The kitchen was buzzing and humming with the sound and fragrance of someone cooking. Mia looked at the stairs and started down them. She had moved back upstairs after graduation. She wanted to redecorate her room, which was finally finished and she fought with her parents about the futon that she wanted. They adventually gave in, but this new activity was something she hadn't expected.

Mia suspected that either Norma or Madeline had found their way into the house to prepare the breakfast for the entire family. She turned the corner and stopped as she found her mother expertly flipping the pancake up in the air and having it slap down onto the griddle perfectly.

"Mom?" Mia questioned and Nikita turned and smiled at her daughter. Nikita dutifully grabbed the pitcher of orange juice out of the refrigerator and handed it to Mia. She continued to stare at her mother, almost knocking the orange juice over her favorite pair of white shorts.

"Where is everyone else? This is a family breakfast..." Nikita stated and Mia looked up at her mother and rolled her eyes. Mia was sure that the smell of the food would wake the family soon enough, but she wanted to know why she was standing there and waiting for the answers to her real question.

Mia pulled up the glass of orange juice and sipped it. Mia noted its unique quality as she sat down at the chair at the table and looked at her mother. Never, ever, had Nikita made freshly squeezed orange juice. She had always claimed that it was too much work.

"Morning..." Michael called out as he walked down the hallway and spied his wife. His own mind was filled with the same questions that Mia had, but he wasn't worried about it. Nikita seemed to be happy and comfortable, and that was all that mattered most of the time. Nikita turned her head slightly at the sound of her husband's voice and kissed him gently before pulling the pancakes off of the griddle.

"Is Aubrey up?" Nikita questioned and Michael nodded his head as he walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the orange juice. Mia stared at her father; she didn't even feel like she was in the right house. Everyone was... everyone was... everyone was...

HAPPY.

"He should be done in a few minutes.... He was having... man problems..." Michael stated with a deep voice. Mia looked at her father as he had paused from pouring the orange juice. Again, she got a feeling of being stuck in some movie that she didn't belong in.

"It's fresh orange juice, Dad," Mia commented as he started to look at the pitcher again. She waited, seeing if her mother was going to ask what kind of man problems Aubrey was having, but that didn't occur. Nikita just continued to pull of the fresh pancakes and placing them on a plate and then turning the sausage.

Mia's eyes bugged out. Sausage. It had to be a good six years since sausage was in this house.

"Mom... are you sure you are feeling fine? You are making sausage," Mia pointed out and she stopped as the loud footfalls of Aubrey were heard. He appeared, all ready to go dressed in jean shorts and a polo shirt. Mia blinked her eyes. She was the only one attending breakfast this morning in her pajamas still.

"We can have sausage every once in a while... And it doesn't matter... If I don't make sausage here, your father drives through McDonalds, orders the pancakes and just eats the sausage..." Nikita commented with a bright smile. Michael pulled the glass of orange juice up to his lips, hiding the embarrassment he had now that Nikita had caught that little part about him.

"Well.. this is all ready... Do you want to grab the syrup, Michael?" Nikita questioned and he turned and pulled the refrigerator open. They weren't even drinking coffee this morning. Mia rubbed at her eyes, still not able to shake the funny feeling that was plaguing her.

The feeling continued as the entire family sat down and started to eat. Michael sat at the head and stared at Nikita as she ate at the food that she had prepared. He tilted his head to the side, looking at Nikita as she ate. There was something that was eloquent of the way Nikita was eating. It made Michael stop.

Now it was Michael that joined Mia in the feeling of everything was sort of wrong. It wasn't a bad wrong, it just told Michael that Nikita was planning something, that her scheming mind was working overtime and trying to hide her plans with food. It had almost worked.

"Nikita.... You are going into work today, so where are you off to?" Michael questioned carefully as he speared his sausage and bit into it hungrily. Nikita dropped her head and used her fork to transfer Michael another piece of sausage. He continued to look at Nikita and she rolled her head to the side.

"I'm going out, Michael... That's all, since the kids all have plans," Nikita stated as she lifted her head solidly and Michael started to nod his head. He didn't believe any of what Nikita had said. He knew that she had a specific place that she was going today. Now, he could just track her or follow her, but then it would become a game, because Nikita would know. Maybe it was a game that Nikita wanted to play this morning. She had admitted that a few times she made Michael track her, just so she could play with the operatives' minds. She always lost them, usually in less than a half-hour.

"No, Michael, you need not track me today," Nikita stated as she read his mind. His eyes had flashed with mischief too easily. She grinned and looked to Aubrey, who was working in the library this summer, and Mia, who was working in some upper-class clothing store for the time being.

"Just tell me what you are doing today. I thought that last night you got all the shopping done... I mean... How many new outfits did you get?" Michael questioned and Nikita dropped her head blushing. She had probably bought too much, but she was thrifty and her discount store had a major sale-down. Mia was outraged that her mother still shopped at a store like that one, but Nikita had either way.

"No shopping today, Michael... Do you want more sausage, dear? I have some still in the pan," Nikita commented as she looked at Michael eyeing the table for the links of meat that rarely were in the house. He nodded his head and Nikita stood up to get them. Yet, Michael wanted to know what she was going to be doing today. Call it protectiveness, call it meddling, Michael wanted to know.

Michael grabbed Nikita's arm before she reached the stove and she turned and looked at him. She sighed and sat down on Michael's lap.

"Remember you said that maybe I should try to do something to fill that void in my life?" Nikita questioned and suddenly Mia felt as if she was back in the right house. Goodbye sunshine and happiness, her mother had just mentioned that void again. Mia dropped her head and continued to eat, trying not to pay attention to the conversation.

"Yes.... You were volunteering at the animal rescue..." Michael stated and Nikita nodded her head and then leaned her head down on Michael's. There was a long pause and Michael knew that Nikita had changed her mind about the animal shelter.

"It wasn't filling the void... it made me feel worse... So I talked to Madeline..." Nikita stated and Michael tried to look up to Nikita's eyes. She was positioned in a way to keep her eyes away from Michael. He just didn't like the tone of Nikita's voice and the mention of Madeline. One never knew what Madeline would suggest.

"She said that I probably have to work with a population that was like me.... You know homeless teenagers or abused children.. Something along that lines to get anything that might help that void..." Nikita stated and Michael turned and placed Nikita on her feet. He couldn't object to that idea enough. He felt the opposite.

In response to Michael's movement, Mia stood up with her dish and placed it in the sink, hurrying to leave the area. This might become a fight. She ran to the doorway and stopped. No one had spoken yet. Again, for a few seconds, Mia felt like she was in a weird science fiction movie.

"Nikita... that is going to take a lot out of you..." Michael stated and Nikita nodded her head and touched Michael's hair with her hand. He closed his eyes and looked at Nikita again.

"Michael... the children at St. Colette's Children's Shelter need me... I know I can make a difference... the dogs are going to live if I walk them or if I don't walk them... Those children need something more," Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head as he watched Aubrey stand up.

"That's cool, Mom.... Some of the girls come into the library from St. Colette's.... They are ones that a better off... but I've heard some have some bad behavior problems..." Aubrey stated as he hurried to empty his dish and clean it off to leave also. He joined Mia at the doorway.

"Nikita..." Michael warned out but then he stopped. He wasn't going to be able to change Nikita's mind, at all. He saw it in her face. It was like this suggestion already started to fill that void she spoke of. He could not deny Nikita this.

