The words on the yellow stained book turned into an endless streak of nothing, as the hands shook to steady the pages. It could have been the third day of pain or it could have been the grieving heart of a mother longing to be with her daughter. All of that meant nothing as the door opened from the left-hand side of the room.

"Morning, lover." Nikita said sweetly as the tall blonde man walked closer to her. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck, and pinched the tender flesh tightly between his fingernails. He leaned down and kissed Nikita fully and smirked.

"You have finally healed. You will be on the schedule tonight." Lancing said and Nikita smiled broadly as she started to twirl her hair on her finger. Lancing moved forward and slapped Nikita's hand away from the hair and then used the hair to yank her down to the bed. Nikita choked back a sob, and smiled at Lancing. He stood up, shaking his head.

"I am so lucky you didn't get fed to the local boys. You are to good for me." Lancing said and Nikita sat up slowly, opening her legs slightly, trying to entice Lancing in for more. Nikita had found out in the past two months that the morning Lancing was much gentler in comparison to the one with a few drinks and probably some drugs of the night Lancing.

"Nikita, not now. Tonight." Lancing said and quickly left the room. Nikita looked to the door as she heard the bolt slam shut, locking her in the room again. She had not been outside this room for a month. At first, Nikita was sure her cover was broken, and then she soon realized that Lancing was keeping her for himself.

Nikita moved to the small bag that she had been able to procure during this mission, and checks the materials. She still had the eight disks of Intel that was needed. Now, she had to escape. Nikita stood up and saw the mirror glaring the image of her battered body back. Nikita closed her eyes and moved away. There was no time to get emotional. Somehow she needed to get out, they weren't going to come in for her.

*

The jar sat on the countertop as Michael turned his head back from the mess of the sandwich he had made, to the mess that had suddenly appeared on Mia's face. She smiled broadly at her father and tried to lick some more jelly off of her fingers. Michael shook his head as the peanut butter and jelly appeared to be all over Mia, and not in her.

The cell phone in Michael's pocket started to ring. He pushed the jar away and pulled the black cell phone up to his ear in one smooth movement. He stared at Mia, and then shook his head. He was going to have to give her a bath to clean her up.

"Come in." Madeline said and Michael felt every muscle in his back tense up. In the past two months, Madeline had tended to remember that Michael couldn't just leave immediately, but these orders were different, and now Michael was on the very of trembling.

"I am feeding Mia." Michael replied firmly as he placed the phone between his ear and shoulder. He started to replace the items that made Mia's sandwich away as he waited for the next words from Madeline. There was a long pause, like Madeline was thinking of what to say. It was uncharacteristic for Madeline to wait such a pregnant pause before responding.

"You are going in for Nikita." Madeline said and hung up quickly. The phone almost fell from Michael's shoulder as his entire body snapped. It was the first time that Nikita's name had been spoken of to him since he was briefed on the mission that she left on. He would periodically check for Intel, but never muttered her name. Mia only asked for her mother, who abstractly wasn't the same as Nikita.

"We have to go." Michael said as he moved to Mia and started to pick her peanut butter and grape jellied smeared face and hands up from the chair. Mia immediately started to squirm. She looked down and then started to cry. Crying was something that Michael learned he couldn't take from Mia. It was the times that she looked the most like Nikita. Her bottom lip would tremble slowly and her eyes would roll the tears over in big fat drops.

"I am hungry!" Mia protested. Michael looked around, ready to run out the door. He looked down and saw half of Mia's unfinished sandwich sitting on the table. Michael hurriedly grabbed the sandwich and placed it in Mia's hands. He looked around, and grabbed his keys and headed to the door. Mia started to circle her hands around Michael's neck and he leaned back from the sticky mess.

"Mia, remember what I said. No sticky hands in your Daddy's hair." Michael said as he opened the door up and stepped into the hallway. Mia moved her hands away guiltily and smiled at Michael. Michael shook his head as he slammed the door and hurried down the hallway, wishing to be in Section One already.

*

"Mia, you sit here... and finish your sandwich." Michael demanded as he placed Mia down on a chair that hovered near Birkoff's computers. Birkoff turned his head and saw the sticky mixture on Mia's face and immediately started to shake his head. He pushed the computer towards the other end of the table as Michael sat some toys on the table in front of Mia.

"Here, you can play with these. I will be back, darling." Michael said quickly as he stepped back and smiled at his daughter. Birkoff stood up, shaking his head at Michael, which caused Michael to stare at Birkoff intensely.

"She cannot stay here like that!" Birkoff said pointing to her sticky hands and face. Michael looked to Birkoff and then back to Mia. He wished he could clean her up, but the message was sent to Michael. There might not be time to waste in this situation. Michael looked at Birkoff and Birkoff sat down with a sigh.

"This is about Nikita." Birkoff stated.

"MOMMIE!!! WHERE IS SHE!!! I WANT MY MOMMIE!!!!!" Mia screamed out with a new batch of tears rolling down her face. Michael turned his head from Mia, as these words hurt the most from her. She could scream that she hated him for five hours, but as soon as Mia started to scream for Nikita, Michael's heart became paralyzed with a fear, a fear that Nikita would never return.

"Birkoff, clean her up. This is urgent." Michael said as he stepped away, trying to rush away from Mia's cries and screams. Michael knew that Birkoff was swearing at him now, but he was being torn in the worst way, between the mother of his daughter and the daughter. He could not value who was most important, because both depended on each other. In a flash, the voice of Mia's was only an echoing memory as he entered Madeline's office and looked at her drawn and white face. It did not bode well with Michael, as his stomach instantly flipped with the image of Madeline.

"We have to retrieve her now, tonight." Madeline said as she pushed the panel to Michael. Michael looked down and saw the small army force that Madeline had set forth. Instantly, Michael realized that Madeline had yet to consult with Operations on this mission, and that he would probably not know until the mission went live. The members were the who's who of Section One. They were operatives that Michael had the outmost respect for and he looked at Madeline.

"The last message that George received was that the information was retrieved, but that she was being held captive in a room. That was three weeks ago." Madeline said and Michael looked to the wall. He knew what being held as a captive meant here. Lancing Ferris didn't keep political prisoners and he didn't keep terrorist prisoners. He kept sexual prisoners, and Madeline did not have to tell Michael that. It was part of the initial profile that Nikita went in with. It had changed significantly as Lancing Ferris took a good liking to Nikita, and took her to be his own.

Michael stood up with the panel and moved to the wall. There were questions that circled Michael's mind, but he could not verbalize them. Madeline stood up and looked at Michael. They had never spoken about Nikita, and what she could be going through. Madeline realized, and she was sure that Michael did also, that Nikita never healed from the Sanchez mission. This was technically a worse mission, as she did not love the man she was to be with. Michael turned his head and looked at Madeline.

"I am working on the psychological implications of this mission, and the background of Nikita." Madeline said slowly as Michael started to step towards the door. Madeline looked at Michael and saw the confusion of the situation. Mia might be very happy to see Nikita, but would Nikita be emotionally healthy to deal with a crying daughter that she had not seen in two months. Then there was the fact that Nikita just walked out, without a word to anyone. There had to be some sort of reasoning there, that Madeline was sure she had figured out. Michael opened the door and stepped out without another word.

*

There was always a humming sound in the room during the night. Some nights, after a long time with Lancing, the humming was louder, as if keeping Nikita awake on purpose. She would lay on the bed, with her head perfectly positioned on the pillow to hear the humming, as it reminded Nikita that she was still alive. This night, the humming left.

