Michael walks past the office in which Nikita sits within, typing like she had when he left her the night before. Her hair is freshly washed and she is wearing a clean outfit. Michael barely pauses at the door before continuing on to Madeline's office, to which he was summoned.

Madeline is waiting outside the office and leads Michael in solemnly.

"I want you to be aware of what my actions are going to be in the coming days." Madeline says as she sits down. She pushes a cup of coffee closer to Michael, which he takes and holds in his hands.

"Concerning Nikita and Operations?" Michael asks and then he takes a long sip of coffee.

"Yes." Madeline says and she leans forward to Michael. "She never left last night."

"Or the night before that." Michael says as he sets the coffee cup down on the desk.

"I'm going to force them to talk, lock them in a room together and let them have it out." Madeline says firmly.

"Nikita isn't going to trust you." Michael says as he shifts his weight in the chair. "Let me help you."

"You can't." Madeline says as she smiles at Michael's offer. "It will be possible that Nikita will never speak to me again if this does not bring a truce of some sort."

"Section can't survive like this. The tension is so thick... no one talks." Michael immediately responds. "Nikita meant a lot to the pulse of Section. You have to let me help."

Madeline drops her head in thought. She turns to a picture of Anna and then back at a picture of Michael and Nikita at Niagara Falls.

"You are right, but you must understand the emotions we are working with here." Madeline says as she faces Michael again.

"Nikita is hurting." Michael responds in a even words.

"Nikita is HATING and then hurting." Madeline corrects Michael's thoughts with the emphasis on the word hating.

"And that hate could be directed at me when we push them together?" Michael asks. Madeline nods. "But there is no other way."

"Room H at 4 o'clock. Get her there." Madeline says.

Michael stands and exits without another word.

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

The door slams into Nikita's face as she enters the room at 4 o'clock on the button.

"Michael, this isn't funny!" Nikita says as she pounds on the door. She turns around and finds Operations pounding on the opposite door.

"GREAT!" Nikita screams and she slids down the wall into a sitting position. Operations walks over to Nikita.

"I guess this gives us time to talk." Operations says as he sits down in a chair.

"Whippee!" Nikita says as she twirls her finger in the air. Operations stares at Nikita, hoping to pick the right words.

"Nikita, I never knew until I saw the results." Operations says slowly, trying to get a civilized response from Nikita. Yet, Nikita stays quiet as she twirls her hair around her finger. "Your mother was part of a mission..."

"I knew it... I knew it.. This is better than being the offspring of a one night stand, I'm an offspring of a mission! Sounds like Destiny was bringing me to my father from the start!" Nikita holler as she struggles to her feet.

"Nikita, your mother was a decent woman..."

"My mother was a drunken !@$%!, she was no good slosh.. a wipe out as a mother... don't ever use the word decent with the likes of her." Nikita hollers again. Operations stands up and tries to pry the doors open.

"I caused her to be that way... made her fall in love with me, and then destroyed her life...." Operations says softly, admitted a part of his past that he had forgotten years ago.

"What.. they didn't have condoms back then!" Nikita spits out. She is frantically trying to find a way out.

"Nikita... I truly loved..." Operations starts but then stops as Nikita walks towards him.

"Let's get this straight.. you are to me only a one tiny piece of DNA... nothing more." Nikita starts.

"Nikita..."

"One of your lucky spermies made me... and I was doomed. I can no longer be Nikita to Michael, to Madeline, to Walter, to Birkoff, to anyone else that knows.. I am now Operations' daughter."

"Nikita...aren't you being..."

"What little identity I had built is gone.... I hate you... that is clear. I want nothing to do with you! All you are is DNA!"

Nikita screams. The door opens and Nikita hurrily walks out.

"DNA." Nikita mutters as she stomps down the hallway.

-------------------------------------------------

Operations sits in the room, with the words echoing in his head. Madeline walks in and sits by him.

"I can't make the same mistakes on Anna." Operations says with a choked voice. Madeline holds his hand.

