Michael and Nikita walks out of the van access and walk quickly down the hallway as operative run past them. Nikita rubs her eyes, showing the wear and tear of the month of patrolling the dorm rooms and pretending to be a graduate student.

"My office, now." Madeline says as she turns away from Birkoff' s computer and walks ahead of them. Nikita looks out as three operatives run towards van access with full combat gear. Nikita looks to Michael and walks quickly to Madeline' s office.

Madeline had barely entered her office, when Michael and Nikita entered.

"This target was on hold until today we received intel that he had a deal for nuclear warheads. He is going to electronically move the money tonight, so we are just taking him down now." Madeline says and Michael holds out the PDA for Nikita to look for.

"Kill everyone in the house." Madeline says and Nikita grabs the PDA and slams it to the desk.

"A mile and half run into the house?" Nikita asks and Madeline nods her head.

"Since we don' t have any other time to set up units and diversions, we must take it safely. The exit will be to the north, and that will be three miles before you pick up vans. Some teams won' t access vans until they are five miles out." Madeline says and Nikita stares at Madeline.

"HAVE YOU EVER STAYED IN A DORM FOR A WEEK?" Nikita asks and Michael touches her shoulder.

"Nikita..." Michael hisses and Madeline lifts her chin.

"No, I haven' t." Madeline says and Nikita moves to the desk and places her hands down to stare at Madeline.

"It is like having 60 screaming babies that you must hand feed. It is like owning a petting zoo and you have to clean up. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK I HAD TO UNCLOG THE TOILETS? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES MY STUDENTS GOT STUCK OUTSIDE?" Nikita hollers and Michael touches her shoulders.

"Nikita, I know that since you returned from New York you have had a difficult schedule...." Madeline says and Nikita steps back and shakes her head.

"But... this must be done..." Nikita says and walks to the door. Madeline looks to Michael and frowns lightly.

"She is just tired." Michael says and turns.

"Michael, watch her." Madeline says and Michael turns and stares at Madeline.

"And what do you mean by that?" Michael inquires.

"Nothing. I know you already do that." Madeline says and sits back down at her computer. It was a signal that the conversation was over. Michael looks once more at Madeline before walking out of the office and to gather Nikita from her rage.

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

Nikita moved down over the slight hill and then started back up yet another one. Nikita looked to her side and saw Michael to her side. The equipment felt heavier than she remembered. That was the problem with the month in the dorms. She did not get much time to work out.

Nikita looks around as her legs start to feel a bit rubbery. As soon as she recognized the feeling, her legs tangled and sent her down into the ground.

"Are you ok?" Michael asks as Nikita immediately pulls her body up and starts to move again.

"Why would I?" Nikita asks and Michael stares at her as they stop at a group of trees and see the building.

"You fell." Michael says and Nikita smiles softly.

"I tripped." Nikita says softly as she looks at the operatives to her right take position. Nikita raises her hand and motions the operatives ahead into their points.

"Going in." Michael whispers as Michael and Nikita start towards the door, flanked by three operatives each. All spread out throughout the house.

Nikita goes to the right and starts running up the stairs. Three flights to be exact. Nikita gets to the top and frowns as she needs to pause to collect her breath.

"Nikita, why the pause?" Birkoff demands and Nikita rolls her eyes.

"Gathering thoughts." Nikita comments as she opens the door and walks in. Immediately she kills the two men and look around. The room is clear and she turns to move away when her legs give out again.

"Nikita... move on!" Birkoff says firmly and Nikita looks around in a slight panic.

"I have to check an anomaly." Nikita says as she goes to a desk and pulls out her portable testing unit. She pulls out the needle and shakes her finger down and pricks it.

"What kind of anomaly?" Birkoff asks and Nikita looks around and sees a giant pig bank with huge crystal eyes.

"I might have a camera or a computer." Nikita reports as the blood drops onto the pad. Nikita looks around as the time ticks away.

"Nikita... I will come.." Michael announces and Nikita swallows hard. She doesn' t need Michael.

