Nikita sits at her desk continually hitting the enter button. Over and over. The hitting is not in a steady pattern, and Michael glances over. His eyes shows the hardship of the past week since Nikita asked the questions that hurt both of them.

Michael sighs and stands up. "Nikita, we have to talk about this..." Michael says approaching her desk.

"Michael, I have to think about this." Nikita says coldly as she continues to hit the enter button.

"Does it matter why I love you? I love you. That is all that matters." Michael pleads again.

Nikita feels Michael coming closer to her. "I NEED MY SPACE!" Nikita yells standing up. "NOWHERE IS MINE!" Nikita yells as she storms out of the office.

Michael follows behind.

Nikita walks to one of the common areas of Section. Birkoff and Walter are in one corner and Rick and Rita are in another. All four look up when Nikita approaches. She sits in the middle, and stares at the brick wall infront of her.

"Sugar, what's wrong?" Walter says as he leans in from his seat in the corner.

"Nothing for you to worry about Walter," Nikita says semi-sweet.

Birkoff continues to stare at Nikita.

"Nikita, you just seem so down." Rita says from her corner.

Nikita turns around, which reveals to all that there is something wrong.

Immediately all four clammer in close to Nikita.

"Why do I think this is a Michael thing?" Birkoff mutters quietly to Walter.

"Kita, sugar, no reason to keep this all in you." Walter says placing a hand on her leg, which Nikita immediately pushes off.

She stands up and retreats to a corner.

"Does this have something to do with your father or something like that?" Birkoff says sarcastically.

"Where the !*@! did you hear that!" Nikita yells as she pounds into the wall.

"Well, Michael was talking to me a couple days back..." Birkoff says.

"No one ever gets it." Nikita mumbles as she shakes her head back and forth.

"Your not going to find a father here, hon." Walter says.

"I didn't ask you. It is... none of your business." Nikita says as her hands ball up into fists.

Michael is now standing out in the hallway.

"What's so interesting?" Madeline asks as she comes close to Michael.

"We've been having problems." Michael says as he continues to stare at the four friends starting to surround Nikita even more. He shoke his head, knowing that Nikita was not going to like that.

"What kind of problems?" Madeline asks, as she glances into the room.

"Nikita is wondering why she loves me...and I think she thinks she is just a replacement for Simone." Michael says continuing in his monotonous responses.

"Her past?" Madeline questions. Michael turns to her.

"Not her mother." Michael response with enough information to give Madeline the knowledge, but not betraying Nikita.

"Please, I need my space..." Nikita says in a controlled rage.

"Nikita, you need friends." Rick says placing a hand on Nikita's shoulder. She grabs him and flings him against the wall. "I need my space!" Nikita yells with fire in her eyes. The other three back up.

"Nikita, just let him go." Birkoff says shakingly.

"Am I invaiding your space, right now?" Nikita loudly questions Rick as she squeezes on Ricks throat.

Michael is about to charge in, but Madeline pushes him away, and enters slowly herself.

"Yes, Nikita." Rick responds.

"This is how I feel all the !@*! time. Never being able to move, feeling like I'm choking, being choked!" Nikita says harshly.

Michael walks away from the room.

"That's enough." Madeline says. Nikita turns her head. Noticing Madeline, she lets Rick go. The four friends run from the room quickly, not wanting to be involved with what followed.

"I think it's time that we had a heart to heart." Madeline said keeping her distance.

"I don't want a heart to heart....I want my own space. I'm attached to Michael at the hip. Wake, sleep, eat, drink, sigh, cry, work, play,...me and Michael...Michael and me.... I need to be alone!" Nikita raged a bit softer now. NIkita turns in a circle and then stops. "I want a vacation from Michael." Nikita say firmly.

"I won't grant it until we talk." Madeline says standing her ground.

"Fine, then I'll see you after lunch." Nikita says, exiting the room.

Madeline looks out the window of the room. Her lips are tight, and finally she exits, needing to start some research on Nikita's family.