"She is right... I did stop thinking of Nikita as Nikita... I did start thinking Operations daughter. I don't do that to Anna.

Anna is Anna. This is both of our faults." Madeline says. She kisses Operations lightly on the lips and leaves.

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

Nikita slams the apartment door as she enters the apartment with her face flushed with anger. Nikita enters the kitchen and stares at Michael as he slowly walks into the kitchen.

"I had too..." Michael starts and Nikita throws a head of lettuce at him. She turns her back to him, and when she turns back around, she appears much more calm.

"I'm sorry, Michael." Nikita says and she picks up the lettuce from the floor. Michael stands still waiting to see what Nikita is going to do next.

"Maybe I should make this clear to you, as I did to Operations." Nikita says as she takes Michael's hand and leads him to the table. "There is only a working relationship between me and Operations. In all other relationships, he is DNA."

Nikita says as she sits down.

"Come on, Nikita. You have found your father!" Michael says passionately. Nikita bites her lip and tightens her grasp on Michael's hand.

"Michael, I was an offspring of a mission! Of a mission... a never-was-suppose-to-happen..." Nikita says with her voice building with more anger. "Please, just stay out of this."

"I can't, Nikita, not if Madeline orders me too.. I just can't." Michael says as he pulls his hand away.

"Well, Madeline should be staying out of this too." Nikita says with more tension in her voice and she stands up.

"Well Anna is your step sister..." Michael comments and immediately ducks as Nikita throws a book at him.

"ANNA IS MY GODCHILD!" Nikita rages and runs to the bedroom.

-------------------------------------------------

"'Kita... would you like to eat something?" Michael asks at eleven as he lightly knocks at the bedroom door.

There is no answer and Michael opens the door slightly, seeing the album of William Weider that Nikita had poured hours into ripped into pieces and Nikita sleeping in those pieces.

He gently puts Nikita into bed with her clothes on and then slides in next to Nikita.

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

Madeline walks into Michael's and Nikita's office. Nikita looks up from her computer.

"Can I speak to Michael alone?" Madeline asks Nikita. Nikita gives a blank look, grabs a disk out of her desk and leaves without a word.

"It is her office too." Michael says without looking up from his work.

"Three more innocents! Michael, needless to say, something has to be done." Madeline says as she leans against the door.

"Maybe we should just let it stay the way it is... pushing this is just making things worse." Michael says softly as he flips off his screen.

"She gave Operations the finger again, today." Madeline says.

"And Operations also told her that she was an offspring of a mission... I believe I would have the same reaction." Michael says as he tries to keep his emotions out of it.

"But she wasn't... it started out as a mission... but Nikita... definately not until after the mission." Madeline says as she walks to Michael's desk.

"If that is so, then they have to talk." Michael says firmly.

"Nikita's anger isn't allowing her to talk.. she screams and flips off short low blows." Madeline says, sounding very upset.

"Well don't think that Nikita is suddenly going to love Operations!" Michael says defensively.

"Until something is done, Nikita is no longer out on missions." Madeline says as she approaches the door.

"Your not putting her in..." Michael starts to say slowly.

"No... just protecting more innocents." Madeline says and she leaves.

-------------------------------------------------

Nikita walks into the dark office and pulls out a tiny recorder. Rewinding it, she hits play.

"Well don't think that Nikita is suddenly going to love Operations!" Michael's voice rings out.

"Until something is done, Nikita is no longer out on missions." Madeline voice rings out clearly. Nikita turns off the tape and starts to stalk out of Section.

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

Nikita stands in the middle of the livingroom, holding the tape recorder in her right hand. Michael watches Nikita as he shuts the door. Soon, he turns away as Nikita plays the tape of the conversation.

"I believed we already discussed this. Nothing is going to change. I hate him!" Nikita says as she turns off the tape and throws it at Michael. He catches the tape recorder and moves towards her.