Nikita studied the silence and hear the pop of the lock on her door. Nikita did not move as she thought it was Lancing, coming back for more, as he was known to do. She felt the movement behind her and tensed up as the body was not that of Lancing's.

"Nikita, get up." Michael's voice said firmly and Nikita moved as quickly as her battered body could to face the man she wasn't yet ready to face. It was too soon, and Nikita's body shriveled in it's exposed state. The lights were still off as Nikita could see the whites of Michael's gray-green eyes.

"Did anyone see you come in here?" Nikita asked as she knew what needed to be done. There were too many important things for Section to destroy her cover.

"Three guards, and a camera." Michael stated as he moved to the wall and flicked the switch up. Nikita tried to pull at the sheet to cover what had occurred to her body, but Michael moved swiftly and swallowed back the impression of disgust from the abuse on Nikita's body.

"You should have waited. The consequences of coming for me are too big!" Nikita cried out as Michael dragged the sheet further away from Nikita. For Michael, what had occurred to Nikita's body was proof enough that he was already several weeks too late.

"Where are the disks?" Michael mechanically asked as he looked at the bare room. Nikita looked to the book and then tried to pull at the sheet. Michael crossed the room and dropped a gun down on the bed at Nikita's side and pulled the disks out. In a way, Nikita's anger boiled as Michael showed that he did not care of what she was saying, just caring about what he thought was important.

"You don't even understand what you have done?" Nikita screamed out, as she saw the reasons for this mission. It was purely personal on everyone's behalf. George wanted Nikita back. Madeline wanted Nikita back. Michael wanted Nikita back. Nikita was sure that Michael didn't even look at simulations about what could occur after this attack.

"Get dressed." Michael hissed as he checked the door. Nikita turned her head to the side and started to cry. It was an automatic situation that just occurred. She had lived in fear of Lancing, and now Michael had seen her battered body, with a half-torn bra and a dirty pair of underwear. Fear was starting to turn her stomach in circles, and Nikita turned her head away even further as she didn't want to admit what the last two months had been for her.

"I don't have clothes in here. Lancing lays them out for me in the morning." Nikita said strongly as she worked past her tears. She did not have a choice in the manner. She had been exposed and staying was no longer an option. The option was to get back to Section One and to tell them how badly they had messed up. Nikita stood up carefully as she avoided looking into the mirror to see the bruises and blood that she knew where there. She never wanted to see her face again, let alone her body.

"Put this on." Michael hissed as he pulled a black shirt from his pocket. It didn't have buttons, and would only provide a slight covering of Nikita's body. Nikita slid it onto her arms, feeling the stinging of the material on the rug burns that covered her arms and back. She checked the gun and pulled up next to Michael.

Running out of the house of torture was easy and Nikita looked around at the settings that she last saw two months ago when she entered the house of Lancing Ferris. Nikita looked ahead and saw the opened van. Nikita ducked in, not worrying about her appearance and pushed her way to the computer.

"Sugar... let me get..." Walter said quickly as he viewed Nikita, and than the smell that Michael had tried to block out, but couldn't. Everyone in the van knew what Nikita had been through from the site and the odor. Nikita pushed at Birkoff. Birkoff stood up and turned his head, not able to deal with the image of Nikita.

"Let me use the computer." Nikita hissed. Michael shook his head. He did not worry about Nikita's mentioning of consequences, and he didn't think about what else Nikita had spoken. Nikita quickly set to work on the computer. There were things that needed to be done, before Nikita could know for sure if her worries would become true.

*

"Don't you know what you did!" Nikita screamed as she ran down the hallway of the van access to stop Michael's body. He continued to move in the robotic ways and tried to block out the battered body that was trying to pull his body. Michael could tell by the strength of Nikita's pulls that she was weak and needed the medical attention that Walter had tried to talk Nikita into. Instead, she sat at the computer, checking and rechecking information and then she slammed it shut as the van pulled in.

Nikita had fallen when she stepped out of the van, and the operatives who were waiting for the incoming van to use for the next mission, stared at the blunt nakedness of Nikita's body, but also the bruises, the cuts, and the bite marks that marred her perfect skin. Yet, it was not like Nikita was aware of that, as she angrily stood up to continue after Michael.

"Go to medical." Michael said firmly and Nikita pulled her hand back from Michael as if he was hot coal. Nikita stared at him and fought the impending tears from falling down her face. Michael had done this in the past, ordering her around like she was a little pond in his personal game of chest, but Nikita was determined that it would stop.

"You don't control me, Michael. I am level five! And you are going to hear what the mistake was that you made!" Nikita demanded in a deep and loud voice that opened Michael's eyes briefly, and shocked him deeply inside, but he was determined to walk down the hallway. He was not going to allow Madeline and Operations to see him emotionally respond to Nikita, as she was obviously emotionally distraught about what had occurred.

"DAMN! Are you going to walk away like you did the last time? You knocked me up last time and ran off to Hong Kong! Is that what you plan on doing again!" Nikita screamed loudly as they both turned the corner, where operatives from all types of Section One, had stopped to listen.

"No." Michael cried out before he saw Madeline and Operations staring at the display from the office. Operations leaned forward and almost smiled. This is what he wanted to occur. If there were a total falling out between the two, he would easily be able to control the two operatives in ways that he couldn't even verbalize. Madeline looked on as she saw the physical condition of Nikita and was in awe of the raw strength that made Nikita continue on.

"Lancing doesn't believe than an anti-terrorist group raided him!" Nikita said firmly and Michael tilted his head to the side, suddenly interested in what Nikita was going to say. As he tilted his head, the blood from the cut from above Nikita's eye started to bleed again. Michael moved his eyes away from the growing stream of blood.

"He thinks that I was a FED! He thinks that the President of the United States did this too him!" Nikita screamed out and Michael nodded his head.

"That is possible. The intelligence that you gathered was about the numerous affairs that the president was having." Michael said in a tone that expressed to Nikita, that Michael still thought himself to be superior. Nikita shook her head and pulled off the shirt. She wanted no connection to Michael anymore. Michael watched the shirt float down to the floor and turned his eyes upward to see the blue and green bite marks on Nikita's stomach before looking at her enraged face.

"And now he is planning on releasing that information and going after the President of the United States at the White House. He is going to take the president down, Michael!" Nikita explained loudly as she moved around in a circle. Each tiny movement brought more of the raw realization of what Lancing had done to Nikita, and Michael started to get scared from the inside. How could Nikita get past Lancing and be a mother again?

"We were going to use it to control the president, Nikita." Michael said firmly and some of the operatives turned their heads with that statement. The tone was purely condensing and some could see Nikita leaping across and digging her nails into Michael's face. Nikita instead slammed the wall with her hand and now tears fell down her face.

"We were going to use it to make sure that the PEACE ACCORDS continue as planned! What happens when Lancing releases this information about the president and what if he succeeds in killing the president, Michael? What happens!" Nikita cried out and Michael straightened up. The implications of what Nikita was saying were more than plausible. It was going to be a huge problem in the next few days for Section One. That was what Nikita was trying to say to Michael when he saw her in the room.

