"You are nuts!" John said as they pulled free from the ropes and ducked into the Section One van that pulled in. Nikita heavily sat down and shrugged her shoulders.

She did what she needed to do. And finally now, she buttoned up her dress.

*

The weapons were hitting the floor loudly as Nikita walked to the desk where Walter stood. He only took a look at Nikita as she slowly handed over the little gun and knew that she was in a bad place. Her eyes were looking swollen as she headed back towards Birkoff's station.

John was right behind Nikita and Walter grabbed his arm. He was protective of Nikita, even now. She looked terrible and John knew that Walter needed answers to the questions that were flooding his head. John looked over his shoulders, seeing that Nikita was just standing in front of Birkoff's station and he swallowed.

"He knew her name," John carefully stated before he whipped around and headed towards Birkoff's station. It was all that was needed to be said to Walter. What it meant was possible trouble if this didn't work as it was supposed too.

"Nikita... why don't you sit down?" John stated as he pulled a spare chair out and placed his hands on Nikita's shoulders. She blinked her eyes and did as he suggested. Her head was throbbing and the pain would stop. She was close to giving into the spinning world. She would have hadn't the mission brought bad things up.

"You stabbed him, correct?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita nodded her head. She placed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to do anything to stop the pain, to make the pain ebb and leave her alone. It did nothing to help her with the pain. It seemed endless.

"He knew my name, Birkoff... How does he know my name and how does he know my looks?" Nikita questioned and Birkoff's paled. He didn't expect that at all. They watched out for things like this and there were some folks that did know Nikita, but Lee Hung was one they believed didn't know her.

"It must be a leak..." Birkoff stated as he typed furiously. He didn't pause until John sighed heavily as he stared at Nikita. Birkoff turned and rubbed his hand to Nikita's arm.

"Do you want to go to medical, Nikita? That looks to be more than just a regular headache," Birkoff attempted as he stared at Nikita. She lifted her head gently and swallowed. She looked to the side and closed her eyes.

"It's just a migraine... I just need some aspirin and to go home..." Nikita stated, but she made no attempt to move. John looked to Birkoff as he backed away and went in search of the items that Nikita had indicated. Nikita leaned further into Birkoff and swallowed.

"Do we have a confirmation of his death?" Nikita inquired and Birkoff shook his head as he looked to Nikita.

"They got him to the hospital pretty quickly, Nikita... And I haven't been able to get any further information. He isn't listed as a patient," Birkoff stated and Nikita wanted to drop her head to the desk. She would scream if he lived through this. She wanted it all to be over.

"Break into the hospital's camera system. Find him and find out what is going on..." Nikita ordered as John placed the glass of water down for Nikita. She stared at it and reached her hand out for the aspirin. She swallowed it dried and pushed the water away.

"What should I do with his file?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita leaned back in her chair and moaned lightly. John was waiting for Nikita to respond, but she didn't look good at all. If anything, she appeared to be turning green.

"I want you to keep it open..." John stated and Birkoff nodded his head. He was searching the files quickly, but finding no connection how Lee Hung knew Nikita. He stopped as he felt Nikita's cold hand on his arm.

"Do more than keep it open... Investigate everything that we know of him... Look at the sources we have the information from and get a reconnaissance team out to that hotel, see if he had connections to it. He did have quiet a lady following..." Nikita stated out quickly, but each word was laced with pain of her headache. She grimaced and stood up.

John quickly reached out and settled Nikita back down to the chair. It was apparent that she wasn't able to walk with this headache. She needed to be in medical, or at home in bed.

"I can take care of this, Nikita," Birkoff said in a gentle voice. Nikita looked up at him with her eyes and the tears started to squeeze out.

"Is my family in danger, Birkoff?" Nikita questioned and Birkoff shook his head. His gesture wasn't enough. He touched at Nikita's cheek and sighed softly. No matter how many times events like this one had occurred, Birkoff had to explain to Nikita the precautions that were in place for Mia and Aubrey.

"Nikita... they aren't in danger. He might know your name, but I'm sure he doesn't know about Mia and Aubrey. We have your family protected," Birkoff gently stated and Nikita nodded her head with a trembling lip. She sighed and leaned her head back.

"What if he was able to follow me?" Nikita questioned and Birkoff shook his head as he took Nikita's hands and pressed them in his. They had that one covered ages ago.

