Gannon walks out onto the patio and sees the yellow blacket moving down the length slowly. He pauses and watches.

Each night, Nikita breaks 'curfew' and takes a walk about two o'clock. The cool air is refreshing, and Gannon is surprized that Nikita is wrapped tightly in the blanket.

Gannon slowly walks behind Nikita. He can easily remember the conversation he had with Julie earlier that day. She was concerned about Nikita, not getting enough sleep, and that she hasn't been eating well.

Gannon watches as Nikita's body tumbles to the left, but luckily, Nikita grabs onto a bench and slides onto it. Gannon steps up his pace and is soon next to Nikita.

"You're breaking curfew, again." Gannon says as he sits down. He can barely see Nikita's face as the blanket is tightly wound around her.

"Had to get some fresh air." Nikita says calmly as she stares at the sky straight ahead. Gannon watches her body shiver, and is shocked and amazed by that feat.

"Are you cold?" Gannon asks and Nikita nods. Gannon stands up and walks back to his room. He quickly pulls a huge quilt off of a chair and heats up a cup of soup. Remembering his conversation with Julie, he slides in half a sleeping pill into the soup.

"Here." Gannon says with a smile. He hands the steaming cup over to Nikita, who immediately sips, as Gannon slides the blanket around her body.

"Tell me about how you meet Michael." Nikita says as she pauses drinking the soup. Gannon knows that for the little bit of the drug he placed in the soup, she was going to have to eat every bite.

"You don't want to hear that." Gannon laughs at the request. Nikita turns her head and smiles. Her hands hold the warm cup tightly.

"I do." Nikita says, and Gannon drops his head lightly.

"We knew each other before Section..." Gannon starts, and is amazed that Nikita didn't drop the cup on the ground.

"BEFORE SECTION!" Nikita almost screams as she turns totally to Gannon. Gannon takes hold of her shoulders and smiles lightly.

"We were eight... sometimes it feels like a dream, and not my life." Gannon says softly. Nikita drinks more of the soup.

"So, how did you know each other?" Nikita continues to ask. Gannon sighs, knowing that the story to come out is not what he ever planned.

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

"It's a long story." Gannon says as he lets Nikita lean her head on his shoulder. He takes the empty cup from her hands. He is prepared to talk to Nikita, until sleep is near to happen.

"I don't care." Nikita mutters.

"I meet Michael when he was eight... we lived next to the farm his parents owned..." Gannon starts and soon fades the childhood memories.

(When referring to Michael and Gannon here, they are children)

Gannon runs into the huge kitchen, being followed by the skinner boy, Michael. Both are covered in a good layer of mud.

"BOYS!" the servant yells and they stop in their tracks. "Mud belongs outside, not in the kitchen where Retrina has to clean it up again."

"Come on... we'll go jump in the hay!" Michael says, running back out of the house. Gannon follows behind and the door slams shut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nikita laughs at the image in her mind of Michael being a skinny boy. The image of Michael covered in mud is even funnier. But Nikita is wondering how if they were friends when eight, why there was tension now.

"It sounds so nice." Nikita says with a yawn that stops her laughing.

"Michael was a sad boy. His parents left him at home with Retrina for weeks on end. I never met his parents, only saw pictures." Gannon says as he looks down and sees Nikita's eyes start to drift down.

"That was probably the worst year of his life." Gannon says as he pushes Nikita up off of his shoulder.

"Why? Wouldn't his first year in Section be the worst year of his life?" Nikita asks as she covers another yawn.

"Michael's parents were killed that year." Gannon says softly. Nikita looks at Gannon in amazement. "The murder was never found, but now looking back, I have no doubt that it was Section."

"And then what happened?" Nikita asks as she struggles to keep her eyes open.

"Michael left. I wrote a few times, but I had totally forgotten about him for years." Gannon says as he stands up. "Now, we do get up early tomorrow. Let me walk you too your room."

Nikita pushes away Gannon's hand and slowly stands up. She stumbles forward, her legs looking weak.

"Are you ok?" Gannon asks, believing that that movement by Nikita was not because of the drug.

"I'm tired." Nikita says, and she slowly walks to her room.

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

Nikita opens her door to her room and realizes that she still has Gannon's quilt wrapped tightly around her body. Nikita glances behind her, as the thought of walking it to his room, quickly leaves her mind. Nikita moves slowly into her room.