Michael saw immediately at what had drove Michael in this mission. In essence, he just proved to Madeline and Operations were his feelings laid. His only reason for continuing with this profile, as it was written was because it was a way to retrieve Nikita. Michael didn't want to admit it, but he never even went over the specifics of the mission. He knew he was to find Nikita, and bring her out. That was all that mattered to Michael, while Section was always stuck on what was the ultimate outcome of the mission. Michael and the mission just created a bigger mess than they wanted at all.

"The Peace Accords die." Michael finally stated and Nikita briefly nodded her head with tears rolling down her cheek, and stinging the cut on the bottom of her chin. Nikita turned her head and shook her head, as she pushed through the thick crowd of operatives, who all knew what the next few days would hold. Michael turned and looked up to the office and then dropped his head. It was never so plainly written on Michael's face and actions, who he was. It scared Michael.

*

Nikita carefully walked her way through the crowd, as most of the operatives just stepped back three steps to give her walking room. Most of them talked to each other, as they discussed why Nikita wasn't walking to medical. Soon, her destination was clearly seen, as Walter's area was seen. Nikita blinked her eyes and moved into the doorway.

"Sugar..." Walter said as he pulled the bars of metal up and moved towards her. He had heard the argument as he checked the weapons back into the inventory. He looked at Nikita, wishing he could step forward and tend to her cuts and bruises.

Nikita leaned to the side and held onto the countertop. Walter moved forward, as suddenly, Nikita looked entirely too weak to hold her own proud battered body up. It was the weakness that Michael had felt when Nikita pulled him. It was the weakness that now made it's way to the physical surface of Nikita's body. Her blue eyes glassed over and Walter moved closer. He wasn't ready to grab her, as Nikita showed that she would fight that until she asked for help.

"You should clean up before you see Mia." Walter said slowly and Nikita slowly took a footstep forward and slightly stumbled. Nikita looked up at Walter with her red-rimmed eyes and bruised cheeks.

"Can I lay down back there?" Nikita asked in a meek voice that drove Walter to step forward and protectively wrap his hands around Nikita's waist. Walter felt Nikita's body melt against his arms with the exhaustion of the past two months and the argument with Michael.

"Let me take you down to medical, Nikita." Walter said slowly and Nikita shook her head back and forth. Walter swallowed and shook his head lightly. This would be different from all the other times that he had taken care of her. A bullet from the shoulder or leg was never that difficult. This was horrible. He could barely look at Nikita without feeling the need to get his hands on Lancing himself.

"Help me, Walter." Nikita simply said and Walter stepped back, half-dragging Nikita's body with him, to take her back. She needed rest, and Walter would never turn away a request from Nikita.

*

"Lancing Ferris has been gathering various kinds of Intel about the President of the United State's numerous affairs. This is the intelligence that Nikita had gathered over two months while in deep cover in Lancing Ferris' compound." Operations explained as a picture of Lancing Ferris was shown on the screen. Nikita turned her head away, and Michael only noticed the motion.

"We are in position." Nikita stated into the communications unit as she sat down on the bench. Michael was leaning against a telephone pole with the latest Washington Post. The Intel that Nikita had gathered during her "deep cover", as Operations liked to say it was, even gave the plans of attack on the president. Nikita leaned back on the bench, looking for Lancing, ready to give her thanks for her "deep cover" experience.

"The Intel includes videotapes, audiotapes, of women and men in the Oval Office with the president. It was intelligence that we planned to use before Lancing Ferris could. Unfortunately, as the intelligence states, Lancing Ferris doesn't believe that an anti-terrorist group took the Intel. He believes that the raid on his compound was from direct orders from the president." Operations said as the screen showed some edited versions of the Intel that Nikita had gathered. Nikita licked her lips and turned back to the screen.

"The advance team of Ferris' has moved." Birkoff reported. Nikita dropped her head slightly and repositioned the hat on her head. She glanced up and saw Michael looking over his newspaper. He was to be looking out of Lancing, but he looked right at Nikita. Their eyes connected and Nikita looked away. She couldn't wait for all of this to be over.

"Lancing will be sending a team of his men to the White House. We will have team there to intercept them." Operations said as the panels were being handed out. He pushed the panel towards Nikita and she looked away. It had been tense since she had returned to Section One three days ago. Nikita had disappeared for a good twelve hours, before Madeline or Operations saw her first. Operations was pleased with the fact that she had not run to Michael. It was a good mark in his book.

"Do we have location on Lancing, yet?" Michael questioned Birkoff as he folded the Washington Post up and moved to the corner to throw it away. He looked up and down the street, and pulled out a free Automobile Guide. Michael stepped back to the pole and looked down the side street before glancing briefly to Nikita.

"No. He has not been spotted." Birkoff reported and Nikita swallowed. She looked down at her hands and licked her lips. Waiting was the worst aspect of this immediately profile and mission. Nikita had argued that she should have been on the team that protected the White House, but Operations would not hear of it.

"Our operatives at the White House will be working hand in hand with the Secret Service. I want not a word mentioned of Section One. The business at hand is to stop Lancing Ferris' team, and eliminate them all." Operations ordered and Nikita looked down to see that her name as not included on that team. Deep in her mind, Nikita knew what task she had been set up for. It might have been Madeline's own plan; it might have been Operations thoughts that Nikita needed revenge. It did not matter; Nikita didn't want that task.

"White House team as stopped attack." Birkoff reported in a harsh voice. Nikita could tell that Section One must have lost some men. They were trying to do everything without alerting the media that something had occurred. Nikita felt the wig pushing at her head; almost feeling like the circulation to her head had been cut. Nikita turned her head to the side and stopped.

There was Lancing Ferris, strolling down the road. He smiled at some women and continued on down the road. He stopped and helped an older woman out of a car and laughed as she thanked him. Nikita's stare intensified as her body tensed.

"Lancing Ferris has plans to walk into the White House sometime afterwards, showing that he has the power. He will have his copy of the Intel on his possession. I have several teams scattered across Washington DC to stop Lancing. The team at the White House will stay in position until the elimination of Lancing Ferris has been confirmed by two operatives." Operations ordered and everyone nodded. This mission would be important for more than the main reason. If the Peace Accords fall through, Section One would be working day and night, and still not stopping enough.

"Spotted Lancing." Nikita stated as she stood up from the bench after Lancing passed her. Michael dropped the guide he was reading and Nikita shook her head no, as she slowly started to follow behind Lancing. Michael looked away, and when he turned back, Nikita had shed the wig and the hat.

"Nikita is physically exposed. Following behind." Michael reported as he hurried to catch up with the fast moving Lancing and the stalking Nikita. Michael licked his lips as his fingers grazed across the gun. Nothing was going to hurt Mia's mother. He could not allow anything to happen to Nikita for that reason.

"We want Ferris followed and then dealt with, with whatever means needed. As soon as we have confirmation on the movement of operatives behind Ferris, we will dispatch two teams, to deal with the innocents and the exit routes. If all works, the innocents will be told that it was part of a movie." Operations explained to the listening operatives.

"Ferris!" Nikita called out and he turned around. He looked at Nikita and stopped. Her face was almost healed and he could feel his heart stop as Nikita slowly pulled the gun out and aimed it at him.

"Nikita, I gather that this means you didn't like the way I treated you?" Ferris asked and Nikita snarled as Michael rounded the corner and saw the scene. There weren't many people watching, and Ferris slowly moved towards Nikita.

"I've been trained to live through punishments worst than that. In fact, you were a disappointment in bed. You would think that with your size you would know how to use it." Nikita commented severely and Michael swallowed at the action.