"You know the precautions we take, Nikita... You developed them... You are safe... Now go home," Birkoff stated and Nikita nodded her head. She leaned on her arms to pick herself up out of the chair.

John again, grabbed her; this time steadying her on her feet, seeing that she was unable to do much. He looked to Birkoff and Birkoff nodded his head. John knew what he had to do for Nikita, but he always looked for confirmation that it was the right thing to do.

"I'm going to drive you home, Nikita... Ok?" John stated as he took three steps forward and Nikita took two. She stopped and lifted her head, wincing at the pain the light was creating in her body.

"No.... It's not necessary," Nikita stated and John sighed. Classic Nikita. He raised his hand and put up two fingers.

"How many fingers Nikita?" John stated and Nikita looked at him blankly. Her world was spinning again, the crushing headache pounding deeper and deeper into her skull and mind. She could barely move now, but she still held her head up high, holding it with that air of pride she had, but also with marked error in judgement. She still had problems accepting help.

"Three," Nikita stated and John tightened his grip on Nikita, not allowing her free too much. She stumbled forward and held onto her head with her one hand.

"I'm going to take you home..." John stated and Nikita looked at him. She knew how much Michael hated John right now being anywhere near their house, but this couldn't be helped. She turned and started to lean on John more, knowing that he was right.

~~

The porch light was one as John opened the door to the passenger side of the car. Nikita looked up at him, and although she appeared to be better, it was clear that she was still having a terrible migraine headache. She stepped out and grabbed onto his arm, finding it still hard to balance herself.

The door opened and Michael appeared. Birkoff must have called ahead, warning Michael of how Nikita was. Maybe Birkoff even informed Michael of the incident that led up to this headache. He walked down the stairs and stared at John as he stopped.

"Michael!" Nikita shouted out and he crossed the sidewalk quickly to grab hold of Nikita. He didn't even look at John any longer as he swept Nikita up off of her feet and moved to the upstairs bedroom. John looked up the stairs and went to the kitchen, where Mia was sitting with a book that she was reading.

"Do you have a hot water bottle?" John questioned and Mia nodded her head. She moved to the cupboards and pulled out the red rubber item and handed it to John. He expertly turned the water on and filled it with warm water, knowing that maybe it may help Nikita's headache.

He said nothing more to Mia and turned to go upstairs.

"He knew my name, Michael.... That puts everyone in danger..." Nikita was harshly whispering at Michael. John stopped at the door and swallowed the lump that was in his throat. Although he couldn't have protected Nikita from having a headache, he was to protect her. Nikita was not returned in the same manner that she was borrowed and John was slightly scared to say the least.

"Shh... Birkoff is working on it... It may have a tie into Glass Curtain... He may have accidentally found out in the past day or two..." Michael said in calm words, trying to calm his wife. He knew that she just needed to sleep. He rubbed his hands to her forehead and Nikita pulled away with a groan of pain.

"Did you take the real medicine?" Michael questioned and Nikita kept her head turned away. He stood up and cross the way to the bathroom. It was from that movement that John stepped to the door and knocked at its surface. He opened it a bit and then entered the room as Nikita waved him in.

"I thought that the hot water might help ease the pain..." John offered as he handed the bottle over to Nikita. She wrapped a damp towel that Michael was using to wipe the tears off of her face around the bottle and pushed it to her forehead.

"Do you know how long this will stay warm?" Nikita questioned and John shook his head as Michael slammed the medicine cabinet door closed and turned to find John. John stepped back slightly as Michael carried the water and the pills that Nikita should have taken. She swallowed them dutifully and leaned her head back.

"Do you know how he could know her?" Michael questioned John as he stood there, frozen and ready to take the punishment that Michael would throw at him. John shook his head back and forth and looked to Nikita.

"I was as surprised as Nikita was. I didn't know what she was going to do, she reacted quickly once he said it," John pointed out and Michael nodded his head. In fact it was less than a half of a second before Nikita sprung into action from hearing her name.

"I want you to go and check on the reconnaissance team. Check the hotel out for anything," Michael stated and John dropped his head and swallowed. He knew he couldn't go, but he didn't want to inform Michael.

"He was spotted with me, Michael," Nikita protected John instantly. She knew that John was threatened by Michael a lot, even more now that Mia had a deep friendship with him. Nikita had even caught the couple kissing two days ago. Thank god it wasn't Michael that saw that. Nikita had talked the watchers into not telling Michael about any public displays of affection unless Michael specifically questioned for them.

