Nikita quickly started to pull up any recent video of Billie and John while they were 'alone' or as alone as one can be in Section.
Nikita immediately noticed the drastic physical distance between the two, and had a sense that they were even further apart on the emotional department. She looked, and turned up the volume.
"I don't like this." John says quietly, but it makes Billie more upset.
"But it is the truth. If there was a mission in which the couple had more than a 50% possibility to die, we will be sent in." Billie says very loadly. Nikita leans back in her chair and wonders why this tape was not flagged for her viewing.
"They were just out on that mission last night... and today they looked fine.... It's amazing how willingly they give their bodies over, but not their hearts." John answers back, but not loudly.
"We are just pawns!" Billie screams.
"But so are Michael and Nikita. Do you think they are doing this because they enjoy it? Think, Billie, Think!" John finally yells.
"They are management!" Billie screams.
"You can really tell that you were pro-union. I'm suprized your not trying to organize here!" John fires back, and Nikita can get a sense of the room getting hotter.
"They kill us. And they don't care. They don't care at all!" Billie screams and walks away.
Nikita pulls the tape, and rubs her chin softly. She finds the couple's current position and views them. It is easy to see that they were already fighting.
"Everthing I do is wrong.... You feel I should rotate around you.. making my life to please you!" John yells as he slams down his headgear in the gym.
"I don't think that!" Billie yells back.
"You do! You do! Every single night.. you say.. oh my back hurts.. rub it... oh my feet hurt.. rub them! You never think once about me!" John hollers and he pauses as an operative walks pass the room.
"But I feel that pain!" Billie argues back with a shrug of her shoulders.
"YOU ARE USING ME!" John roars and Billie charges for John. She pushes him against the wall and starts to pelt him with her fists.
Nikita presses the red light for the room, and soon three operatives are splitting the couple up.
"Send them to separate rooms. We'll be meeting in my office." Nikita says over the room's loud speaker, and she goes to gather the rest of the current tapes.
************
Madeline walked the halls frantically, searching for Anna. In a half hour, she had a scheduled call from Operations, and now she was missing.
"Birkoff, has anyone seen Anna?" Madeline asks as she is walking pass his computer.
"That isn't our job." Birkoff says with a huge smile.
"IT IS NOW!" Madeline screams back at Birkoff. He holds his hands up, and starts to search Headquarters quickly. Yet, it is disrupted by an incoming message.
"Birkoff... the team is having problems... can we have more back up?" Gannon reports in.
"There is no available back up teams nearby. Continue mission." Birkoff orders as he flips the screen, still searching for Anna.
"Birkoff... we'll be lucky if any of us get out alive." Gannon complains.
"Continue as profiled." Birkoff says and cuts of the communication.
"Madeline, she isn't near any cameras" Birkoff reports.
"She has to be somewhere." Madeline says, and she storms to Michael's and Nikita's office. Nikita is watching some more tapes, and had it been any other time, she would have asked why, but it wasn't the time. It was time to find Anna.
Madeline moves away and walks to Walter's. Walter isn't in the workspace, but a little giggle is heard.
"ANNA!" Madeline says as she pulls the girl away from the nearby explosives that she is standing nearby. "We are going to have a little talk, little miss!" Madeline says as she moves towards the hallway. She stares at the door. "Birkoff.. I want a new door on this... at least three times as heavy." Madeline orders. Walter is walking in and raises an eyebrow has he is closing the ground between the two.
"Why?" Walter asks.
"YOU! YOU! YOU are restricted!" Madeline roars and leaves.
************
Nikita looks at the feuding couple, who now sit in the office she shares with Michael, staring at opposite walls. Nikita shuts the door loudly and moves to her desk.
"Where is Michael?" John asks quickly, having a sense that this could become two girls ganging up on the one male.
"He is finishing the exercise that you and Billie will be working on." Nikita says as she smooths her skirt and sits down.
"I'm not working on anything with him!" Billie reacts and shots a harsh glare at John.
"You will." Nikita says as she pulls her chair in close to the desk.
"Then what is this stupid exercise?" John asks rudely. Nikita turns her head to the side and grinds her teeth, keeping her rude comment to herself and then focuses on the project at hand.
"I believe I have explained to you two that we are short handed here at Headquarters with partners... and therefore we must work through this hostility that both of you are experiencing." Nikita says in her best impression of Madeline.
"WE HATE EACH OTHER!" Billie screams. Nikita doesn't move her head.
