Madeline is sitting in her darken office. She has the phone in her hand as she works on packing a light duffel bag.

"How is Nikita doing?" Operations asks from an unknown location.

"Physically, she is better than ever. She has bounced back better from the bug even better than Michael." Madeline said as she held up a green silk nightgown. She smiles and places it in the bag.

"Mentally...do we have a problem?" Operations asks in a very serious tone.

"I don't believe there will be a problem when we return." Madeline said as she placed a pair of black heels into the bag.

"Going to use Michael again...hasn't that backfired on us in the past?" Operations asked with almost a hint of anger.

"Backfired on YOU in the past." Madeline corrected.

"And we're using him again?" Operations asked back quickly.

Madeline sits down and rummages through her desk and pulls out two combs and a brush. She tosses both into the bag.

"No. He is going to tell her the truth. I will instruct him to answer all of her questions truthfully. That is the only way to retain Nikita from going into the shell." Madeline said as she ducked underneath the desk.

"THE TRUTH!!!!" Operations roared. "Everything?"

"If he feels she needs to know...yes." Madeline said as her head popped back up with a bottle of foundation in her hand.

"Most of what we kept from Nikita in the past six months would destroy someone!" Operations said loudly.

"Ah, but she is Nikita." Madeline said as she tried to zip the bag up.

"That doesn't make her superhuman!" Operations said.

"I thought we all had to be superhuman, if not we were cancelled." Madeline said sarcastically. Silence filled the phone line as Madeline successfully closed the bag.

"Ready for your mission?" Operations asked Madeline.

She smiled. "I have to brief the troops and then I'm on my way to Paris." Madeline said. "I'm sure that Michael will do what he feels right."

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

"Michael, before I start the full briefing, I needed to talk to you about your duties during this time." Madeline said inside her office.

Michael stared at the duffel bag. He scrunched his eyes, not believing that Madeline had to leave for a mission while Operations was out with some big wig governmental people.

"My duties?" Michael asked with a touch of curosity. When this occured before Nikita's arrival, Michael was once left in charge. Since Nikita has been in Section, someone else had taken the responsibility.

"James from our France outpost will be taking over here for the two weeks. It's not because..." Madeline started to explain.

"There is something with Nikita planned?" Michael asked before she could finish.

Madeline shook her head 'yes' quickly. "You will tell her the truth." Madeline said blankly.

"The truth? Wouldn't that be too much?" Michael asked shocked.

"The truth is what Nikita has always wanted. For her to be totally comfortable with you, she needs to understand that you would tell her the whole truth when the time comes. The time has come." Madeline explained as she swung back and forth in her chair.

"Everything?" Michael asked.

"Everything. You'll have totally clearance on the computers about Nikita. Of course, you might come across some lies yourself." Madeline warned in a serious tone.

Just then James walked in. He smiled and kissed Madeline's face. He nodded towards Michael.

"Special detail...I think I'd rather have that than this." James said in a hard French accent.

"Maybe so." Michael responded, drowning in his own thoughts. Not long later, the core entered. (Birkoff, Nikita, and Walter and some other nameless few)

"I have an emergency mission in Paris that I must attend to. James here will oversee this part of Section until either me or Operations returns." Madeline said effecientally, like a planned and much used speech.

"We won't be taking on new missions unless we are about to be compromised or if a massive attack is being planned." James said in the same kind of effecientency. _________________________________________________

Nikita found Madeline just before she walked out of Section.

"Madeline?" Nikita yelled out.

"Nikita, I have to be leaving." Madeline said. She saw fear still in the eyes of the young lady she wish could someday develop the skills she could have.

"What if I have problems?" Nikita whispers. Madeline pulls her off to the side.

"You have Michael." Madeline said with a pat on the shoulder.

"But he knows nothing!" Nikita almost cried out through her whisper.

"Nikita. You must trust me. Michael will help." Madeline said with a last smile. "I must go."