"Then monitor from Section... We need to know how much he really knows about Nikita, I do not want her life in danger," Michael firmly ordered and John nodded his head. He backstepped once and then turned. There was a clearing of Michael's throat and John paused.

"John..." Michael said. The young man carefully turned around. The tone that Michael used could be any range of things. He could turn to find Michael smiling or find Michael holding a gun at his head. John couldn't tell anything with Michael's voice.

"Yes?" John questioned and Michael smiled and dropped his head.

"Thank you for driving Nikita home. I would have come and got her, but this was a pleasant surprise. Thank you," Michael stated and John nodded his head. Nikita smiled at him and lightly winked. He turned and left the room, feeling sweat pouring out of his body.

Oh the things he did for love and was willing to do for love.

*

The migraine didn't go away that night. It didn't even go away the next morning. It wasn't until the end of the week fell that Nikita even thought of opening her eyes and moving. She had forced herself out of the house the night before, just to see Danielle for a little bit. The little girl knew that Nikita wasn't feeling well and tugged on Michael's jacket until he nodded that he would take her home.

Michael carefully kissed Nikita's neck, knowing that he had to break down and call Austin about the headache. The medicine that was given was strong, really strong. He was surprised that Nikita was even stirring at this early morning hour that he woke up at. He rubbed his hands through Nikita's hair as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning... Are you feeling better?" Michael softly questioned as he saw Nikita. She blinked her eyes, showing the signs of the heavy medication that had finally knocked her migraine away. Even when Michael tried to soothe Nikita about Lee Hung knowing her name as not being something major, it did not ease the tension headache.

"A lot... A bit groggy," Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head. He moved to the dresser and pulled out the pills that Austin said would help Nikita pull herself together after she woke up. Nikita didn't need to know what they were; she grabbed the bottle and looked at Michael.

"Where are you going?" Nikita softly questioned and Michael sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked at his wife's disheveled way and wished that he didn't have to leave at this moment. He rubbed at Nikita's back and swallowed as she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.

"There is a Section meeting... I will be at Oversight for three days," Michael said and now he saw Nikita react. Even with her foggy world, she jumped from the sprawled out position that she was in. It was useless trying to stop Nikita from that movement. She continued to move until she winced at the pouring sunlight that was entering the room.

"Three days?" Nikita rushed out and Michael nodded his head. He knew that she shouldn't be moving so quickly yet. Michael sighed and rubbed at Nikita's neck as he nodded his head, seeing the anger that was coursing through her body.

"Yes... I don't know what is going, but there has been talk of combining a couple of the Sections... It really doesn't effect Section One, but without my presence nothing can be officially completed," Michael stated and Nikita blinked her eyes. She knew that, but it was lost somewhere in the foggy world that she felt like she was swimming in.

"That makes me the head of Section now?" Nikita questioned with a shaky voice. Michael nodded his head and placed the fingers to Nikita's lip to stop her words of more protest. His eyes waited, looking at Nikita's eyes until he knew that she would not speak. There were several false starts and finally Michael pulled his finger away and Nikita stayed quiet.

"You won't be bothered at least until this afternoon... Madeline isn't needed at the meeting and she is going to cover until you can pull yourself together... Austin said that those pills you are going to take... aren't really going to clear up your world for at least four hours...." Michael stated. He watched as Nikita flipped her head around to look at the clock. She wasn't stupid and Michael knew Nikita would insist that after noon, everything was hers to worry about.

"Pending missions?" Nikita questioned and Michael shook his head as he moved closer to his wife. He really didn't want to leave today. He wanted to crawl back in bed and hold Nikita, knowing that was what she really needed. She didn't need the stress of running Section One today, but Michael could only get away with this movement for a little bit. Anything else would have shown his hands to everything.

"Madeline will brief you if the one mission goes bad... We don't expect it will..." Michael stated and Nikita nodded her head. That had been done before. Michael always tried to get rid of all the pending missions whenever he had to leave Section in the hands of Nikita. It wasn't that she wasn't capable of it, it was that she needed. Especially now.

"And Lee Hung?"