"We want this done neatly and quickly. Deviations are not wanted, but the whole emphasis on this mission is the elimination of Lancing Ferris before he can contact the president." Operations said firmly as he stared at Nikita.

"Who are you? You don't work for the president, do you?" Lancing asked and Nikita slowly smiled. She tilted the gun slightly, taking a better aim. She opened her legs in a firm stance and steadied her aim of the gun with her other hand.

"You're right, I don't work of the president. I work for people who are much more deadlier." Nikita commented as she raised her head to smile at Lancing. Michael stood off to the side. His hand fully wrapped around the gun. He could not allow this much longer, but in a way, knew that Nikita needed this.

"What kind of life can you have? You screw me for two months, and they take you back. Will you screw the president tonight?" Lancing asked and Nikita swallowed.

"I'll be going back to see my daughter." Nikita said as she pulled the trigger finger. The bullet threw Lancing back a few steps before he started to fall. He was dead before he hit the pavement.

"CUT!" Michael yelled as operatives started to swarm the area. Some of the people walking the streets looked at the film crew and clapped at the swiftness to clean up the realistic scene.

"Nothing less is expected. Lancing Ferris must be eliminated. Understand?" Operations asked and Nikita stood up and left. Michael turned his head slightly, wondering what was occurring in Nikita's mind. Operations smiled and then turned back to the rest of the operatives to dismiss them.

"Nikita." Michael whispered at Nikita slowly dropped her hands with the gun barely dangling in her fingers. Michael gently cupped the gun out of her hand and dropped his head. He rubbed her shoulder softly and looked to the side. An operative ran over with a coat and smiled at Michael in the role of the film crew tending to the actress. Michael started to lead Nikita to the van.

"Mission Over. The Bastard is dead." Nikita reported firmly as she looked back at the now clean sidewalk, without a mark of their stand off left. Nikita swallowed and stepped into the van and watched the door closed, not sure when she could be sure that her mind would be clear of the being known as Lancing Ferris.

"Michael, I do not want Nikita to take matters in her own hands. If she appears emotionally attached to the situation, disengaged and call in back up." Operations ordered Michael as he rose from the chair.

"If Nikita is emotionally engaged, I don't think we will have a problem with attaining the elimination of Ferris, Sir." Michael replied and exited the room.

*

Nikita was determined from the time that she pulled the trigger to kill Lancing, that it was time that she saw her daughter. She knew that she still had not healed totally from the beatings that Lancing had dealt to her, but Nikita had the fundamental need to reach out for her daughter and hug her. Mia had always been the best medicine for Nikita's emotional healing.

Nikita moved down the hallway quickly, passing operatives as they looked at her. Michael was not far behind, but had gotten called to the side to deal with minor issues. Some operatives wanted to go home, and wanted to know if a debrief was going to be called. Michael looked to the side and Nikita was instantly gone from his vision. Relief and concern washed Michael's body, as the entire situation with Nikita was more than difficult to handle. There had been no communication since she was pulled from Lancing's house, and now was the first time that Nikita wanted to see her daughter. Michael was sure that Mia would be happy to see her mother.

The code was punched into the door. Nikita watched the door slide back to reveal the room that Mia had often stayed in while Nikita was out on a mission with Walter and Birkoff. Many of the operatives had found that spending time watching Mia was beneficial to their emotionally well being, and sometimes Nikita found about the dealings of who got to watch Mia. It was a support system that Nikita was determined that would never exist in Section One, but it had.

The room was barely lit, and Nikita walked to the switch. The harsh light flooded the empty room. It was striped of the toys that numerous operatives, including Madeline, had bought for Mia. Gone were the matted floor and the playpen in the corner. Nikita started to tremble as she moved to the center of the room. Tears ran down her face, as she came across the vanilla folder.

"Order of Placement in Family." The Section One paper read that was inserted into the folder. Nikita feel sharply to her knees, wracked with the instant lost of her daughter. Her knees smacked against the hard concrete with a crunch that was not heard over Nikita's painful screams of pain. She shook as she saw the paper written by Operations to take Mia away and realization that Mia had been pulled from her life and taken to another family. Her daughter had been taken without hesitation.

"NO!" Nikita screamed out, and the voice of pain and suffering echoed down the hallway. Michael turned his head from Walter, as he handed the gun Nikita had used back to Walter. Michael started to move quickly to the room that Nikita's screams vibrated from, and Walter, still unsure of the stability of Nikita, followed behind. There weren't many things that would make Nikita scream uncontrollably and Walter knew the short list, as he was sure that Michael knew it also.

Both of the operatives saw Nikita looking up to the brightly-lit room, screaming as she dropped the folder. It did not look like the room that Michael had dropped Mia off in when he was preparing for the mission. Michael ran into the room and circled, and noticed why Nikita was screaming. His face dropped and his skin lost all the color. Walter trembled as he saw the grieving parents, so connected in their pain, but yet so far away.

"He did this." Michael said firmly to Walter as he looked down at Nikita. How much more could Operations do to Nikita's heart and soul before it was too much? How could he phantom that this was going to be accepted by Nikita, and then accepted by Michael? How could Operations believe that this would be the end of the problem? How could Operations believe that both operatives could function after this?

The grief of knowing that Operations had picked Mia up and delivered her off to a couple, to be her new family, hit Michael as the thoughts of gathering Mia back slipped away. Now was a time to feel the emptiness that Michael didn't know would be there when Mia was gone. It was like the emptiness that Michael felt in Hong Kong, when he couldn't hear Nikita's voice and see her face. The emptiness that started from within his heart and seeped through every ounce of his body started to show.

Michael dropped to his knees beside Nikita and cradled her in his arms. He rocked back and forth with Nikita, as he would to make Mia fall asleep when she was missing her mother. Her parents had come to take Mia back, and Operations had whisked her away. He used the situation, where Michael, Nikita, Walter, and Birkoff were all out on a mission to sneak her away. It would be the only way that Operations could have done so, and he had done so quickly and efficiently.

"We'll get her back." Michael whispered as he held Nikita tightly. Michael became instantly afraid that Nikita would be the next one that Operations would pull away from him. Nikita curled forward as Walter stepped into the room and closed the door, so that the cries and screamed didn't vibrate so loudly throughout Section One. It would not matter, as the little girl that so many operatives saw as an escape from the harsh reality of Section One, was taken from her parents, but also from everyone that had welcomed the chance to take care of her. Any ideas that Operations could still be human would be gone, and the volunteers to bring down Operations would start to line up. Walter didn't know if that was good or bad, it might not bring Mia back to Michael and Nikita.

The paths and lines of war were drawn as Michael and Nikita sought solace from each other. They gripped each other's arms tightly. Walter lifted his head as he looked away from the two. He cursed the system, he cursed Operations and he cursed himself. Walter should have stayed back. He shouldn't have allowed this to happen. Ironically, everyone in the room was thinking the same thing. Nothing would be right till Mia was brought back.

*

Michael moved down the hallway with the face of a man who had not slept for four days. He walked with the firmness of a man ready to kill if needed to protect his daughter. Michael walked and prowled as a man who knew what he needed to do. Michael walked as a man who was shaken by the lost of his daughter and the disappearance of Nikita the day before.

Birkoff and Walter tried to explain to Michael that Nikita was on down time, and said she needed sometime alone. Michael was certain that Nikita would not have left under these circumstances until Mia was returned to her. Now, Michael was going to fight the battle.