Nikita briefly thinks that it would be easier had she kept the smaller room, as she walks to the phone and pulls it to her.

The phone rings twice before Michael mumbles "Hello?" Nikita smiles, thinking that Michael is probably sleeping in his black boxers.

"Sorry, for calling so late." Nikita says as she lets the quilt drop from around her body.

"No problem. I'd take a call from you anytime." Michael says after he clears his throat. Nikita smiles, but suddenly, her body gives again.

Michael stares at the wall as he hears the noise on the other end and finally a big huff when Nikita stops her movements.

"What happened?" Michael asks.

Nikita is crawling to the bed and then pulling herself up. "Stupid me! I tripped myself up in the blankets!" Nikita says with a laugh as she finally sits on the bed. She gives a big yawn, and thinks back to the soup that she had. The thought of Gannon drugging it passes through her mind quickly, but was there long enough to worry her.

"So why the late call?" Michael asks as he starts to stretch out his sore back.

"I couldn't sleep... and Gannon told me a great story." Nikita says as she slides down to her pillow.

"Oh." Michael says with a touch of resentment.

"I think he made it up... just so I'd go to bed. He said that he knew you when you were eight!" Nikita says, admitting that she did not trust Gannon, yet.

"It's true." Michael says shortly, wondering what Gannon all told Nikita.

"And so your parents were killed that year?" Nikita asks slowly, and she covers another yawn.

"Yes." Michael answers as he closes his eyes, making promises to kill Gannon for telling Nikita.

"At least you had Gannon." Nikita says through another yawn. She tries to fight her closing eyes.

" 'Kita, get some sleep." Michael orders and he hears Nikita moving around in bed.

"I will. I love you." Nikita says and she hangs up.

Michael stands up from the messed up bed. He looks down and misses Nikita even more. She was the one who always made up the bed. Michael slowly moved to the window, as memories drowned his thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael sits in the barn in the hay. Tears rolling down the eight year old boy's face. Never in his life had he worn all black, but when Retrina told Michael of his parents' murder, black became an uniform. Michael slams the unlit lantern against the wall, and does not see Gannon enter.

Gannon stands behind a horse that he usually rides when out on the trails with Michael. Seeing Michael's tears worry the young boy, along with his appearance. Retrina told Gannon that Michael was leaving the next day.

"Michael, Retrina said that I could eat dinner with you tonight!" Gannon says coming forward. Michael barely raises his head, as he begins to notice the small cuts on his hands from the lantern.

"That's nice." Michael says tensely. Gannon is now standing behind the young Michael, and sees the blood. Michael is about to wipe it off, when Gannon reaches down for a piece of glass and cuts himself.

Gannon pressed the finger to the finger of Michael's.

"Now, wherever you go, we are brothers!" Gannon pronounces, and Michael smiles. For the first time in two weeks, Michael smiles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael looks out the window to the sky, haunted by the memories. He wonders if Gannon told Nikita about that. He wonders if Gannon will tell Nikita everything. He hopes that Gannon only tells stories of when they were eight year old boys. Michael stands nervously infront of the window, now suddenly, unable to sleep.

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

Gannon stepped out onto the patio, knowing that Nikita had gone out. He holds a cup of hot chocolate, and is carrying the quilt Nikita had left on his door early in the morning. He steps out, and watches Nikita struggle to the bench. He looks back at the door, wanting to summon the doctor for Nikita, but not going, as it would betray the little trust between the two.

Gannon walked slowly down towards the yellow blanket. Gannon looks up at the sky on the night even milder than the night before. Gannon sits down, and Nikita turns her head to him, holding the side of her chin with an ice pack.

"What happened?" Gannon asked as he pulled the hand away with one hand and held the cup in the other.

"I ran into a door. I think the high elevation is playing games with my balance." Nikita says with a slight smile. She reaches for the mug, and drinks quietly, as Gannon thinks back to what Julie and Mylo had told him.

"Gannon, is there something wrong with Nikita?" Julie demands as she enters one of the common areas. Gannon looks behind Mylo as he shuts the door.

"I believe she misses Michael." Gannon answers, not truly grasping the full meaning of what Julie was asking.

