The door opened to Nikita's/Madeline's office, and two operatives walk in. Nikita looks around the office, that Operations and everyone else has just quickly decided was hers.

"We'll be taking the desk and file cabinets now, Ms. Nikita." The dark and chubby operative says as he heads towards the dark desk along with the other operative.

Nikita takes note of the office. At first, it was not empty, but now, all the pictures were gone. Madeline's plants were taken first. Every little personal touch to the office was gone. The walls were empty, and making Nikita feel more and more alone in her situation.

"Push them against the wall. I will take care of them." Nikita says to the operatives before they lift the desk up. They step back and blink their eyes at Nikita.

"Ms. Nikita, Operations informed us that all of the items in here were to be taken." The operative says and Nikita pushes away from the wall she had been leaning against.

"Are you questioning my orders?" Nikita asks with one arched eyebrow. The operatives hang their heads down low and head towards the door.

"We will leave it then, Ms. Nikita." The operative says, but Nikita does not dismiss them.

"First, it is Nikita. No Ms. Nikita-ing me. Second, I want that bean bag, and Thirdly, get me some paint, preferrably blue." Nikita orders and finally the operatives leave.

A few minutes later, the knock is here, the red bean bag chair is dropped off. Nikita pulls it to the center of the room and drops into it.

Her mind is in a constant shambles. She thinks of how she knows nothing about what she will and has to do. Nikita knows that Operations was going to try to construct her every move, but Nikita had countered that by maintaining Madeline's desk. If Madeline had kept any kind of record, Nikita may be able to undestand what kind of power she had now.

Nikita knew when she flipped her hair behind the chair that she would not be attending Breakfast. She may be taking over Madeline's position, but it didn't mean she would be Madeline. It was time to shake some things up.

All those issues, would seem to take president over all other issues. It seemed like ages had passed between Operation's announcement and the time she sits in the chair, but it wasn't.

Nikita had to push all of the feelings that she was less than a second away from telling Michael, and start another set of problems.

Yet, she had to wonder about Michael. She couldn't even think about her inability to bear a child, but what would happen to Michael now. Nikita knew the possibilities. Michael would probably be placed with new operatives, probably a woman. Nikita shook her head with the thought.

A momentarily picture flashed through her head. Her relationship with Michael might turn into what happened with Madeline and Operations.

Nikita wanted some time to just think. And she couldn't pass a nagging feeling that Madeline was alive. Birkoff was almost complete with the report, and Nikita was nothing but thrilled about it.

Nikita glanced at her watch, and knew Operations would be by to see why she hadn't arrived yet.

***********

"Nikita... I informed you to meet for break... what are you doing with HER desk?" Operations booms as he enters the office and finds Nikita in the bean bag, with her legs crossed.

Nikita glances at her watch, still disappointed that it had taken Operations over an hour to make his arrival. She turns her head slightly at Operations before looking at the desk.

"I'll go through it." Nikita informs Operations strongly and Operations stares at her. He couldn't ask for a worse position to be put in. Nikita was upset at him to start with. He knew the next months would be unbearable until Nikita learned and accepted her new position.

"I ordered them out of here for a reason. We can not allow sedimental feelings to disrupt our current missions." Operations says firmly as he moves towards the desk. Nikita stands up and blocks the desk from his reach.

"I want to know what Madeline all did. I can only find that out by going through this." Nikita says firmly as she runs her hands down the wood surface.

"You can have any new furniture you want. Let me get rid of this." Operations says, knowing that Nikita would learn the way he didn't want her too if she looked through the items. He so much wanted a second in command that was a little less pushy.

"I want this desk." Nikita says firmly as she sits down on top of it.

"And I won't be doing breakfast with you. I think it is a waste of time." Nikita says as she flips her hair around and Operations stares at her as her smile starts to radiate.

Operations realizes at this point that what he wants is out of question. Madeline had thought her well, and Michael had thought her well. He looked at his daughter and turned his head away.

"We need to maintain some sort of continunity here, Nikita." Operations says in a tired voice and Nikita's eyes open a bit more.

"I think you are enough to maintain that. I won't be a second-in-command waitress. You need me to fight your decisions, and believe me," Nikita says as she looks straight into Operation's eyes. "I will fight you." Nikita says firmly.

"Fine." Operations gives in quickly, realizing it won't be any other way.

"I know we had placed some personal stress onto you, and this situation cannot be helping..." Operations starts to talk and Nikita begins to study him. Operations turns his head instinctively, cursing his decision on this.

"Oh, this is just the cherry on top of the whip cream." Nikita says rudely as she folds her hands around her waist.

"I'll give you the rest of the day to get settled into your office. We will meet then." Operations says and starts to walk out of the office. Even bare it reminded him of Madeline, and he didn't want to admit that.

"Maybe we will." Nikita counterstates and closes the door, getting in the last word. Operations shakes his head as he walks down the hallway. Nikita One, Operations Zero.

Operations though was in his own self pity. He allowed his paternal feelings for Nikita decide on sending in Madeline. Although, Madeline would have found any way to get in herself. She really thought that Nikita would talk to Michael, and Operations knew that it almost happened.

Now, Nikita is moving into an office with no cameras, no bugs, nothing. Operations realized that he may have to surgically remove Michael from the office, but also found it odd that Michael wasn't in there to start with.

Operations moved to his office and sat down. He would give both one day. And then decide what his next move was, as long as Nikita hadn't already stolen his king.

***********

Nikita sat at Madeline's desk, pulling items out of the top drawer, one at a time. There were two guns, and Nikita sent for them to be picked up and placed back into inventory. There were numerous pens and pencils, although, she could never recall seeing Madeline using such items.