"Michael, I knew you would be by soon. Out of cards, I see?" Operations said firmly as he turned from the window and activated the privacy screen. Michael licked his lips and stared at the boss of Section One, and the man who stole his daughter away from him.

"I have an entire deck. I was hoping to resolve this without resorting to the power plays that you seem to want." Michael said and Operations smiles evilly and looked out over the operatives below. Michael's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare.

"It seems as if you are by yourself on this. Madeline is concerned that Nikita had gone too deep into her grief." Operations informed Michael and Michael shoved his hands against his side, stopping himself from physically attacking Operations.

"You haven't spoken to Madeline. She isn't here." Michael remarked and Operations turned and smiled.

"Of course." Operations said firmly reminded with the force and preparedness that Michael always walked into the room with. Operations moved from the window and looked at Michael.

"We want our daughter returned. Today." Michael said and Operations smiled broadly. He folded his hands in front of his lap and lifted his laugh. Slowly, Operations dared to begin to laugh. Michael swallowed back his hatred for this man and studied him. Michael was going to win this battle for the well being of Mia and Nikita.

"You are bargaining with nothing, Michael." Operations said with the smirk still implanted on his face. Michael stepped forward and moved his eyes side to side, until Operations started to watch the movement. Michael parted his lips slowly, making sure that the statement he was going to saw would be concise enough.

"It would be interesting what George would think." Michael finally stated and again, Michael received the reverse reaction to what he had hoped for. Operations lightly laughed and then brought down his serious face.

"I am disappointed in you Michael. If you knew that I hadn't communicated with Madeline, I would think you would have seen if I contacted George. You are losing your edge." Operations said and Michael felt his stomach flip and crash against other organs. Michael swallowed the fact that George had not moved to return Mia to Nikita yet. That card had been trumped by Operations.

"So George knows where your son is?" Michael asked sharply and Operations inhaled just as sharply as the question. Michael could almost smile at the reaction on Operations face. It held the fear that Michael was sure that had been exposed on his own face as the lost of Mia was felt. Michael moved closer and tilted his head ever so slightly to the side and studied Operations again.

"I know where he is." Michael said and Operations stepped back and walked to the desk. Operations pulled out a cigar and turned to Michael.

"My son is dead."

"Don't take me for a fool, sir. I am a father who wants his daughter back. I know how your son lived and I know where he lives." Michael said and Operations dropped the cigar back down to his desk. The threats had been exchanged, and now it was using offspring against offspring.

"Nikita told you. Proves that she isn't very trustful, right Michael?" Operations maneuvered and Michael only blinked his eyes. Michael turned to look out the glass window.

"I didn't know that Nikita was involved until I read the file that you badly hid, sir." Michael said as he moved back to the desk. "Project Stephen. Not very creative either." Michael commented and Operations sat down in his chair. Michael stepped back and surveyed the scene in front of him.

"We want her back. Today." Michael said and exited the office. Operation lifted the cigar and quickly lit it. He inhaled the smoke and exhaled it noisily as he was deep in thought.

*

The doors in this building appeared to be more secured that then ones at Section One, but the heavy steel doors were technically easier to by past, and gather entry to, than any in Section One. They would be opened properly though, as the plan for the entry was to use a real way.

"Identification." The guard ordered out and the card was handed forward. The guard looked at the guard and then swiped it through the magnetic machine and nodded his head.

"Ms. Nikita Sams, who are you here to speak with?" The guard asked as he looked up at the beautiful blonde. Nikita pushed forward the paper and looked at the door as the guard looked through the paperwork. Nikita held onto her briefcase tightly and then slowly looked to the side to see what the hold up was.

"Is there a problem?" Nikita asked firmly and the guard shook his head as he typed into the computer.

"You should know maximum security mental hospitals, being a lawyer that defends their rights.... Computers are not up to date." The guard said and Nikita rolled her eyes briefly and looked back at the guard.

"Then call for patient 4091274. I am sure that the patient can be found." Nikita remarked smartly. The guard smiled at Nikita and laughed briefly.

"What is a pretty lawyer like yourself working for these half people? Are you out to collect all of their money?" The guard asked and Nikita moved towards the desk and leaned her body down. Her mouth was close to his ear as she studied the computer screen.

"It would help if you pressed enter." Nikita remarked and the guard slowly moved his hand over to the enter button and pressed the large button down. Nikita stood back up and smooth down her navy blue suit. She turned her head to look at the steel door that was standing in front of her. Nikita swallowed and waited for the guard.

"Do you wish to meet with your client in the meeting room? It is more secure." The guard asked as he slowly inserted his key into the door. Nikita rolled her eyes as she noticed the three buttons his punched to gain entry.

"The private room is sufficient enough." Nikita remarked and the guard pulled out his long back stick as he waited for the door to shut. It was relatively quiet as Nikita moved down the hallway with the guard.

"I am required to remind you of the danger that you might find yourself in once inside the room. Some of our patients have the tendency to attack the visitor. If the patient attacks, two loud knocks on the door will gain you exit. Move away from the patient as quickly as possible and maintain a distance." The guard said as Nikita looked the various rooms that she passed in the hallway. Some were group rooms, with up to four patients in them. Other rooms were solitude rooms, like the one Nikita would soon be in.

"We don't like the patients to touch any visitors, but some insist." The guard said and Nikita stopped and touched his shoulder.

"I know the rules and regulations. I also know my client. I will decide what I will and will not allow." Nikita remarked sharply and the guard shrugged his shoulders as he moved to the door and pulled out a key.

"You have a visitor." The guard called out a he started to open the door. The guard looked at Nikita as there was no response.

"Adrian, your lawyer Nikita Sams is here." The guard said as Nikita stepped into the doorway and blinked as she saw Adrian sitting with her head down on a bunk.

*

Uncertainty always made the powerful worry. Now, Operations was in a position, were others had taken facts about his life, and was using it against him. It was a tactic that Operations was use to using himself, but rarely was it used to control him.

"Katherine and Harris Dobbs" Operations stated out loud as he looked at the profile of the parents he had placed Mia with. They were a good couple, who had been trying to have a child for years. Katherine was a teacher, and would be home-schooling Mia. Harris, he was a professor at the local college, who was well respected in the field of sociology. They had never had any contact with Section One, and other than Mia, showed no signs of becoming involved with Section One.

Operations closed the private file and looked to the glass that made the one wall. Sometimes, he would worry that he was leading his sheep the wrong way. Usually, he could tell before he went too far, and other times, he couldn't. Operations looked back to the file and sighed. Now, Michael had threatened his own son in exchange for Mia.

Taking Mia now might expose the Dobbs to Section One and their enemies. Mia would be confused, but there had been no memory regression done with Mia. Mia plainly knew who her Mommy and Daddy were. Operations picked up the phone and pressed the number two and waited. The other end picked up and breathed, but no other sound was heard.

"Madeline." Operations finally said, breaking the silence. He could hear the clicking sound of a purse and then Madeline licking her lips.

"Paul, what is it?" Madeline asked. Operations moved to the window and looked out. It was all his planning to remove Mia when everyone who had a vested interest in her, was absent from Section One. Madeline being called out for a mission dealing with serious psychology was no accident. Operations knew how Madeline was going to react to his revelation that he placed Mia with a family away from Michael and Nikita.

