"They will achieve the end game within a week." Madeline answered Operations' question.

"You feel better." It was more a statement then a question.

"Yes, much." Madeline answered coldly.

"Good."

*****************************

Chris and Tom snooped around the house. There were six guards around it, all armed. The surveillance was tight. The whole house was covered, with one small exception. About 2 meters of ground in the back yard, by the dumpster. And there was a small ground leveled window that lead to the basement. This was where they'll be making an entry. Well, breaking an entry, to be exact.

*****************************

"The world must be coming to an end. Now artists are dealing arms?" Finch said cynically, after they were all seated in his study.

"Don't get the wrong impression, Andrew. Just because we like art, it doesn't mean we're sissies and you can double-cross us. We know exactly what we're doing." Chris said, her voice emotionless.

There was absolute silence in the room for a moment. Finch's assistant was pacing back and forth, daunted.

"So I hear." Finch continued. "I understand, that Mr. Garcia won't be joining us at the auction."

"No, he won't," Michael answered, "I believe he took some time off."

"Ah, but I believe he took all the time he had off." Andrew said, looking at Chris. She was so alluring! He wanted her the moment he saw her, to hell with that handsome hubby of hers! She is so petit, feminine and in Mr. Garcia's case… well deadly. She was everything he always looked for in a woman. An equal. A quest.

"So you two are interested in my … let's call it a product." Finch said after a short while, his eyes never leaving Chris.

"Yes, and we would like to attend the auction." Michael answered.

Andrew was still looking at Chris.

"Yes, of course…" he said with a secretive smile lingering on his lips.

"But there's a catch." Chris finished his sentence. "What is it?"

"You, my dear."

**********************

"Excuse me?" Michael and Chris said almost simultaneously.

"I assume, that you attended auctions before, right? Well, the ground rule is to always pay something in advance. An admission. For the two of you the admission is not a certain amount of money, but you, my dear." Finch finished his little speech with this quasi seductive look on his face.

Chris was about to hurl! Jeez, this is revolting! But, I'm sure we can compose that into the profile. As long I don't have to really sleep with him!

"That is out of the question." she heard Michael say.

"Thank you, Michel, but I can speak for myself." Chris said and gave him that "follow my lead" look.

She took a deep breath. O.K. Here it goes."Andrew," she paused and licked her lips slowly, "I'm not puzzled by your request, you know. I saw the way you were looking at me at the party."

She smiled seductively and ran the fingers of her right arm up and down her delicate neck.

Will I throw up if he touches me? Will my skin crawl? Yuck!

"OK, I accept your … business proposal. When?"

"The night before the auction. Friday, 9 p.m. And you stay the night." Andrew grinned.

"Fine."

"What, Tom, you're not going to say a thing!?"

"No. We are professionals, Andrew. We keep our private lives separated from our professional lives." Tom said calmly. You do as much as touch her, and you're history!

"Of course you are professionals." Finch said. He was never more intimidated in his life. He also felt something was amiss. People who act like this are never freelancers. Never. They always work for somebody. And that entire story with Alonso Garcia smelled rotten, too. I was obvious, that Christina knew him well. She had to be compromised seriously, if she decided to kill him. And Garcia was Red Cell. And the only organization, which could possibly keep up the pace with Red Cell…

"Sean, where are you, we have another meeting in five minutes!" Finch called for his assistant. "Now, if you'll excuse me. We'll see each other at the auction. Except you, my dear," he said, looking at Chris, "we'll see each other on Friday."

He than walked away. And three pairs of eyes looked at Chris.

"I can do it. It's a perfect scenario. I'll entertain Andrew while you get the warhead. It's a clean in and out profile." Chris said to Michael, Nikita and Tom.

Tom was furious. Scared, too.

Don't you dare playing a "clean in and out" with that scum!!

*****************************

Madeline was…what was she? A monster? Not human? Utterly insane?

My daughter just agreed to prostitute herself for the sake of the mission. And my answer was as usual: Whatever it takes. It's so easy to say it…to somebody else. To anybody else.But I couldn't prevent it. What excuse would I have to change the profile? None.

She felt sick. Really sick. And she hasn't felt like that for a very long time.

"Don't let go of the ease, Madeline." Operations' words echoed in her head. Ease, she was screaming inside, what ease, this is my little girl!!!!