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

Nikita walks hard down the hall to the work out area, to find Walter and Birkoff sweating it out while lifting some weights.

"I thought you never did this, Birkoff?" Nikita said as she started to use the stair climber. She smiled at the low weight Birkoff was lifting so laborily.

"Not very often." Birkoff says through clenched teeth.

Walter smiles at the young man's struggle.

"SO...does this occur often?" Nikita asked.

Both men stopped. They looked at each other and then walked over towards the stair climber Nikita was on.

"Not so often...but I don't think there is a mission her, sugar." Walter said in his deep voice.

"It just happens that right after Madeline gets over the bug that there is an emergency...I never saw an emergency happen so perfectly." Birkoff muttered.

"And during this time, you guys work out?" Nikita asked with a smile.

Birkoff looked seriously at Nikita, snatching her smile away, and then at Walter.

"Michael threw him out of the computer room," Walter responds for Birkoff.

"OH." Nikita says, trying to hide her shock.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+-

"Mr. Bellratch, it seems like your wife has made it!" a young bell boy said as he knocked at a posh hotel door. Madeline stood in the hallway, with a half smile on her face.

Operations opens the door and smiles. Madeline rushes and kisses him.

With a quick tip, Operations takes Madeline in his arms, and sweeps her towards the bedroom.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Michael, you have been at that computer for several hours, give it a break." James said as he turns off the screen. Michael rubs his hands through his hair. 'There is soo much lies' Michael thinks.

"This Nikita seems really nice...to nice to like a darkened person like you." James says with a smile.

"I sure hope Madeline did at least brief you about Nikita!" Michael retorted with anger.

"I know about the past months...we all do. THe changes have occured all through Section, and not just here." James says. He glances at his watch. "It's past midnight...I think you better go home to Nikita."

"She is asleep in my office." Michael said softly, leaving.

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

Nikita's muscles twitched as she acted out her nightmare on Michael's couch. A light sweat nibbled at her hair line. Her mouth tensed back in like a growl. She hissed and tightened her hands against each other. Starting to shake back and forth, Nikita starts to mutter 'no no no'.

Michael, hearing the slight noise walks to the door in time to see Nikita fall off the couch from her acting.

"Nikita...are you alright?" Michael said as he puts his hands down to help Nikita up.

"Yeah...They are so different now..." Nikita says as she rubs her eyes and sits on the couch with Michael.

"Do you want to talk about them?" Michael asked.

"They aren't about the incident...mostly now, somebody has ripped something away from me...I just don't understand." Nikita muttered softly.

"They ripped away your confidence, Nikita...they tore apart your sense of self...no wonder you are having these dreams..." Michael said as he smoothed her dampen bangs.

"I just feel empty...alot" Nikita admits putting her face against Michael's shoulder. James walks past the door. He mouths the words, 'Go home'.

"Nikita...I love you." Michael says hugging her tightly.

"When did you start loving me?" Nikita askes simply.

"It's hard to answer." Michael says, he knows he is to tell the whole truth, but this one is hard.

"When? After the incident?" Nikita shot back.

"Before the incident." Michael answers with a little kiss on the cheek.

"Before the war?" Nikita asks, wanting to know.

"I loved you from the time I saw you in the white room continuing to chew the two day old gum." Michael admits. Nikita looks up shocked.

"I couldn't tell you, I had to sort things out about Simone...and Section at that time would not allow it." Michael continued on with the explanation.

"Let me take you home." Michael said, standing up and retrieving her coat.

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

"MMM...Madie...I was so upset when your departure from Section was delayed..." Operations said in a whisper as he rubbed his hand down Madeline's bare arm, in the bed they shared.

"I wasn't in any condition to see you...I would have made you sick." Madeline said as she smiled at his touch.

"I was sick without you." Operations said and then he ran his mouth down the arm of Madeline, where the hand had just been.

"I knew you'd still be here...and our plan went off without a hitch."