"I am really getting sick of this, Nikita... I understand you are angry... but stop throwing stuff at me!" Michael says in a firm tone.

"I'm more than angry.... I feel like a wound up rubberband that is endlessly unraveling... spinning and spinning and spinning!" Nikita screams as her hands turn into white knuckled fists.

"Then stop it." Michael says plainly. Nikita's eyes water and then turn back to ice.

"I'm going to bed. I think you better get comfortable on the couch!" Nikita says firmly as she slams the bedroom door.

Michael pushes his hair back with both of his hands and stares at the door and then glances at the clock. It reads 7 o'clock.

"Nikita, you haven't eaten dinner... you can't go two nights!" Michael says as he pushes against the locked door. He respects the boundary, although Nikita knows that he could easily access her if he wanted too.

"You're starting sound like a father!" Nikita screams out.

-------------------------------------------------

Walter peels the paper off of his door and turns to Birkoff, before he exits Section.

"Birkoff, did Nikita go home?" Walter asks holding the note.

"Yes. She isn't going out on missions until... well..." Birkoff says with a raise of his eyebrows. Walter glances up to the glass room and then back at Birkoff.

"I didn't think it got that serious." Walter says looking at the shaky handwritten note.

"To compare Nikita's anger to anything, it is best to say that she is a ticking nuclear device." Birkoff says as he huddles in close to Walter. "I think she needs her father."

"She doesn't need him!" Walter screams as he points to the glass window.

"That wasn't who I was talking about... there is only one man that could come close to being a father to her." Birkoff says and he turns and leaves.

Walter walks around Section thinking. He holds the note in his hands. Some of the words echoing in his head..."This week I have killed eight innocents" and things like.. "I can't make sense and every muscle is on attack."

"Walter?" Madeline asks as she passes him in the hall with a crying Anna. Walter touches Anna's nose and then pushes the note into his pocket.

"Who is Nikita to Anna now?" Walter asks as the baby stops crying.

"Her godmother." Madeline answers without thought.

"Maybe someone should clarify that." Walter says as he moves away, causing Anna to cry again.

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

Michael falls off the couch as the knocking on the door continues. He struggles to walk, as the blanket has wrapped around his feet. He leans against the door and opens it.

"I need to talk to her." Walter says walking in without asking.

"I hope you can." Michael says as he bends down and takes the blanket away from his feet.

Walter moves to the bedroom door without looking at Michael. He knocks softly.

"Sugar... can we talk?" Walter calls out softly. In a few moments, the door opens silently.

Nikita moves back to the bed and sits indian style. Walter moves to the bed and hands her the note she left.

"I should have been here for you." Walter says as he sits down on the edge of the bed. Nikita lightly touches the letter.

"No big deal." Nikita says softly.

"Sugar, it's time to move past this anger..." Walter says softly with a hint of love.

"It's squeezing my head into a ball, where I can't think anymore..." Nikita sobs. Walter touches her face and wipes the tears from her face.

"No more of that. You wanted to know who your father was. You got what you wanted!" Walter says firmly.

"I never thought this..." Nikita starts to fight off Walter.

"Then forget about it. Make a truce with Operations, and push it to the back of your mind. Worry about more important things." Walter says as he moves closer to Nikita.

"I want to... I really do... just when I think I can... it all crumbles.." Nikita cries out as she literally crumbles into Walter's chest.

"Ah, sugar... in time you'll find out things aren't that bad..." Walter tries to soothe her a little.

"But I am no one but Operations' daughter now!" Nikita says firmly as she sits up.

"That is insane, Nikita. You are Nikita." Walter says firmly as Nikita shakes her head violently no. "Only you are allowing yourself to be seen as Operations daughter."

Nikita stops moving and looks at Walter with curiosity.

"Nikita, I asked Madeline tonight who you are to Anna. She said her godmother... not her step sister.. her godmother.

You are Nikita. You are Nikita to Michael... You are Nikita to Birkoff... And You are Nikita to Nikita." Walter says. He touches Nikita's cheek and leaves.