She typed in the code and disabled the surveillance in her office. She then put her face in her hands and cried. Really cried. For the first time in 26 years.

*****************************

Christina was preparing for the evening. She was in the bedroom, going trough the closet. What to wear for such a unique occasion? She felt nauseous.

Tom was sitting on the bed. Their bed. His heart was pounding wildly.

"Oh, Chrissie, I would do anything to take your place." His voice was breaking, his eyes teary. This was the first time since they were together, that one of them was to do a valentine. It was hard. That bastard is going to touch her, kiss her, smell her wonderful hair. Take her. He was going to take her! She was only his to take for God's sake!

She came to him and kneeled. "Shhh, don't." She gently put her fingers on his lips. He kissed them. "Tom…" o, God, give me strength, ……"whatever happens tonight, whatever the outcome might be, don't ever forget that I love you. I hope I won't have to go all the way, that you guys will be able to do your job without anomalies." She gently cupped his beautiful face and looked him straight in the eyes.

"But, if something goes wrong and I'm going to have to go all the way, I want you to remember this: It is only my body. My heart and my soul belong to you. Only you."

He closed his eyes and a tiny tear escaped from his eyes. She kissed him lightly. His lips felt like a soft summer breeze. She then stood up and went back to the closed.

Tom quietly left the room. Once on the hallway, he leaned on the nearest wall and sighed deeply. He closed his eyes. The sweet aroma of her lips still lingering on his.

*********************

Nikita was aiming her sniper at one of the guards. She watched him talking to another guard through her night vision goggles. She was waiting for the right moment. On a fucking tree.

Now I'm certain, I did something wrong in one of my former lives. Very wrong. Michael and Tom are on the ground. Solid ground. And me? I'm hanging on a tree like a bloody monkey!! I'm going to have a little chat with Michael. He always makes me assume the most bizarre positions possible!

The two guards split, and Nikita took her chance. The guards were down without a sound.

"Southwest clear." she reported.

"Proceed. The rest were taken care of. Meet us inside." Michael said.

*****************************

"Good evening."

"Good evening, my dear. Oh, don't you look heavenly!" Andrew said with a low voice.

She looked …… he couldn't find the words. She was wearing a very tight long black dress with silver stripes, silver salon shoes and no jewelry. With exception of tiny earrings made of white gold. She wasn't wearing her wedding ring. Her beautiful auburn curls were loose. Her dress was very open and his eyes stopped in the level of her bosom. Her breasts were so white and he only imagined how soft they must be. Come down, Andy-boy don't get distracted! This is business!

"Thank you, Andrew." Chris knew exactly what he was thinking and her stomach turned.

"Let's start with supper, shall we?"

Oh, God, food!!

"Excellent!" Her voice was a whisper.

*****************************

I hope everything is going according to plan.

She smiled at Andrew while nibbling on a piece of pineapple. She sucked out the sweet juice and licked her lips seductively.

"You eat like a small child. Small pieces, chewing for a long time." Finch said breathing heavily, his eyes never leaving her lips.

"Mmmm, I always play with my food, before I finish it." she was talking very slow, her voice seductive.

"What abut your men?"

"What about him?"

"I said men not man, Christina." said Finch, emphasizing the plural.

"What men?" She looked at him innocently.

"Well, Mr. Garcia, for instance. Did you play with him, too? Before you finished him."

This was like driving a dagger trough her heart. The pain almost choked her, but she fought the tears back.

I'm not going to let you get to me, bastard!

"Alonso and I went back a long time. I knew him since forever. We used to be lovers, but we ended as enemies. Life." She shrugged.

"Yeah, it sure has a sick sense of humor." Finch said cynically.

She smiled.

"The night of the party was the first time in four years that I saw him. And since he was not on my side, I killed him. It was luck, really. I was always able to draw a gun faster than he."

"So, Christina, were you lovers before or after he defected from Section one?"

Oh, shit!!! I hope you guys are receiving this!

"Before. We were still in a relationship, when he turned." she said calmly. There was no point in denying all this. She only hoped, that this whole meeting was not a decoy. She knew nothing of her teammates' activities, since her comm unit was set to transmission only.

But Christina was hoping in vain.

Finch looked at her with the look of a predator. She knew instantly, that was no good news. She reached between her tights for a gun, but this time she was not fast enough.