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

Nikita walks into Madeline's office and sits down. She stares at Madeline.

"I understand you've been having problems..." Madeline starts of slowly.

"I wouldn't have problems if I could have some time for myself." Nikita says defensively.

"Nikita, we can never promise that." Madeline says matter-of-factly.

Nikita stares ahead.

"You...Section...moved Michael into my apartment. MY APARTMENT...I share OUR office, no where is just mine." Nikita says with passion.

"I'll give you that, and I truly believe that had this been any other time, that Michael would have given you that space." Madeline says with equal passion.

"Oh, so what has Michael told you?" Nikita questions ignorantly.

"He told me about that night. You threw him off of his support too." Madeline says.

"Is this more about fixing Michael, than me?" Nikita questions in a huff.

"I can't help you. We don't know who your father is. We can't do anything about that. Michael fears losing you everyday... not physically, emotionally. When you are upset, he is upset." Madeline tries to explain.

"Michael fears losing me because he lost Simone." Nikita says firmly and looking away.

"Do you truly believe that?" Madeline fires back.

Nikita looks intensely at Madeline. "I haven't had a chance to think about it because I've been surrounded by him." Nikita answers sternly.

"I don't understand your need for this solitude." Madeline says with a curious glance.

"Absence makes the heart grow founder?" Nikita says sarcastically.

"I'm not comfortable, allowing you to leave, after what happened today." Madeline says standing up.

"They surrounded me like a caged animal." Nikita fires back with a hint of anger.

"You should have handled the situation better." Madeline says with tight lips.

"I need to heal my inner being myself...to look at the stars and not wonder when Michael is going to touch my shoulder...to take a bath and no that no one might need to go to the bathroom." Nikita says in a wispy voice.

Madeline smiles. "Fine. I'll give you three days..." Madeline says and Nikita stands up with a smile.

"BUT..." Madeline says firmly and Nikita sits back down.

"But what?" Nikita questions.

Madeline pulls something from her desk. "This is where you will be going. I will talk to you at length every night. No questions." Madeline says firmly. She hands over the folder.

Nikita opens up the folder and sees a picture of an wood cabin. She sighs softly. "When do I leave?" Nikita asks.

"Tomorrow." Madeline says again with a peaceful smile.

Nikita nods her head and exits.

Madeline sits back down, and then Walter enters.

"Madeline, Birkoff said you needed to see me?" Walter says still standing.

"Do you think that Nick is still around?" Madeline smiles with humor.

"I thought Nick was a one time shot for Michael?" Walter says with a nervous chuckle.

"I think you need some time off, Walter. You've been overworked." Madeline says with a smile.

"Is this for Nikita?" Walter asks with a turned head.

"Don't you think it is needed?" Madeline questions.

Walter makes a small chuckle. "I thought about it about three days ago." Walter admits. "Nick?"

"Yes, Nick." Madeline answers.

"Wouldn't this be playing into her need for a father?" Walter asks softly.

"Yes, it will be." Madeline says softly. "She will be staying at the same cabin as Michael did."

"Will Michael know?" Walter asks standing up.

"Michael will be doing his own searching here." Madeline responds.

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

Nikita now sits on the patio of the cabin. She sighs and watches some birds fly around the huge pines surrounding the cabin. She leans back, and lets the warm sun, bath on her face.

"Hello there..." Nick (it's a well hidden Walter)

"Hello, I didn't know anyone else was out this way." Nikita said with a small smile as the man with a bunch of white hair approached the patio.

"Not many people out this way." Nick says with a smile. "I'm glad it brought out a beauty such as yourself."

"Well, I needed to escape from some people." Nikita says as she sits up. She motions for her hand for Nick to come up.

"You must be daddy's little girl..." Nick says with a smile.

Nikita frowns. "No, I never knew him." Nikita admits quickly.

"Oh..." Nick says. Nikita looks at the trees and then back at Nick.