Madeline said as she turned towards him. She ran a hand across the face of Operations.

"Even Michael and Nikita?" Operations said as he rubbed her face back.

"Watching Michael with Nikita while she was sick, reminded me of when I broke my ankle and we were stranded in the Alps." Madeline said. She gently kissed Operations on the lips.

"MMM..." Operations muttered as he rolled Madeline over.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"What did Michael do to my computer?" Birkoff complained as he started to load up a game. The screen passed to a list of all the files Michael had viewed. All were about Nikita, most had been higher classified than Michael was at.

"James...what was Michael doing?" Birkoff asked the part-time leader who stood only a few feet away.

James glanced at the screen. He reached over and turned it off.

"I think you should use this one while Michael is working on this."

James said leading Birkoff to another computer.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"I'm telling you, Walter...something is up. Michael had accessed every file dealing with Nikita except her Medlab files." Birkoff said in a little park in the city.

"And why are you worried about that?" Walter asked as he shoved his cold hands in his pockets.

"What if they are just going to use Nikita's emotions against her again?" Birkoff almost screamed.

"They wouldn't have to access all the files...The person who knows Nikita is who is studying Nikita...in every way..." Walter said with a slight smile.

"Michael...he holds the key." Birkoff said in a spiteful voice.

"You wish it was you who was comforting Nikita." Walter said, watching the young Birkoff's face turn red with the mention of Michael.

"NO! Absolutely not!" Birkoff lied badly.

"Hey, I'm not so thrilled about thinking about my sugar in bed with the angel of death himself...but we would have never gotten our Nikita back..." Walter said.

"That is an image I...oh god...Now it's stuck in my head!!!!" Birkoff said as he squashed his face up.

"I wish it was me." Walter said.

"But we have Nikita...but is she back? Can she ever be the same Nikita?" Birkoff asked.

"Nikita will always be Nikita...she will always have a heart...it just counts on how that heart is treated." Walter says poetically. "Let's get inside before my butt falls off and shatters on the pavement. I can't believe you dragged me out here at three in the morning!"

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

Michael sat in the dinning room in Nikita's apartment, staring at the portable computer that was linked to every file at Section. He stood up and walked towards the bedroom, which Nikita slept soundly in...he had made sure she would be asleep by giving her some sleeping aids, which Nikita took willingly.

"Something is not right here..." Michael muttered as he went back to the computer. Constantly, he could hear Nikita's voice say, 'I feel so empty'. He remembered that Madeline told him, that since Nikita was three days pregnant, that the feeling of emptiness was probably motherly instinct. "But three days!" Michael said in wonderment, how could one feel empty without knowing of the existence.

"THREE DAYS!" Michael snapped straight up. 'She couldn't have been pregnant by one of those men...she was only captured for one and a half days...THREE DAYS!!!'

Michael ran towards the computer and sat down. Opening the Medlab files on Nikita, he sifted through them. Accounts of injuries sustained while training, and the rat bites from the war...Then he started through the records of the incident, as Nikita would call it.

PATIENT NIKITA LOST A FETUS AROUND THREE WEEKS OLD DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF LOVING2000 IN THE FETUS'S BODY TISSUE. THE FACT THAT NIKITA WAS PREGNANT, FURTHERED HER STAY IN THE MEDICAL SITE, AS NEED TO DISPOSE OF THE FETUS WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL WHO WERE BELOW FULL CLEARANCE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FATHER WAS PATIENT MICHAEL, WHO VISITED NIKITA MORE THAN DAILY...OFTEN STAYING BY HERSIDE FOR HOURS.

FROM THIS KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE ADVISED NIKITA TO USE OTHER METHODS OF BIRTH CONTROL, AS IT SEEMS THAT OUR IMPLANTS HAVE NOT STOPPED NIKITA'S VIABLILTY.