Finch draw a gun and aimed it at her. "C'mon, dear, spill your guts!"

Her blood froze, but she still found some strength to smile at him.

Show no fear!

She knew what was coming. She closed her eyes, braced herself, took a deep breath and waited. She felt a sting on her neck. Drugs. She waited for oblivion, but it never came. Just paralysis…

**********************

"Birkoff, we are ambushed! They knew we were coming." Michael informed him.

"Mr. Birkoff, contact our Edinburgh substation, tell them to send backup!" Operations' said.

Before the Edinburgh team came to the rescue, they achieved the end game. The warhead was secure, and they had Finch. They caught him while he was trying to escape trough the basement. Nikita got a bullet trough her left shoulder in the process and some bruised ribs. Michael and Tom were OK. All they had to do now was find Chris.

"Prepare everything for a quick evacuation. We have one more team member to pick up." Michael said to the Edinburgh team.

*****************************

She couldn't move, but knew exactly what was going on around her. She has been drugged. And beaten brutally. Breathing alone hurt like hell. And, she has been … raped. By that scum.

He wasn't man enough to fight her. No, first he drugged her, and then he, he... She was sick. It was close to necrophilia for God's sake! She didn't make a sound trough the whole ordeal. She didn't cry either. She just waited for it to end. Hopefully quickly.

"I found her! Looks bad!" Nikita yelled and kneeled beside Chris. She looked around the room for a blanket.

Michael and Tom ran into the room.

Oh my God, Chrissie, no! NOOO!!

"He is mine!" said Tom, and turned around with one thing on his mind. To kill the damn son of a bitch! But Michael caught his hand.

"Tom, no.", Michael said. His voice was trembling. "He's to be brought in alive. After the interrogation, he's yours, I promise."

Tom nodded and went back to Chris. Nikita was holding her hand.

"I'm so sorry." she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "He'll pay for this! He will."

"Yes, he will. Let's get her to Med lab." Tom said, brushing a few strands of hair off her face, She was still so beautiful, beaten up and all. He then picked her up carefully and took her to the van.

But Christina never made it to the Med lab. Her heart gave up because of the drugs.

Epilogue

It was a private ceremony. Just family and friends. Michael, Nikita, Walter, Birkoff and Tom. They all belonged into both categories. They buried her in her favorite part of town, at the Montmartre cemetery. It was her last wish.

There were no prayers, no speeches. Just a few friends paying their respect and saying goodbye in silence.

Tom was standing at her grave. He couldn't believe she was gone. Didn't want to.

Nikita came to him and hugged him. Her eyes were all swollen.

"Thank you, Nikita, for being her friend. She thought the world of you, you know." Tom said whispering, hugging her back, and then wiped her tears.

He than thanked everybody for attending the ceremony and left. This was the last they saw of him. He asked for a transfer earlier that day, and was granted one.

*****************************

Nikita and Michael were walking the streets of Paris, holding hands. They didn't care if they were watched or not. Hell, life was too precious to be careful!

They went to Sacré-Cœur, lit a candle and then went to sit in Café La Bohéme. Everything around them was so alive the colors were bright. It was early autumn.

"I'm sorry Michael. I know she was like a sister to you." Nikita said after a while.

"I don't know what I would do if something like this would happen to you, 'Kita. I can't live without you." he said in a trembling voice.

Nikita touched his hand and he took it into his. Holding her tight. He never wanted to let her go. Ever. "I love you, too, Michael."

*****************************

Madeline was walking down the Avenue Rachel. She entered the Montmartre cemetery and then stopped. She was standing there for a while and then, as if she made up her mind about something, proceeded walking between the graves. She stopped at a particular grave. It was still fresh. She kneeled down and traced her fingers over the letters that were carved into the rough stone:

CHRISTINA MARIA JUNOT 1973 – 1999

She put a single white rose on a fresh soil. The fresh soil that covered the ashes of her daughter. The one she never really knew, but always loved. She didn't cry. There were no more tears left to shed, the well was empty. For good.

"Is there something wrong, Christina?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Madeline. Why?"

"You seem so distant, occupied. You didn't even notice me."

"Oh, that. I'm fine, really. It's just a matter of selective perception. Some you see, others you don't, that's all."

Madeline smiled. She gently touched the stone for the last time and left. She left Christina in her freedom and returned to her prison.

THE END

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