"My name is Nikita." Nikita introduces herself with a polite hand to shake.

"Nick." Nick says standing up and bear hugging Nikita. "You look like you needed a hug."

"Oh...well...do you want tea or something?" Nikita asks standing up.

"Some tea would be nice...do you have honey?" Nick says following Nikita into the cabin.

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

"This is not about me." Michael says entering Madeline's office.

Madeline looks at Michael, and smiles. "I thought about questioning you about Simone and Nikita....but I think it is more important to have you do this..." Madeline says pushing some files forward.

"What is this?" Michael asks before picking up the files.

"Nikita's initail report. You'll find all about what she knows about her father. WE need to know more." Madeline says firmly.

Michael stares at the folder and then away from it. "Why does this matter to Section? It doesn't matter to me." Michael says equally as firm.

"It had thrown us for a loop. I'm sure you know about her last mission..." Madeline says, with a look that tells Michael she knows about what really happened.

"I wasn't involved with her last mission..." Michael says in his monotonous voice.

"Well, she helped someone who's father is really..dangerous...and that person still wanted to know the father....And that, threw her." Madeline said, beating around the bush.

"Madeline...I don't think..." Michael starts and then stops. "Ok."

"Don't worry about her. She'll have a friend out there." Madeline says with a smile. Michael looks at Madeline in a confused way, and then leaves.

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

"Do you think if you missed something in your childhood that you search for it when you are an adult?" Nikita asked Nick as they sat down on the scrape wood chairs near a small fire.

"If you missed a feeling, I think you search for that...but if it was a dog, I don't think you'd search for it." Nick said and then sipped his tea.

"What if it was a father?" Nikita questions as her face is lite with shades of red and orange of the fire she is staring into.

"You always have a father." Nick responds quickly. A tear now glistens in the corner of an eye of Nikita's.

"I never had a father...just some donated DNA..." Nikita said, intranced by the fire.

"We all have a father, that higher being above, be it god, be it ghosts, be it something more...that is our father...and you always have that sense that there is something more." Nick says softly.

Nikita glances over with more tears running down her face. "I never thought of it....It's getting late, I think you should be leaving." Nikita said standing up. Nick taking the lead, stood up and nodded.

"Want to have a picinic tomorrow?" Nick asks gently.

"Sure. High Noon." Nikita says with a smile, she has wiped some of the tears away from her face. She closes the door on the friendly Nick, and grabs the phone.

"Madeline..." Nikita says softly.

"Nikita, I was just about to call you." Madeline says with a smile. It was going good for Walter if Nikita was calling.

"I had tea with a very interesting man." Nikita said right off the bat.

"Oh? I didn't think there was anyone up there?" Madeline tried to play it off, but she started to move uncomfortably.

"I wonder where he lives?" Nikita questions as a statement.

"So what did you do?" Madeline asked, hoping that Nikita didn't find it all out.

"Madeline?" Nikita asked again as she rolled her feet underneath her.

"Yes, Nikita?" Madeline stated softly.

"Does Section sanction thoughts of a god...a higher being...something more?" Nikita questions sounding ghostly far away.

"Those aren't normal thoughts for people in Section, but if it gives comfort to you, then yes." Madeline answers.

"I want to take a bath and go to bed." Nikita says standing up.

"Sounds like a good plan." Madeline agrees. "And I'll go along with Nick, but I hope the van is far away." Nikita says hanging up.

"Damn!" Madeline mutters as Operations enters.

"Don't ask." Madeline warns as Operations comes closer to her.

"I think Nikita has been trained well, too well that Walter has been found out." Operations says as he rubs Madeline's back.

"It's not going to do any good now. She'll give us what we want and bottle everything else." Madeline said as she rolled her head back onto Operations' hand.

"Maybe it will." Operations says softly.

"I never heard you talk so optimistically." Madeline responded.

"Maybe she will have the time by herself she needs to sort things out herself." Operations says as he leans down and kisses Madeline on the forehead.