"This next exercise will have restrictions... you have not worked with restrictions of late." Nikita explains slowly, and Billie rolls her eyes.
"What? We can only kill those we deem bad and no innocents?" Billie remarks sarcastically. Nikita looks at Michael steps into the room. She looks into his eyes, and knows that all is ready.
"No. There are only two possible ways that you two will be allowed to achieve release from the room." Nikita says.
"OH, so you are going to shove us together!" Billie says, standing up.
"Will you just shut up and listen to her!" John screams at Billie as she tries to move away, but Michael blocks her way.
"You two will either beat each other to unconscious and dead skeletons, or you two will make up. The decision is yours." Nikita says standing up. She moves to the door, as John and Billie stand in shock of what Nikita has said.
"You would only be short changing yourself more!" Billie calls out as Michael holds the office door open for them to leave. They follow down the hall, behind Nikita.
"We wouldn't be wasting our time with you two.. which is more effective." Nikita says without looking back at the two. Michael moves pass the couple, walks with Nikita and then opens the door. Nikita extends her arm, and shows the couple the room..
"The decision is yours." Nikita says as she closes the room and bolts it. "Tell me when they have made up." Nikita tells the operative who is observing.
************
Madeline paces inside her office, waiting for Walter to enter. She knows that Walter is probably stalling outside her office, knowing of her anger. Since Operations has moved to Moscow, it has created such tension between her and Walter, and each day it seems to increase.
"Madeline." Walter says as he walks in.
"We much childproof your workspace if Anna is going to play in there." Madeline says as she moves to her desk and continues to stand.
"We didn't childproof it when she took her first steps there.. but then, you where there." Walter says with fire on his tongue.
"Walter... we both realize the situation I have been placed in." Madeline says calmly.
"You get on Operations for the fact that he barely communicates with Anna... what about you?" Walter says angerily.
"I see my daughter everyday!" Madeline roars.
"Then does she like Barney?" Walter asks firmly. The confused look on her face confirms his thoughts. "You can't answer because YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT BARNEY IS!" Walter yells, now taking control of the situtation. "BARNEY.. barney is a purple and green dinosaur that I have watched with Anna everyday for the past two months!" Walter screams.
"Walter, this is about the safety of Anna in your workspace." Madeline says, trying to get the focus off of her.
"You and Operations should just make me Anna's parent. I'm doing a better job than any of you!" Walter says as he leans against the wall. "And that is only Anna... what about you and me?" Walter asks.
"Walter... you know how I feel..." Madeine says slowly.
"Do I? How can I? We only speak briefly about Anna or Nikita or some other operative!" Walter says angerily.
"I want to change that.. but first Operations has to come back." Madeline tries to excuse herself.
"You and Operations belong together. You both make someone feel like you truly care about them, and then you totally use them. I don't blame Nikita at all...." Walter says angerily as he shoves a chair.
"What are you saying Walter?" Madeline asks, near tears.
"I think it is for the better that.. that.. we've been done for a long time.. and we should just make it official." Walter says in a calm voice, yet very strong and clear voice.
"But I don't want it to be." Madeline chokes out.
"I won't let it affect me and Anna.. because, by God, I love that little munchkin and she needs me." Walter says slowly, tearing up at the possibility that Madeline may stop his contact with Anna. Madeline just nods her head. "I could have waited, if you would have spent just a half hour with me each week with no Section... but we haven't had a conversation that wasn't about Section. I don't want that." Walter says as he opens the door. "I.. have to go." Walter says and shuts the door.
Madeline sinks down into her chair, tears flowing easily, thinking about the mess she has made out of her life.
************
Billie stands against the wall, continueing the stare down with John who is leaning against the wall opposite of her. The room is padded, and there are a few padded bats, but Billie really wanted to jump on him and kick and punch and pull and scratch.. but she didn't want to make it end that way.
John looks at Billie and drops his head. He could almost see her skin leaping infront of her body. It was the feeling that he continually got when he looked into her eyes. And it wasn't that he didn't want to do the same thing, it was just that he found the other option much more appealing.
Billie makes a fist and runs towards John. John seeing Billie's movement, runs towards her and the two tense bodies clash together in the middle of the room. Billie connects with the hard right uppercut. John grabs hold of her hair as he stumbles.
"AAAWWWHHH!" Billie groans and she wipes her hair free from his hands.
"If we are going to play dirty..." Billie says as she jumps onto his back and begins to pound against his neck.
