Michael saw a nameless expression in her blue eyes, as if she was showing him everything and nothing about her thoughts all at once.

She slid down the bench, silently offering Michael a place beside her. Accepting her offer, he sat down and looked out across the lake, unsure of where to begin.

"I am sure you would like some explanations," she quietly commented.

Michael did not answer. His heart was screaming 'yes' he wanted answers, but his mind told him to wait patiently. He, of all people, should understand how difficult explanations were to come by in this organization. If she could only revel a certain level of information, then he would have to find away to accept that.

Continuing to maintain a neutral tone of voice and expression, she commented, "Where to start."

Keeping his reply simple, he said, "Try from the beginning."

Nikita laughed hollowly at this thought. "The beginning," she repeated, "It seems like ages ago."

Turning slightly she looked back at Michael. Feeling her eyes on him, he faced her gaze with his own, questions and thoughts evident in his green eyes. Silence filled the still afternoon air and for a few moments the two lovers were lost in a silent conversation only they seemed to understand.

Breaking the silence, Nikita began, "It was on the barge. Not long after you left to go back to Section. That was when Mr. Jones first approached me. He told me that Center had three years to reevaluate the organization and make the necessary changes or it would be done for them. But they needed someone on the inside of Section and they wanted me. I didn't know about Adrian until years later. Not even when I was on the mission to stop her from destroying Section. I was suspicious, but nothing was ever confirmed until just this last year."

Nikita paused in her tale, allowing Michael a moment to reflect on what she had just revealed, waiting to see if he had any questions.

"Your instructions?" he asked.

"Mostly I was just to observe and report. I didn't become actively involved until your time as Operations...when Paul was at Center."

Uncertain of the implications of her last comment, Michael ventured to ask, "Why?"

"Because after they learned of Operations and Madeline's reaction to your time as head of Section and their subsequent actions taken against our relationship, they ordered me to use our relationship to continue provoking Madeline and Operations. To test them."

Observing an expression of confusion on Michael's face, Nikita elaborated. "I wasn't going to originally. I wanted to pull back. I meant what I said in Van Access after the Velden mission. I wanted to slow things down. At least give Operations and Madeline time to calm down and place their attention elsewhere for a while. I thought then maybe if an enough time passed we could be together again. But Center wanted to push up the time line and so they told me to do whatever was necessary."

Again, silence ensued, both attempting to come to terms with the events in their tortuous lives and relationship. Endeavoring to close the emotional and physical gap between them, Nikita slid closer to Michael on the bench.

"Understand this Michael," she added solemnly, "My feelings for you were never part of some mission. They began long before I was ever approached on that barge and the only time I used them purposefully was when I agreed to meet with you in secret. That wasn't my wish. I wanted better for us. In most cases, I was truly as uninformed as I appeared to be. In order for the mission to work, it had to be believable and so I was left in the dark most of the time."

Wanting to desperately believe everything she was saying, Michael repeated, "Most?"

Sighing slightly, but never breaking eye contact, she continued, "There were a few pieces of information I knew all along."

Afraid to ask about the one event that nearly destroyed his sanity, Michael inquired, "Did you willing submit to the Gelman process?"

"No," Nikita immediately and vehemently denied. Shaking her head sadly she responded, "That was an unfortunate anomaly. Adrian's experience with the process was planned as part of the events with her attempted takeover of Section. She had the antidote all along and at a pre-approved time she was to be rescued. Then the unexpected happened. We pushed Madeline and Operations too far and they used the process on me."

Halting her speech for a moment, Nikita took a deep breath, still greatly affected by those few horrible months in her life. Continuing a moment later she said, "I never knew that was going to happen. If it hadn't been for you..."

She trailed off, no need to comment further. Seeing the honesty of her pain, Michael shuddered with his own remembrances and in a need to give and receive comfort, he took her hand in his. Startled by the contact, Nikita snapped her head up and was amazed by the support she found in his gaze. Squeezing his hand in response, she forged on with her story.

"Center did not discover my adjustment until weeks later when I failed to report. They were about to intervene when they realized that you were making an effort to fix the situation and so they backed off. Although they did offer a small level off support."

"Gelman," Michael stated.

"Yes. When you contacted him, they ordered him to accept the meet and provide you with the necessary information. Sort of killing two birds with one stone and such. You not only returned me back to my former self, but rescued Adrian for them as well," she finished.

"They were responsible for Gelman's death?"

"Yes."

"And after your adjustment was reversed?" he inquired.

"My 'need-to-know' status was upgraded and we began to escalate the mission even further. The few months prior to all the changes, I was given a clearer outline of the end game and the steps needed to achieve it. But again, in order to maintain believability, I still carried out my position as a Section operative in the same way as if I wasn't working for Center. That never changed."

Michael said nothing to all of this new information, taking a few moments to evaluate and process everything Nikita has told him. Having been too wrapped up in Nikita's story, he was only now becoming aware of the world surrounding him. The air had cooled off considerably as the day began to fade into late afternoon and the sun's warmth faded away. A sense of restlessness filled the air as the environment around them made the transition from day to night and the creatures of those domains traded places. Only the faint sound of a distant bird calling to a missing mate could be heard amongst the slight breeze leafing through the trees. But most of all, Michael became aware of the warm, smooth hand still embraced in his. Lacing his fingers through Nikita's, he turned back to her, needing to hear the rest.