Madeline stands up, and wraps her arms around Operations' waist and kisses Operations passionately.

Operations runs his hands down Madeline's back and pulls back. "Lets..." Operations says and stops. A few tiny kisses.

"Yes. Lets." Madeline says, clicking off her light. A few items are heard hitting the floor, and finally the two giggling.

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

Michael sat at his desk, rubbing his stubble as he glared at the file infront of him. He shook his head side to side slowly. He pushed the file away, and then pulled it back towards him.

"Has it been that bad?" Madeline asks as she sees him at 4am. as she walks past the office.

"Nikita recalls that her mother thinks that it could have been one of three or four men with whom, Nikita was created." Michael says leaning back in his chair. He closes his eyes in feeling the softness against his red hot back.

"That should not be to hard." Madeline said, leaning against Nikita's desk.

"It seemed easy, because Nikita could recall three of the four men's names." Michael said, pulling the sheet out of the file. Highlighted in violet, were three names.

"And it was the fourth, mysterious man?" Madeline asked, giving the sheet back.

"When I talked to possible father one, he told me about Nikita's *mother*" Michael says very sarcastically. He looks at Madeline leaning against the desk. "I'm sure Nikita wouldn't mind you sitting in her chair."

Madeline pulls the deco chair out and looks at it. Slowly she sits down, like she is unsure of it's durability.

"So, Nikita's mother was what Nikita told us." Madeline said. In her experience, the child usually told worse versions of the parents. Sometimes they did have a grip on who the parents were.

"No. Nikita's reported mother would have been god compared to the woman that the possible fathers remember." Michael said rubbing his forehead. "The possibles jumped from three to four...to well over a hundred easy."

"OH! So that's how her mother got the money to booze it up?" Madeline asked in mild shock.

"Yes. And these three men, well...it was kind of the same act..." Michael said with clenched teeth.

"Can we narrow them out?" Madeline asked, sensing Michael was becoming upset.

"I did. I 'scraped' up against them. The DNA's were not even close...none were over 50%" Michael said, putting the reports infront of Madeline.

"Any clue of who else could be?" Madeline continued as she glanced at the reports.

"Man number one gave me thirty others, number two, about the same amount, and most didn't match. I'd be better off testing any man in the entire city...no Europe..." Michael said sarcastically and he stood up. He stretched to each side and then sat back down.

"I guess I'm going to tell Nikita about this." Michael said with clear eyes.

"Michael...Do you remember Nick?" Madeline asked.

Michael raised his eyebrow. "You mean the guy in the mountains?" Michael asked shaking his head.

"Yes. Nick. You do know that he was Section." Madeline said.

"Yes, I figured that out before I left. I still wonder who it was." Michael says in a soft voice, the memories of that time.

"Michael, let those memories be." Madeline says as she sees the change in his eyes.

Michael shakes his head and then smiles.

"SO?" Michael questions.

"It's ..Walter." Madeline reveals.

Michael blinks. "Walter?" Michael says and again, blinks.

"Yes." Madeline responds.

Michael turns his head towards the wall and then back at Madeline. "So, Walter is out there with Nikita." Michael said, connecting the dots quickly.

"Yes. But Nikita already knows that Nick is Section. I think it is only a matter of time before she realizes that it is Walter." Madeline says hurriedly.

"I wouldn't worry." Michael says pushing his chair away from the desk. "They have always been able to talk."

"And this doesn't bother you?" Madeline asks softly.

"I give Nikita everything she needs. I can't be her lover, and her best friend, and her confident, and her sounding board, and her brother, and her father, and her buddy, and her enemy....I can't. And that is what happened. We have been isolated into this position, where we were everything for each other." Michael says passionately.

"Sorry." Madeline says standing and ready to exit. "Please take a nap."

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

"My it is getting quite warm out here." Nikita says with a smile as she stretches out in the meadow.

"Yes it is." Nick says wtih a smile back at Nikita.