John takes the few blows before falling to his knees and dropping on his back, crunching Billie between the floor and John. John rolls off and walks away, feeling that he has done enough to stop Billie's attack. John was hoping for some make up time now, but the move had only fueled Billie's anger.
"I can't stand it when you try to act better than me!" Billie screams as she kicks her leg out into his calf, causing John to collaspe forward. His hand comes in contact with the padded bat. It couldn't cause to much damage. He swings around and hits Billie in the head with the bat.
John looks on in horror as Billie is laid back with her eyes closed. He moves towards her and leans over.
"Billie?" John asks, worried that she is hurt. Suddenly, Billie's eyes open, she grabs the bat out of his hands and proceeds to hit him several times with the bat before John can move.
John moves over and grabs another bat, and the two angry operatives swing at each other, each swing with more and more energy.
Nikita looks from the computer and sighs. She clicks it off and moves to Michael's desk.
"You don't know how much I would like those for myself." Nikita says, thinking about the bats.
"Nikita.. give me ten minutes.. then we can talk.. I need to finish this profile." Michael says and Nikita moves to the door, going to find the padded bats for her own use.
************
Nikita walks back into the office about twenty minutes later, and is not surprized to see Michael still glued to the computer. Behind her back she holds one singular bat. She walks behind Michael and looks over his shoulder.
"You ten minutes were up ten minutes ago." Nikita says slowly.
"That was something else... you were late.. so I start this.. Give me at least twenty minutes." Michael mumbles as he flips a few pages. Nikita pulls the bat out from behind her bat.
"Michael.. turn around." Nikita says with a huge smile. Michael turns around and Nikita smacks him across the face.
"Is this to get attention?" Michael asks as he turns off his computer screen.
"I was hoping that it would do that." Nikita says with a big grin.
Michael stands up and takes Nikita's hand and moves her towards the couch. Quickly he flips her down onto the couch.
"I don't like it when I am hit with a bat." Michael groans as he licks his lips as he looks down at Nikita's body.
"What are you going to do?" Nikita asks with shiney eyes and she wiggles her hips.
"This." Michael says as he pulls her shirt up, and looks at her flat stomache. He wets his index finger and runs it along the rim of her belly button. "Have I ever told you how much I enjoy your belly button?" Michael says in a deep voice.
"I don't remember..." Nikita says, but she knows that Michael's words are over as he leans his head down to attack her belly button with his lips. Nikita moans lightly, and leans her head back. She runs her fingers in Michael's wavey hair. A grin passes her face as she thinks to her next move.
Nikita wraps her legs around his body, and with a quick turn, flops the position around. Nikita now grins from the top. Nikita leans down, and laps at Michael's ear. Nikita can feel Michael tense in excitement, and Nikita quickly inserts a long tongue inside the ear.
"Ni-ki-ta..." Michael moans, and Nikita pulls at his clothing quickly. She licks down his neck and down his chest. "Ni-kita... I need you..." Michael groans out. Nikita places her hand over the pants and can feel his need.
"Mmmm.. I know." Nikita grins as she looks into his eyes. They pause for a moment, and Michael starts to pull at her skirt as Nikita drops her head to his chest.
"The door?" Michael asks.
"Locked." Nikita mutters, barely pulling her mouth away from his chest. She can feel Michael moving slightly.
It wasn't sudden to Nikita when Michael flips her back over. Michael grins as he looks down at her. All the clothing stripped from the two of them. Michael leans down and kisses at Nikita's taunt nipples. Nikita groans in the back of her throat and shifts her hips and spreading her toned legs.
Michael runs his hands down and touches the sweet wetness. He pulls his hand up and and licks the wetness off of his hands. Nikita smiles, and sensing Michael's pausing, she grinds her hips instinctively up, and Michael's eyes open wide with the warm glove now surrounding his hardness.
"You're evil." Michael moans as he leans down to kiss Nikita. Nikita pulls her hips down towards the couch, and Michael wraps his hands around her warm buttocks.
"I know." Nikita moans just before Michael inserts his long tongue into her mouth. Michael starts to move above Nikita, in slow and long strokes, controlling Nikita's need to go fast and furious by directing her hips with pulls and pushes. Nikita bits at Michael's lower lip as he continues this slower pace. Michael pulls his mouth away with a smile.
"Pa----tience..... Pa-------teince...." Michael says as he slides in and out with the parts of the word. Yet, the word becomes faster and faster.
