Ayn pushes her damp hair back and licks her lips softly. The cold metal chair sends a shiver down her damp back and Ayn turns her head to the computer screen.

A huge blinking yellow smiley face is winking at her. She stares at it and grabs the phone.

" Birkoff... I have a winking smiley face on my computer." Ayn says as she tries to steady her breath.

" TURN THE COMPUTER OFF!" Birkoff yells and hangs up quickly. Ayn flicks the screen off, sad to see it all end so quickly.

****

Operations dumps a glass of water over his already sweating head and chest. He leans back and lets the last moan out. He turns his head and looks at the computer.

A smiley face sticks it's tongue out at Operations and wiggles. Operations pulls out the phone and calls Birkoff immediately.

" BIRKOFF! I have a smiley face sticking it's tongue at me on my computer. Is this a joke?" Operations asks and he waits. He licks his lips and smiles mildly as his eyes drop close for a few minutes in memory.

" TURN THE COMPUTER OFF!" Birkoff yells and Operations hears Birkoff's chair slam against the desk behind him.

Loud alarms blare throughout Section Headquarters.

" Birkoff... Birkoff.. what is going on?" Operations demands from his chair.

" We have a computer breach. I can't tell how deep. We could be exposed." Birkoff reports and Operations slams his hand onto the desk.

" Call all operatives in." Operations says and he looks down at himself. He was definitely going to have to clean up before he could arrive in the hallways of Section One. He had made quite a mess this time.

" I'll be down in ten minutes." Operations says and he could almost hear Birkoff's eyebrows raise.

****

Ayn looks around her office as the alarms blare in her ears. She looks around and pulls up her shirt.

" Damn.. always at the worst times..." Ayn mumbles as she looks around her office and her self. She grabs things and tries to make herself look presentable to go out onto the floor.

**********

Birkoff runs to Elana's computer and pushes her away. He flicks off the screen as Elana stands up and assumes a defensive stance.

" I was only doing something for Madeline." Elana argues before Birkoff can even say a worried. He just shakes his head and watches Elana stomp away. That was the sixth computer to come down the a smiley face. Birkoff looks at Elana and then starts to laugh as he sees Nikita walking down the hallway.

" HEY NIKITA... haven't you heard of the shower?" Birkoff calls out and he looks away.

Suddenly, a strong force sits him up on top of a desk and two strong hands wrap around his thin neck. Birkoff stares at Nikita.

" I haven't had any sleep and had really bad Chinese food less than five hours ago. NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" Nikita says firmly into Birkoff's face. Birkoff nods yes as Michael pulls Nikita away. Nikita stares at Birkoff in a rage.

" Nikita...... Michael... we have a briefing." Operations says from the corner, as he viewed the entire exchange. Nikita turns back to Birkoff.

" Never... never again.... I won't be as nice." Nikita says with firm words and strong stare. Nikita walks towards the briefing table, swallowing down the stomach acid that ached to escape her stomach.

Nikita enters the briefing area and spots Madeline sitting in the corner. Nikita sits down and stares at her.

" It was a quick six hours, Madeline." Nikita finally says, and Michael stares at Nikita. She was so combative today. He was sure that it was the lack of sleep wearing Nikita down.

" Yes... well.. sometimes it just has to be that way." Madeline says and Nikita nods her head in agreement.

" For me and Michael." Nikita retorts and looks to Operations. Operation stares at Michael for a few moments. He didn't like this kind of Nikita in briefings.

" The computers have been being breached for the last hour. It started in Ayn's computer and then it was noticed in mine." Operations says and he pulls up the hologram, but there is a huge smiley face on it. Nikita lightly giggles as Operations turns it off.

" As you can see... it is spreading throughout Section. It could just be something we accidentally downloaded, but we need to be sure." Operations says and Nikita starts to squirm in her chair as Ayn walks into the back of the room.

" Nikita... is something wrong?" Madeline asks and Nikita looks at Michael and stands up.

" If you can excuse me.... the aftermath of cheep Chinese food is about to hit the toilet." Nikita says and hurries out of the briefing room. Ayn turns and follows. Madeline smiles lightly at Michael.

" That MSG will do that all the time." Madeline comments as she looks at Operations, who is slightly annoyed.

***

Nikita holds her hair and pulls her head up slowly. She grabs a towel and wipes her mouth off.

" Here..." Ayn says as she gives Nikita some mouthwash. Nikita smiles and starts to wash her mouth out good. Nikita was sure that her stomach was now empty of all contents.

" What else is going on, Nikita?" Ayn asks and Nikita spits the mouthwash out.