"That is not necessary." Nikita says as she stares at the pad.

"Nikita... Michael is moving to your position." Birkoff says as the numbers light up. Nikita shakes her head as she sees her blood levels of Loving2000 had skyrocketed! Nikita pulls out two tablets of the medicine and pops it into her mouth and folds the pad up and places it into her jacket.

"Nikita... what is it?" Michael asks as Nikita licks her lips. She points to the bank and Michael rolls his eyes.

He walks over and turns his gun over. He uses the butt to break the bank open. Quarters spill down to their feet and he stares at Nikita.

"No anomaly." Michael reports and he looks to the door. Nikita nods her head and starts out. There was a mission to finish, and the sooner, the quicker she got time to figure out what was happening.

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

Nikita and Michael start back out to the north in a sprint. Nikita could tell from Michael' s pumping legs that he wanted to be in the van like it was yesterday. Nikita, although couldn' t keep up. It was part of the side effect of the medicine that she had taken. She wasn' t going to stop. She wouldn' t stop.

"Michael.. Nikita find shelter." Birkoff says and Nikita continues. She couldn' t stop now. She had her strong legs going and was not going to stop.

Michael stops and watches Nikita continue the run through the woods.

"NIKITA!" Michael hisses out and Nikita slows to a slight jog. It is at that point that she feels the drop of rain. Nikita looks up and shakes her head.

"We are to find shelter." Michael says and Nikita shakes her head.

"We can make it, Michael. We aren' t far." Nikita says as she turns and continues off. Michael rolls his eyes and catches up to Nikita. They run for another ten minutes, when Nikita comes to a tree and grasps to it. Her vision is blurry and she can barely keep her feet. But she wasn' t going down.

"Just a breathier." Nikita says and Michael shakes his head.

"Michael.. Nikita.. TAKE SHELTER!" Birkoff screams for the hundredth time. Michael pulls out the small pup tent and pops it open.

"No.. it' s just some rain." Nikita protests an the thunder shakes the ground. Nikita closes her eyes and a few tears form around her eyes.

"We will sleep the night, Nikita." Michael says as he walks to her and looks at her tears. Something was going on that she wasn' t telling him.

"No... I want a warm bed tonight." Nikita says and Michael looks to the pup tent and looks to her.

"Nikita, what is going on here?" Michael asks softly, as he could not turn off the comm units.

"Nothing, Michael. Nothing." Nikita says as she goes and leans against a tree.

"Nikita... you need to come in here!" Michael says and Nikita shakes her head as she looks up at the sky. She lets the rain pelt her skin and she pushes her hair back with her wet hands and opens her mouth. She allows the water to drip down her throat and she stands there in a darken world until Michael' s hands wrap around her waist.

"You are so tired you are about to drop." Michael says as he leads her back to the pup tent. Nikita lays down, wishing it was only exhaustion that was the problem.

***********

"Michael.... Nikita... Michael..." Gannon' s voice drifted from the woods, not far away. He moves over to the pup tent and shakes it lightly.

"Nikita.. wake up.." Gannon says and Nikita' s eyes pop open. She stares at Gannon in a daze and turns over. Gannon steps back with a feeling of uneasiness as Michael slides out of the tent.

The rain falls down quickly, and Michael looks at Gannon as they step away from the tent. Michael stretches slightly as Gannon frowns.

"Are both of your comm units down?" Gannon asks and Michael looks down to his chest and destroys Nikita' s.

"Yes." Michael says as he hands over his waterlogged comm unit. Gannon stares at Michael and then to the trees.

"We need to get out of here... The bridge down the road is about to be flooded out." Gannon says and Michael nods his head. He turns his wrist and looks at the watch. Only three hours. Just not enough time.

"What is going on here?" Gannon asks as he looks at Nikita still asleep in the tent.

"Don' t tell Madeline." Michael says and Gannon straightens up more.

"Something must be wrong if you don' t want Madeline to find out." Gannon says and Michael looks down at Nikita.