"What!" Michael slightly roared with tears rolling down his eyes. "They took my child!" he cried out as he slammed the computer screen down. The room seemed to become smaller and smaller. He needed some fresh air. Opening the computer, he activated Nikita's bugs to monitor the drugged operative as he left.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Ok, Mic...what's wrong?" Walter said as he entered in the workout room which Michael paced back and forth in.

"Nothing..." Michael muttered not even looking up.

"Hey. Stop that!" Walter said as he stopped Michael's nervous walk.

"Birkoff is monitoring Nikita's place...and you..."

"I'm on a mission...and I found out some things that...well I wish would have stayed a lie." Michael said angerily.

"About Nikita?" Walter asked.

Michael nodded 'yes'.

"Does she know?"

"No, and I was told she has to be told...but...it would change everything." Michael said as he stared his pacing back and forth. Soon Birkoff entered the room.

"So now you're accessing NIkita's Medlab files!" Birkoff said angerily.

"Madeline gave me all the clearance." Michael said at the red faced Birkoff.

"What is it, Michael? This must not be good." Walter said.

Getting nervous that Walter and Birkoff might figure out what was wrong, Michael stormed out.

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

"Nikita...we have to talk." Michael said as he opened the apartment door and found Nikita sitting on the couch drinking tea.

"Michael..I did sleep well last night." Nikita said standing up and hugging Michael.

"Sit down." Michael ordered. Nikita searched his eyes.

"This is serious." Nikita said as she set her tea down and sat down.

"You haven't been told everything about your incident." Michael started as he sat down next to her.

"Michael...what is it?" Nikita asked with a sudden rush of worry.

"Nikita...before I start...I want you to know, they lied to me too."

Michael said as he grabbed Nikita's hand.

"Ok, Michael...they lied to you about what?" Nikita said tightly holding onto Michael's hand.

"I was told much later after the attack that you were three days pregnant..." Michael started.

"I was pregnant!" Nikita said as her eyes got very large.

"I was told that it was one of the men who was with you..." Michael softly explained. Tears formed in Nikita's eyes.

"I was pregnant?" Nikita muttered softly again. Michael rubbed her tears away.

"I was told that the baby died because of the Loving2000." Michael said. Nikita looked up into his eyes suddenly.

"If your saying they lied to you...then do you know the truth?" Nikita asked clearly.

"Nikita...you were three weeks pregnant." Michael said, sounding like a deflating balloon.

"Three weeks..." Nikita said with a cracking voice.

"Yes. Three weeks." Michael said softly, trying to hold his emotions in check.

"Ours." Nikita muttered with her tears.

"Ours...it did die because of the Loving2000." Michael said looking away.

"Good. Because I would have killed it myself!" Nikita said in rage and flew towards the bathroom.

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

"Walter...I have to get hold of Madeline...I should have turned it off ...but I didn't and now...everything is falling...apart...and if they....god Walter...I need Madeline!!!!" Birkoff said very shakenly as he ran into Walter's workspace.

"Calm down, Birkoff. You know that Madeline is not to be found until she wants to be." Walter reminded in a firm but friendly voice. "What are you talking about?"

"Birkoff?" Walter asked again as he watched Birkoff pace back and forth.

"God... you're acting like Michael."

"I didn't turn off the bugs at Nikita...I was busy and I..I..forgot." Birkoff tried to explain.

"Oh...so you caught them..." Walter said with a wink.

Quickly, James entered. "Birkoff. Hallway." James said as he tugged Birkoff's shirt.

"You never heard this. Do you understand?" James said with a firm voice.

"But this could break Nikita and Michael off...didn't you know that Michael already lost a child...and this must..." Birkoff started to say in a small whisper.

"That is why Michael was told to tell Nikita the whole truth...He has dealt with this before." James explained.

"But...Nikita has been through so..." Birkoff started to protest again.

James slammed Birkoff against the wall. "You never heard any of this!" James warned and let go of Birkoff.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"I should check in with James and find out how Section is doing."

Madeline said as she stood in the living room with a robe covering her own body.