"Ok... but be carefully... And don't get too attached to one child, Nikita..." Michael said and she kissed him. Their children turned and left, knowing that now they were back in the right house.

*

"Marie... will you please slow down.. We just mopped the floor," Sister Flora stated in a firm voice as the raven hair teenager flew down the hallway, almost smashing into Nikita. Nikita smiled at the girl as she stopped and nodded her head to the sister.

Sister Flora was not as Nikita had expected. She had expected someone older, with white hair and much plumper. She wasn't even wearing the traditional nun's outfit. There was no black on her at all, and she wore jeans like she was a woman in her thirties with only a few kids. In fact, Sister Flora was in charge of over the one hundred and six children that were staying in the shelter.

"Come this way... my office will be much more safe.... As the girls grow up they are difficult to manage," Sister Flora stated with a large smile spreading across her face. Nikita smiled and followed the woman, who was named after someone pretty impressive. Sister Flora told Nikita as they met that she was named after Saint Flora. Nikita had been confused, but Sister Flora saw that and started to explain how Saint Flora was the patron saint of abandoned children and how she was regard as a protector of sorts. Now, Sister Flora went in the same way as her name told her too.

The office looked like a principal's office, especially like the one that Nikita had to go into to fight for Mia. She sat down in the chair and looked as Sister Flora sat down behind the desk. Nikita smile pleasantly. So far, she had only saw five girls; all of them were clean and pleasant to look at.

"I should tell you that although the name is St. Colette's Children's Shelter... We only take care of girls... The boys are placed on the other end of town.. It was becoming too difficult to deal with both in one location," Sister Flora stated and Nikita nodded her head. She could understand that. Even when she had been in some shelters, they had tried to keep the girls away from the boys.

"That's fine," Nikita stated and Sister Flora nodded her head. She was getting a good feeling from Nikita. Flora knew that Nikita expressed wishes to only work a few hours about twice a week, and that the days would vary, but something changed Sister Flora's assessment of that. Nikita seemed to be glowing now that she was inside the building with the children, and that was without seeing many of them. Nikita would be here more, Sister Flora knew that.

"What I would like to do... is give you some material about the types of children that we have here... Most of the girls have been abandoned or have been given to us from the state... Their mothers didn't want them and most of them have been abused..." Sister Flora said as she turned with the materials in her hands. Nikita looked to the books and swallowed. Her face was paling.

"Actually, I've read that book," Nikita stated and Sister Flora placed her hand down. There was something changing with Nikita and she didn't know what it was. Unfortunately, the door opened and a little brown hair girl walked in. She was wearing a pink dress that was long and almost touched the floor. Her hair was well taken care of and she moved to the desk.

"Nikita, this is Danielle..." Sister Flora introduced Nikita. Nikita turned and that brilliant smile of hers beamed towards the child. Instantly, Danielle warmed up to Nikita and smiled back, showing the two missing front teeth.

"Oh... I'm Nikita... You are missing your teeth... Did the tooth fairy come?" Nikita questioned and the girl smiled and nodded her head. Nikita took her as being shy until she looked to Sister Flora and she sighed.

"Danielle... I know it is time for me to go and play kickball with you girls... but I'm with Nikita... Do you like her?" Sister Flora questioned, although she could already tell. Danielle nodded her head and silently left the room.

"She doesn't speak... we know that she can... she just choices not to..." Sister Flora revealed and Nikita sadly nodded her head and swallowed.

"It happens when they are abused... Someone is going to have to bring her out of that shell, or she may choice to remain that way..." Nikita stated as she looked to the door. Danielle was a beautiful girl and took Nikita's heart with her as she had exited the door.

"You seem to know a lot... You must have read when you had children," Sister Flora responded, seeing Nikita's turned head. Nikita turned her head back and sighed lightly.

"No... I was abused myself.. I lived my entire teenaged years on the streets," Nikita revealed without losing her happy smile that was hooked to that door. She wanted to go and hold that girl, as that was something that Nikita was sure that Danielle needed.

"You were? It must have been difficult to have children... We've had a lot of studies..." Sister Flora started to rattle off, worried about this new information about Nikita. She had never had a person who was abused as a child working with her. Nikita stopped Sister Flora's words with a kind hand placed on her own.

"My children and my husband were a blessing to me... I learned that they weren't the ones that abused me..." Nikita stated with a pleasant smile. She liked it here and she didn't want something so minor now to bother her staying here and volunteering. For Danielle's sake.

"Well... you don't need the abuse book to read.... Let me get you one on the teenagers..." Sister Flora stated and Nikita started to laugh. Sister Flora turned to look at Nikita.

"I have an 18 year old girl and a 12 year old son... I don't think I need that either..." Nikita stated with an amiable smile crossing her face. She waited as Sister Flora stared at her and then blinked her eyes. Nikita was puzzled.

"I knew you had a son and a daughter... But I thought they were younger... You are so young..." Sister Flora again started to babble. She was never this wrong about people and Nikita's words and facts continually amazed her. She liked Nikita a lot and everything she learned made Nikita more agreeable.

"I know.. It makes me feel so old when I think that my daughter graduated..." Nikita stated and Sister Flora nodded her head.

"And here I was worried that I was going to lose a good volunteer because she was going to decide to get pregnant again after seeing these children..." Sister Flora laughed. It was a common problem with mothers of young children. Usually when they worked in the shelter for a couple months, they decide what is missing is another child and leave to have one.

"Oh... Well, I would have liked to have had a third... and would have kept that options open, but I survived breast cancer and it's to risky to get pregnant again.. The hormones.. Well... It's not going to happen..." Nikita prattled and then placed a hand over her mouth. She stopped and giggled lightly at herself.

"Ok... now that we are both feeling awkward... Why don't I tell you what you will be doing here first?" Sister Flora uttered, trying to stop the odd feeling that was in the room. She was happy when Nikita agreed with her.

"I am going to take you down to the pantry... We have a lot of boxes to move..." Sister Flora said and she watched as Nikita's face dropped.

"I thought I would be working with the children..." Nikita flatly stated. All of a sudden, this shelter didn't look as good as it had. Nikita thought about the saint that the shelter was named after. Michael had told her some things about her, since she was a French saint. She had been orphaned when she was seventeen years and gave all of her inheritance to the extremely poor. She worked the rest of her life trying to help those people, especially the children.

"You will probably the next day you are here... But we just got all the new beds in for the girls... and we have to move all of the boxes of pasta sauce we have so we can get the beds into the shelter... It's not normally something that I would ask a volunteer to do... But today has been so odd already..." Sister Flora stated, worried that Nikita would leave. She didn't want Nikita to leave. In fact, Sister Flora saw Nikita as someone that was going to help and help a lot.

Sister Flora didn't see that Nikita was going to help Danielle. That had slipped her mind.

In time it would come clear.

*

The steam poured out of the bathroom as Michael swung the wood door open. He looked inside, slowly pulling his heavy black jacket off as he walked. He moved inside and closed the door. Slowly he wondered why Nikita hadn't called out to him. Soon, he found the image that he was not expecting.

Nikita was deeply within a bubble bath, the bubbles reaching probably well above the edge of the tub. Her head was leaning back on a bath pillow in a shell shape and her eyes were closed. Michael sat down on the toilet and looked at her, the long limbs of her body happily soaking in the tub.

Michael had arrived home, wanting to talk about Nikita's day at St. Colette's Children's Shelter. He had looked up some information about the shelter and found it to be well run and they used volunteers greatly. The worries Michael once had were gone and now he wanted to talk to Nikita. That was when he found Mia in the kitchen, burning pork chops and learning that she had the grater upside down as she grounded a carrot into almost juice.

