Nikita smiles as she kisses Michael's check as she enters the office. She drops the umbrella and moves to her desk. But, before sitting down, she dashes off to the little bathroom.

Michael continues to type his report on Billie and John, who have jumped back up in their scores. Michael has even consider of giving them a test, that could make them a partner team and not a partner team in training.

Michael looks up as he hears the bathroom door slam. He looks over and the smile that had graced Nikita's mouth is now replaced with the opposite, a huge frown.

"Nikita... I was thinking we should see if Billie and John are ready for full status." Michael says slowly.

"Not now, Michael." Nikita almost hisses as she sits down at her desk. Michael pushes his chair towards Nikita.

"Nikita, you were practically bouncing off the walls when you came in... what happened?" Michael inquires, but in return, Nikita pushes away from her desk and stands up.

"Didn't I just say, NOT NOW?" Nikita asks angerily and she leaves before Michael could respond. Michael stares at the empty door and blinks his eyes a few times in amazement of what just occured. Birkoff soon fills that spot. Michael nods the man into the room.

"What happened to Nikita? I need her to be happy or I will go insane!" Birkoff says as he slides into the office.

"I have no idea what happened." Michael says, trying not to get involved with what Birkoff was thinking.

"Well, everyone in Headquarters, except me, is in a terrible mood... and it all started when Walter dumped Madeline." Birkoff says. Michael doesn't at first respond to the comment until Birkoff clears his throat.

"Walter didn't dump Madeline, they broke it off." Michael corrects in a cool voice.

"I don't like it... and Walter is rarely seeing Anna now.. and with mother's day so soon... our lifes are getting more and more like a soap opera by every hour!" Birkoff complains.

"No Birkoff, soap operas don't have your comedic relief." Michael responds with a straight face. Birkoff shakes his head.

"So who should we worry about first... I mean... did you do something to Nikita?" Birkoff asks, and Michael slams his hands on the desk.

"Why is it that whenever Nikita is in a bad mood, everyone thinks it is because of me?" Michael demands. Birkoff looks away and slowly moves to the door.

"Maybe I can get Nikita to take Anna shopping...." Birkoff says and he runs out the door, leaving Michael to his own anger.

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

Nikita, now back at her desk, pounds on the keys to her computer loudly. Frustration mounts on her face, and Michael can feel the nerve in his forehead pound with each rough tap of the keys.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" Nikita groans as she pushes away from the computer and slaps the screen.

"Nikita, that is an expensive computer." Michael comments without looking at her.

"Michael, is there any missions?" Nikita asks as she stands up.

"No. You know this, why ask?" Michael says as he turns his head to look at Nikita, who is now tossing her hair about.

"OH, Michael, come off of it... we both realize that you recieve intel before I do. It's the nature of the machine." Nikita says as she heads towards the door. "I'm taking Anna shopping, I think I'm the only one who consults a calendar." Nikita says and she slams the office door close.

Michael almost shakes with the literal meaning of what Nikita said. He doesn't consult a real calender often, but Michael also knows that Nikita must have been talking about Mother's Day, which is like throwing a curve ball at him. Whenever he thinks that he has Nikita all figured out, something happens that is like dropping a 50,000 piece puzzle that has been finished into a washing machine.

"Hey, Michael, aren't you glad you don't have the glass office!" Birkoff says with a laugh as he enters the office.

"Don't you have something to be doing?" Michael asks as he tries to remove all thoughts from his head.

"In a few minutes I will have to man the controls for Anna's outside trip. Boy, Madeline has increased those rules!" Birkoff says with another laugh.

"It wasn't funny when it happened Birkoff. Nikita would easily give her life to save Anna's." Michael says as he rubs his forehead. He wasn't going to get rid of his thoughts, and this he could admit.

"I know that... god, she is going to be a great mother." Birkoff says.

"If we're allowed. We still have Section's orders to follow." Michael says in his unemotional voice. Inside his head he is screaming that they have to let us... but there is always that possibility.

"Oh, come on Michael. Madeline loves Nikita like her own daughter and will do anything to let Nikita have the things that she never had as a child. You really have to read some of Madeline's books." Birkoff says with another chuckle.

"I think you have had a bit too much time with Melissa." Michael says with Birkoff's constant state of happiness.

"Michael, I don't think I have to think long and hard about what is going on with Nikita." Birkoff says after a few quiet moments.

"Enlighten me, Birkoff." Michael says sarcastically, hoping that with this Birkoff would allow him to be by himself.