"You want to check on Nikita." Operations said as he stood behind Madeline, lightly kissing her neck.

"She is a major reason why...this whole plan can backfire on us."

Madeline said with concern and a stressed voice.

"Let me unstress you before you start today." Operations said as he put his hands near the belt that kept the robe up.

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

"Nikita..." Michael said opening the bathroom door after an hour of pleading. She had taken a bath, and now sat in the bath tub in a pile of bubbles.

"Michael...I would have killed it myself. I wouldn't want a kid to exist without parents." Nikita said with tears.

"Nikita...you lost a child...our child...we should feel pain." Michael said. Nikita sat up straight.

"It does hur! I think of it being our child...and it hurts that I wouldn't be able to raise the child ourselves." Nikita said with a clear voice.

"Nikita..." Michael said grabbing her hand.

"I would have killed it!" Nikita screams and stands up, covering herself up quickly.

"Our kid..." Nikita cried out as she regained her balance by gasping a chair in the dinning room.

Michael quickly sweeps her up and takes her to the bed.

"Nikita...I lost one child...and I can't lie. It would be hard to give it to a couple in the real world...but at least it would have had a chance." Michael explained as he dried her wet hair.

"To be adopted? But Section would still know who it's real parents were. They could wait for the child to do the first thing wrong and bring them into Section, because of who it's parents are!" Nikita flamed in anger.

"But Loving2000 killed it?" Nikita asked as her hands unconsciously rubbed over her stomache.

"Yes, it was Loving2000...the doctors had to clean your body, since your face was easy target to be scared."

Nikita stood up quickly and walked towards the bathroom. "I can't breath in here...I'm going for a stroll."

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

"Hello?" Operations said, as he reached for Madeline's ringing cell phone. It must be important, Operations thought as he tensed up.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sir...but I really need to speak with Madeline." James said in a steady voice.

"What is wrong?" Operations demanded as Madeline came out of the bathroom, with a towel on her head.

"Sir, I'd like to speak with Madeline first." James repeated.

Operations threw the phone at Madeline.

"James, what is it?" Madeline asked as she sat down.

"Plan has gone haywire...Birkoff forgot to turn off bugs...he knows...I'm sure Walter will know soon...and it seems that Nikita has had a different reaction." James filled in Madeline.

"Nikita...different reaction?" Madeline asked surprised. She was sure Nikita would shrivel up into an emotional ball.

"To quote her, 'I would have killed it myself.'" James repeats.

Madeline stands up quickly and pulls out some clothes. She starts to pack as she talks.

"Is she still with Michael?" Madeline asks.

"She has gone for a walk...Michael hasn't taken to this response very well." James says.

"It's another mask of Nikita...are you the only one monitoring the bugs now?" Madeline asks. Operations stands up and starts to pack also. He realizes from what he has heard from Madeline's end that the plan to tell Nikita of her deadly pregnancy has gone awfully off track.

"We were playing with emotions here...we were only guessing...we guessed wrong." Madeline said for the benefit for both James and Operations.

"James, track both Michael and Nikita...if you have to...pull them both into Section. Try to keep Birkoff's mouth shut. We'll be there soon." Madeline said as she shut her bag.

"And what is your story?" James asked.

"There won't be any." Madeline said hanging up.

Operations immediately wrapped his arms around Madeline, who know was visibly shaken. She is thinking of her own scare with the 'test'. She too, believed that she would have killed the baby before it's birth.

"What has happened?" Operations asked as he moved away to finish packing his bags.

"Nikita said she would have killed the baby herself." Madeline said softly. Operations looks up. Six months ago that would have been the right answer...and due to the bad reputation the operatives have of Section...it is still the prevailing feelings. Even operatives with families outside of Section are refusing to bear children.

"Let's use our jet." Operations says as he picks up the phone.

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

Nikita is working out heavily in the gym area. Walter has moved in, sensing something terrible has occured between Michael and his sugar.