"Nikita..." Michael said out as he looked at Nikita. She looked as if she was asleep and if she was, he wanted her out of the tub. But she wasn't. Slowly one eye opened and then the other. "Do you have enough bubbles?"

"No," Nikita playfully stated as she started to stretch her body. She groaned and looked at Michael. She saw that the noise bothered him and she slowly sat up in the tub. Michael moved to the edge of the tub and reached his hands out to her neck.

"I heard you were sore... Can you tell me why? Did the kids run circles around you?" Michael questioned with a little smile pulling at the edges of his lips. Nikita turned and raised her soapy hand and placed a dab of the suds on both corners. Michael pushed at the suds and smiled at Nikita.

"No... I had to help move boxes..." Nikita stated as she closed her eyes again. Michael was rubbing smoothly at her muscles, feeling the tension that was there from the use.

"Manual labor? I didn't think you would settle for that, Nikita," Michael poked fun off. Nikita wanted to fall backwards to splash Michael with a wall of soap bubbles, but she didn't. His hands felt really good on her back, better than the warm water she had plunged her body into as soon as she entered the house.

"It was necessary... They got new beds in... and the deliveryman left them outside... So we ladies had to get them all in... It is raining now.. We just got done," Nikita commented in a soft voice, giving and explanation that Michael really didn't need. He sighed and continued to rub Nikita's shoulders until several minutes later. He rolled his hands up to touch Nikita's face and to kiss her lightly.

"Is the bath helping?" Michael questioned and Nikita shook her head back and forth. Michael smiled and knew that if he asked if he was helping that neither of them would eat dinner this night.

"So you are going to let Mia continue to burn meats until she gets one right?" Michael questioned.

"Yes," Nikita dryly remarked and Michael sighed and leaned back from Nikita. He thought that Nikita would have been more talkative. He had read an entire article about the woman that had taken over St. Colette's Children's Shelter earlier in the day. She was a very interesting woman. A young woman, a young sister, swore to God. Although Michael saw this as a place that would be difficult for Nikita to accept, the religious ties, the shelter and the woman, Sister Flora seemed to be a good match.

"So I guess you didn't see any of the children then..." Michael slowly stated as he moved away from the tub. Nikita sighed and rolled her head to the side, leaning on the shell shaped pillow even more. She smiled lightly towards the wall and then turned back towards Michael.

"Actually.. I saw a few..." Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head. He was kind of relieved. He had these images of Nikita falling deeply in love with a child. Although she needed to volunteer, she didn't need any other disappointments in her life. Michael was very protective about the missions that she did have to go on and recently, all of them had been very plainly black and white, with no gray matter at all.

"I guess it is good that you slowly..."

"But there was this one girl, who came in the office, Michael... You should have seen her..." Nikita started to gush and Michael blinked his eyes. He was glad and then he was sad. It could cause only more grief, but the voice that Nikita was using told him that it was good.

"Tell me about her..." Michael slowly requested as he moved his body. He stood back up and moved to the toilet. Nikita smiled and pulled her leg up from the soapy depths of the water and allowed the suds to roll down her leg.

"Nikita... that isn't telling me about the girl... that is... giving me another reaction," Michael simmered and saw Nikita's voice. She dropped her leg with a splat, covering Michael with several large dots of soapsuds. Nikita giggled and leaned her head back even more.

"I needed to see your smile, Michael... because she was so sad... her face... she was a brunette.. oh... she was so sad..." Nikita slowly stated as she rolled her hands across the top of the suds, revealing that it would probably take the next two days to get rid of all the bubbles.

"Do you know her name?" Michael questioned and Nikita nodded her head. She moved her feet and there was pop from the bottom of the tub. Nikita was draining the water as she started to push the suds off of her body.

"Danielle... she doesn't talk..." Nikita stated and Michael swallowed. He found it hard to look at Nikita. He knew what had happened already. Nikita had bonded with a child that she barely even knew. He didn't want this girl to reject Nikita, but it was always a possibility.

"So she has a disability..." Michael languidly commented as Nikita stood up on her legs with a little groan of pain. She must have really worked out with the boxes and probably didn't know when she had done too much.

"No... she choices not to speak.... They think something happened to her... Almost all the children have been abused, Michael... they aren't orphans.. they are abandoned..." Nikita stated as she turned her body around in the towel. Michael stared at Nikita moved out of the bathroom, leaving the tub empty of water, but still filled with suds. Michael turned and started to work at ridding the bubbles.

He sighed heavily. He was starting to wonder if this was a good idea. Nikita's past has been the past for a long time. Yes there were questions about the baby that triggered some emotions from Nikita, but that was the current past, not like her childhood. Michael couldn't see her volunteering as a step forward. She had already separated herself from her family and from her life. She ran upstairs and stayed away from everyone.

Isolation was always a symptom.

He decided not to worry about it now. This was the first day and he was probably overreacting on something that was so minor in nature. He turned and pulled off his black shirt and sighed. He looked to Nikita as she toyed with her hair. Lately she had been planning on allowing it to grow long again. It had been an issue, because it would be allowing her to know, one hundred percent that she was well again.

"You know... maybe we can skip the family dinner... and dine up here..." Michael stated slowly as he wrapped his arms around Nikita. His mouth burnished her neck and Nikita moaned lightly in her throat. She turned towards him and felt his wet skin from him sitting in the steamy bathroom. She groaned.

"I have plans..." Nikita stated in a slow and low voice. Michael keened, wanting to be with Nikita tonight, almost feeling the animal need to have her in this moment. It was rare that Michael felt this raw, but he would not push it, he would never push Nikita.

"What plans? Can't they change?" Michael questioned as he started to unbuckle his pants, hoping that his movement might spur Nikita on. He moved until Nikita's hand touched his and he pulled back.

"I'm going shopping with Mia... and since you broke our lock on our door three days ago... Mia is going to be charging in here any second to tell me that she needs to eat out and that it's time to go shopping..." Nikita stated in short words, but showing Michael that she wanted Michael in that moment, but circumstances around them, like their family was stopping this. Michael sighed and kissed Nikita's mouth.

"I think you should go with Mia... and I should go buy a new lock..." Michael stated as his lips barely were away from Nikita's. He waited as Nikita started to move closer to his warmth. Michael felt her hands running down his bare back.

"We do have a chair..." Nikita commented and Michael chuckled. This was his Nikita.

"MOM!!!" Mia called out and Nikita pulled away and started to throw on the jeans. She moved to the mirror and pulled the towel off of her head.

"Do you smell smoke?" Michael questioned as Nikita dropped her hairbrush. The fire alarm started to squeal and Michael and Nikita both ran.

After the two operatives played firemen, the kitchen was saved, but most of the countertops and cupboards were destroyed. Nikita looked to Michael and dropped the fire extinguisher.

"I'm covered with this mess...." Nikita said as she looked at the chemical that was all over her clothes. Nikita dropped the canister and Michael picked up the phone to call for a clean up crew, the benefits of being the head of the anti-terrorist group.

"BUBBLE BATH!" Nikita cried out and ran upstairs. Michael looked to the stairs and smiled. Once the clean up was started and Mia stopped crying, he'd be in the tub with Nikita this time. Nothing better than a nice warm body in a tub of bubbles with you.