"Nikita wants to be a mother and with Mother's Day tomorrow, her want is screaming at her. So now she is going to play mother with Anna... You better marry her soon, Michael." Birkoff says and walks out the door.

Michael lets his head drop the desk, with more to think about than before.

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

Michael moves into Madeline's office without a sound and closes the door.

"Doing more remodeling?" Michael asks, and Madeline drops the picture from her hand. She glares at Michael, which is a warning for him to never to do that again.

"In fact, I am." Madeline says as she moves to her desk.

"I'm glad you are not monitoring every second of Anna's trip." Michael says noting the blank screen.

"Birkoff insisted." Madeline says with a soft smile. "It seems like Anna had to do some personal shopping." Madeline adds with a slight chuckle.

"Madeline, I hate to break your good mood, which, by the way, we miss... but how to I handle tomorrow?" Michael asks softly.

"Michael, I'm not following you." Madeline says, with slight confusion. She was caught off guard by Michael's statement of her good mood and lost the rest of what Michael had said.

"Nikita and tomorrow, how do I handle it?" Michael asks.

"There is nothing to handle." Madeline says and taps her hand on the desk.

"But there is... I know there is." Michael says tensely.

"Do you know something about Nikita that I don't?" Madeline asks with a smile. "Will it cause the wedding to happen soon?"

"Madeline, not that." Michael says with short words. "But, she was a mother for three weeks." Michael says.

"Michael, that was ages ago!" Madeline says. "She had no problems last mother's day."

"Madeline, something is throwing Nikita off.. she is snappy... she... I don't know... but it is based off of tomorrow." Michael says.

"Michael, I don't think you came here for my advise, I think you have already figured it out yourself." Madeline says and looks away.

Michael stands up and leaves, knowing that Madeline was correct.

"Madeline, they are coming back." Birkoff buzzes in with a happy voice.

*

Michael moves into the bathroom and turns on the water to wash up before he hits the store. Michael takes the towel, and it going to throw it away when something hits Michael's eyes.

The pink tube.

The pink tube.

The pink tube.

It wasn't there yesterday, and it was here now.

The pink tube.

Michael drops the towel over the pink tube and moves away from the bathroom.

The pink tube pulled at Michael's heartstrings. Each time he saw it, it meant, not this time. With the sight of the pink tube, it brought and instant emptiness into his heart, and Michael wondered that if that little pink tube did this to him, what did it do to Nikita. Both know that Section continually feeds them birthcontrol of several sorts, and Nikita gets different stuff because the Section's implants didn't work.

Michael can think of the times that just happened, and other times when they just hurried and did things wrong. And no matter what, each month, Michael would wait and see if the impossible happened. Michael rushes out the door, it was time to do some shopping.

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

Nikita walks in with Anna in her arms. Both ladies are wearing black sunglasses with red lens.

"Mommie!!!" Anna screams and leaps out of Nikita's arms and runs to Madeline.

"Nice glasses." Madeline says. Anna giggles.

"Me like Kit." Anna says and she goes back to the bags. "Look at what we bought." Anna says, pulling out a small tied dyed shirt.

"Interesting." Madeline says. Anna pulls out a box and runs down the hall.

"Me, hide.. me hide.. till row.. till row..." Anna says as she darts out of view.

"How much do I owe you?" Madeline asks as she looks at the four bags that Nikita has sat down on the computer desk.

"Don't worry. I enjoyed it." Nikita says and she moves back to the office.

It is empty, which surprizes Nikita. She looks to see if Michael had left to go back to the apartment, but he hadn't.

Nikita slides down on the couch and picks up her sore feet. Anna sure knew how to enjoy herself and wear Nikita out. Nikita closes her eyes and doesn't notice when Michael enters.

"'Kita?" Michael says as he drops his black coat over the back of his chair.

"Mmm?" Nikita moans barely as she acknowledges Michael's voice.

"I have something for you.. but I want to talk.." Michael says and Nikita sits up.

"What?" Nikita asks in a slightly confused voice. Michael is glad that he could still do that to Nikita.

"I don't want you to regret anything.. and I want you to know that you will make a great mother when the time comes.. and that the time will come." Michael says and he hands over the little box.

Nikita opens it an studies the tiny pink pearl.

"See.. you can be the mother of the pearl... and when our first child is born... it will match the mother's ring." Michael says and Nikita's eyes tear up.

"Each month.. I wish we forgot something when we.. and that somehow.. I was.. and every month... I hate it when my monthly friend stops by.... I want to have a kid Michael... I need to have a kid." Nikita says and Michael hugs her.

"In time... in time...."

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