Nikita's face is in a steady frown as she continually hits the punching bag.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Hey, Michael...heard that both Madeline and Operations are on their way back...seems like Jack is gone soon." Birkoff said as he went into Michael's office.

"Oh." Michael said without looking up. Birkoff looked at Michael again. He clicked his mouth.

"Can I borrow some paper?" Birkoff asked. Without a sound, Michael gave Birkoff a sheet of paper.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

"HEY! THat punching bag did nothing to you!" Walter said with a friendly smile as Nikita continued to punch without a glance.

"Nikita...I think you've done enough." Walter says as he trieds to turn off her bike she is riding. Birkoff walks in quietly, and hands something to Walter. Walter unfolds it quickly as Nikita's focus is on the punching bag.

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

Walter finds a place where he is by himself, but can still view the hard working Nikita. Braced against a wall, he pulls out the paper.

MICHAEL IS UNRESPONSIVE TOO...I CALLED JAMES, JACK AND NO RESPONSE...I KNOW WHY...

Walter read and stopped when Nikita started to throw her entire body into the punching bag. Quickly, he shoved the note into his pocket, and pulled the violently thrashing Nikita from the continue assult on her body. Breathless, he pull NIkita away, her eyes filled with fury.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Nikita hissed, as she twisted away and stormed off.

"Nikita...sugar..." Walter called out with no response. He pulled out the letter from Birkoff.

NIKITA WAS PREGNANT WITH MICHAEL'S CHILD...IT WAS LOST WHEN LOVING2000 WAS GIVEN TO HER. THEY ARE NOT GETTING ALONG...

Walter's mouth dropped quickly with reading the words. He leaned against the wall and then took off after Nikita. What was the problem between them...they should have been both healing from their lost.

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

"Michael..my office...NOW!" Madeline said angerily as she stormed into Section, Operations not far behind the quickly moving Madeline. Walter hurried down the hallway, almost bumping into Madeline as he ran towards the staring Birkoff.

"Have you seen Nikita?" Walter asked Birkoff. Birkoff continued to stare at the now out of sight Madeline and Operations carrying the bag, that Madeline had taken with her.

"What did you say Walter?" Birkoff asked as he watched Michael slowly stand up from his seat and follow after Operations.

"Have you seen Nikita?" Walter asked again. James, who had been sitting in the far corner, watching the strange behavior unfolded walked over to the red faced Walter.

"No." Birkoff said, rolling his eyes.

"You were to stay with her." James said tensely. Walter looked at Birkoff and then James.

"If you would have told me all the circumstances of why I was watching Nikita...being her shadow...this wouldn't have happened."

Walter said, throwing down the note Birkoff had given him, and ran down a hallway, calling out for Nikita.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Michael..sit down. It seems this mission has gotten out of hand." Madeline said in short words. Operations stood behind Madeline, not sure if he should stay or leave. He tried to move to a corner so not to draw attention to himself.

"Nikita has responded the way we would have wanted." Michael said with no emotion. Madeline stared at Michael hard.

"Not the way I wanted...or you wanted." Madeline said folding her hands infront of her.

"How was I suppose to react...how was I suppose to want her to react...Is this a game to you? Let's not tell Michael and Nikita that they had made a child and it died because Nikita was kidnapped and raped...lets see how they will react if we tell them after the healing has started...and lets see how they do while we are out playing around with each other!!!!" Michael said, with his whole body boiling with anger.

Madeline turned around in her seat, turning her back on the fuming Michael. She was flustered by his outburst. She wondered if she got the two mixed up...Michael was having the emotional outbursts and from what she knew, Nikita had bottled up the emotions.

"Michael...I wasn't playing a game...this knowledge would have killed Nikita...we had very little of her then...and we had to build her defenses back up to handle this." Madeline said calmly.

"She said that she would have killed it herself!'" Michael roared.

Operations shifted akwardly.

"I thought the same thing when I was put in the same position."

