Staring Nikita Michael Birkoff Walter

with minor roles Madeline Operations Anna Hiro

introducing Pete Chez

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Silent Section

About twenty high ranking operatives sit in the briefing room. Nikita sits carefully on Michael's lap, as the lack of chairs is very apparent. Operations wades through the crowd and the slight rumble dies immediately.

"Some of us here have too much vacation time. Madeline has reminded me of the need to maintain giving this vacation time to all." Operations says with a smile, and suddenly the tension in the room lessens quickly.

"Yet, I will need one of you in this group to stay here and keep taps of the skeleton crew left here. All other operatives will be moved up to help build our outpost." Operations says in a firm voice.

"Let's draw a name!" Birkoff yells out. Most of the other operatives clap with approval. Michael claps along with them, and Nikita sits, not moving.

"Start folding." Operations says as he produces the names. They are carefully announced and folded into the hat.

"And the poor operative that will stay behind this time is..." Birkoff laughs as he rolls his hands on the table like a drum.

"Walter." Operations announces. Nikita quickly stands up.

"NO. I'll stay." Nikita says without looking at Michael. He immediately grabs her hand, and pulls her back.

"Nikita... we'll go to New York to catch another musical or go back to Florida." Michael says in utter shock.

"Michael, I don't need the vacation, but Walter does." Nikita says firmly. Operations looks at the other operatives, who are starting to chat about where they will go for the week.

"Everyone can go but Nikita and Walter." Operations says. The room quickly becomes empty as Michael pleads with Nikita.

"Michael... I took several days out to the mental sea... it's not far to take a vacation after that." Nikita practically yells.

"Sugar, I lost..." Walter says patting her shoulder. Nikita shakes her head no.

"You've been begging for a vacation for months. I won't have you staying here." Nikita lectures. Operations stands back in the corner.

"Then I stay." Michael says softly, and Nikita continues to shake her head no. "Go."

"I have to agree with Nikita." Operations says. "She will stay here, you two will go on vacation."

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Operations walks lightly into Anna's room, where Madeline sits in the rocking chair beside their child's crib.

"So, Nikita is staying and Michael is leaving?" Madeline asks in a soft whisper.

"Yes.... Not that I like that." Operations says in a soft whisper.

"So, who are staying here with Nikita?" Madeline asks as she stands up slowly.

"Hiro... Chez... and Pete." Operations slowly announces.

"All guys... Michael isn't going to be pleased." Madeline says as she looks down at the sleeping Anna.

"He isn't pleased with Nikita personally right now." Operations informs Madeline. "Nikita offered to stay."

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

Nikita stands in the middle of the barron computer area. Walter walks down the hall with a pile of books in his one hand, and a bag in his other.

"I picked my best ones." Walter says with a smile. Nikita looks at the pile, scanning what books he had left.

"Looks good." Nikita says forcing a smile. Already, Section was eeriely quiet.

"I don't like leaving you." Walter says looking into Nikita's fear filled eyes.

"Get out of here... everything will be fine." Nikita says playfully slapping Walter.

"You know where you can get hold of me." Walter says as he picks his bag up. He stands frozen in one spot.

"Yes! Along were Birkoff and Michael are... and they both are going to be closer than you are!" Nikita says with a smile.

Pete looks up at the smiling Nikita and smiles himself.

"Nikita, come give me a hug." Walter says. Nikita walks over, and she starts to hug Walter. "Watch these guys."

"Walter... I'm the cold op." Nikita whispers back.

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Nikita sits in the glass office, fingering the cover of the book she has selected to read. "THE PHANTOM by Susan Kay".

She looks at the cover and is reminded of how she loved the musical in New York.

"None of us can chose where we will love.....- Erik..." Nikita reads on the first page, and before she can turn to the next page, the intercom buzzes loudly.

"What?" Nikita answers slightly annoyed. She looks down at Pete who is manning the communications center.

"Heat sensor problems in old section 3." Pete says. Nikita drops the book on the table and quickly walks down to the computers.

"Is it the heaters, again?" Nikita asks looking at the computers. Pete looks up at her and shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know." Pete finally mutters out. Nikita pulls a chair up, and types a few things on the computers.

"It's the heaters." Nikita announces. She remember quickly who she has left in Section with her. Hiro, well is basically communications and Chez, well Chez was a bag jack of all trades.

"Get Chez down there. See if he can do anything to stop those heaters from being on constantly." Nikita says standing up and walking back up the office.

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

Nikita awakes quickly as the intercom buzzes again. Nikita stumbles to the box on the table. She had fallen asleep in the office.

"Nikita, it's Michael." Hiro announces as she notices the flashing line. Nikita doesn't even respond to Hiro and quickly picks up the line.

"Hello." Nikita answers while yawning.

"I just wanted to see how things are." Michael says softly, with a bit more French in his accent.

"The heaters are blitzing again." Nikita says again through another yawn. She sits down in Operations chair.

"How bad?" Michael asks. Nikita shakes her head.

"You are on vacation." Nikita lightly lectures. She looks down to see a second phone line blinking. "Hey, Michael. Line two may be Operations."