*

The crayons were all over the room, filled with about twenty girls and Nikita. She laughed at the pictures as they colored. In about ten minutes, they would hang up their drawings and rotate to another room for another activity and Nikita would soon have another twenty girls to deal with. This bunch had a wide age difference, from about five years old to about fourteen. It was wild, some of the girls liking boys and others hating boys. The two eldest girls were actually taking pictures out of a magazine and gushing over the pictures of the boys that were there. Nikita found them to be a lot like Mia when she was about that age.

"Nikita... do you like this?" one girl around ten asked as she lifted the drawing up. While most were drawing flowers and hearts, this girl was talented. Nikita looked to the mountain scene and saw a depth perception that most adults couldn't create. It was why art was something that you were just born with and you couldn't force.

"Where did you learn to draw like this?" Nikita questioned as she looked at the picture. It was done with only crayons, but it looked like an oil painting. The girl with the red hair that had handed it to her, was blushing. Her face almost matched her hair.

"I just did it..." the girl admitted and Nikita looked to the wall and reached for the thumbtacks. Someday, if this girl got a good home and good education... she wouldn't be hanging things up with thumbtacks, she would be hanging them in expensive frames and charging hundreds if not thousands for her pieces. She was talented. Nikita wished that she could help.

Nikita glanced at her watch and started to pull all the pictures together. Now she had a feeling of what a teacher's life felt like. It was hard and difficult to watch all the girls at once. Some didn't get the concept of sharing while others didn't want to leave. And there was the bickering. All the girls did now as bicker.

No one wanted to put the crayons back in the buckets. No one wanted to lean across the table to pick up the crayon that rolled out of her touch. Nothing was done without complaining and Nikita turned around and saw the corner table.

Danielle had gone there by herself when she arrived. She only had a small box of crayons and a piece of paper. Although Nikita had been told that she could hear perfectly fine, Nikita didn't think Danielle knew it was time to leave. Nikita turned to the girl and walked.

"Hi, Danielle... It's time to go..." Nikita gently remarked and Danielle turned her head up and looked at Nikita. Nikita saw the teas and squatted down at the table. She didn't know what had caused Danielle to act this way.

"She never talks.... You should just let her go... She'll leave as soon as she sees us leave..." The eldest girl sharply remarked and Nikita tilted her head towards Danielle. She wasn't even going to give the comment any weight to it. She saw that Danielle understood every word. She was an intelligent seven-year-old, even if she didn't speak.

"This is a pretty picture, Danielle..." Nikita said as she used her hand to point to the drawing. It was a black cat with pointed ears. Danielle wiped at her own tears and tried to smile. Nikita listened to the girls rumbling around, but that wasn't her concern right now. They could go if they wanted too, and most of them started to move as the rotation started.

"Do you like cats and kittens?" Nikita questioned and Danielle nodded her head. She took her hand out and made a motion of petting the picture of the cat.

"Did you have a cat, Danielle?" Nikita prodded and she nodded her head, but barely. She saw that the tears were close again and Nikita sighed. She looked at the new girls that were walking in, all of them appeared to be about ten years old and went immediately for the crayons. Nikita didn't move and rubbed at Danielle's arms.

"I have a little cat at home... Her name is Isabella..." Nikita stated and Danielle's face lit up. She stared at Nikita and started to point at Nikita. Nikita didn't know what Danielle was trying to do until she picked up a crayon and wrote Isabella on the bottom of the picture.

"For me?" Nikita questioned and Danielle nodded her head and Nikita sighed. She took the picture and looked at it. Danielle was still hurting and Nikita knew that she didn't want to go with the girls that she had been assigned to be with.

"I'll take this home tonight... Do you want to stay here?" Nikita questioned as the next volunteer woman walked to the door. Nikita knew that the girls in the group probably were squealing about Danielle and Nikita. She paused at the door until Danielle threw her arms around Nikita's neck and squeezed tightly. It was clear that the decision was made and Danielle would become Nikita's shadow for the time being.

~~

"Sit down, Nikita..." Sister Flora stated as she walked into the office. Nikita almost trembled. The tone almost reminded Nikita of when Madeline beckoned her down to her office. Nikita tried to smile at Sister Flora as she was dressed in a white dress down to her ankles. Nikita sat down and folded her hands on her lap.

"Someone told me that Danielle stayed with you all day..." Sister Flora stated and Nikita sighed. She knew that this was going to happen. Danielle was like the other girls, but wasn't like the other girls. She was neglected even in a place that was suppose to give her support, just because she decided not to talk.

"Yes... she didn't want to continue on with her group," Nikita stated, ready to defend her position. Sister Flora nodded her head and pulled some papers out.

"We've tried her in every single group we have here... Every time she separates and isolates herself... This would be the first day that we didn't have to go up to the quarters to retrieve her for lunch..." Sister Flora stated and Nikita blinked her eyes. None of those words sounded bad towards Nikita.

"So you aren't upset?" Nikita blinked her eyes. She thought that she was going to be kicked out of St. Colette's Children's Shelter. Never in her wildest dream did she see this turning out good. She had gone against the rules.

"I'm not upset at all. This has to be the first time that Danielle has reached out to anyone!" Sister Flora declared with a happy smile spreading across her face. Nikita blinked her eyes as she sat there. Stunned didn't even describe what Nikita was feeling.

"She was crying... I just did as a mother should do..." Nikita commented, trying to sound causal. She didn't think what she had done was anything too special. All that Danielle needed was some time and understanding.

"Well.. you've been able to do something that the therapists haven't been able to do... You are a miracle Nikita... and therefore, I want to offer a new volunteering job for you," Sister Flora said as she pulled a file out and handed it to Nikita. Nikita stared at the manila folder without opening it.

"Open it, please.. It has all the information we have about Danielle in it..." Sister Flora stated and Nikita opened the flap up. She looked at the papers and found that they knew very little about her. Nikita's fingers fluttered through the papers.

"Why?" Nikita questioned as she lifted her head. Sister Flora was stunned by the question, but then she reminded herself about Nikita. She was a mother that survived her own abused years.

"I want you to work with Danielle exclusively... We don't have much time to turn her life around...." Sister Flora admitted and Nikita swallowed and dropped her head. Those words were often muttered inside of Section One and often were marked with death of some sorts.

"I don't know, Sister Flora.. isn't that isolating her more?" Nikita immediately questioned. Nikita looked off to the side and swallowed. Danielle wouldn't be the age of the baby that she lost, but it was all hitting quite too close to home. She had been abused and abandoned. Nikita flipped through the papers and swallowed.

Apparently, her father committed suicide.

"I think it would help her... but I would have to ask you to visit more than twice a week..." Sister Flora said as she dropped her head. She knew that she was asking a lot. Nikita looked at Sister Flora and smiled.

"That won't be a problem.. but I can't guarantee that it would be on the same days every week," Nikita stated and Sister Flora smiled. She would take anything that she could get for Danielle. The little girl deserved to get part of her life back.

"Can I take this with me?" Nikita questioned as she lifted the article that she was reading. It was about Danielle's father and it sounded too much like other articles she had read.

Like her own suicide.

"I actually made you a copy.... Do you think you found something?" Sister Flora questioned and Nikita dropped the article.

"I might be able to dig more information out, Sister Flora. Information is always important," Nikita stated as she stood up. She walked out of the office, proud that she was going to help Danielle.

She wasn't heading home.

She was going to Section.

*

The screens were flashing quickly in front of her wide-open eyes, but all that Nikita saw in front of her was dead ends. That was unlikely because she was using the Section's network. There should have been more than what she was seeing. She had even reached a bigger dead in with the regular information that she had been able to dig up from the library computer.