"Why don't you take the latex mask off Walter?" Nikita says staring into the eyes.

Nodding, Walter slides off the Nick mask. "It was for your good." Walter says back in his own voice.

"I know, and it did help." Nikita said with a smile.

"How? I didn't even get to the juicy stuff." Walter questioned and complained.

"Oh, higher being...like why do the stars shine, because there is something more..cosmic. And last night, while looking at the stars, and finding your van, I realized that love is...cosmic...like two small stars smashing into each other to for a...sun." Nikita said as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Oh, Maddie as taught you well," Walter says smiling at Nikita. "Do you want me to leave you in peace then?"

"No, why don't you come over for dinner?" Nikita said with another smile.

"I thought you wanted solitude." Walter states before accepting.

"If I want to go off here, I can, I'm not being followed by Michael, or Birkoff, or Madeline. I had time to myself. That was what I wanted." Nikita said standing up. The sun hit her radiant golden blonde hair.

"Ok. I'll be over in a few hours. What are you going to do?" Walter says as he stands up, picking up the picinic basket.

"Call Michael." Nikita says, walking towards the cabin.

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

"Hello?" Michael answers his office phone is a sleepy stupor. He rubs his face and again tries to open his eyes.

"Michael, did I wake you?" Nikita says softly.

"NIKITA!" Michael says sitting straight up. "Are you having a good time?"

"Yes. I missed you." Nikita says with almost a teary voice.

"Oh, Nikita, I waited for a week to hear that." Michael comments with a happy smile.

"I needed to just be with myself for a few hours." Nikita explains.

"You know that they sent Walter?"

"Yes, but they did the same for me." Michael says as he stares at the file photo of Nikita. He then realizes that it is the only photo he has of Nikita.

"OH?" Nikita questions with a little chuckle.

"I didn't know it was Walter until today, but now I know that that guy has a huge heart." Michael says as he sighs.

"He is comfortable." Nikita says. Michael can imagine Nikita saying The words and then moving the bottom part of her mouth to the side.

"Now that I have thought about, he has stopped me from getting the better of myself." Michael says holding tightly on the phone.

"How?" Nikita asks, like she is sitting right there.

"After the trip to Chicago...I got drunk...and would have drank all night...Walter stopped that." Michael reveals.

"That night, I spent with Madeline." Nikita reveals. "I don't want to say goodbye..."

"I want you right here so I can hold you tight in my arms and just smell your skin..." Michael says with sighs.

"I have to cook dinner." Nikita says regrettfully.

"I wait for your return." Michael says. "I love you."

"I love you Michael." Nikita says and slowly hangs up the phone.

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

"Walter, why don't you sleep on the bed?" Nikita said as she stepped out of the bathroom in a long silk nightgown.

"If that is what you want, sugar." Walter said with a smile.

Nikita nodded, and sat down by the fire briefly. "Last night was the longest night of my life...even longer than after..." Nikita admitted as she stared at the fire. It seems as if the flames whipped the truth out of her.

"Why?" Walter asked, trying not to appear to be too interested.

"Michael wasn't here...no...I don't know...I just keep on waking up." Nikita said standing up and yawning. "I think I'll get a perfect night sleep."

"Did you call Madeline tonight?" Walter asked before Nikita shut the door to the bedroom.

"No. I'm sure you will once I'm asleep." Nikita said with a smile. She walked into the room, and slide underneath the warm and cozy blankets. She sighed and closed her eyes.

Like clock work, Walter picks up the phone.

"Nikita?" Madeline answers after seven rings.

"No." Walter says with a smile.

"Walter, why you and not Nikita?" Madeline asks.

"The kid's sleeping...Do you want me to wake her up?" Walter says sarcastically.

"No." Madeline responds. "What do you think?"

"She called Michael." Walter says, wondering if Madeline had obtained that information yet.

"I didn't know that. But I did order Michael to sleep several hours ago." Madeline say firmly.