"Screw patience!" Nikita moans, and with a groan, she flips him over, and instantly speds the race to satisfaction.
************
Nikita hums as she moves from the small bathroom that Madeline had installed in the office while Operations has been gone, to her computer. She is wrapped in a green terry cloth bathrobe, and Michael is now in the tiny shower. Madeline was nice enough to give them the little shower, but she did make sure it could barely hold just one of them, and there was no possibility that both would get in at once.
Nikita pulls the screen up and looks at Billie and John. Nikita is not surprized by the stark nakedness that she now sees on the pads, but is surprized that the two are already asleep. She rewinds the images, trying to see what occured before all of this. She hopes they had talked.
Billie slides down into a corner, struggling to pull in air, but carefully watching John to the same in another corner. Her arms are sore from swinging the bat, and her legs are hurt from the constant circling that she did with John.
"Do you realize how stupid this all is?" Billie calls out, still gathering her breath.
"This exercise or our fight?" John replies softly.
"This exercise only has one function.... You know that I can't kill you.. that I love you..." Billie moans out.
"And I couldn't do that to you either." John replies back.
"So this exercise... you know what is was meant to do?" Billie says as she starts to crawl towards John. John begins towards her.
"I'm beginning to think that Nikita is one of the kindest people in Section." John says with a smile.
"Oh?" Billie says with a smile.
"Have I ever told you how much I love to see you all sweaty?" John says as the two meet in the center of the room. Just a half hour earilier they met in the middle of the room to fight and now they come to the middle of the room for another kind of dance.
Nikita smiles and messages the operative to leave the room so that Billie and John can open it, but no one else can get in.
"HEY!!! HEY!! Nikita, I hope your done.. I got some major news!!!" Birkoff says as he pounds at the door. "You've had enough personal time! Most of us don't even get that!!! Nikita!!!! Michael!!!!" Birkoff continues, and Nikita wonders how long she will hold Birkoff off.
************
"Walter is crushed, Nikita... he didn't want to do it.. but.. it wasn't working." Birkoff continues as he sits in the closed office.
Nikita didn't wait long, and although she was still in the bathrobe, let Birkoff in and locked the door. Michael, when hearing Birkoff's voice, hurried and finished his shower and entered the main office in a new outfit.
"I thought this was going to happen." Nikita says softly.
"Can't we put them in the room you put John and Billie in? They were having major problems and all are solved." Birkoff says. Nikita and Michael both shake their heads 'no' together.
"We can't." Nikita finally says as Birkoff's eyes continue to beg.
"So we wait?" Birkoff asks and both nod yes. Birkoff slumps and frowns.
Madeline sits at her desk and stares at Operations, who has decided to call for an unscheduled visit with Anna.
"Madeline, what is wrong?" Operations asks.
"When are you coming back?" Madeline asks firmly.
"Ayn still thinks that Stephen needs some help here." Operations says.
"Well... putting one person ahead of three or four or ten or fifty or eighty-two is wrong." Madeline says with a hint of hate.
"Madeline, this is about you?" Operations says.
"Drop it." Madeline says firmly. Mildred walks in with Anna in tow, and Anna hops onto Madeline's lap.
"Mommie... Walt sad..." Anna says without looking at the screen.
"Hello, Anna." Operations says, but Anna doesn't looks.
"Yes, he is." Madeline says.
"Mommie.. you sad toooo." Anna says pointing to her redish eyes.
Operations instantly knows that Madeline and Walter must have broken up. He jots down to get hold of Birkoff for the entire story.
"Hello Anna---banna." Operations says again, trying to gain his daughter's attention.
"Me play with Kit.... she put make up on me!" Anna says sliding down off of Madeline's lap. Madeline turns to the screen, shrugs her shoulders and cuts the transmission. Operations shakes his head, worrying that Anna still can't identify him.
Madeline sits in her office and turns off all the lights.
"Night, sugar!" Walter calls out with a huge grin. Nikita looks out the wallway. Nikita listens with an attentive ear.
"Hey, Gannon.. know that gal we saw in the park... I'm meeting her at a bar.... Yep... up for some fun tonight.. if you catch my drift!" Walter laughs.
Nikita sits back and wonders if this is true and that Madeline had deprived him of what everyone knew Walter needed or if it was just a front, to seem like he easily got over Madeline to make Madeline more upset. Nikita smiles, and hopes that this is just part of Walter's bigger scheme to get Madeline back.
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