Here it is...a happy ending, or as happy as it can get or the Section.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nikita is walking towards her apartment alone. She looks over her shoulder as every car and van passes. 'Which one is section?' she thinks as she pushes her sunglasses further up her nose. Behind those glasses are gone the black eyes she recieved, but have been replaced by deep circles. She mounts the stairs quickly, and she is still wearing outfits that look like they came out of Michael's closet. She quickly enters the building and shuts the door behind. Looking like a chipmunk in the middle of the road, staring at headlights, Nikita looks out the window for several moments before running up the stairs.

Soon she has entered her apartment, and notices something on her countertop.

There sits a bright red Santa hat, with a computer note, "A Gift".

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

"Who the hell was the wise guy who sent me this damn hat?" Nikita screamed throughout Section as she waved the hat around on her finger.

Walter, Birkoff, and Michael turn around and stare at her. It has been the first time, Nikita has been verbally angry.

"Was it you Birkoff? Recognize the note?" Nikita said as she waved the computerized note in front of Birkoff's face.

"Nikita, It wasn't me." Birkoff said with a slightly frightened tone.

"Trying to get me to be your elf, Walter?" Nikita continued. She placed the hat on her head and pranced around like a little ballerina.

"I would never send something like that dear." Walter says. Nikita walks over, and stops.

"It had to be you!" Nikita accuses as we see that Michael is wearing a red shirt.

"Nikita, it's Christmas time. I didn't send that." Michael says.

"I know you did! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" Nikita says as she throws the hate on the ground and walks away.

"Maybe you should join the spirit!" Michael yells after her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Who sent it?" Operations asks Madeline from his glass office.

"I don't know," Madeline says.

"She still hasn't gotten back to...herself...She may have to be....."Operations starts.

"It was your fault to start with!" Madeline says as she exits the office. She quickly walks out to wear the hat lays and goes after Nikita.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"You forgot this," Madeline says handing the hat back to Nikita.

"No, I didn't." Nikita says staring straight ahead.

"I thought that this would be your favorite time of the year," Madeline says hoping to get a response.

"It once was. Because people would help me when I was on the streets during Christmas. I said if I ever got off the streets, I'd return the favor...but all we do.." Nikita starts.

"There are very few missions during the next few weeks. We start street patrols, trying to stop the bad from happening. You'll see, we aren't all that bad." Madeline says as she starts to walk away.

"You sent the hat?" Nikita asks without turning.

"No, but I think it looks good on you."

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

The next day.

Nikita is walking into Section, with the mysterious Santa hat on her head. "IN a one horse sleigh...For the fields we go...laughing all the way..." Nikita sings as there is a smile on her face. She finds Birkoff and kisses him on the cheek and gives him a plate. She continues on and kisses Walter and also gives him a plate. Then she walks to Michael, and kisses him on the cheek, and hands him another plate. All three unwrap them and say, "Christmas Cookies!"

Nikita smiles even more, and no signs of fatique plague her face now.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

out on patrol

Nikita is standing in a skating rink watching a child frantically walk about, almost near tears. She walks over to the child.

"Have you lost your mommie?" Nikita asks. The child nods.

"What does your mommie look like?" Nikita says. The child softly answers she has black hair, as tall as Nikita and limps. Nikita repeats it all back, so that the others on her line can hear the description.

"Nikita, she is over by the other end of the skating rink." Michael says into her earpiece.

Nikita takes the child's hand and leads her to the other end.

When the child spots the mother, it races to the mother's leg. Nikita smiles and waves.

"Nikita. We are not here to do that!" Michael scolds her. She turns around and Michael is standing beside her.

"What are we suppose to do?" Nikita questions.

"Suspious behavior." Michael answers.

"Nothing has happened here. I checked with the manager, pretending someone stole my purse, there had been ten purses stolen from the beginning of today. We should be watching for this person, and not if someone is sniffing in garbage cans!" Nikita says as she huffs off, her Santa hat swaying in the air.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"So we caught the purse theif," Michael admits as he walks towards Nikita's apartment with her.

"We got all of the purses back! That is twelve very happy women, who lost money they might be spending on making a Merry Christmas for their kids, or dropping a few bucks in a homeless person's hands so they can eat one warm meal!" Nikita says with emotion.

They turn the corner, to see an apartment building in flames.

There are three kids screaming for help.

Nikita is instantly running for the building.

"Nikita! Don't go in there!" Michael screams after her. But soon Nikita is running up the smokey stairs to the second floor. Michael swallows and follows behind her. She kicks the door in and yells, "Don't worry, kids!" Soon Michael has joined her in the room with the kids. They take their coats off and wrap them around the kids faces to block the smoke. Michael grabs the smallest two kids and runs out, and Nikita the biggest.