" I haven't slept more than four hours in a row in over a month, Ayn." Nikita says as she turns to go back. Ayn places a hand on Nikita's shoulder. She pulls out a scrambler and looks at Nikita. Nikita activates it and looks at Ayn.

" My Loving2000 levels are all over the place." Nikita says and Ayn nods her head.

" I don't know much about that stuff.... but if you need help with it, Nikita... You can come to me first." Ayn offers and Nikita smiles.

" Thanks, you are the first one not to flip out about it." Nikita says as she shakes her hair out and heads back to the briefing room.

****

" This is Chovern Hill, there is an abandoned mansion up there. That is were the computer signal was traced to." Operations says as he watches Nikita enter and sit down.

" Are we to destroy it?" Michael asks and Operations shakes his head no.

" I want every room searched, and the computer will be found. The computer will be copied to see if the files were transferred anywhere else and what files were taken. Then the computer will be destroyed, on sight." Operations says and the team nods their heads.

" And off to the races again..." Nikita comments as she stands up and stares at Madeline. Madeline watches Michael push Nikita out of the briefing room quickly. Madeline stands up and walks to Operations.

" Something isn't right there." Madeline says and Operations laugh.

" I was never able to function on that little sleep either." Operations says pointedly and walks away.

**********

Nikita leans her head back on the van's wall and closes her eyes as the rest of the team walks into the van. She hears the noise of their guns being hung up and their clothes sitting down on other benches, but she does not open her eyes. The van door slams shut, and immediately, she feels the breathing next to her neck and she tries to concentrate on the black darkness she wants to gather a few more minutes from.

" Nikita, we are going to talk." Michael says and Nikita shakes her head while keeping her eyes closed. She stops and continues to feel Michael's hot breath on her neck.

" Nikita. Now." Michael says as he places a hand on her chin and turns her head towards him. Nikita opens her eyes and immediately rolls them.

" Aren't you tired, Michael?" Nikita asks and Michael stares at her and drops his hand from her chin.

" No. Actually, I am not." Michael says and Nikita sits up and looks around the van. The other operatives around them are doing the same thing that Nikita had attempted to do.

" But, I am, Michael." Nikita says sharply and he looks at her.

" You didn't use to be." Michael says and Nikita shakes her head at Michael.

" Please, Michael. Not now." Nikita says firmly as she looks at his eyes. Michael looks away and then back to Nikita.

" What if it is something more, Nikita? What do you do then?" Michael asks and Nikita looks at him and takes his hands in her hand.

" It is nothing more, Michael. I know so." Nikita says and he looks at her.

" Where is your testing unit?" Michael asks and Nikita closes her eyes.

" Are you going to test me every hour?" Nikita asks firmly and Michael stares at her, as his hands start to search the many pockets of field gear. He pulls the unit out and Nikita holds her hand out for him.

" We shouldn't be doing this here." Nikita says as Michael pricks her finger and drops the droplet of blood onto the pad.

" We shouldn't have to keep it a secret from Madeline, but it is what you want, so this is what I want." Michael says and Nikita turns her head from him. He looks at the number and folds the testing unit up and places back at its home.

" What about what I want, Michael? I want to sleep. You woke me. You know how much I need my sleep." Nikita says and Michael chews on the inside of his bottom lip in thought. He knew what he wanted to say, but couldn't know if his words were going to be wrong.

" Maybe you should. You were extremely crabby with Madeline and Birkoff." Michael says and he instantly sees that his words were wrong.

" CRABBY! I DESERVE TO BE CRABBY! DO YOU THINK MADELINE IS GOING TO STAY AWAKE DURING OUR THREE HOUR TRIP TO THE MANSION AND OUR THREE HOUR TRIP BACK FROM THE MANSION!" Nikita screams and the operative all sit up and look at Nikita.

" Nikita... you are doing it again." Michael whispers and Nikita stands up in the middle of the van.

" DOING WHAT? Voicing the unfairity that it is always our team that goes out? That is always us who are ran over and over and over again? That it has been forever since we were even able to make love?" Nikita says loudly and the operatives all turn their heads away from the conversation, trying to forget what Nikita just said.

" Nikita.. do you even hear yourself when you speak anymore?" Michael asks and Nikita's eyes water over and she falls down on the chair and starts to cry heavily.

" Will you stop her from doing that!" An operative complains and Michael touches her arm.

" No.. you don't care... just don't touch me...." Nikita says as she rolls away from Michael. Michael looks at her as she slowly draws her body up into a ball and her cries quiet down. Michael rubs his forehead at a lost for an explanation.

**********

Nikita walked up the staircase again, looking at the extreme detail on the handle. She pauses to look at a carved statue of the cat at the landing before going back up. She touches it softly and her whole body feels like it was going to cry. Nikita forces herself to gather the emotions up.