She wanted to know about this man that was Danielle's father. The article that explained her situation, when she was found as three-year-old, abandoned in a shopping cart in the local grocery store. It only said that her father had committed suicide while in jail. It bothered Nikita, and she couldn't seem to get any further information.

Maybe it wasn't vital to Nikita helping little Danielle, but now Nikita was obsessed. Birkoff could tell that from where he was standing. He wanted to run, knowing that soon that Nikita's eyes would turn and find him. He could see the problems that Nikita was having as her fingers started to pound harder and harder at the keys of the computer. It was never a good sign, with any operative to be doing that, let alone, be it Nikita.

"Nikita, do you need any help?" Birkoff questioned, knowing that it might be easier on his physical being just to ask Nikita about this. This way, if he did leave, he wouldn't be tracked down. Offering help was always a good thing.

So Birkoff thought.

"I can't find this girl's father's name anywhere!" Nikita hissed as she picked up the scrap of paper and shook it at Birkoff. Birkoff picked up the piece of paper and swallowed.

"Isn't her last name his?" Birkoff questioned and he watched as Nikita rolled her eyes.

Stupid question number one for Birkoff.

"Well... Did you look up her birth certificate?" Birkoff questions quickly. He stopped as Nikita's blue eyes rolled in that circle and she blew a steady stream of air out of her mouth.

Stupid question number two for Birkoff.

"Under father it says unnamed," Nikita hissed and Birkoff looked to the computer and frowned. He didn't like that. It was going to be difficult then. Now he took a closer look to the article as Nikita stood up and allowed him to sit down. He was reading about how this girl was just left, in a cart, in the middle of the frozen foods. It was horrible and then it discussed how her mother disappeared and from resources that knew the family, her father committed a crime and committed suicide inside of jail.

Birkoff blinked his eyes. He looked at the words again and swallowed. None of this was good.

"Chilled yet?" Nikita commented. She looked as his eyes read the words about little Danielle's father again and the further information that had been contained in the article about him. Now, at least Nikita didn't feel like she was being paranoid.

"Does this sound like the standard Section One story to you, Nikita?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita looked at him. He swallowed and looked away.

Stupid question number three for Birkoff.

"The problem Birkoff is that I can't make the connections.... Section One doesn't list any names of known children any longer," Nikita stated and Birkoff swallowed. Michael had ordered that, under the influence of Nikita, because those children were always in trouble if the directory was found.

"Mmmm... there has to be a way... What if I look for the city of location and at least narrow it down that way?" Birkoff said as he placed his hands on the keyboard and started to type. That was when he saw the file that was sitting next to the keyboard. There was a picture of little Danielle and he smiled broadly.

"That is a very pretty girl... She is at the shelter you are volunteering at?" Birkoff questioned without lifting his eyes from the computer screen. He was going to have to bypass some firewalls, but he had designed them.

"Yes..." Nikita commented and Birkoff whistled.

"It's hard to believe she hasn't been adopted or something. The pretty ones always go... and they have had her for some time, correct?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita took the folder and folded it. It was her special assignment and she had hoped to find out all the information herself, but the computer had hampered her.

"She has a problem Birkoff... She doesn't talk," Nikita stated softly as she slumped her shoulders forward. Birkoff curved his lips out in that shape of an "oh" and continued to work. He typed quickly, finally able to start the search of the entire Section One database of the operatives. He took his fingers off of the keyboard and turned towards Nikita. He had to allow the computer to do the work now.

"Why can't they just teach her sign language?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita forced out a smile. He had become more in touch with the world now that he had his daughter Josephine, but was still out of synch on this one.

"No, Birkoff. She can talk if she wanted too. She has chosen not to speak... It is hard for people to adopted a child that they consider to be damaged," Nikita spoke out and Birkoff nodded his head. He sighed. Michael had mentioned some worry of Nikita getting attached to one child too easily.

It had happened.

"What about the other kids?" Birkoff inquired and Nikita laughed almost bitterly. She looked to the computer, seeing the little marker showing that it was still searching the databases. She rubbed her hand over her neck and swallowed.

"They pick on her... because she is an easy target.... Most of them are decent children Birkoff, but they are rude... And it can't make Danielle feel better... or even motivate her to speak, because no one treats her like she should..." Nikita rambled on, blinking her eyes. Birkoff saw that the speech was getting to close to home for Nikita, that she must have been like Danielle in some ways when she was a child.

"I didn't mean that... I meant, what do the other children do?" Birkoff clarified and Nikita dropped her head with redness flooding her skin. She looked to her watch and realized that she just missed dinner by two hours. She looked to the computer and started to tap her foot. She didn't like waiting.

"I'm no longer working with the other children, Sister Flora wants me to work with Danielle because I'm the first person that Danielle has warmed up too," Nikita stated almost like a computer spitting out information. She rolled her shoulders and was about to close her eyes when the computer made a noise and her eyes flew open.

"One man.... From that city... and He came to us in Section One the year Danielle's father died," Birkoff slowly stated and Nikita looked to the screen and saw the computer codes. She sighed and stared at the screen. She twisted her hands together and waited, not sure if she wanted to look at the information or if she wanted to drop it.

"Do you want to open the file, Nikita?" Birkoff questioned as he raised his eyes to look at Nikita's. She was in some sort of turmoil. What did Danielle in was not that Section One recruited her father. What did little Danielle in with the huge smile, was the fact that her mother was not strong and in her heart, never wanted Danielle. Yet, Birkoff knew that Nikita didn't think that way. She saw it as being Section One, and at that time, it was Michael and Nikita who were running Section One, even if Nikita was working at an another Section at the time.

"Open it..." Nikita's voice cracked, as her eyes did not move from the screen. She waited as the picture cleared up and she sighed. She had seen the man around Section One.

"He died on a mission about fifteen months ago," Birkoff stated and Nikita nodded her head. She knew of the mission, it was a clean mission. She rubbed her hands together and swallowed. Nikita believed that Section One had destroyed another life, that of Danielle's. She closed her eyes as Birkoff stood up.

"Sit down, Nikita... When was the last time you ate? You look pale..." Birkoff started to fuss. She didn't look good at all now that she knew. Birkoff rubbed at Nikita's shoulders as she closed her eyes.

"She is only a little girl... and if she doesn't come out of this soon, Birkoff..." Nikita said and then stopped. She looked away and held her hand over her trembling lips. Birkoff looked at Nikita and swallowed.

"You can go home, Birkoff... I'll take care of this," Michael's voice boomed in the room. Birkoff turned his head and saw Michael standing there proudly. He touched Nikita once more and Michael moved towards Nikita. She closed her blue eyes and shook her head, as she knew the touch that was going to lay on her shoulders.

"Nikita... let's go home," Michael whispered as he looked at her with concern. He had been having too many discussions about Nikita again. It was like he had been plunged back to a time where Nikita needed to be watched all the time.

Yet Nikita's hand moved to her own tension filled neck and shoulders. Her own hand tried to rub the tension away, trying to ease her body the pain that she had placed on herself. Her breathing was trembling and Michael swallowed as Nikita used her hand to turn the screen off.

To say goodbye to Danielle's father.

"Nikita, what we did to her father, is not what caused her to be this way..." Michael tediously stated as he took Nikita's hand off of her neck. It was replaced by his own warm hand, finding that his strength could break away the mounting tension in Nikita's muscles.