Madeline said quietly turning back around. Her eyes meet with Operations, and suddenly, his face soften.

Before more words could be spoken, James enters.

"Sorry, but this can not be avoided." James says.

Michael starts to get up, but James puts a strong hand on Michael's shoulder.

"What is it, James?" Operations asks, moving from his hiding spot.

"Birkoff and Walter very much know of...well, they know. Nikita has left Section...we haven't been able to track her." James said.

"Birkoff and Walter know!?!" Michael raged as he stood up.

"Michael...it wasn't planned. We did not want this knowledge to be shared." Operations said, coming in front of Michael's body.

"Nikita's false face is crumbling...I knew she would have an emotional crisis...Michael...James..use Birkoff and Walter and find Nikita." Madeline said standing up.

The two men rush out. Operations walks over to Madeline. He hugs her gently.

"That is the first time I ever heard you give out personal information." Operations said looking at Madeline's eyes.

"Secrets...damn the secrets..." Madeline whispered. A rare tear held at the edge of Madeline's eye.

"Our scare...you would have killed it?" Operations asked.

"I had already done so before." Madeline said as she quietly exited her office.

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

Michael walked the cold park as Birkoff chatted over the com unit. Since the avalanche, Nikita had been extremely careful in remembering to turn the device off when she wasn't on a mission.

"Michael...I have received a bounce back signal...it is possible that it is Nikita." Birkoff reported.

"Where?" Michael said into his hands as he rubbed them together.

"On the bench near the children's bench." Birkoff said.

"Birkoff, I am posted there...there is only a bum." James reported.

"Nikita was homeless." Walter commented.

"Walter, how far our you now?" Michael said as he turned around, and started to quicken his walking pace.

"I'm heading there now. I'll try to see if it is Nikita." Walter said as he pulled his heavy winter hat down, hiding his face.

Soon he was next to James. Both men made a snow ball, and threw them at each other. Walter carefully hit the figure on the bench. A blonde head shot up from underneath the paper, and both James and Walter ran for some trees.

"Birkoff is right....it is Nikita..." Walter puffed.

Michael walked near the bench. Looking down at the paper over Nikita's eyes, there were two holes, she was watching the children sledride. He bent over and poked two fingers into the holes and lifted the paper off of Nikita's face. Frozen in anger, Nikita did not move or mutter a word.

"Nikita...Madeline waits for us." Michael said as he tried to help her up.

"Nothing for her to wait for us for." Nikita said stubbornly as she sat up.

"Everyone in." Michael said.

"The guys with the snowballs...Walter and who?" Nikita said as she followed Michael towards the van. Soon, Nikita saw James and knew that James was the other.

The van trip was quiet. Michael would look at Nikita while she was looking out the window. Then, when Michael would look away, Nikita would stare at Michael. James, Walter, and Birkoff looked between themselves and at the behavior between Michael and Nikita.

"Stop the van!" James hollered. The van squealed to a halt. "Get out Walter and Birkoff."

"What?" Birkoff asked ignorantly.

"Out." James repeated. Birkoff shoved his hands into his pockets and exited the van.

"Look at each other...we are sick of watching, 'I'll look while he isn't' Solve this now. Solving it with Madeline will only be harder."

James said stepping out of the van, and slamming the door. "He is probably right. Madeline will look for three, four, five different meanings into what we are saying." Michael said.

Nikita just stared at him.

"Nikita...I was told to tell you the whole truth. I can't tell you anything anymore...I'm afraid if your going to believe it or not!"

Michael said as he stared deeply into Nikita's eyes.

"Let them back in the van. It's freezing." Nikita said as she headed for the door. "We need to talk, alone somewhere."

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

"Where are Nikita and Michael?" Madeline asked James as he entered the office.

"They wanted to try one more time...I won't tell you were they are." James said.

"James...why?" Operations asked sternly.

"I think they both realize they have to solve this together...and you two have your own problems....like your mission is no longer a good cover for a 'trip'." James said exiting.