"We have a situation." Operations said firmly and he could hear Madeline taking in the deep lung full of air and then exhaling it slowly.

"What have you done now, Paul?" Madeline stated firmly and then the sound of her fingers tapping on the telephone echoed into Operations. He turned his back on the operatives below and looked at the numerous maps the highlighted the opposite wall.

"I place Mia into another family, and Michael now has a location on my son." Operations said, but he knew that the only words that Madeline heard were attached to the statement about Mia being placed in another family. Operations was almost trembling as he waited for Madeline to reply.

"Does George know?" Madeline questioned as Operations could here Madeline moving down a long hallway. Operations turned and looked back to his computer.

"I told Michael that George knew, but he doesn't have knowledge yet." Operations replied and he heard Madeline's tongue make sharp contact with the top of her mouth. Operations could just visually see Madeline's reaction to this.

"I suggest you fix this before George finds out." Madeline said sharply and Operations walked back to his desk quickly and slammed down his fists.

"I need your help, Madeline." Operations said sternly as his face started to turn red.

"You can get yourself into trouble, you can get yourself out of trouble. The question is now is how do you get out of this mess before Michael and Nikita find out more about your double dealings. Much more, and you will no longer have control." Madeline said precisely with each work being accented. Operations dropped her head and then rolled it back around.

"So I give in and bring back Mia?" Operations demanded loudly. Operations saw the file down again. The Dobbs didn't deserve to lose Mia now. They had waited long enough.

"I wouldn't call it giving in. I would call covering your butt before Michael brings you down." Madeline said and Operations shut the folder. What Madeline was suggesting was not what he wanted to hear. It was the opposite, and Operations was upset that Madeline wasn't willing to help him maintain Mia in the alternate family.

"What about Nikita?" Operations asked and Madeline smiled evilly. She could still not believe how naïve Operations was concerning Nikita. He acted like she was still learning the ropes of Section One, as she had displayed the best manipulation with the existence of Mia. Operations never even put the thought of Michael being the father up for consideration, and Madeline had banished the thought quickly. Nikita had her own set of skills that were to be reckoned with sooner or later. Taking Nikita's daughter might speed the process, but Madeline was now sick of bailing Operations out of his messes.

"She is level five." Madeline said and hung the phone up. Operations looked out over his sheep and sighed. He looked down and the pulled up his phone.

"Birkoff, call up all the files on Stephen Wolfe, and find him." Operations ordered and Birkoff looked up to the office with a blank look.

"He is alive and I need to find him, Now." Operations said quickly and then turned to smoke another cigar.

*

The door shut slowly and Nikita turned to look out the barred glass window. The guard looked back at Nikita and she frowned.

"She deserves her right to privacy with her lawyer." Nikita commented sharply, and finally the guard moved down the hallway. Nikita continued to look at the door, making sure that the guard had moved far away from the door. She did not need a guard half hearing her conversation with Adrian.

"Nikita. I am surprised." Adrian said as Nikita turned around and looked at the woman. Her hair had turned all gray, and the effects of being locked in the small gray painted room. Nikita moved slowly to the woman and dropped her head slightly.

"Because I brought you down." Nikita commented as she pulled the wood chair from the desk over to Adrian's bed. Adrian blinked and studied Nikita. Nikita was sure that the woman was perceptive enough to realize things had changed for Nikita, but she wasn't shocked that Nikita was still alive. Nikita took that as Section One kept contact with her, officially or unofficially, but that wasn't Nikita's worry now.

"Hello, Stephen Wolfe." Michael said over the phone as he drove down the street slowly. Michael stopped in front of the house and looked in. He could see Stephen Wolfe's body in the window and slowly smiled.

"Who are you?" Stephen demanded angrily. Michael pulled the car perpendicular to the house and flashed his high beams into the window.

"Do you remember Nikita?" Michael asked deeply.

"Why are you here, Nikita?" Adrian asked firmly as she looked at Nikita. Nikita could see the worry of her appearance on Adrian's face. Slowly, Nikita turned her head away from Adrian as the emotions of the day started to build inside Nikita.

"Operations has sent my daughter away." Nikita said as she turned back to Adrian. Adrian blinked and stepped in front of Nikita. Nikita could watch Adrian's eyes scan her body and Nikita blinked back the tears.

"You don't look like you've just been pregnant. It is policy to move babies from their mothers." Adrian said and Nikita swallowed and started to wring her hands. Adrian glanced at the movement of Nikita's hands and sat down, not sure if she wanted to hear what Nikita was going to say.

"She is almost three years old." Nikita commented firmly and Adrian instantly closed her eyes. Nikita allowed the tears to flow freely as the emotions of what had happened to her in the past four years hit at her stomach, and the absence of her daughter dug deep into her heart.

"You are the guy that she was with." Stephen said firmly and Michael pulled the car back to a normal position and started to drive down the street.

"Yes. And one of the few in my organization that knows you're alive." Michael said firmly as he stopped at the red light and turned on his left-hand turn signal.

"What do you want?" Stephen asked and Michael softly laughed. He wanted his daughter back, but telling Stephen that would be pointless.

"I should be asking if you want to met your father or if Nikita scared you enough to never met him?" Michael challenged the question quickly.

"Three years? What level are you?" Adrian asked surprised with the information. She could not imagine Operations allowing Nikita to have and keep a child. As Adrian looked at Nikita, Nikita trembled lightly. It must have been very recently that the child was taken from her mother's arms.

"I'm level five. I was promoted when I was pregnant." Nikita said slowly and Adrian shook her shoulder length gray hair from side to side. The words were real, but they did not fit.

"George was the first one to know about my pregnancy. Too bad he doesn't realize you're alive." Nikita said slowly as she pulled herself together, trying to remember the purpose for this visit. Nikita looked at Adrian's wide eyes and realized that the announcement of Mia was still a bigger shock to Adrian.

"What do you want?" Stephen asked and Michael licked his lips as he pulled the car on the sharp turn. He had others to visit this day, and Stephen was not the biggest part of his plan. Michael was sure that Mia had found her way back to her real mother's arms already.

"I want you to stay in that house for the next entire day." Michael ordered and he could hear Stephen's immediate anger at Michael's directions.

"I will miss work!" Stephen cried out in objection. Michael pulled the car onto the on ramp of the highway and merged the sports car easily into the traffic and pressed the pedal down.

"I guess Nikita did not scare you enough about your father." Michael stated sarcastically, knowing that the reality was going to crash down around Stephen quickly.

"So it was George that helped you. You were smart." Adrian said and Nikita kept her eyes away from Adrian. The woman had a way to read her emotions, and Nikita did not need that now.

"Who is the father?" Adrian asked and Nikita winced at the question. Nikita turned and looked at the blanket that Adrian sat on.

"It doesn't matter now. What matters now is that I am going to use you." Nikita said and Adrian smiled softly. Adrian had already realized that when Nikita admitted that her daughter had been taken.

"I wouldn't expect anything less than that, Nikita. But are you asking permission to do so, because if you are, I don't give it too you." Adrian said harshly. There was more here, and Adrian was sure that she could drag it out of the emotionally distraught mother.

"Your father is a bad man, Stephen. He has taken something away from Nikita. You liked her, didn't you?" Michael said mechanically as he passed the slow moving truck. Michael pulled the car smoothly back to exit the highway.

"What?" Stephen demanded and Michael blinked his eyes.