"I know..." Nikita barely uttered as she rolled her head forward, opening the area for Michael to rub at. He moved with his second hand and did as Nikita ached for him to do. His touch was healing her, in some way that she didn't understand.

"And if this is what you want to do... to help Danielle, Nikita... I want you to do that," Michael spoke out and Nikita nodded her head. He looked at Nikita and kissed the nape of her neck and closed his own eyes.

It was going against what everyone told Michael. Austin wanted Nikita to slow down, claiming that she was pushing too much, that she was going to wear her body down from doing just too much. Madeline claimed that Nikita helping a lot of children was a good thing, but that isolating her attentions to one child could balloon the problems and bring Nikita's past back to her.

But Nikita wasn't that way. She had to do what her heart told her to do. If she denied this bond that had been created with Danielle with a simple smile and a kind gesture, then Nikita would be wondering the rest of her life if she could have helped Danielle. That would do Nikita no good either.

Maybe it was the lesser of two evils. Maybe it was something that needed to be done. None of that mattered. The situation called for Nikita to do what she felt was in her heart, to take that feeling and used it to the utmost of her ability.

Nikita was a miracle.

Maybe what Danielle needed was a miracle. If that was true, then she was saved and Nikita was going to help her. Yes, Michael knew that turmoil was going to occur now that Nikita had made a choice. Yes there will be times that he disagreed with Nikita, but he would not deny Nikita.

What she was doing was right.

For everyone.

*

The front door opened and Mia looked out from the living room. It was still early afternoon; no one should be home. She looked up at John who was relaxing on the couch, having come to see Mia after a difficult mission. Mia stood up and smacked the crumbs of popcorn off of her black pants and walked to the doorway.

"Mia... Have you seen Isabella?" Nikita questioned as she held the door opened. Mia stared at her mother, finding the question odd and her mother's posture even more peculiar. It was all explained as Nikita pushed open the door more and exposed the little girl Danielle to her daughter. Nikita reached her hand down with two fingers for Danielle to hold onto.

"Danielle... I want you to meet my daughter... Mia..." Nikita said as she pointed towards Mia. Mia smiled broadly, seeing the little girl that her mother talked about all last week. She was a charming little girl and Mia couldn't help but smiling. It was no wonder her mother liked her so much.

"Mia.. This is Danielle..." Nikita said as she squatted down to Danielle's level. Nikita smiled at Danielle as she stroked the young girl's hair out of her face and behind her shoulder. Danielle lifted her hand and waved politely, not like the excited wave that Nikita got when she walked into the shelter this morning. That was before Danielle launched her body towards her.

"Hi, Danielle... Nice to meet you..." Mia stated as she bent down and extended her hand. Danielle shook Nikita's daughter's hand politely and looked to Nikita with her huge eyes. Nikita smiled and looked around the floor.

"I know... you want to see Isabella before we make cookies, right?" Nikita questioned and Danielle nodded her head up and down quickly. Mia was puzzled and confused as the broad smile crossed Danielle's face. Nikita looked up with a slight frown from Mia's expression.

"She doesn't talk, Mia.. but she understands everything perfectly fine and is very smart," Nikita remarked sharply and Mia stood back. After pulling her body up to her full height, Mia stepped backwards and shook her head. Now she had to think about where she had seen that cat so her mother would be happy.

"You know... Isabella is probably on John's lap again..." Mia stated as she turned and walked towards the living room. Nikita stepped forward and poked her head in as Mia stomped a few kernels of popcorn on the way to the couch. She was right, Isabella was proudly perched on the leg of John's pants. Nikita smiled and then looked up at Mia.

"I didn't know John was here, Mia..." Nikita stated with a wary eye. This was going to be fun explaining this one to Michael. He still refused to place a picture of Mia's prom in his office because John was in it. Nikita wasn't sure where things were going with John, but right now, it appeared to be a friendship. Anything more might cause a war.

"He stopped by to cry a bit.... After... WORK..." Mia stated roughly and Nikita sighed as she saw Isabella happily in Mia's arms. The little cat that had adopted Nikita's family quickly, loved to be held and Nikita looked at Danielle as her eyes lit up from seeing the cat, even from that distance.

Nikita reached her hands out for Isabella and gently placed her on the carpet in front of Danielle. Danielle moved forward and then stepped back. Her eyes did not move from Isabella as she stood there as Nikita ran her hands across her fur. Nikita smiled and looked at Danielle.

"It's ok... You can pet her..." Nikita remarked softly, knowing that Danielle was just a little bit worried. Nikita paused her stroking of the cat as Danielle placed her hand out and pressed it to the cat. There was a vibrant giggle from Danielle as Isabella's muscles reacted to the new hand. Danielle soon placed her other hand on the cat that was in her glory.

"Meow..." Isabella said as she cocked her head to the side as Danielle lifted both of her hands off of her. Nikita was about to laugh, knowing that Isabella was just asking for more petting, as she was always stingy with attention, but Danielle yelled and ran towards the corner. She moved quickly behind one of the hanging coats, probably John's, that was on the coat rack.

"Danielle... It's ok!" Nikita exclaimed as she moved after the girl. She saw the tears and her heart broke. She was just a tender soul to start at and Nikita wanted to protect her. She had no idea that Isabella's meow for more would have scared her as such.

"Oh.. this is going to be an exciting day!" Mia called out, shaking her head at her mother.

"Don't be so rude, Mia. It is unbecoming," John's voice snapped from the living room. Nikita moved her eyes to view her daughter, never have heard John so direct with his comments. Mia looked at her mother and sighed heavily and left the room. John soon appeared, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Hard day?" Nikita questioned and John snorted as he looked at the predicament that Nikita was in with Danielle hiding in the coat rack. He bent down to his knees as he looked at the little girl. Nikita pulled his long jacket away and revealed her, pressed tightly to the corner.

"Danielle... Isabella was only asking for more..." Nikita stated, but it appeared as if the words didn't mean anything. She continued to cry into the wall, making herself appear smaller than she really was. Nikita chewed and tugged at her lip slightly until she saw John looking at the little girl.

"Danielle... I want you to meet a friend... His name is John..." Nikita gradually delivered with soft words, exaggerating the vowels to sound peacefully and non-threatening. Nikita's eyes met John's. He nodded his head and licked his lips. There was a smile instantly on his face.

"Hi, Danielle... I'm John...." John stated out with a pleasant voice, sounding happy and soothing. Nikita looked at him and smiled. Maybe now she could reach Danielle.

"Danielle... I know Isabella... and she didn't want to scare you... She was just asking you to pet her more..." John slowly explained as he moved closer to the corner. Danielle was shaking her head and trembling. Nikita was scared. She didn't need to have to call Sister Flora about this. Sister Flora didn't like the idea of Nikita taking Danielle home with her to start with.

"Danielle... please just turn and see John... He really wants to see your missing teeth..." Nikita tried as she hesitatedly placed a hand out to her shoulder. She pulled away and lightly stomped her feet. She was more than scared, but she was upset. Nikita swallowed and closed her eyes.

"Nikita... I wanted to get some of your good cookies..." John tried as he backed away and stood up. Nikita was momentarily confused as she straightened up herself. Slowly the awareness of what John was trying to do was clear.

"Oh, I'm sorry John... I haven't been able to make cookies, yet... I'm waiting for Danielle to help me..." Nikita said as she cocked her head to the side. She kept one eye on Danielle and saw the little girl turn lightly to view the two adults.

"But, Nikita... Your cookies are always the best!" John stated with a smile that crossed his face. Nikita noticed more about him now that she knew before. He was a real person. Now she was starting to see even more of what Mia saw in him.