"You are not to worry about him. You are not to access his file and you are not to be concerned, at all, Nikita," Michael spoke in rapid fire. It was very clear that this was a point that Michael was concerned about. When Nikita meekly nodded her head, he stopped her motion and grabbed her chin, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I mean it, Nikita... Let Lee Hung go," Michael stated and Nikita blinked her eyes and took in a swift intake of air. She closed her eyes and then swallowed.

"He is not dead is he?"

"No, but we are tracking him, but he is very weak at the time. He will be no problem. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HIM." Michael firmly ordered again, making it unambiguous what he wanted Nikita to do. He wasn't sure if Nikita would do as she indicated that she would leave it alone, but he did have contingency plans in place in case of Nikita going searching for this man.

"Don't be long, Please Michael." Nikita stated and he smiled and dropped his head to her forehead. He didn't want to leave. Nikita knew that as she held onto his arm, begging like a little child for extra candy, just for him to stay. He was ready to do so, but Nikita straightened her back up and nodded for Michael to leave.

It was his work. It was her work. It had to be done.

Nikita watched Michael leave and then stared at the door for a half-hour. She didn't have the motivation to stand up and to get ready. The medicine was taken and the fog that hung around her world started to lift, no longer making Nikita feel as if she was in the middle of a slow-motion action scene. Everything seemed to be getting back to normal.

Until the phone rang.

"Hello?" Nikita questioned, looking at the clock, wondering if Madeline needed her in early. She started to wonder if the mission had gone haywire or if Section One was under attack. She looked to the wall.

"Nikita.... The children are gone..." Sister Flora cried and Nikita threw her feet over the edge of the bed. The words rang in her ears.

"What children?" Nikita questioned with a rush; her heart racing more than if she had been out on the field. She pulled at a pair of black pants.

"I don't understand Nikita.... They left a note saying to call you... I should call the police..."

"NO! Don't call the police!" Nikita screamed as she crocked the phone in between her ear and her shoulder as she pulled on a bra and rummaged through her drawer to get a black shirt of any kind. She pulled the drawer out sharply.

"I don't understand Nikita... they took room three..." Sister Flora cried out and Nikita dropped her eyes and swallowed.

"Danielle?"

"She has been taken, Nikita... What is going on?" Sister Flora stated and Nikita looked around the room as she pulled on a pair of sandals, not having the time to pull on socks or stockings. She started out of the bedroom quickly, thinking of what was going on.

"Was the note signed?" Nikita questioned as she flew down the stairs. She almost crashed immediately into John and Mia, as they were about to walk out the door. John took one look at Nikita as she pulled at her purse and headed towards the kitchen. He knew that it was something bad.

"Nikita, what's going on?" John inquired, but his words went unheard.

"No... It had a note attached to a note... and it feels to have a music CD in it... It said not to open it up.. They have been kidnapped, Nikita... We need to call the police, Nikita!" Sister Flora urged her and Nikita closed her eyes and grabbed her keys. Suddenly Nikita stopped and swallowed, realizing that she was using the house phone and not her cell phone.

"Don't do anything till I get there..... Can you lie to the other volunteers and children?"

"Yes... but Nikita..."

"Don't ask Sister Flora, just do it.. I will be no more than five minutes!" Nikita shouted and slammed the phone down. John was standing in the doorway and Nikita turned towards him and swallowed.

"Someone has taken Danielle and some other children..." Nikita stated and Mia let go her grasp on John. He moved forward without looking at Mia. The two operatives moved quickly and Mia felt curiously alone.

~~

Sister Flora was pacing long the front of St. Colette's Children's Shelter. John's eyes started to look at the surface of the building, noting that if someone had enough men, that they could easily steal a set of children and never notice it, especially during the cover of Nikita. Sister Flora turned towards Nikita and ran down the pathway, unsure of who this man was that was with Nikita and why she seemed so calm.

"Nikita! THE CHILDREN!" Sister Flora raised her voice in an attempt to get Nikita's attention, to get a reaction out of her. Nikita looked to the door and placed a hand on Sister Flora's shoulder.

"We need to talk inside... Is this your letter?" Nikita questioned as she looked at the piece of paper that Sister Flora was grasping on for dear life. She nodded her head and opened her fingers, one at a time to reveal the letter to Nikita.

It was type written with short instructions. The standard, I'll kill the children's phrase, and the instructions to further the next part to Nikita. This wasn't a random act. This was done because Nikita was Section and had somehow unknowingly exposed these children to this danger.