Outside the mother cries as they emerge with their kids. To protect their identy, they leave before the firemen arrive.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nikita opens her apartment while Michael coughs still from the smoke. Their faces are covered with black smoot. Nikita turns on her lights and there in the corner of her living room stands a beautiful evergreen tree.

"I was with you all day!" Michael says between coughs.

She plugs the lights in. And then gets a glass of water for Michael.

"No I did that last night." Nikita explains as she wets a wash cloth. First she washes Michael's face off and then her own.

"Thank you." Michael says as he stands only centimeters away from Nikita.

"Your welcome." Nikita says slowly. Michael grabs her and passionately kisses her.

"I have to go." Michael says after he lets go, and silently slips out.

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

Nikita enters the Section decked out in the Santa hat and entire red outfit. "We Wish you a Merry Christmas...We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" she sings as she walks over to Birkoff, hugs him and leaves a pie. She does the same to Walter.

She goes over to Michael, puts the pie down in front of him, and kisses him quickly on the lips, and runs her one hand down his white shirt.

"Nikita, are you trying to make me look like Old St. Nick?" Walter asks holding the pie.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Michael, this family lost everything. All the christmas gifts were stolen, even their pet dog!" Nikita explains as she practically skips down the street.

"Nikita. How do we explain ourselves?" Michael says in protest.

Nikita picks Michael's hand up and drags him.

"We are volunteers." Nikita explains, smiling, and Michael smiles back.

"So you do smile!" Nikita says excitedly. They walk up the porch.

"Hello, we want to help you." Nikita says to a lady who answers the door.

"Well, come in." The lady offers as she opens the door.

"Actually, we are going to get someone to replace the lights they stole. Michael here wants to see how much will be needed." Nikita explains. Michael stays out, looking for clues.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Back at her apartment

"Michael, I got a toy store donating five toys for each of the six kids!" Nikita says excitedly as she hangs up the phone.

"Birkoff ran those tire tracks, and we have narrowed it down to one person." Michael says shutting his cell phone.

"That's great! Let's go!" Nikita says jumping up.

"We've past it to the police. They have already taken all of the possessions in. None of the toys and jewelry were recovered. The dog died." Michael explained.

"Oh, the poor dog!" Nikita said slumping down. Michael sat down next to her.

"What's next?" Nikita chimed up. Michael gently pushed her back into the couch.

"Nikita it's Christmas eve. No more. We have the section Christmas party." Michael explained.

"But, we can help someone else before...." Nikita started and Michael places a kiss on her lips.

"Be at the party." Michael says leaving.

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

"Please no more food!" Birkoff screams as Nikita hands him a package.

"It's not!" Nikita says with a twinkle in her eye. Birkoff opens the book and pulls out a 'Get out of Jail Free card' from a Monopoly game.

"Whenever you want to have a special date with that special someone, it's on me! You need to get out more!" Nikita explains, and starts to walk away.

"Nikita! Your gift." Birkoff says, handing it to her. She opens the box and sees a beautiful journal.

"I love it Birkoff."

"Just mention my name once, between all the Michael entries!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"So here is my holiday spirit!" Walter calls out as Nikita finds him. She hands over a gift.

"It's not food!" Nikita explains. Walter pulls out a big black book.

"I think your's is too small, that you needed a bigger one!" Nikita says with a mischievious smile.

"Yeah, it is a little crammed." Walter admits. He pulls out a little box. Nikita opens it and fingers the delicate gold rope.

"It's too much!" Nikita says as she stares at it.

"I have you back, so nothing is too expensive, dear." Walter says as he puts it around her neck.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"For appearances," Michael says as he hands over a box. Nikita hands over her gift for Michael. Nikita pulls out a ceramic Santa Claus.

"I really like it!" Nikita says as she kisses Michael casually.

Michael pulls out a blue shirt. He puts it against him. "Sick of red?" Michael asks with a bit of humor.

"Is Madeline here?" Nikita asks.

"No. They do not attend this." Michael says.

"Well, I'll leave this in her office." Nikita says still holding a package.

"Nikita care to dance?" Birkoff says before Nikita goes. She places the package down, and goes off with Birkoff.

"She's bounced back." Walter says after he pats Michael's shoulder.

"I thought he was going to be cold forever." Michael says with a serious tone.

"No one is cold forever. Look at yourself. I've caught you smiling for no reason the past few days." Walter says with a smile himself.