"I love you, Nikita." Michael says softly and adds a soft kissing noise.

"Back at you." Nikita says smiling. She immediately picks up line two.

"Who is this?" Nikita demands as she hears Hiro chatting.

"Nikita... you sound so pleasant!" Birkoff laughs. Nikita shakes her head again. She was like home alone with two brothers constantly checking up on her.

"Hiro. Get back to monitoring." Nikita says firmly and she glances out the window to see that Hiro has done as told.

"They are idiot's!" Nikita slightly screams at Birkoff. He continues to laugh.

"I heard about the heaters." Birkoff says and Nikita hears a door shut.

"You better get back to Melissa." Nikita says hanging up.

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Nikita sits in the same chair, again clutching the book THE PHANTOM.

"47 pages isn't bad." Nikita thinks to herself as she realizes an entire day has passed.

"I dared not think of the life which lay ahead of Erik beyond the protection of my door, in a world whose sole purpose would be to mock the grotesque appearance. I dared not begin to anticipate the future. But I could not deny him his dreams. Even then I was aware that dreams were all he could ever have." Nikita struggles to read as the buzzer rings yet again.

"What!" Nikita slightly screams as she looks down at Hiro.

"Chez has problems." Hiro informs. Nikita looks onto a computer screen quickly and then shots back at it.

"Does this have anything to do with the water pressure we are losing?" Nikita screams. Hiro doesn't comments immediately.

"Well, it would explain the lost in pressure." Hiro finally confirms.

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

Nikita lightly jogs out of the old part of Section, dripping wet. She pauses at the wall for a breath and then looks at Hiro and Pete, who are useless.

"Get me a flashlight!" Nikita hollers out. The two men look at each other and shrug their shoulders. Pete starts to search the desk. Nikita runs over and pushes him to the side.

"When was the last time you actually did something here!" Nikita says harshly as she grabs underneath the desk and pulls out a large flashlight. "Do you even know how to use the computer to find out how much of Section is without power!"

"I am just communications." Pete mutters and Nikita quickly slaps him. She pulls his hand, and places him in the hallway.

SHe enters down the darken hallway, with about a inch of water on the floor.

"You stay there. I have to get Chez." Nikita says angerily as she turns on the flashlight and begins to become soaked again.

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Chez is fallen on the floor as Nikita turns the corner. The water has become hot and not cold as it was at the beginning.

She doesn't feel for a pulse or try to wake him up. She grabs under his arm pits and starts dragging him out.

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"Get in here and help me!" Nikita screams as Pete stands still. She glares over her shoulder and Pete finally steps into the waterfilled hallway.

Pete grabs Chez's feet and they carry him onto a table near the computers.

"Close the retaining wall." Nikita orders Hiro. He fumbles around the computer, frantically hoping he guesses the right thing.

"It's here." Nikita says angerily as she pushes a button on the control panel off to the right of the computer.

"Oh, I forgot." Hiro stampers out. Nikita pushes him back into the chair.

"Get me a line to Michael. Can you handle that?" Nikita yells as she pulls her wet hair up into a ponytail. She walks over to the table and looks at Chez.

"Get me the medical kit." Nikita orders Pete, who is just standing over Chez. Pete looks at Nikita with clear eyes.

"Why don't we just take him to Medlab?" Pete asks. Nikita closes her eyes in an attempt to maintain her anger.

"THERE IS NO ONE IN MEDLAB! WE ARE ALL!" Nikita screams as she pushes Pete against a wall.

"I'll go get the kit." Hiro says, standing up and leaving the room. Pete slides down the wall.

"I'm not even on shift." Pete comments softly. Nikita throws her wet flannel at him.

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

Nikita walks back over to Chez. She has cleansed his burns and had stopped the bit of blood from his forehead. It had been a miracle that she got an IV in, and now it feed Chez.

"Hiro... get me Walter's number." Nikita says softly. The man stands and yawns. Nikita stares at Pete, who is still against the wall, frightened with what Nikita might still do to him.

"Do you want me to establish a line?" Hiro asks softly. Nikita's hand is barely touching Chez when she turns to Hiro.

"No, I'll do it. Get some rest." Nikita says. She quickly steps over to the phone.

"Paris Orlando Hotel." The line answers. Nikita looks at the paper.

"Room 456." Nikita says softly. She holds as the call is moved to the room.

"Hello?" Walter's voice answers in surprize. Nikita takes a deep breath.

"Walter, I think I'm destroying Section." Nikita says softly. She hears Walter laughing. "This is serious!" Nikita rages.

"Nikita, I'm several hours away." Walter complains. Nikita is on the verge of breaking, when she realizes that Hiro and Pete are still in the area.

"Get out of this room!" Nikita yells and she watches the two men run out quickly. "I tried Michael and Birkoff, but no answers." Nikita says bitting her lip.

"So what is going on?" Walter asks still chuckling.

"They left me with complete dumbwits! And with heaters that like to explode and cause the pipes to burst and chain reaction!" Nikita says as her anger causes her to hit the desk.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, sugar. Just don't kill them." Walter says and he hangs up. Nikita takes a deep breath and goes back to Chez.