Sister Flora hurried down her office, pulling Nikita long as John walked in behind Nikita. Nikita only nodded her head. She had explained him some of the lay out. He was going to go to the room and try to find out any clues, any mistakes that the kidnappers left behind that might narrow down where to look for these children. These were men that wanted to hurt Nikita because she was Section One. It didn't mean that they were close to home, they could be half way around the world by now.

"I don't understand... I don't understand..." Sister Flora chanted as she opened her office and Nikita walked in and spotted the envelope for her and she opened it quickly. The disk was plain, but was sure to house a location of a website to go and view the children. It was an old tactic, but Section One had learned ways to use that information to their benefit.

"I used to work in with intelligence..." Nikita stated with a warily eye as she pulled the letter out. The beginning was kind of similar to Sister Flora's, stating that the children were safe, but it diverged and quickly. He wasn't going to protect them long, only thirty six hours from the first time the webpage was hit would he give Section One the opportunity to deposit over 75 million dollars in various bank accounts.

'It will be payment for the ones that Section One killed'

The next demand was fifty operatives, already given in a list attached to the disk. They were to be handed over to him, drugged and subdued to use to reorganize his men and to reestablish his network. Nikita swallowed and looked at the name.

Lee Hung

"Has anyone called this morning?" Nikita questioned quickly as she looked around the room. She wondered what kind of electrical devices were planted also while they took the children.

"No..... But Nikita... We need to call the police..." Sister Flora protested out briskly and Nikita stepped forward and placed her hands on the good sister's shoulders. She tried not to look too concerned, but she had to stop this behavior from Sister Flora. If she needed to, Nikita would sedate her, because anything that went against what was ordered, the children would die.

Including Danielle.

"If you call the police... the children will die and they'll come and take more.... You have to trust me, Sister Flora..." Nikita stated as John walked into the room. He lifted a small round object to Nikita and she sighed. It wasn't safe to talk in St. Colette's Children's Shelter right now. She turned and saw that Sister Flora had slumped against her chair.

"I promise you, Sister Flora, they all will return," Nikita stated and walked out of the office. She turned quickly and moved to the outside before even thinking of uttering another word.

"We need that building cleaned of the bugs...." Nikita said and John pulled at Nikita's arm. He looked to her and shook his head. He didn't even need to ask Nikita who had done this. He knew it was the thorn in Nikita's side.

Lee Hung.

*

"Cancel all missions..... Bring in every single operative, injured, hurt, on down time, or on vacation... I want them all in and placed in Closed Quarter Standby..." Nikita started to bark out the orders as her purse slapped down next to Birkoff's station. She looked around as the operatives stared at her.

"What are you waiting for? Call them all in. Now," Nikita said as her eyes sizzled with anger. Nikita turned around in a circle as John walked down the hallway, seeing the operatives scattering now that they realized that Nikita meant every single word.

"Nikita, what is going on?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita slammed the CD down in front of Birkoff and leaned over his shoulder.

"Pull up the Lee Hung file, Birkoff," Nikita ordered. She was staring at the screen, waiting to see the information to pop up, but Birkoff did no such thing. Instead his face paled. John wanted to go to Birkoff's rescue, but Walter was starting to get upset, and Nikita had given John instructions in what to do.

"Walter... go back to your station... inventory everything and get ready to arm every operative if necessary..." John stated in a cool voice, not leaving his eyes off of the computers and Nikita.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T DO IT!" Nikita shouted with anger as her hands wrapped around Birkoff's neck. John started to move, finding a rush of operatives moving down the hallway.

"Nikita..." John said as he raised his eyebrows. Nikita grabbed the CD out of the cover and popped it into the computer. Birkoff looked up to the main screen as the information popped up around it. There was the live feed in from the warehouse type location that Lee Hung had the children at, and then the list of the fifty operatives that Lee Hung wanted. Nikita noticed names right off the bat, John, Walter, Birkoff, and Mary.

This man knew too much about him.

"I want all communication monitored... We have a mole..." Nikita announced as she stepped back from Birkoff. Birkoff looked concernedly at his staff, knowing that now it was going to be tension within the ranks of Section One personnel even as Nikita had not yet to explain herself.

"I want the file on Lee Hung," Nikita stated in a voice that exploded with power. Birkoff started to sweat, knowing what had been done to stop Nikita from getting into that file.