"It's Nikita. She has rubbed off everyone in here." Michael explains.

"Well, I kind of thought it was Nikita."

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

It is early Christmas morning. Nikita is still wearing her Santa hat. She is pulling a huge cart of supplies she had bought towards a shelter, that was on the news because they were not going to have enought to feed the homeless. She knocks at the door, and runs away, leaving the cart.

She sees a Sister open the door, and then makes the sign of the cross towards the air. Soon, others are helping to take the supplies in.

While Nikita is walking back towards her apartment, she almost trips over a tiny chocolate puppy. It is shivering and she places it inside her coat. She knows that she can not care for a puppy with her mission. She soon leaves it at the door of the family who's pet died in a robbery. The lights that a store donated to the family shine brightly, as Nikita knocks at the door. Again, she leaves quickly. She smiles as the kids yell in delight, and pick up the puppy. The mother kisses the father in delight. Nikita doesn't worry about the puppy, it has a good home.

Then walking through the park, the smile slowly drifts away. She sits on the bench, and wipes a single tear from her eye. She looks up at the sky, and a soft snow starts to fall.

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

Nikita is in her apartment, sitting next to a roaring fire. A soft knock at the door, and she knows, Michael is here. She opens the door.

"Merry Christmas!" Nikita says and she briefly kisses Michael.

He walks past with a large box, and then a smaller.

"MMM, dinner smells good." Michael says as he sits down.

"I got it in late. It will be at least two hours." Nikita says as she wrinkles her nose.

"I know about the puppy." Michael says with a smile. Nikita sits down. "Here." Michael says handing the gifts over.

The large box contains several notebooks. Nikita looks puzzled.

"I wrote all that while you were 'dead' and this past month. I know I don't express my feelings verbally....I know that I have used these feelings to manipulate you before....but these...." Michael tries to explain. Nikita is fingering through one.

"It's beautiful," Nikita says with tears in her eyes. "The nights might as well be attached on one endless cord that hangs around my neck...without the smile that can light up the deepest depth, I might as well be hung like my heart is on you." Nikita quotes from the notebook.

"The next gift..." Michael says in an uncomfortable tone. Nikita opens it and pulls out a pin of rhinestone sunglasses.

Nikita places her gift to Michael on his lap. He slowly pulls out a single strand of hair. He knows it is Nikita's. At the end is a key.

"You visit too much as it is." Nikita explains. "Let me check that turkey."

As she is gone, both pull down a bow around their neck. Nikita reenters the room and both laugh at the sight of each other's bows. Michael stands up and comes towards Nikita.

Michael gently places his hands into her blonde hair and kisses her. Nikita places her hands around his chest. Michael nibbles down her neck, near the bow. Nikita pulls off Michaels' shirt and places her lips on his chest. Roughly, Michael picks Nikita up in the air. Nikita wraps her legs around his waist. Nikita pulls her shirt off, exposing that she is totally wearing red.

Michael puts his head down near the red bra. He then carries her to the bedroom. Michael gently places Nikita on the bed, who then slides out of the red jeans she was wearing and stretches out on the white sheets. Michael looks down at Nikita's beautiful body. He leans over and kiss her as he slides off his jeans and soon rolls Nikita over.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Supper was great." Michael says as he puts the fork down. He is sitting in a green terry robe which Nikita just happened to place in the bathroom.

"Thanks, but I forgot dessert." Nikita says, walking over in a red silky robe. Michael pulls her waist down to sit down on his lap.

"NO, dessert is right here." Michael says lusty as he starts to nussle Nikita's neck. She turns around and kisses him as she rubs her hands inside the robe. She moans.

"Where this time?" Michael asks as he rubs her bare legs.

"Well, we've been at the bed, the couch, infront of the fire...the countertop is clean." Nikita says with a smile.

Michael picks her up and places her on the countertop.

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

"I did not want this!" Operations rants inside Madeline's office.

"We have to wait and see." Madeline says softly. She sits down. A buzzer goes off. Madeline holds up a stick. "I'm glad you didn't want it, because there isn't an it!"

"It's for the best." Operations says as he puts his hands on Madeline's shoulders. "I just wish I could have kept Michael and Nikita...ah..away from each other." Operations says as he leaves.

Madeline notices the package on her desk. She pulls out a little tree. She plugs it in. At the bottom of the box, she pulls the note.

Madeline, Thank you for the gift. It is amazing how one hat can change your life. You truly showed me that although we can not control what we do, that we can control if we have a heart or not. Nikita.

"Oh Nikita. We all have hearts...even Operations. How things would be different if he could just admit it."

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