"She feel in exercises today." Mylo says softly as he wraps his hand around Julie. Gannon blinks and raises his head.

"Probably from the lack of sleep." Gannon lies without a hint. Julie turns towards Mylo and mutters some words.

"She hasn't exactly been training us either!" Julie finally says, and Mylo starts to shake his head.

"She HAS been training us... it's just different since Michael isn't here. Julie doesn't understand this!" Mylo defends Nikita, whom Mylo really likes. Gannon grits his teeth, and looks at Julie.

"How is it different?" Gannon asks, wanting to understand Nikita's procedure. He had never interferred with Nikita and her couples, that wasn't his job. Gannon was told that Nikita would train them, and that was all he needed to know.

"She use to go to the woods with us. Now, we just go, and she uses scouts and times with us. It all seems easy." Julie says. Gannon thinks to himself about how much he felt Nikita had changed.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Remember, Madeline has been training Nikita in the psychological aspects... This could all be part of that. Another test." Gannon says as he walks to the door.

Nikita hands the mug over and reaches for the ice. Gannon knew from tapes, that Nikita hadn't gotten her hands down to stop from hitting her head to the floor. Yet, Gannon felt trapped. He felt if he said something, Michael would ram him a couple, and if he didn't, Michael would ram him a couple.

"Tell me more about you and Michael." Nikita says softly as she grabs the quilt and wraps up inside it. Gannon looks at her face, so white and withdrawn. Gannon softly smiles, trying to hide his fear.

"I didn't see Michael for almost ten years. In fact, I bumped back into him on my eighteenth birthday." Gannon says as he leans against the bench.

Gannon watches Nikita, start to shiver inside the two heavy blankets. He stares back at the retreat.

"If your too cold, we could talk inside." Gannon say softly. Nikita holds the ice on her face, staring out into the woods.

"I like it out here." Nikita says in a dreamy voice. "So, how did you bump into Michael again?"

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

The teenaged Michael walks down the street, only a partial shadow of the Michael yet to be. His hair, almost shaved off, except the bangs, which are dyed black, and when loose, hang over the dead eyes and pale face of the teenager. The body is only tall, no inkling of the muscles yet to grace the body. In fact, in ways the body is almost round.

The teenaged Michael walks down the street like a football linebacker. Anyone who brushes against him gets an evil snarl. Sometimes, Michael would punch their back, and other times he would follow them for hours until they run and lock themselves in their house for hours.

The teenaged Michael had no fear, and the only dream he ever had was to join his parents, and leave the damned world.

But along with the no fear, the teenaged Michael was brillant. From his appearance, no one could tell that the boy had multipled the thousands his parents left him into millions. Most of the activity had been illegal, but still, it was brillant.

Gannon would not have recognized Michael while walking down the street. Gannon, was having his own badluck. He had been thrown out only months prior. Since he graduated high school, and made no plans to work or study, the parents washed their hands of the bad seed. The few times Gannon had gone to see his sisters, the parents shut the door on his face.

So, this Gannon, also feared nothing, and wished for a quick death. This Gannon was into the small illegal actions. Stole some cars, broke into some houses, nothing to big, but not scared.

It explains why Gannon didn't yield the sidewalk to the black figure of Michael. The two walked towards each other, and never finched as they pounded into each other hard.

Fate, made Michael's wallet fall out, and fate had Gannon grab it up. The wallet had fallen open, to the lone picture Michael had.

"Michael?" Gannon asked as he handed the wallet over.

"How do you know that? My name is not in the wallet." Michael says sharply as he slaps the wallet back in his pocket.

"Gannon, remember me? Your farm?" Gannon asked. Michael stared at the boy and then rarely smiled.

"Gannon. I was wondering what happened to you." Michael says as the two stand in the street, and people avoid them with large circles.

"Life hasn't been good." the two teenagers say together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, then we teamed up for a while." Gannon says as he looks at Nikita. They eyes are beginning to drop, yet again.

"Doing what?" Nikita asks innocently. Gannon smiles.

"Michael was the brains... I did the dirty work!" Gannon says with even a wider smile. He knew there was no reason to go into the details of the operations that Michael had. From the illegal arms, to the bombs, and to the secrets and bribes.

"But, I don't know how that Michael ended up being my Michael." Nikita says softly. Gannon nods, noting her worry for Michael and not him.