"I know, but a promise is a promise... Now.. If Danielle wants to come out and help me... I'll make them..." Nikita stated as she turned around to look at Danielle. She was no longer pushed into the corner. Her face was staring at them with the track of her tears still there. It was John who bent down and looked at Danielle.

"So we meet... Hi, I'm John.... And you are Danielle?" He questioned, connecting with the girl as Nikita had. Nikita rejoiced silently as she stepped forward towards John. She raised her little hand to wave at him. Nikita sighed in relief.

"Are you going to stay to help make cookies?" Nikita questioned John. He smiled and looked at Nikita as Danielle reached out for her hand.

"Of course... Why don't I get the mixer off of the refrigerator for you?" John stated as he turned, giving Nikita some time with Danielle. Nikita bent down and touched the girl's hair and wiped at the tears.

"I didn't mean for Isabella to scare you... Are you ok?" Nikita questioned in a tender voice. Danielle looked around the hallway and saw Isabella standing not far from where they were. Her hand reached out and pointed to the cat. Nikita nodded her head and swallowed.

"Do you want to see her again?" Danielle nodded her head bravely up and down. Nikita smiled expansively as she reached her hand down and started to flap it up and down, to get the cat's attention. It pranced over quickly, never one to turn down a chance of being pet.

"But don't be scared if it meows, ok?" Nikita warned and Danielle only smiled as her hands moved for the fur again. Isabella turned and ran her fur on her back against Danielle's leg, causing the girl to squeal and laugh. Nikita giggled as she saw John standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Ah... Nikita.. When did you rearrange your kitchen?" John questioned and Nikita caught a laugh as she stood up and extended her hand for Danielle. She held onto Nikita's fingers and moved with her to the doorway.

"Didn't Mia tell you?" Nikita stated and she moved into the kitchen, seeing that John must know how to bake cookies. The supplies were all arranged, but the mixer he was seeking.

"What didn't Mia tell me?" John requested and Nikita swallowed as she helped to put Danielle on the chair next to the table.

"She burned my kitchen down with her attempted at cooking..." Nikita stated and Danielle giggled as John dropped his head. He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"I better teach her what a fire extinguisher is..." John stated and Nikita snorted.

"Better yet, teach her out to use a microwaveable meal," Nikita wryly stated and turned towards Danielle.

Time to make cookies.

~~

"C is for cookie.... That's good enough for me..." Nikita sang out as Danielle had her hand bouncing around as she held up the letter C for Nikita and John to see. John pulled out the latest tray of cookies and started to pry the hot cookies off, so they don't stick to the tray.

"Mmmm... Do you think we have enough?" Nikita questioned Danielle with a wink of her eye. Danielle shook her head from side to side and Nikita giggled. She looked at the supplies and started to pull together enough for one more batch.

"What flavor? Peanut butter? Chocolate?" Nikita questioned as she held the options to both. John smiled at Danielle and broadly smiled as she pointed to both. Nikita placed both down on the table and looked to John. "You heard her...."

John smiled and started to break the eggs open as Danielle placed her hand into the bag of chocolate and pulled out the pieces. She stuck her tongue out playfully at John as she ate the pieces.

"I saw that..." Nikita called out as she pulled the phone with her. She had decided that there was no way that a real meal was going to be prepared this night, and decided to call for pizza. Now John had taken over the baking with Danielle as Mia walked down the back stairs. She stopped and looked at the splashes of flour over John's black clothing.

"You are still here..." Mia stated and John raised his head. He tried to smile at Mia, but saw the sour face that she was giving him. She was staring at Danielle when she turned and threw a tiny piece of dough at Mia. Nikita tried not to laugh.

"Mom!" Mia whined out and John turned quickly to put an end to her behavior. He dropped the spoon from the door and pushed at Mia towards the stairs.

"First, apologize to you mother for acting like the little child..." John ordered out as he allowed his hazel eyes to stare intensely into Mia's eyes. She was trying to fight his orders and he just stood there. Nikita was impressed.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Mia stated out and Nikita nodded her head and moved to the cookies. John wasn't over yet.

"And apologize to Danielle for not spending time with her... She was looking for you while you stayed upstairs and was pouting..." John simmered and Mia sighed. She couldn't believe this. How could John even understand the girl that didn't talk. She looked around and felt John's hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Danielle... Next time... We'll play Candyland..." Mia offered and Danielle's eyes lit up brightly, even more than making the cookies did. Nikita turn and proudly looked at her daughter.

"Thank you... Maybe you can play later... after the pizza comes..." Nikita stated and Danielle moved quickly and leapt for Nikita. Nikita held onto the girl as the batter for the last batch of cookies tumbled over on them. Nikita knew that pizza was a rare treat for the girls at St. Colette's Children's Shelter and that Danielle would like it a lot.

"Hello! Who is baking!" Michael called out as the door opened. Nikita felt Danielle trembling as John moved quickly away from Mia. Michael entered the kitchen, not sure what to take of the sight.

Nikita, John, and a little girl that Michael knew to be Danielle were wearing aprons and a lot of flour. Mia was pressed against the stairs, looking like she had been tortured or found out, and there was a pleasant smile of a huge amount of cookies filling the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Dad... Mom is cooking... I'm never cooking again!" Mia finally pitched in. She turned and moved to her mother and extended her hand to Danielle. "Why don't we go play Candyland while we wait for the pizza?"

Danielle leapt off of Nikita's lap as Michael looked at John carefully. Nikita turned her head and swallowed as she finished loading the cookies to be placed in the oven. She found John taking the apron off.

"John," Michael gruffly stated as he looked at the man. John tried to smile at Nikita as she passed him on the way to the oven. She turned and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You are staying, right? You did help me with all these cookies..." Nikita stated and John carefully indicated that he was going to stay. Nikita looked to Michael and blinked his eyes. This was all getting interesting. "Well... Mia isn't going to understand most of what Danielle is doing... Can you go translate for her?"

"Sure," John said in one short word. Michael stepped towards the doorway, blocking his path. Nikita sighed and shook her head, blinking her eyes at Michael.

"Michael..." Nikita said tensely, but his eyes did not move off of John.

"Is it ok with you, sir?" John questioned and Michael stepped away from the door. Michael looked to Nikita as she shook her head. Nikita turned towards the cookies, wondering if she would ever be able to warm Michael up to John being around. For some reason, Nikita knew that it might be something that would happen with or without Michael's permission.

*

There was a gurney being shoved down the hallway quickly as Nikita walked down the hallway. She swallowed as she looked at the operative, it was a member of John's team. She sighed and swallowed, relieved to see John talking to Madeline in the hallway. It had been a long three-day weekend with Michael at the house. He had been short and cross with everyone. Until Nikita got Michael to go with her with Danielle to the zoo.

Michael showed Danielle some hand gestures for the animals. It was cute watch Michael swinging his arm around from his nose like and elephant. That had to be Danielle's favorite, and they visited the elephants often that day. They even got wet when the one elephant decided that the entire crowd needed a bath. Michael sprung of the T-shirt to replace the soaked one on Danielle and sneaked a stuffed animal into the purchase.

Now, Michael had asked for Nikita to come in for the day. She looked around, seeing the destruction that had been placed on John's team. She had to wonder if it was because of that Michael had a hatred for John now or not. She was worried deeply.