She paused as the door opened and Michael entered in almost a robot like walk. Nikita pushes the mess of paper and items back into the drawer and closes it.

Michael turns his head, and looks around the newly painted room and then looks at Nikita as she turns in Madeline's chair to Michael.

"Why are you here, Michael?" Nikita asks with a voice that barely echoes the stress of the days that had passed. With seeing Michael's face and his long and strong body, brought a wave of emotions that she had been fighting to forget. To tell, not to tell. To tell, not to tell. The inner turmoil was starting to build and Nikita wanted to forget it all.

"Operations sent me." Michael responds as he looks at Nikita. He waited most of the night to see if Nikita would arrive at their home, but he didn't expect her too. There were enough problems between them before this, and Michael could feel the tension growing by the millisecond.

"Why did he send you?" Nikita asks as she stands up and pushes the beanbag into a corner. She had explored the office from corner to corner. She had found a huge bathroom behind the wall of the cubboard that now was painted blue.

"He was concerned since you missed a meeting." Michael says in short words that seemed to cut the air, but not cut Nikita's calmness.

"Nothing to be concerned about. I did that for a reason." Nikita says with a soft smile that shows the content for Operations.

"It will be better for you Nikita if you do not fight Operations in this manner." Michael says as he places a hand on the desk that Operations seemed to be raving about. Michael had to agree with Nikita. It would have been his first move, and he was impressed that Nikita had done so. Nikita had to gain some sort power with the situation.

Michael had understood the kind of power that Madeline had. Sometimes she was more powerful than Operations, because she knew exactly how to place Operations mind on the track she wanted to.

Nikita was doing something similiar. Michael didn't want to know how Nikita conned the day of no disruptions and seemingly no work. Michael knew Nikita was using her blood relationship to Operations on her side, and it might be the only way Nikita could gain power for the time being.

"It would be better for him, not for me, Michael." Nikita says quickly as she pushes Michael's hand off of the desk and moves between it. Her mouth parts as if in the motion to say something, and then she pauses.

"Then tell me what we neglected to talk about before." Michael says as he watches Nikita's mind click quickly. Nikita moves away from the desk and to the other side of the office.

"It was nothing, Michael." Nikita says as she pulls her hair up quickly. She turns and smiles at Michael. "It's my body." Nikita says firmly.

Michael stands, starting at Nikita, not believing a word she has said. He couldn't even bribe Birkoff into breaking the files, because Nikita's were sealed now.

"I don't believe you." Michael says as he moves towards her. Her eyes jump slightly upward, but settle back down. Michael can't believe how well she can maintain her composure right now.

"When you want to talk, you know where I am." Michael says as he brushes a hand across her check and moves towards the door. Nikita strides to the door and places at hand on Michael's shoulder.

"I love you, Michael." Nikita says before Michael can turn and face Nikita. Nikita can feel the hair running against the top of her hand and she waits.

"You know I do. That's why this is hurting me so much, Nikita." Michael says and with that he pulls out of the office.

Nikita steps back into the blue office and closes her eyes. She wanted none of this. She wanted to run out of this office, Madeline's office, and back to Her office. Her and Michael's office.

Operations watches Michael cross the hallway and enter his office. Operations sits down, and knows that if he was playing a chess game, Nikita had won.

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

Operations walks into Nikita's office, after she had called for him. She sits in the chair that Madeline had graced so many times before. Yet, in traditional Nikita style, she had one of her legs thrown over the side of the arm.

The office had gained some furniture, and Nikita's clothing now graced the personal cubboard that was the entrance to the bathroom. There were two chairs almost sat in the middle of the room. It seemed that Nikita did not care where the furniture was placed and that it made sense. It was scattered, and the only items that made sense were the desk and files of Madeline.

"Are we finally ready for business?" Operations asks as he studies the room. He doesn't like the blue paint, but accepts it. Nikita will grow up soon enough.

"Are we?" Nikita asks back as she points to the chairs and Operations look at her oddly. When he sits down, all he can see is Nikita's back. He would only see her face if she wanted to turn around and face him.

"This will change everything... we must build a new relationship... blank everything..." Operations starts but stops as Nikita slowly turns around in the chair.

"No blanks. We can't build a relationship. We will always be father and daughter." Nikita says slowly with raised eyebrows the echoed danger to Operations.

"You get into problems when you forget who we are. You forgot that Madeline had YOUR child, and I won't allow that to happen here. I am your daughter, but I am also the daughter you tried to cancel, poisoned me, whored me, lied to me, forgot about me, and that's only the beginning." Nikita says firmly and she can feel the room tremble with tension.

"Nikita, we cannot continue to dredge past events up like this." Operations says, and Nikita softly smiles at Operations.

"As long as their effects are being felt by me, I will continue to remember." Nikita says and Operations knows she has won her point.

He could see the hatred she had for him, and he only intensified it by the lack of information on her own health. It was starting to make him tired. Somedays, Operations didn't know why he couldn't just kill himself and allow Michael to take over.

Yet the one of the reasons was infront of him. He wanted to make it better, but knew that all hopes of that were gone now. Madeline was the only hope in that battle.

"I understand, Nikita. I have missions that need to be planned. Get on it. You know where my office is." Operations says firmly and then moves out of the office.

Operations felt empty. He couldn't look at Anna, she looked so much like Madeline. He couldn't communicate with Nikita, she acted to much like Madeline. Operations couldn't even bare to speak with Michael, because he would give one of his blank stares that only echoed the ones that Madeline had given him so often. Everyone and everything in Section echoed softly of Madeline, and he didn't want to think that she was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

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