"Nikita, we were eighteen... life had much more instore for us." Gannon says leaning up. Nikita tries to stand up and grabs for Gannon's shoulder when she starts to tip to the side.

"I'm really tired... can you help me to my room?" Nikita asks as she pushes tears back. Gannon immediately sweeps Nikita up in his arms.

"Five star treatment!" Gannon says as he quickly takes Nikita to her room.

"Nikita?" Michael says as he picks up the phone at three o'clock in the morning.

"Michael. I just needed to hear your voice." Nikita says with sniffles and a horse voice. Michael runs a hand through his hair, and looks around the living room. Since her phone call the night before, he hadn't been able to sleep. Now, her voice even worried him more.

"Why, Nikita?" Michael asked. Nikita drops her head. She thinks to herself that Michael would think that she is crazy for thinking that Gannon is drugging her. Nikita struggles, wondering if she should mention about what Gannon had told her.

"I just wanted too." Nikita finally answers to Michael's question. "To be exact, I haven't been sleeping well."

"I understand." Michael says as he holds the phone. He swears he is going to find a way to access the retreat's video's the next day. "Is there something I can do?"

"Talk to me..." Nikita almost begs. Michael begins to softly whisper about Birkoff and Walter's trip to the store. He can hear Nikita slowly drift to sleep.

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

Gannon slowly opens Nikita's room door. The room is dark. Gannon hadn't seen Nikita in the week to follow his last story. Julie and Mylo didn't even stop in to complain about Nikita. Gannon had gotten back involved with others in the retreat, and a missing supply truck. He didn't even worry when the cook mentioned that he hadn't seen Nikita in a couple days.

Gannon started to worry when Michael called for him. At first, Gannon believed that it must have been a mistake, but soon the tense conversation gave way to worry.

"Gannon." Michael's short words echoed through the phone line.

"Michael." Gannon replied in the same type of words. He stood in the little office off to the side of his quarters.

"Has Nikita taken the couples out on a trek?" Michael asks in the clipped words. Gannon looked out the window, were he noticed the couples, but no Nikita.

"No, she hasn't." Gannon answers back as he turns from the window.

"When did you last see her?" Michael inquires sharply.

"I can't remember. Maybe a week ago." Gannon answers as he shrugs his shoulders. "Why?" Gannon demands back.

"It's not like her to miss calling me for days." Michael answers in louder words. "I am leaving Headquarters and coming up."

"No." Gannon immediately responds. His body is on fire, not wanting Michael to touch what is his part of Section. "The weather is getting bad up here. Plus, we have no room."

"Then have Nikita call me." Michael says, slamming the phone down in his ear.

Gannon steps into the room, and in the darkness, sees a curled up ball on the bed. He almost turns on the light, but doesn't. He continues onto the bed. He touches Nikita's shoulder, and she uncoils instantly.

"I haven't seen you in a while. What is going on?" Gannon asks as he sits on the bed. Nikita sits up, swaying.

"I think I can't live without Michael." Nikita says with a slight smile. Gannon stares at the woman, who is suffering greatly, continue to make light of the situation.

"Why don't I get Dr..." Gannon starts and Nikita firmly puts a hand on his arm.

"I was cleared.... it's probably all in my head!" Nikita jokes again. Gannon moves from the bed, almost running down the hall to find the doctor. Yet, her words stop him.

"Tell me more." Nikita says simply.

"Call Michael." Gannon says. Instantly, Nikita picks up the phone. He watches a slight sparkle enter Nikita's eyes as she starts to speak with Michael. She laughs stronger and stronger. Her swaying body stops, and for a while, her face seems to pinken up.

But as soon as it started, it stopped. She was still talking to Michael, when Gannon noticed the lost of color. Nikita must have noticed it too, Gannon realized as Nikita jumped to the end of the conversation.

"Your turn!" Nikita sings out as she hangs up the phone.

Gannon sits down lightly on the bed again. Nikita leans back against the backboard.

"So how did I get the Michael I have now?" Nikita asks lightly. Gannon sucks in his lips as he searchs for the answer.

"Someone saved him." Gannon answers as he looks up at the dark ceiling.

"You?" Nikita asks and Gannon shakes his head no. "Simone?" Nikita asks sadly. Gannon smiles at the comment, knowing that Nikita felt about Simone the same way he did.