"My daughter." Michael said and then held his breath. He was going to reveal that it was Nikita's daughter, but now he revealed the total truth. There was a pause of silence on both ends.

"I'll stay. For Nikita's daughter." Stephen said and Michael folded the phone up and smiled as he pulled into the familiar parking lot.

"No, I am not asking permission. I just want you to know what I am doing, and why." Nikita said as she looked at the woman, that she still respected. Adrian might have been wrong with what she was doing, and Nikita had paid for her mistakes, but Nikita had done nothing wrong here, and she was being punished for showing that all of Section handled her mission incorrectly.

"What's your daughter's name?" Adrian asked and Nikita closed her eyes. She could almost see her standing in front of her. Nikita ached to have her blond haired child back into her arms to hold her tight forever.

"Mia." Nikita said as the tears flowed down her cheeks. Nikita turned her head and looked to the door. Panic filled her, as it was possible that the guard was watching them, and her cover would have been blown, but there was no one.

"It must have been a good relationship for you, to go to George and everything to protect her." Adrian said. The head of Nikita's snapped around and Adrian knew that she had been wrong in the statement. It might have been the most incorrect statement that she ever made.

"Hello." Michael said as he showed the identification and looked to the door. The man stood up and smiled.

"Hello." The man said as he started to lead Michael. Quickly, they started to chat, as old friends.

"She was a mission baby." Nikita hissed out and Adrian moved her hand up to her neck. Operations would never make Nikita do such a cruel thing. She could not believe that Nikita had been given over to some target and that Nikita fought for the child that she was forced to conceive to live.

"The target's child?" Adrian asked and Nikita shook her head and Adrian dropped her hand in relief. Yet, it was not total. Missions of the type that Nikita indicated, were never particularly good for the female operatives, and could be a hundred times worse when factoring in the operative that she had been paired with. There were many men inside Section One that would use and abuse Nikita and throw her to the side. Adrian turned and saw the stress of Nikita's life and shook her head.

"Who's the father?" Adrian asked and Nikita turned her head, avoiding the question and hoping for some noise to save her.

"We haven't seen you for a while. You have been missed." The man said as they turned the corner and the keys in his hand clanked together.

"I have been busy on missions." Michael stated and the man smiled and nodded his head as he moved to the door.

"No." Nikita said softly as she turned back to Adrian and stared at her. The door was opening and Nikita froze. Her cover was blown.

"Adrian... another visitor. Father Michael is here to see you again." The guard said and Nikita looked up at Adrian. That small eye contact brought everything into perspective. Adrian didn't have to further question Nikita about the father, as the father walked into the cell, with the same shocked look that was glued to Nikita's.

The door shut and Nikita bit her bottom lip. She could feel Michael's presence and tried to keep all of her emotions in check as he stepped closer.

"Hello, Father Michael. And I mean it literally." Adrian said slowly as she looked from Michael and then to Nikita. She looked at the Section One set of parents and then leaned back against the wall. Things were getting interesting.

*

There were faces that were unknown, but faces that had been seen before. Their mouths opened up wide, and laughing. Turning away from the crowd into the arms of the warm body next to her only brought more fear. Lancing smiled at her and pulled at her legs.

"NO! I WANT MICHAEL!" Nikita screamed out in her car as she fought the nightmare. She had pulled out of the parking lot and then back into the parking lot and next to Michael's car. Nikita only spent enough time in the room with Adrian and Michael to say goodbye. Whatever else Adrian was to learn about Mia would be from Michael. Nikita could not deal with it now. Yet, once waiting into her car, the tiredness of the past two months caught up to her.

"You are mine, Nikita. I own you." Lancing said as he tightly held Nikita's chin between his fingers. Nikita tried to move her head away, only to see the crowd of guys. Events were mixing around in her mind, creating events that where worse than the original events. Events that haunted Nikita each time her eyes tried to gather some sleep for her exhausted body.

"DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" The men started to chant from the other side of the Plexiglas wall. Nikita closed her eyes as she felt the gentle kiss on her neck. She was afraid to turn, because it would be Lancing again, only to slap her for turning her face, or even a more horrifying punishment.

Nikita turned and saw the soft gray-green eyes pleading with her to understand. Nikita held back her tears as she looked at Michael. He held her softly in his arms and Nikita leaned her head back, trying to continue the act they were portraying.

"Don't leave me.... Be good." Nikita moaned out as she rolled her head from the one side of her car seat to the next side. Her hair stuck to the soft fuzzy material and her legs moved from side to side, trying to roll up into a fetal position.

Michael exited the mental hospital and immediately looked to his car. The car on the other side was not very familiar, but the blonde hair inside was. Michael looked both ways and crossed into the parking lot. From a distance, Michael could tell that something wasn't quite right with the situation. He knew that Nikita was upset to find that he had been visiting Adrian for some time, and she was upset when Michael harshly told her this wasn't the right card to be playing against Operations at this time. Nikita was only concerned with getting her daughter back, and Michael knew that when she left Adrian's room, that Nikita believed that Michael wasn't.

"BITCH!" Lancing screamed and punched his fist deep into Nikita's stomach. She looked up to the face that one second ago was Michael's loving face to see that it had been replaced with the man who owned her body. Lancing's hands that touched everything that Nikita had during those months, pinned her down on the mattress. He controlled her entire life, or at least he believed he did. Nikita could not have imagined what the punishment would have been if he found out Nikita was able to hack into his computer from her room, which was her prison.

"What are you waiting for!" Sanchez yelled out from the corner of the watching men. Nikita turned her head to the side and started to cry, not able to fight the emotions anymore.

"BUT YOU ARE DEAD!" Nikita screamed out and punched her hands forward. Michael leaned down and looked through the back window to see her violent movement. Michael stood up and looked back to the prison. Michael swallowed, as the words that Adrian had told him, were true, and Michael had missed it all.

"She is missing her daughter." Adrian said slowly and Michael nodded his head as he looked out the small window of the door.

"I can't imagine the past four years have been easy on her. I can see it, Michael. She is having nightmares, maybe even night terrors." Adrian said and Michael leaned against the door as he turned.

"Nikita is strong. She is not having problems. She is not sleeping because the mess I made of the Lancing mission." Michael said solidly until Adrian frowned.

"You'll see soon enough, Michael. I know your feelings for her never changed, but I would worry about what she thinks about you right now." Adrian said firmly.

"NO! MICHAEL! NO!" Nikita screamed out and Michael stopped, as he was about to open her car door. Could Nikita hate him for what happened? Maybe Nikita didn't consciously know it, but maybe she really did hate what Michael did to her during the Sanchez mission. Michael looked down and saw the tears on Nikita's face.

How could he just stand there? Michael needed to know. Maybe it was time for that long conversation that both were avoiding occurred. Michael's hand flirted with the handle, and then pulled back. Nikita would not be ready for the conversation. There would be no conversation until Mia was returned. Michael stepped back and rubbed his chin in thought. Maybe the best plan would be to use Adrian over Operations.

"PERFORM! NOW!" Sanchez yelled angrily and the crowd of hooting and horny men shouted obscenities. Nikita cringed as she felt her legs being pried open. Nikita closed her eyes and turned her head.

"You are mine! You will do what I tell you to do! Or I will just do it! Fight me, and it will be painful!" Lancing said firmly.

"MICHAEL! HELP ME!" Nikita screamed out from her dream, and instantly, Michael pulled the handle open and pulled Nikita's drenched body into his arms. He watched her eyes snap open and she gasped for air. Michael tentatively stroked her hair and looked into her eyes.