"She hasn't totally relaxed, I think that dreams are still haunting her...boy, her and Michael must be a pair at night..." Walter comments as he peaks in the door. One of the covers have been thrown off of the bed.

"See if she'll come back tomorrow. I might need to give her and Michael some time alone now." Madeline says.

"Ok." Walter says and hangs up without saying goodbye.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-===-=-=-===-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"No...your my dad....stop stop stop...please no....your my father....no no no no...stop it...HELP!" Nikita starts to scream in her sleep.

Walter walks to her room, and soon Nikita is sitting up screaming.

"Oh Walter...." Nikita says hugging Walter and crying.

All Walter can do is soothe her back and make the soft sounds the ease her pounding heart.

"Go back to sleep, sugar." Walter says, helping Nikita lay back down. He draws the blankets up around Nikita.

"My mother never did that." Nikita mumbles, but her exhausted body drives her back to sleep.

Walter walks immediately to the phone. He was just going to leave a message on Madeline's phone.

"HEllo?" a breathless Operations answers.

"AH, sir...is Madeline still there?" Walter asks almost embarassed. A shuffling is heard and then a heavy breath.

"Walter, what is it?" Madeline asks in the same breathless condition.

"We'll be back this morning." Walter says, hoping to break this conversation off quickly.

"Ok. Michael will be pleased." Madeline says and she hangs up the phone.

Walter smiles, at least Madeline should keep Operations in a good mood, Walter thinks. He starts to put things back in order.

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

"MICHAEL!" Nikita screams as she sees Michael down the hall as soon as she enters Section. She bounds down the hall and passionately kisses Michael.

The kiss lingers on so that Walter has caught up with Nikita, and other operatives have started to stare.

"Maybe you should go to your office..." Walter says, which brings the kiss to the end, but Michael keeps his arms close around Nikita, and her head falls on his shoulder. Without a word, they turn and head towards their office.

When they enter, Nikita notices all the paperwork on Michael's desk.

"What's all this?" Nikita asks. Michael, already connecting many things, doesn't try to hide it.

"I learned what your pain has been." Michael says leading Nikita over to his desk.

"Madeline has had me searching for your father." Michael explains. He pulls out a list, at least three pages long.

"It wasn't easy listening to the men tell me about your mother. I think you knew that those three men you gave Section has being your possible father was wrong." Michael says further.

"It could have been anyone." Nikita responds as she sits on Michael's lap.

"I...I don't think you'll ever know." Michael says kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"You tried." Nikita says kissing him back. She slides off of his lap and walks to her desk.

"I'm so sorry about that night...I shouldn't have questioned your love...and I shouldn't have questioned mine." Nikita says as she runs her fingers along the desk.

"Nikita, Simone will always be a part of me...but you are not Simone, and you will never take her place. You have your own place in my life, in my soul, in my heart." Michael says softly, but not looking at Nikita.

"I never truly believed that Michael, I just wanted you to hurt like I was. Seeing Stephen, willing to still know his father after all that I told him...just hit me in the wrong spot." Nikita says bitting her lip. "But this is a homecoming...coming home to you....No more solitude..." Nikita says as she again approaches Michael.

"Nikita, if you ever need space again, slap me in the head, or post a huge note on the door." Michael says as he takes his hand and pulls Nikita closer to him. He nuzzles her neck.

"MMM, yes Michael..." Nikita says as she starts to run her hand down Michael's pants. "Don't worry, I locked the door..."

Madeline reaches over and shuts the screen off.

"We don't need to know what else will happen." Madeline says with a grin to Operations.

He only nods.

"You knew Nikita's mother." Madeline says. Operations does not budge.

"Yes, I did." Operations replies. Madeline nods.

"It will never leave these lips." Madeline says, and she leans over and kisses Operations.

"I think I locked the door..." Operations jokes as he rolls Madeline up in his arms.

Send suggestions and comments to ranma.
OR
If you would like to send a comment to Nikita507, click HERE!!