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

Michael sits on the couch as he watches Walter leave, without a word. Michael stares at the door, wondering what occurred. A few minutes later, Nikita emerges and walks to the kitchen.

"I could eat a horse!" Nikita says as Michael enters the kitchen. Nikita is pulling out all the makings of a huge sandwich.

Michael starts to slice a tomato as Nikita piles meat and cheese on a roll. Seeing Michael helping, she pulls out another roll.

After the sandwich is made, they walk to the table in silence. In fact, they eat in total silence. Nikita places their dishes in the sink as Michael returns to the couch.

"Why aren't you coming to bed?" Nikita asks as she walks into the bedroom. Michael looks up and sees Nikita smile. A smile and Michael feels like jumping for joy. He maintains his composure and walks into the bedroom.

They snuggle together spoon fashion and fall asleep.

-------------------------------------------------

Michael wakes up before dawn and immediately feels that Nikita has left. He sits up and looks around.

"'Kita?" Michael calls out as he walks into the darken bathroom. No trace of Nikita, except for the missing tennis shoes.

Michael moves into the livingroom, knowing now that Nikita has left the apartment. Michael walks to the table, where there is a note from Nikita saying that she has gone for a jog and not to wait for her to go in to Section.

Michael touches the paper, and notices that something else was written on it before this note. He quickly starts to rub the pencil over the impression.

A poem quickly emerges.

Whenever the time arrives
For me to shed the mantel of darkness
And to withdrawl from the hurt
Finally to stand up in the real world.
Support me.

Whenever the time arrives
For me to crumble down and weep
And to recoil back into my shell
Of darkness, pity and pain
Support me.

Whenever the time arrives
For me to snap back like a rubberband
And to enjoy each waking second
As if there was no longer a tomorrow
Support me.

Whenever the time arrives
For me to head on and say goodbye
And to walk into the mysterious future
To explore parts of myself I yet don't know
Support me.

Whenever the time arrives
For me to walk ahead and bury my thoughts
And to remember who I am to myself
To save the life only I know
Support me.

Michael drops the paper and knows that Nikita wasn't out for a jog. Terror and relief rush through his body. He didn't know what Nikita had planned.. but he was sure he should get to Section like he was three hours late.

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

"Operations." Nikita says as she enters his office with a soft sound of the door closing.

"Nikita, how did you know where to find me?" Operations asks in surprize of the early hour visit.

"It doesn't matter. I have to let you know that I am not proud of my immature behavior of the past week." Nikita says nervously as she twists her fingers together.

"I haven't handled the situation much better myself." Operations says as he motions for Nikita to sit down in a chair.

Nikita slowly sits down.

"I wanted you to know the story..." Operations says as he pushes several files towards Nikita.

"I don't understand." Nikita says as she looks at the stack.

"Those are the records of the mission and the files of my relationship therefore after..." Operations says. Nikita doesn't look at the files but rather pushes them away.

"So it was after the mission?" Nikita questions, even though she knows the answer.

Operations pauses as he hears a commotion down in the hallways.

"Looks like someone knows where you are." Operations says with a smile.

"I just want a truce... we can't ever have a relationship other than what was before." Nikita says standing up.

"But I tend to disagree." Operations says softly. "If it means that much. Yes. As if nothing occured." Operations says.

Nikita walks to the door as Michael approaches it. Nikita smiles at Operations and then turns on a strong face.

"Oh dare you try to control my life! I'll decide if and when I want to get married!" Nikita screams as Michael opens the door.

"Nikita, it doesn't matter.. to Section, you are married with or without the ceremony!" Operations screams back.

"You can control who I kill but you can't control this!" Nikita hollers back.

"Then make your own wedding I won't be there!" Operations yells back and sits down. Michael grabs her arm and pulls her out of the office.

"Nikita!" Michael says in shock. Nikita steps away.

"We talked. Back to the way things were before.. and that was the way it was before." Nikita says and she walks away.

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