"No. Madeline. Madeline saved Michael, and trained him." Gannon says softly. "But the path there was hard for Michael."

"And for you?" Nikita asks.

"I was only part of it." Gannon answers, as he settles in for the longest and hardest part of the story.

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

Gannon takes a deep breath and starts the story with Nikita listening intently.

"After a few months of our partnership... the police were about to connect us. I left then." Gannon says as he rubs his hands together tightly. "About five years later, I run back into Michael. And he had changed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Michael of five years later looks like the Michael, Nikita fell in love with. He moves down the street with Simone on his arm. Gannon runs out onto the street and runs head on into Michael and Simone.

"I'm sorry..." Gannon says nervously as he helps Simone up. Michael is grasping Gannon around the neck, but then sets him down.

"Gannon?" Michael asks in a deep smokey voice. Gannon smiles.

"Michael. Good to see you." Gannon says and Michael introduces him to Simone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Of course, I knew I was going to run into Michael." Gannon says softly and Nikita looks up.

"What? I don't understand." Nikita says in a confused state.

"It was a set up. And I was part of it." Gannon says as he stares at the wall. "I didn't know *Who* the people were then, but now I know that it was Section."

"What? How could they..." Nikita says and stops with her thoughts.

"Me and Michael got back to the friendly relationship we had before." Gannon starts to explain, not looking back at Nikita. "It was all a plan."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael walks down the dark street, wishing he could have brought Simone with him. The street was in a bad part of the town, that Michael did not frequent. His business was better than this.

Suddenly, Michael sees Gannon, and then sees Gannon shot. Michael runs to his boyhood friend, who is bleeding from the chest wound. Michael pushes the gun away from the ground so he could set Gannon down, therefore placing his fingerprints on the gun.

"Gannon!" Michael cries out with emotion that he had tried to place deep inside himself. Memories sweep through Michael, until a policeman hits the scene.

"FREEZE AND STEP BACK WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" the policeman yells and points a gun at Michael. Michael stands up in shock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You set him up!" Nikita says in shock and in horror.

"Yes. Michael was convicted of killing me. He didn't know for three months that Section had saved me." Gannon says as he hangs his head low. He can't think of Nikita's problems no more, just the torture of his heart of what he did to Michael.

"Three months? Why?" Nikita asks again with her breathless voice.

"For the three months for me to recover from the injury." Gannon answers. "By then, Madeline had taken special interest with Michael. Once Madeline takes interest with you, your spared."

"But Madeline has taken interest with me." Nikita says softly. Gannon turns and looks at Nikita.

"She takes those who lacked something... she saved Michael. He will probably never realize that I never did anything to hurt him. I was told to do this or he would die." Gannon says standing up.

Nikita pulls her body further up, a dazed look across her face. Gannon wipes the tear from her face.

"Don't tell Michael I told you. Please. Leave it as it is." Gannon says as he moves away from Nikita. "I hope to see you at dinner."

Nikita picks up the phone and calls Michael. Her breathing jagged from the shock of the story.

"Nikita, twice in one day. What's wrong?" Michael asks as he holds the cell phone to his face as he walks down the street.

"I.. just want to be back with you..." Nikita says through the gasps of air. Michael closes his eyes at the words.

"Calm down, Nikita. Please, take a deep breath." Michael coaches Nikita as he walks down the street. He hears Nikita take the deep breath and smiles. "I don't want you to come back if your not ready."

"I have to go to dinner. I just wanted to hear your voice." Nikita says hanging up. Michael holds onto the phone and slowly closes it. Michael wonders, 'what did Gannon tell her?'

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

Michael walks down the hallway of Section in half consciousness. For the first time in many days his thoughts are not on Nikita's well-being but on what Gannon told Nikita. Every bone in his bone screams to Michael, saying that Gannon told all.

Michael tries to shake the memories of when he saw Gannon standing in front of him in Section, three months later.

Michael had been doing well under Madeline's training. He was flying through the exercises and the sequences well. At first, Michael believed Gannon to be just another computer image used to test him.