" Nikita.. we do not have all day." Michael says as he walks at the foyer and looks up at Nikita. He looks at her and his head leaps out towards her. He has the urge to run up the stairs and hold her tightly in his arms. He needed to see her smile, because he could barely remember them now.

" Michael.. we have searched here for four hours!" Nikita hollers down and Michael starts up the dusty stairs towards Nikita. Nikita turns and stares at him.

" We are not here to stares at the carvings in the railing. We are here to find the computer that stole intel on Section One." Michael says and Nikita turns and stomps up the stairs.

Nikita enters the far room and sits down in the chair. She can feel her body churning away from her, and she will stop it. She slams her hand against the wall and she looks at it.

" Birkoff... I am in the room that is on the north wall?" Nikita asks and she looks at the wall.

" Yes, Nikita." Birkoff responds and Nikita looks at the wall.

" There are no windows." Nikita says as she touches the wall. It was plasterboard.

" There are three windows, Nikita." Birkoff says and Nikita stares at the wall.

" But there is only a white wall, Birkoff.... can you scan from my watch?" Nikita asks.

" Yes." Birkoff replies as he feels Nikita is just playing around.

" Hey.. that's hallow.." Birkoff says as he stands up and motions Operations over.

Nikita picks up a pen and starts to poke it through the wall. She stops and looks into the little hole.

" I have a computer, printer, and a generator." Nikita replies and she hears Birkoff's hands clap together.

" Get in there, Nikita..." Birkoff says and Nikita looks around and slams her fist into the little hole hard. She starts to work, but her world was starting to spin on her.

" Michael.... get in here!" Nikita hollers out and Michael walks in. He looks at Nikita and pushes a chair underneath her and helps her side down.

" Birkoff.... send Miles and Fishstone for some water..... it is too hot up here." Michael says and turns off the units. He pulls out the testing unit and Nikita just shakes her head.

She pulls out her bottle, and the last two pills, but Michael didn't know that, and takes them. She leans her head back and stares at Michael. She just didn't have the strength any longer to fight Michael.

**********

Nikita sets down her bottle of water and taps Michael's shoulders as he continues to break the wall down.

" I can get in now." Nikita says and Michael stares at her. She knows the look. Michael wants her to sit back down. He was thinking that she didn't have the strength to climb through a hole in the wall. Nikita looks at Michael and starts to push him away from the hole. She makes sure that she has the glasses firmly on her face and starts to slide through the hole.

Nikita is on the other side, and Michael continues to destroy the wall so he can gain access. Nikita looks at the little chair and moves it to the side of the computer.

" OH.. Viktor..."

" Yes.. Yes.. Yes.. Ayn.. that's it..."

" Oh.. Oh.. My VIKTOR!!!"

Nikita's eyes open up wide as she stares at the screen. She instantly pushes print and tries to find if there was any more information taken. The computer was empty for all else. Only the one transmission was taken.

" OH MY GOD! MICHAEL YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" Nikita calls out as she folds the paper and places it in her bra. She tries to contain her laughter.

" Nikita.. what is it?" Michael asks and Nikita smiles.

" You are going to have to see it to believe it..." Nikita says and she can tell that Michael is upset at her answer. Nikita turns towards the computer. It was mildly disgusting what she had found on the computer. It was knowledge about Ayn and Operations, but this made it more real than Ayn leaving his room.

" You know how to pleasure a woman..."

" Yes... and you know how to make a man bark like a dog!"

" Mmmm.. next time.. chains?"

Nikita looks to the wall and Michael steps in. Michael walks over and looks at the screen. Nikita can no longer contain the laughter as even Michael cracks a smile.

" That is all?" Michael asks and Nikita bends over in laughter. It was just too funny to her.

" MICHAEL!!! LOOK AT WHAT THE COMPUTER TOOK! CYBERSEX!" Nikita laughs out and Michael looks at her.

" At least Operations is getting something.... unlike myself." Michael says and turns away. But Nikita can't stop laughing. She didn't want to be around when Madeline confronts Operations about this mess. It was all his doing either way.

**********

Nikita walks into Section One and looks at Michael as he has the disk with the heated conversation on it. Michael had sat in the van on the three hour trip back, wondering what he was going to say. He didn't want to say anything to Operations or Ayn about this. Michael would rather forget what he read.

Nikita looks as Michael as he starts to move away from her. She slides her hand down and retrieves the two sheets of conversation from her bra and moves towards Birkoff. She taps her hand on the desk and smiles at Birkoff.

" Nikita.. I am not forgetting what you did to me earlier." Birkoff says and Nikita drops the two sheets of paper on his lap.