He had only told Nikita his true feelings when she was sick and asleep. Yet, the words could never form when Nikita needed to consciously hear them. This time would not be an exception. Michael looked at her and held her, until Nikita pulled away. There were no words and there was no comfort except for the physical presence.

"Drive to this house." Michael said as he dropped a piece of paper down and shut the door on Nikita. Nikita looked up through the pane of glass and to Michael. He looked at her and saw the red eyes. There was not too much more he could do now. Michael ached to hold Nikita, but knew that Mia was the only concern he could deal with now, and that was what Nikita was focused on. Yet, Michael also knew that for them to retrieve their daughter, it would have to be a united front. Both of them were working separately, and that had to end now.

*

"Do you have the location?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He is suppose to be dead."

"You should know better."

"Why? He is listed as dead."

"He is not."

"So you have told me."

Operations snatched Birkoff up from the chair and moved towards the wall. He stared at the man and then dropped him to the floor. Birkoff looked at him, as Nikita had done so many times before, challenging what he was doing and why he was doing it.

"Look into any of the groups we have surveillance on. He has to be out there somewhere." Operations ordered Birkoff as he physically shoved Birkoff back towards the computer. Birkoff looked up over his shoulder to find Operations glaring.

"If he survived, he would have changed his name." Birkoff said and Operations moved back down to the computer and typed the name.

"He is looking for his father, who was a POW. He would not change his name." Operations stipulated firmly. Birkoff looked at the man again and started to work under the pressure. Birkoff assumed that there was something going on here. He had been reprimanded to do all of Operations dirty work that he had not been able to talk to Walter at all. Birkoff only briefly heard that Operations had placed Mia into a family. Birkoff was sure that this Stephen Wolfe was part of Michael's plan to get Mia back.

"I'll work on it sir." Birkoff replied sharply, as he started to search for the original picture of Stephen Wolfe to compare to the thousands of images Section One had gathered of possible terrorists. Operations stepped away and Birkoff shook his head.

Birkoff looked to the computer and opened the entire file of the mission involving Stephen Wolfe. Immediately two linking names popped up onto the screen. Michael and Nikita. It was an important mission, and Birkoff looked from side to side to see if Operations was still watching him. There must be a link to Stephen Wolfe and Operations. Birkoff paused and looked at the screen. If Stephen Wolfe was alive, who spared him?

Birkoff pulled up the death reports from the mission and scanned down quickly. There was Nikita's name listed next to Stephen's. Was Nikita protecting Stephen because he was an innocent, or was it from orders from Operations? Birkoff pulled the file open on Stephen Wolfe and immediately closed the entire program.

Birkoff knew the truth. Operations was Stephen's father. That explained everything. Now, Birkoff wondered what Michael was doing to Stephen at this time. Yet, Birkoff was still under orders from Operations and slowly Birkoff opened the computer to access Michael's computer. If Michael wanted Operations to know that he had Stephen, Michael could have left that information on the computer, knowing that Birkoff would find it.

*

The door opened and Nikita sucked in tightly some air. Here was a man, who once was the boy she knew as Stephen Wolfe. He looked at Nikita with the same strained look, as he saw a part of his past that he wanted to forget. He didn't stop searching for his father, but he no longer allowed it to consume his entire life. Now, all of the history that had past was now standing on his front door.

"Nikita." Stephen said and the voice shock Nikita. It was almost as traumatic as seeing Michael when he knocked on her door some four years after leaving her alone to fend her problems. Nikita looked at the man and felt sick. She didn't want to destroy his life in order to save her daughter, but Nikita knew that Michael must have already established contact.

"What do you mean a lawyer visited her?" Madeline demanded loudly as she looked at the guard. The fire in Madeline's eyes visibly shook the guard as she stared at him. He started going through the files, looking for the photocopy of the photo identification that the pretty lawyer had given him.

"I will have your job taken!" Madeline shouted as she tapped her foot back and forth on the ground. As the guard spoke of the lawyer, Madeline immediately knew it was. She had long known that Michael was visiting as a father, but Nikita had suddenly started into the activities that did not fit her personality.

"Why don't you come in? I believe Michael will be here soon." Stephen asked as he moved back from the door and exposed the well-maintained house. Nikita swallowed as she saw the classic style of the man. He had really grown up in the years that had passed. Nikita looked at the mantel and saw a picture of a lovely young lady. Nikita smiled, seeing that Stephen had made positive changes in his life.

"Michael just sent me here." Nikita said carefully, unsure of what words to use. Stephen walked into the living room and smiled at Nikita and then looked away.

"Michael told me about your daughter." Stephen said and Nikita looked at Stephen. He motioned to the brown couch and Nikita nodded her head as she slowly sat down on the soft cushions.

"Why wasn't I contacted that a lawyer had been here? She is under strict psychological orders. She can not make a decision yet. She does not know the difference between right and wrong!" Madeline ordered as she flipped the photocopy back down to the guard. The guard swallowed as he stood up and opened the door.

"Dr. Masters, I didn't know you were still in charge of her case." The guard tried to explain as he hurried down the hallway, trying to keep up with Madeline's rushed and firm walk.

"And why would you think that?" Madeline challenged as the guard opened the door. Madeline stepped in and slammed the door shut without Adrian turning back around to view her visitor. Madeline knew that Adrian already knew.

There was a soft knock on the door and Nikita turned to look at the large oval mirror above the mantel. Nikita slowly watched Stephen stepped back from the door and Michael appeared. She looked and saw his gray-green eyes focused on the back of her head and she suddenly dropped it.

Michael dropped his coat onto the floor and walked to Nikita's side. He placed his hands tenderly around her sides and pulled her tightly to his warm body. Nikita released her tears again, forgetting that Stephen was watching. Stephen stepped back and watched the silent communication of the shared grief between the two parents.

"Can we have some time?" Michael asked Stephen. Stephen blinked his eyes, unsure of exactly what was happening. He somehow felt as if he was a pawn in some sort of mind game, but couldn't figure exactly out. If they wanted to hurt his father, why didn't they torture him? Stephen did not move for several seconds, and then retreated to the kitchen.

"So many visitors for one day. Should I be expecting George soon?" Adrian asked before she turned around to face Madeline. Madeline looked to the door and ran her hand down the cold surface. This room was small, but it was much nicer than any white room they could have stuck Adrian in for an extended time. In the years that she spent her, she still had never shown the breaking that Operations was waiting for.

"Is there reason to think he will find out?" Madeline questioned and Adrian smiled sadly. The answer was written on her face. Madeline knew that Nikita was willing to use the existence of Adrian to get her daughter back, yet Michael had stopped her.

"No. I am sure that Nikita's and Michael's child will be back inside Section One in a few hours, by the time they arrive back." Adrian said and Madeline nodded her head.

"You understand why we can't use Adrian right now?" Michael questioned Nikita in an official manner. Nikita sat up and bite her lip. Just when it seemed like Michael was going to talk to her, actually talk to her; it had slipped back to the power game that was there before Michael left.

"Yes, I see your reason. I forget, I am lower than you always." Nikita snapped out and Michael closed his eyes. Michael believed that he deserved that, but he was no longer all the way wrong with the situation. He could not allow Nikita to believe that leaving on a deep cover mission with no discussion about it to him was right. It was wrong, almost deadly wrong.