Michael slammed him immediately to the ground and started to pound the weak man in the head. Walter pulled Michael off of Gannon. For weeks after, they were separated, as Michael detached even more. Then the disaster with Simone happened, and Michael blamed Gannon even more. Before Michael could get his hands on Gannon, Madeline had him transferred away.

Michael steps into Madeline's office and sits down. Madeline looks at him and tries to smile.

"Why were you trying to hack into the retreat's video?" Madeline asks, and she sees Michael's jaw twitch.

"Why did you send Nikita to Gannon?" Michael asks shortly. Madeline stands up and looks at Michael. That name had rarely been mentioned by Michael. Madeline couldn't even blame him for not mentioning it.

"Because you weren't telling Nikita enough." Madeline says as she moves to lean against the front of her desk. Michael doesn't blink.

"I could have told her." Michael says hauntingly. Madeline shakes her head and moves to pull Michael's head up.

"I can tell you what Gannon said. I'll show you the tape in fact... but I was hoping you were access the files for another reason." Madeline says as she moves back to her desk.

"What are you getting at, Madeline?" Michael asks with a raised eyebrow.

"How is Nikita?" Madeline asks firmly. Michael starts to become visually nervous. Madeline stares at his behavior intensely.

"Aren't you worried?" Madeline asks Michael and he sits straight up.

"I'm worried that Gannon will twist everything up!" Michael almost screams as his hands turn into tight fists.

"Michael, Gannon told Nikita the truth. How he set you up, about how you become who you are... enough of the past so that Nikita understood." Madeline says firmly. She turns the screen around to fast Michael. She hits the return key and the video runs.

Michael sits silently as he watches Nikita struggle to get onto the bed. He takes a ragged breath in.

"As you can see, we have a problem." Madeline says, stopping the video. "I believe you had a sense of this was occurring."

"Can't we just bring her back?" Michael asks, ignoring Madeline's question. Madeline presses her lips together.

"Bad weather is setting in up there. May be a few days. But, Gannon has told me that since they talked yesterday, that Nikita seems to be doing better." Madeline says sitting down. Michael stares at Madeline.

Michael stands up. "I guess that is good."

Madeline stares at Michael as he moves to the door. "It might, it just counts on if you trust Gannon any more."

Michael turns and stares at Michael. "Are you out of our quarters? I'd rather stay here." Michael says in a choked voice, not able to respond to the question.

Madeline nods her head and Michael leaves.

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

Gannon sits straight up as the phone next to his bed rings loudly. He looks at the clock and notices that it is four o'clock in the morning. He rubs his eyes and picks up the phone.

"?Hello?" Gannon says half asleep.

"Gannon." Michael says in a steady voice. Michael sits in the quarters, having not slept one minute.

"Michael, is this about Nikita?" Gannon says as he is now instantly awake. "I told her everything!"

"It's only a bit about Nikita." Michael responds lightly. "I understood what you did."

"I was told that if I didn't, we'd both die. And in the many years since, I regret what I did." Gannon says softly, as he stares out at the falling snow.

"I don't. I never thanked you. You, in some strange way I don't understand, saved my life." Michael says in emotional words.

"Why now? What is going on?" Gannon asks as he moves to the window.

"Because it's the first time in a long time that I had thought about you." Michael says as he moves to the kitchen.

"I think about it every night." Gannons says angerily. "You never think about anything... you did that with your parents, and you did that when I left to save your business.... you never think."

"All I have thought about for a long time is Nikita." Michael admits in a deep voice. Gannon shuts his eyes and a long silence crosses the line.

"I love her... and I am scared every moment that she is not with me." Michael finally continues and Gannon walks away from the window.

"You should be." Gannon says and instantly regrets saying it. He is torn between being Michael's boyhood friend and Nikita's friend now.

"Is she truly doing better?" Michael asks as he pushes his hair back.

"Well, since I have no idea what the problem is, it appears that she is doing better. She even plans on taking a hike this morning." Gannon says as he again looks at the snow.

"It's snowing there." Michael challenges Gannon. Gannon smiles, knowing Michael knew the weather was getting bad up at the retreat.

"Taking a hike to go sled riding. Nikita told me that she skis but never rode a sled. Can you believe that?" Gannon says with a slight chuckle. Michael cracks a smile and then a small laugh.

"Watch her until I get her back. Please." Michael asks Gannon. Gannon looks at the snow and smiles.

"Sure."

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