" I hope this will tell you how sorry I am... I hope also that you can get it to the right people." Nikita says with a smile. Birkoff picks up the papers and his eyes widen as he reads the words.

" This was what was on the computer? We stopped everything because the computer stole cybersex?" Birkoff asks and Nikita smiles and nods her head. Birkoff stands up.

" I have to get copies." Birkoff says running off.

" NIKITA! DEBRIEFING!" Madeline roars and Nikita stands up straight and stares at Madeline.

" No.. it is closed. No debriefing, Madeline." Nikita says firmly and Madeline stares at her.

" We are to debrief now." Madeline says and Nikita shakes her head no.

" Madeline.. I am going home to get some sleep." Nikita says firmly as she starts to square off with Madeline.

" Debrief, Nikita." Madeline says and Nikita moves forward to her.

" Look... YOU HAVE STOPPED ME FROM SLEEPING! I HAVE HAD IT! I AM GOING TO DEBRIEF WHEN I DAMN WELL PLEASE TO DEBRIEF!" Nikita screams and Madeline lifts her head.

" No, Nikita, you will debrief when I tell you to debrief." Madeline says and Nikita throws her hands up in the air.

" Are you trying to kill me? Are you trying to drive me insane? Because if you are.. your doing a damn well good job! I can barely keep my eyes open, I feel like crap because of the no sleep.. and next you will be wondering why I am crabby!" Nikita screams as she walks around the area. She closes her eyes as her legs start to feel weak. It wasn't the time for this.

" I only want to sleep.. and for five minutes with Michael... that's all I want." Nikita says as she drops into the chair with tears now rolling down her face. Maybe it was that picture that finally made Madeline realize how much she had been pushing Michael and Nikita. But she didn't have a choice. She needed the debrief done so that Michael and Nikita could go back out on another mission.

" Nikita... you have thirty minutes to calm yourself down and be in my office. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" Madeline says sharply and the crying Nikita nods her head. Madeline walks away, and Ayn who was in the corner walks to Nikita.

" Nikita?" Ayn asks and Nikita looks to her. She can't even laugh. She is just so far down in emotional and physical well being she didn't have the strength to laugh.

" Ayn... I need your help." Nikita says softly and Ayn reaches a hand out for the girl. She watches Nikita stand up and suddenly she is glad that she broke into Elana's files and gathered everything about Loving2000 she could get her hands on. She even got some pills. Ayn walks with Nikita to her office.}{

**********

Ayn watches Nikita sit down. She had already known what Nikita and Michael had found on the computer. She has suspected it immediately. But she was worried for the young woman as she held her head tightly with her hands.

Ayn had read everything about Loving2000 she could get in her hands. It was not a drug they knew a lot about, and there were only two ways they had to control the levels of it in her blood. It was a nasty drug that stayed in Nikita's system for life. It was an everyday matter for Nikita, and Ayn couldn't imagine living that way. Ayn knew this drug was worst the LSD, and there were no positive parts about this drug.

" Ayn... I need more of the leveling pills." Nikita finally speaks and Ayn reaches to her desk and takes out the small bottle she was able to snatch from Medlab. Nikita looks at them and nods her head.

" I will need more..." Nikita says and Ayn sits down next to Nikita.

" Why don't you just get them, Nikita?" Ayn asks and Nikita looks to the wall.

" Because I can't let Michael find out... he will demand I tell Madeline." Nikita says and Ayn looks at her.

" But then maybe we can find out what is going on." Ayn replies and Nikita shakes her head.

" No... I' ll be giving up control Ayn.. She already controls when I sleep and when I eat... I won't give this up." Nikita says and Ayn nods her head.

" You will be briefed for a mission in an hour, right after you debrief. When you come back... I' ll get the pills for you." Ayn says and Nikita nods her head. Nikita sits there and Ayn licks her lips.

" Aren't you going to at least ask about the conversation?" Ayn asks and Nikita smiles softly.

" I think it was in plain black and white." Nikita says with a smile.

****

" We stopped all of Section One because someone hajacked your cybersex with Ayn?" Madeline asks as she drops the disk onto the desk and stares at Operations.

" I wasn't sure what it took." Operations says and Madeline shakes her head.

" Look... I have Nikita crying her eyes out because I have to make sure this stays quiet!" Madeline yells and Operations shakes his head. He walks over to the window and points down.

There is Birkoff. He hands two sheets of paper over to Elana. Immediately Elana starts to laugh.

" It won't be quiet." Operations says and Madeline throws her hands up in the air. She storms out of the office, sensing the need to calm down before she had to deal with Nikita again.

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