"You scared me Maddie...you said you had already done so..."

Operations started to say. She walked over and put her fingers to his lips.

"I was Nikita's age. It had been our accident...I purposely got hit by a car on the walk home." Madeline explained without much emotion.

"I don't..." Operations started again.

"I couldn't bear to give up a child...and spend nine months hoping a mission wouldn't kill it...I didn't want to see it being tracked by Section...I know that this is wrong...I mourn every day."

Madeline said softly as she hugged Operations and wiped away the tear that hugged the corners of both of their eyes.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Michael and Nikita sat on a bed in a beat up hotel. Michael had turned the heater on full blast, but both still shivered in the cold, icy room.

"I lied." Nikita said.

"Oh thank god...I knew that you...were hurt..." Michael said.

"I think you lied too." Nikita accused.

"Yes...I'm huring badly..and just wanted to hold you while we cried the night away." Michael explained.

"I might never stop." Nikita said with a cracked voice.

"You won't...it's always there...everyday you wonder what they would be doing had they only lived..." Michael strained to say.

"Oh Michael...I forgot..." Nikita said as she embraced Michael's head.

"We can get through this...Faith, hope, and love can work miracles."

Michael said moments later as he grasped Nikita's hands and kissed them.

"And what is my faith...my hope? Those mean nothing to me...hope...hope is a child...and it never was even known...hope was killed....they killed my hope that I good leave good on this earth...." Nikita finally cried out. Michael kissed her nose.

"Oh, Nikita..you have left the good...." Michael said trying to comfort Nikita.

"And faith...I don't have any...I only have faith that Section will hurt and twist my heart more...that isn't faith...." Nikita continued.

Michael grabbed her head, placing one hand on each ear. "Nikita...I am your hope...your faith..your love...and you are my hope...and my faith...and my love...We have to be this...this is all we have." Michael said.

Nikita's eyes flickered with understandment. Suddenly, her face of the innocent operative turned into one of a face of a person who had regained hope...and Michael his face suddenly seemed to have lost some of the massive pain and hurt that had put years on his soul and heart.

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

"We wanted to speak to you two first, since...well, you have been good friends." Michael said the next morning as he lead Birkoff and Walter into the shaggy hotel. Michael looked like he had been up all night.

Once entering the hotel room, Nikita looked like she also had been up all night, but also crying.

"Oh, sugar..." Walter said. He walked over to her and patted Nikita's hair.

"Walter, I am fine." Nikita said, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"You both know of the child...we both know that you two would have supported us...like you always have." Michael announced.

"It shocked me." Birkoff admitted. He looked at Nikita, who smiled back at Birkoff.

"I know why it scared you Birkoff," Nikita whispered and winked her left eye.

A tiny knock was heard at the door.

"Didn't want to disturb your party..." Madeline said as she entered the group. "What did you and Nikita do, stay up all night?"

"The only way we told each other the truth." Nikita said, hauntingly.

"So if I said something about your adventure in the streets of London..." Madeline said, testing, since this event had bothered Nikita as a child.

"A person shot a seven month pregnant in the middle of the square and no one went to help." Michael said finishing.

"Madeline...what if this occurs again?" Birkoff askes quietly.

"We'll be trying some new things out...we have some ideas..." Madeline said with a smile.

"I will not be a babysitter!" Walter said with a smile.

Another knock at the door and Operations entered.

"What a dumb. I'm glad Section isn't paying for this."

"Hello, sir." Michael said along with Birkoff and Walter.

"Everything straighten out, Madeline?" Operations asked.

"Yes, Michael and Nikita know they have to meet with me tomorrow afternoon." Madeline said with a wink.

"I suggest we all go back to Section and work on the terrorists out there." Operations says in his superior and firm voice. Everyone starts to exit.

"You two have the day off. I believe you will crash, but if you're doing more...here..." Operations says handing Michael some 'hats' and leaves.

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