Madeleine agitatedly paced in her new office. She at first thought that everything was fine with Nikita, that all the questions surrounding her six months absence had been explained.

The torture method that the Freedom League had used on her, forced hypnotic regression, was the reason she was unable to provide details about her captors and what they did to her. It explained why some of her memories of the recent past were sketchy or missing.

Jurgen was very satisfied with her progress. The only problem he reported her having was the recurrent nightmares. Otherwise, everything was fine with Nikita.

But this morning's surveillance video had shaken Madeleine's belief in that. She let out a little sigh of frustration. What the hell was going on?

Madeleine stepped to her desk and, pushing a button, played the tape again. Not every word could be heard, but a few phrases were stunningly clear, as was the body language.

The tape showed Michael and Nikita whispering together in an out of the way Section hallway.

Standing close to Michael, Nikita was pleading urgently....."to be together..."

Michael was impassive except for his slight nervousness. "Get over it," was his reply.

A moment earlier on the tape he had turned his head, flinching back from Nikita when she had said..."we can kiss..." and leaned her face toward his.

Michael had told Operations there was nothing he wanted to tell him about Nikita, but Michael knew something.

Something was not right between those two. Madeleine sighed and came to a decision. She reached for the phone.

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

Michael reported to the interrogation room. Madeleine had called him there to help with a debriefing.

He opened the door and entered the sterile white room. His eyes widened in shock and he tried not to cry out. Nikita was strapped to a gurney. She was tossing her head back and forth, her eyes closed.

He couldn't stop himself from calling out her name.

"Nikita!"

"She's all right, Michael." Madeleine smiled at him. It was just the three of them in the room.

"What's wrong with her?" Michael asked, trying to suppress the panic that rose in his chest.

"She's not telling us everything about what happened during the six months she was gone. We still have some questions," Madeleine said calmly.

She walked over to the gurney and touched Nikita's hair lightly. "She's been injected with a truth serum, Michael. She'll tell us everything now, in detail."

Madeleine looked up and locked eyes with Michael. "Nikita will talk. She won't be able to stop herself. Or lie. We'll know the truth," she finished, still staring at Michael.

Michael paused a moment ot get his voice under control before he said, Why am I here?"

Madeleine smiled. "Besides the fact that Nikita is your 'material', we've been noticing some puzzling behavior on her part."

Madeleine paused, then smiled wider. "She seems to want to touch you. To be intimate with you. Now why is that, Michael?"

Michael froze. "I don't know..." he said evenly, in spite of the cold despair that stabbed him.

"Let's begin, then." Madeleine turned her gaze back to Nikita and began the interrogation.

"Tell me about the nightmares you've been having, Nikita. Tell me about the dream you had last night..."

Nikita, eyes closed, seemed to relax a little. A small smile played over her lips. "I had a dream last night..." she said softly.

"Go on."

"I was free. I'd been free the whole time..."

Oh, God, no, thought Michael.

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

Nikita sighed and continued. "Michael came to me..." she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"We were overwhelmed by our passion for each other. We made love all night long and he told me he couldn't live without me..."

Nikita heaved a deep sigh and turned her head. "He told me he loved me.."

Madeleine looked from one operative to the other. Michael's face was white, his expression grim. Nikita looked content and blissful.

"It's all right, Michael," Madeleine told him reassuringly. "We suspect Nikita was raped by her captors. It's not uncommon for the mind to escape into fantasies of a more pleasant nature at that time..."

Michael let out the breath he was holding.

Madeleine continued. "Because of the forced regression, she might not even remember the rape."

She turned back to Nikita. "What happened with you and the man who wanted to rape you, Nikita?"

Nikita sobbed and turned her head. Then a small smile of satisfaction played over her face again; this time the satisfaction was of a different nature than before.

"He never touched me... I cut his throat and escaped..."

"See, another fantasy," said Madeleine, shaking her head. "We'll stop ow. I believe getting her to remember what really happened would do more harm than good."

"Release her, Michael," Madeleine ordered.

Michael carefully undid the bonds on her wrists and feet. He hoped Madeleine was not aware of how hard it was for him to keep his touch impersonal and clinical this close to Nikita. He longed to hold her.

Nikita moaned. She had heard herself tell Madeleine everything. She had had no control due to the drug. She had betrayed them.

When she was free of the bonds, Nikita clutched Michael and sobbed into his shoulder. "Don't go.. Don't leave me..."

It took all the control Michael had not to bring his arms up around Nikita and embrace her. Instead, he held his arms stiffly at his sides.

Madeleine went to them and removed Nikita's arms from Michael's neck and pressed her back down on the cot. Nikita curled up in a ball, sobbing.

"What's wrong, Nikita?" Madeleine smoothed the hair on her forehead and crooned to her. "How can we help you?"

"Michael.. Michael..." she gasped.

"What about Michael?" Madeleine leaned closer, intent on hearing the answer.

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

"What about Michael?"

"He doesn't love me...." Tears ran freely down her face. "He won't let me touch him... He doesn't want me..." Nikita cried, her shoulders shaking.

It explained everything, Madeleine thought.

Out loud she said to Michael, "Nikita believes these fantasies really happened. In her mind, you two were intimate and now she feels you have rebuffed her."

Madeleine smiled and tilted her head."Another rejection. It's a pattern she's familiar with."

Michael looked down at the floor.

"You'll have to be patient with her, Michael." Madeleine went on. "Let her have the fantasy version. The real story is buried too deep for even the drug to reach. She believes what she said happened is the truth."

"What is your recommendation ?" Michael asked softly. He braced himself, hoping he would not be told Nikita would be cancelled.

"Like I told you. Be patient. Go along with her fantasy for a while. Show her a little affection. Let her think you care for her."

Madeleine touched his cheek gently. "You've played this kind of role with her before." She smiled. "It will help her stability if she knows she has your support."

Michael nodded and let out a breath. "Of course," he said.

Madeleine left.

When the door had closed behind her, Michael went to Nikita and put his arms around her, stroking her hair.

"It's O.K. I'm here. It's all right..." He murmured reassuringly, rocking her.

Nikita pressed her face into his shoulder, sobbing unconsolably.

They stayed like that for a long time until Nikita cried herself to sleep.

Michael laid her gently back down on the cot. He took his coat off and tucked it around her as she slept. He kissed her lips softly.

Madeleine was on the other side of the door when he left the room.

"She's asleep," he reported.

"Good," said Madeleine.

Michael looked down. He didn't want her to see the fear and anger in his eyes.

"Don't be concerned." Madeleine told him, aware of his anxiety. "She'll be fine. Try to spend more time with her."

"All right," he said, his shoulders relaxing a little, the tension easing out of his voice.

When Madeleine turned and left, Michael closed his eyes and laid his head against the cold steel of the door, trembling.

Madeleine strode back to her office, thinking about Nikita. To her, her dreams of love and tenderness and empowerment were real.

Madeleine shook her head. When would Nikita learn? When would she realize that there are no dreams in Section?

She sighed and continued down the twisting corridors of Section One.

Send suggestions and comments to ranma.
OR
If you would like to send a comment to Lorraine, click HERE!!