"I think she is tired." Michael comments. He doesn' t have to explain to Gannon what Nikita had been through the past four months. It had been hell, pure and simple. Michael would complain to Gannon about the situations that Nikita had been placed in, and Gannon would listen.

"Does her LOVING2000 levels get messed up when she is tired?" Gannon asks as he helps Michael stir Nikita again. Michael nods his head as Nikita slides out into the wet world.

"We have to get out of here." Gannon says as he touches his comm unit. He looks to Michael and then Nikita.

They start out in a quick jog, as the wet leaves and roots created a rough surface to be running on. Nikita slides down the one hill and Gannon swears.

"Van has moved across the bridge... We have get out now!" Gannon says and Michael nods. Nikita looks at both men with a scared look on her face.

"RUN! NOW!" Michael commands and all three start out the neckbreaking run. They hit trees and branches. Nikita has branches snapped back into her face as the bridge comes in view!

"HURRY!!!!!!!" The driver yells out and Gannon starts across quickly. Water from the river is already starting to run over the surface. Michael is not far behind.

Nikita stares ahead and urges her legs on. She moves, but she feels like she is moving in jello. Nikita moves and moves, and her legs are no longer felt.

Michael looks back in horror as Nikita falls hard and then pulls herself back up.

"NIKITA! RUN!!!!!" Michael screams and Nikita' s face shows the panic. Nikita runs and runs, and finally falls into Michael' s arms as the bridge is washed out. Nikita is out in Michael' s arms and Michael looks to Gannon.

"She hit her head on the bumper." Michael says as he pulls Nikita up and enters the dry van.

***********

Nikita grabs the gray blanket and pulls it tighter around her body as her eyes flutter open. A cold hand touches her cheek and Nikita rolls to the side to look at Michael.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" Michael asks and Nikita sits up straight. She sees Gannon looking at her closely and swallows.

"Hello, Gannon." Nikita says and Gannon nods his head. She realizes that they are not going to let her off the hook so easily.

"Michael... I have been really tired." Nikita says and Michael nods his head.

"Yes, I know that. But, Nikita... what happened out there has me a bit scared." Michael says as he looks at her and Nikita looks away. She nods her head and turns back.

"We saw that you were scared too. It was on your face." Gannon says and Nikita drops her head and licks her lips.

"Have you ever been waken while having a nightmare? And when you know that the nightmare is gone, but it is still there." Nikita asks softly and Michael slightly nods his head. No one in Section could not say they didn' t identify with that event. It was a common occurrence.

"Well... I was back to seeing Patrick... and those... young dead mothers... And when I ran.. I knew it was for my safety. But it was like running away from the bodies... the blood... those that I couldn' t help.." Nikita says softly and drops her head to her chest.

Michael pulls Nikita tightly to his chest and rocks her smoothly. Gannon lifts his head and looks down at Nikita carefully. There was something here that wasn' t explained by what Nikita had said. Something didn' t fit.

****

Gannon steps out of the van, after dropping Michael and Nikita at their house. Madeline had plans in the works for another mission, and Gannon believed that both needed sleep drastically.

He walks to the hallway and finds Madeline standing at a computer. She looks down the hallway and then to Gannon.

"Where are Michael and Nikita? I need to send them out." Madeline says and Gannon shakes his head.

"Madeline... they both need rest." Gannon says and Madeline tilts her head and slams the computer down quickly.

"I have a bomb ticking in Pittsburgh, planted by the wonderful Rachel Streb, and you tell me that Michael and Nikita need rest?" Madeline asks and Gannon swallows.

"Madeline, something isn' t right there. Just give them a few hours." Gannon says and Madeline closes her eyes in momentarily thought and then they snap back open.

"I wish I could Gannon. I just can' t chance it. Call them in." Madeline says and Gannon grabs Madeline and stops her from leaving.

"We aren' t getting the truth from Nikita. I' m not sure she even knows the truth." Gannon says and Madeline nods her head.

"I will give them time after this mission." Madeline says and walks away. Gannon pulls out the phone and stops. He looks at the watch. An hour won' t hurt anyone.

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