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Michael walks into his hotel room in downtown Paris. His phone message light is blinking. He picks up the phone and the desk picks up.

"A Josephine as called about five times. Says it is urgent." The desk say. Michael immediately hangs up and places his scrambler on the phone and calls Section.

"Nikita!" Michael says loudly as the line picks up.

"Michael!" Nikita happily responds. He can hear the stress in her voice. "I need help." Nikita says softly. Without anymore words, Michael hangs up the phone and starts packing his things.

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Birkoff walks into Melissa's apartment. He smiles as he looks at Melissa's pulled up hair. She turns with a frown on her face.

"What is it Melissa?" Birkoff asks as he puts down the take-out bags on the table.

"Nikita called." Melissa says, knowing that Nikita worked with Birkoff. Birkoff immediately knows something is wrong.

"Did she say why?" Birkoff asks, hoping Nikita was only looking for a friendly voice.

"She has called about eight times, she won't tell me why." Melissa annouces. Birkoff again looks at the bags. He kisses Melissa lightly.

"I have to go." Birkoff says and he walks out the door.

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

"What is going on?" Birkoff yells as he turns the corner and sees Chez laying on the table. Nikita quickly stands up from the computers. She hasn't called Pete and Hiro back, as her anger for their complete inability to do anything is too great.

"Birkoff, I am so glad to see you." Nikita says. He looks at her wet clothes and hair and walks quickly to his computer.

He turns it on and quickly evaluates the situation.

"Damn, Nikita. What have you done?" Birkoff says as he turns away from the monitor.

"What is the matter, Birkoff?" Michael says angerily as he enters, and has heard what Birkoff said.

"The whole old section is underwater, without electricity and who knows what else!" Birkoff yells. Nikita, has moved to Chez.

"And Chez is seriously injuried." Nikita softly adds. Michael looks from Birkoff to Nikita.

"Where are the other two?" Michael asks softly as he walks to her. Nikita looks down at Chez.

"I couldn't call them back because I was going to kill them." Nikita admits softly.

"Kill who?" Walter says as he drops his bags, looking down the hall to the retaining wall.

"LOOK, I couldn't do the job that the three of them were to. The heaters when crazy, and that caused the problems!"

Nikita says angerily as she looks at the three men. "Why don't you all just go back on your vacations, and I'll continue to take care of this totally by myself!"

Walter glances at the monitor and the retaining wall. He looks at Nikita, who has turned her back on them.

"Michael, I'm going to try to drain that water." Walter says, walking down the hall. Pete and Hiro poke their heads around the corner, now seeing the others, walk happily out.

"Just go help Walter." Michael says in a firm voice.

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"Nikita?" Michael calls out, stepping into the bathroom. On the seat of the toilet, Nikita sits, still in her wet clothes, asleep.

"Nikita?" Walter calls out as he enters the room just outside the bathroom. He is a bit wet, but containing a smile.

Michael waves Walter into the bathroom. Walter smiles at the sleeping Nikita.

"Water is gone. Going in to see what I can do about those heaters." Walter whispers softly. Michael nods his head.

After Walter has left, Michael wraps Nikita up in a towel. He places a dry t-shirt on her and carries her to bed.

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

Operations enters Section, surprized by the quietness. He glances over at the computers and sees Birkoff.

"Back to it already?" Operations asks, but continues on, without waiting for a answer. Birkoff stands up and walks to Madeline.

"There is the little sweet bundle of joy..." Birkoff says in a high pitch voice as he takes Anna out of Madeline's arms.

"How was your vacation?" Madeline asks as she takes off her coat.

"Quiet." Birkoff says with a smile. He quickly remembers how quiet it was in Section once the problems were fixed.

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"Walter, I thought you'd be one of the last one's back." Operations says in surprize as he walks down the hall of old section. Walter stands at his quarter's door, which had to be replaced because of the water damage.

"I missed my sugar." Walter said with a smile. He holds behind his back the hammer which he had just finished fixing the last item.

"So how was your vacation?" Operations asks pealing off one his coat.

"Quiet." Walter says with smile. Walter thinks back to the quiet in the intense game of cards that he played with Michael, Nikita, and Birkoff.

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Nikita stands in Medlab, just outside Chez's room.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Madeline asks as she approaches Nikita.

"All I can do is suggest that you get all of our heaters fixed pronto." Nikita says, without looking up.

"Where are Hiro and Pete?" Madeline asks. Nikita turns and smiles.

"Room T" Nikita says, and quickly looks away.

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"GET US OUT OF HERE!!!" Hiro calls out as he sees a person walk outside the door. Both are strapped into chairs.

"Oh, but this punishment is nothing to what she could have done." Michael says into them. Madeline pats Michael's shoulder.

"So your vacation was good?" Madeline asks with a smile.

"My vacation was great. And how was yours?" Michael says looking at Madeline.

"I'm looking forward to watching the videos." Madeline says. Michael looks up at a camera and smiles.

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