"What did you know?" he finally asked.

Inhaling deeply, Nikita fortified herself for what she knew would be the most difficult part of her revelations.

"Most of the information they gave me was inconsequential to my actions at Section. But I did know about Adam and Elena," she replied softly.

Michael's only reaction was that his hand went limp in Nikita's grip. Realizing that for both their sakes that the whole truth needed to be told, she calmly added, "I didn't know about your mission until after Jurgen's death. Apparently Adrian and Mr. Jones were in disagreement about whether or not I should know. Adrian didn't think it was a good idea, but Mr. Jones did. Eventually he convinced her and he told me the truth."

She stopped once again, only this time it was to face Michael completely. Moving so she straddled the bench, Nikita lightly touched his shoulders and shifted him so he matched her position.

"Knowing about your blood cover early on did not make it easier Michael. In fact it made it a hell of a lot harder. I was torn apart inside by the knowledge. Wanting you one minute, but then remembering your situation and wanting nothing to do with you the next. And at that time I couldn't talk to you about. Neither of us could. What I said and felt once your cover was officially revealed to me was the truth. It had just been bottled up for almost a year," she said sincerely, wanting to make him understand.

When she got no response from Michael, she sighed and made one final comment, "We've both been guilty of crimes against each other Michael. We've lied, seduced, killed and manipulated. For Section and for each other. The truth is I'm not completely sure of who I am any more. And now things are even more complicated with our new positions. But I do know that the were few people I could count on over the last several years and you were one of them."

Slipping his hand from hers, Michael rose off the bench and stepped closer towards the lake. Disheartened by his reaction, Nikita sat listlessly on the bench, awaiting his verdict. Deep in her heart, she knew she loved Michael and always had. She had never been playing a role with him. She just hoped he understood and believed that because as much as Nikita wanted to reassure him, she felt too exposed, as it was, to open herself further without a sign of encouragement from him.

Michael stood quietly, lost amongst the myriad of thoughts stumbling around in his mind. He wondered if these two people who, in some ways, were more like strangers than lovers could ever have a future together. His mind told him to give the relationship some distance, time for him to absorb all the information Nikita had just revealed. On the other hand, his heart continued to reaffirm what it had always known, that he loved Nikita and always would. Still, Michael was torn. He believed her when she said that she had never faked her feelings for him. She was also right when she stated that they had both hurt each other greatly over the years. And he had to wonder how well he actually knew Nikita. He was just beginning to realize that, up until this point, he had only glimpsed her skill and strength as an operative - abilities which allowed her to maintain a cover for three years. So again he thought, maybe time apart was a good idea for both of them.

Decision made, Michael turned back to Nikita, ready to reveal his conclusions when he encountered her clear blue eyes. Suddenly, of its own volition, his left hand extended, reaching out for her. Understanding the depth of his gesture, Nikita grabbed on to his hand tightly as Michael fiercely pulled her into his embrace.

Burying his face into her fragrant hair, Michael murmured, "We need to take things slow. It will never be easy."

Nikita nodded her agreement, content to be back in the warmth of his arms. They could take years for all she cared at that moment as long as Michael stayed with her and loved her.

Caressing her back in a soothing rhythm, Michael softly added, "I won't ever let you go again."

Lifting her head off his shoulder, Nikita pulled back slightly, stared into Michael's warm eyes and smiled. "No," she thought, "And I won't let go of you either."

With a little courage, in time you might forgive me With a little loving, in time you forgive me*

***

"Well Gentlemen?"

Adrian serenely glanced around at the four other members of the Committee, awaiting their final decision regarding C.I.I.'s future. She had just finished summarizing her report on the organization's latest numbers as well as the al-Qu'iad mission. An almost embarrassing silence filled the room, as the four representatives comprehended the magnitude of Center's mission to prevent the theft from the CDC, especially the representative from the US.

"Yes, well...," the member from Great Britain began, "Obviously we are all grateful for your success on this mission Adrian. Commendable work."

A small smile was Adrian's only acknowledgement.

The representative from France cleared his throat and commented, "The changes you implemented appear to be successful as well."

"Yes," Adrian pleasantly replied, "Michael is handling his position at Oversight quite well. And Daniel has been a excellent addition to Section One."

Once again an awkward silence filled the room. Refusing to save the four men from their discomfort, Adrian merely sat back and waited for the words she knew were to come.

Tired of his colleagues hesitancy, the German representative bluntly stated, "You have obviously proven to us that C.I.I. and its branches are still of great importance, as evidenced by this latest attack. At this time we have no plans to scale back C.I.I."

Nodding her acceptance of the decision, Adrian looked to the final member of the committee. Returning her probing gaze, the representative from the US finally spoke.

"Thank you Adrian. We are grateful for your organization's swift actions in Atlanta. You have the support of the United States."

Satisfied with the results of this latest meeting, Adrian tilted her head in farewell and exited the boardroom, returning to oversee the organization she has dedicated her life to since its conception.

***

*Song Note: "Tomorrow Never Comes"; Afterglow - Dot Allison

Send suggestions and comments to Kathleen click HERE.