Nikita turned to the left and continued down the hallway, still seeing the image of the tired and weary John in her eyes. She looked up to the office and saw Michael pacing. Her heart almost stopped at that image. She was trying to guess his motives, if he had tried to get John hurt or injured. Nikita didn't want to think that Michael was that way, but she could not deny what he had been showing John.

She wasn't the only person heading towards the glass palace in the sky of Section One. John was about thirty steps behind Nikita's position. He really didn't even notice it. He had been summoned to debrief with Michael and had been stopped by Madeline. Madeline just wanted to make sure that John was able to handle a debrief with Michael know, having lost several of his best operatives in the mission he just completed.

"You wanted to see me," Nikita stated as she walked into the room. Michael paused his pacing and swallowed. He looked to Nikita and closed his eyes. Now Nikita saw that Michael never knew that the mission was going to bad. He probably had confidence that the mission would go correctly. Rarely if he had to would Michael send out a mission that could go bad. It wasn't that it didn't occur anymore, Michael just tried to make sure that the personnel weren't that far in risk and made sure that they knew they were in risk.

"I see you saw the remnants of the Peking mission..." Michael stated, as he looked down at the continuous line of gurneys, never ending, just continuing. Medical was already at filled levels and there were still more operatives yet to come in. Nikita only nodded her head as John stood at the doorway.

"Michael..." John tensely said and Michael looked up to the man, with a face of regret. Michael dropped his head and sighed, he knew that John's team was hurting now.

"We have a follow up position on Lee Hung... We were able to track him and now he is in an insecure and badly fortified position..." Michael stated and Nikita nodded her head.

"I just lost half of my team and you want me to go back out after him?" John questioned, showing some of the anger that filled his body, but not nearly enough. Nikita knew that John must have been tearing himself apart on this event.

"I wouldn't be suggesting it if it was dangerous, John. The mere fact that I'm going to place Nikita in the field should tell you that it is extremely safe," Michael stated and John shook his head and moved closer to the window and the couple that stood there.

"What this tells me is that you are again, underestimating Lee Hung. He almost killed my entire team. Almost seventy-five percent of my team is injured..." John argued, upset about this entire situation.

"That isn't your business.... I am going to outline the mission with Nikita and she will be acting as the team leader, John," Michael stated out with tense words. John looked to Nikita and Nikita swallowed. This just seemed to be getting worse.

"Your job in this mission will be to make sure that Nikita gets out, unharmed... I have full and complete trust that Nikita can do what is needed of her, unlike a person who is standing her arguing with me," Michael stated shortly. John only bowed his head and left the room. He knew when not to argue with Michael any further. Nikita looked to the doorway before she turned her head.

"What are you sending me in on?" Nikita questioned and Michael turned and grabbed the panel. Nikita scanned it and swallowed.

"I haven't done a mission like this in a long while, Michael..." Nikita warily stated and he turned his head slightly.

"That is why it is John's job to make sure that you come out alive," Michael stated weakly. Nikita looked to the panel, still scrolling down the information. She stopped and stared at Michael.

"I'm not even giving him poison? I'm just going to hit him with some venom that he is apparently allergic too? What if this doesn't work?" Nikita questioned and Michael turned to face Nikita, his eyes almost glowing with rage.

"Then we'll deal with him later. Either way, the allergic reaction will get him out of our hair until we can get a better idea how to attack him," Michael stated and Nikita stepped back and walked out of the office. Michael had complete trust in Nikita and Nikita knew that this must be a serious situation.

She could only hope that she could help.

~~

Lee Hung was a man deeply embedded in the acts of Red Cell, Glass Curtain, Black Death, and The Force. All the groups were very strong and most of the time didn't get a long. When they did get a long, Lee Hung benefited. Usually he was well protected by one or more of the groups, thus making it hard for Section One to make a successful attempt at stopping him and his business.

The attack that John led, Lee Hung was just using the last of his protection from Glass Curtain. He hadn't been able to give them anymore information that they wanted. Now, he was in the world without Glass Curtain's protection, or anyone else's protection until he could turn up either weapons, money, technology, or intelligence that would be worth something to one or two of the groups.

It didn't mean that getting him was going to be easy. Even the tactic that was being used was a long shot, hoping that Lee Hung would take to Nikita's aging blonde body. It was even a sneak attack of sorts, Lee Hung might never know that Nikita had done something to him, just that he felt a little pinch.

Nikita was standing in the hallway, waiting for the man to walk down the hallway to his suite in the hotel. There were other ladies waiting for him too. If he got to close to the door, Nikita would make a run for it and try at all costs to stab him with the venom. She twisted at the shawl that was around her shoulders, trying not to be as trampy as the other ladies, but still trying to keep up with the young ladies.

She didn't see how this was going to work.

"My, my... I get my choice today..." Lee Hung stated as he exited the elevator. He already was starting to eye up the long legs that were exposed, dismissing some ladies with just his eyes. Nikita lowered her head and fixed a stare at him, just as John stated that he was in total position.

"Aren't you a little old?" Lee Hung questioned Nikita as he told hold of her cheek and pulled her head up. Nikita shrugged her shoulders and looked away from his eyes.

"At least I know all my tricks," Nikita slyly stated back, and then Lee Hung turned away. Nikita shook her head and looked the other way. Nikita was upset with this profile, she knew that she was too old to pull this off for Lee Hung. Nikita turned around and faced the man again.

"Too scared that an old woman might show you too much fun?" Nikita hissed as she moved to the middle of the hallway, away from the wall and placed her hands on her hips. Lee Hung turned around and looked at Nikita.

She felt old, but she really didn't look that old. She had even lost a size in her waist since her illness, and now that her features had filled back in, she was shaped like a goddess. Nikita cocked her head to the side and lowered her eyes to Lee's.

"Nikita, what are you doing?" John hissed through the communications unit. Now he understood why no one really wanted to work with Nikita. She just did as she felt was right in the situation. Yes, Michael said that Nikita was the mission leader in this mission, but John had to protect her. He didn't feel adequate enough to protect Nikita if he had no clue what Nikita was going to do next.

"I have problems with ladies calling me on things like that... Why are you making yourself a nuisance?" Lee Hung questioned and John grabbed his gun tighter. The tone alone told him that there was something more going on. Nikita didn't respond. She just lifted her hands and started to unbutton the front of the button down, tight dress she was wearing.

"Is this a nuisance?" Nikita questioned as her dress opened up and showed the dramatic red bra, accenting her breasts. She detected Lee's heart rate racing, seeing the physical reaction she was getting from her move.

"Nikita, are you crazy?" John hissed out again, not believing Nikita's tactics.

"I would call you a nuisance... Nikita..." Lee Hung stated slowly, with his eyes glimmering with hatred for the woman in front of him. Once his mouth formed her name, all hell broke loose.

Nikita didn't think about how he knew her name or seemed to know her, she just leapt to action, kicking his one guard to the side and squeezing the venom into his neck. Hopefully it would speed his death up. She turned quickly as the women ran in all directions and Nikita sprinted down the hallway as the Section operatives were heard downstairs in the lobby. Nikita rolled on the floor as the bullets from Lee's guards sprayed the hallway.

"Teams Two and Four, converge..." John ordered out as he opened one of the guest doors and opened his own fire. Nikita ducked into the room and quickly pulled the harness on her body. John shut the door and armed the explosives.

Everything moved quickly, the guards running down the hallway as John and Nikita opened the window. They were on the tenth floor. They didn't have much of a choice. Nikita and John strapped in together and repelled quickly, face first off of the hotel, leaving nothing behind but a rope.