"Nikita... I can't... Michael had it double locked..." Birkoff stated and then dropped his head. He was ready for the surging Nikita to wrap her hands around his neck. She didn't do that. She stared at him like he was an idiot.

"Go around it." Nikita ordered and Birkoff lifted his head. He wasn't the little boy that used to be scared of Michael's and Nikita's orders. Time had changed, but there was a panic inside of Section One now as Nikita had taken extreme measures for something that Birkoff wasn't sure about.

"Just explain this, Nikita," Birkoff stated, trying to keep all emotion out of his voice. Nikita didn't even blink her eyes. She moved to the computer and started to do more orders without ordering them verbally. Birkoff was having a hard time trying to keep up with what Nikita was doing as John walked to the computers and placed his hands down over Birkoff's hands.

"St. Colette's Children's Shelter... I'm sending a team out to debug it..." John stated, hoping that Birkoff would start placing things together. John saw the eyes flickering from side to side and then Birkoff standing up. He stared at the screen and lifted his finger.

"That's Danielle!" Birkoff cried out and Nikita turned and nodded her head. Birkoff fell to his chair and started to do exactly as Nikita had ordered. Because Birkoff was in compliance, those operatives that were holding off on doing exactly as Nikita stated started to do. Birkoff pulled the file. He had seen it right before Michael had left. Apparently, Lee Hung got more protection again, from Red Cell and Glass Curtain.

"Nikita... I'm going to turn this off..." Birkoff said as he pointed to the screen. Nikita leapt from her position and grabbed Birkoff's hand before he could wipe it out. He looked at her eyes as they bleed with furious tears.

Danielle was special, but it had been sometime since anyone had seen Nikita like this. She had taken control to the basic word. Birkoff still didn't understand where Madeline was in all of this mess. He could have the entire file in a minute if she would arrive with the matching key to his. Yet, he was getting the information slowly but surely.

"No... I already figured it out. They aren't getting any other information from our computers as we access their link... I've protected our signal, but they know that we are watching," Nikita stated and Birkoff blinked his eyes.

"Why would we want them to know that we are watching?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita stared at the screen. Maybe it was for her peace of mind, that they hadn't killed Danielle yet. She was sitting there with the other girls, huddled on the cold floor, showing signs that she was shivering, along with the other girls. Nikita bit her tongue sharply, tasting the instant blood.

"No... We allow them to think we are watching... because then Lee Hung might think we'll give into his demands," Nikita stated and Birkoff nodded his head. He was not unaware that his name was on the list of operatives to hand over.

"I need his location, Birkoff... Can you track it through the website and with his file?" Nikita questioned as she dropped her head away from the screen, knowing that if she watched it too much longer that she would not be able to continue in this manner. Birkoff sighed and swallowed.

"I don't have his file yet, Nikita... Once I get it... I'll tell you..." Birkoff said and Nikita turned away from Birkoff, preceding to pace from operative to operative, looking at their work. Nikita turned and saw John standing there, staring at her.

"Do have a list of operatives that have contacts that might know Lee Hung?" Nikita inquired and John nodded his head. His eyes looked at Nikita's body. She was an amazing operative; John had watched her the entire time he had been in Section One. It was quite scary, but she had only been in Section One a few years more than he was. She was an operative that everyone wanted to be, smart and intelligent, but not bowing too much from what she believed in.

Now, as a leader, she knew how to command and to plan. She was creative in her tasks, but this was personal. John had a contact that knew a lot about Lee Hung, but he wasn't about to leave Nikita now, without Michael in sight or in hearing distance. She was going to take the first possible mission and use it, meaning that it would not be the best solution. Nikita wouldn't be able to live with herself if something bad happened during that mission and to any of those children. Yes, it particularly hurt Nikita that Danielle was one of the girls, as it did John, but it was all the girls that had Nikita's heart and would have her protection soon enough.

If she thought rationally.

"I was about to order that. It will be about thirty operatives leaving at once. Does that expose us to scrutiny?" John questioned and Nikita looked up at the screen and waved her hand at him. It was a signal not to worry about the consequences, to gather any information that he can through the contacts.

"I got the file..." Birkoff announced as he stood up, moving the image of the girls off of the main screen and pulling the location page to the screen. Nikita took one look at the page and started to move. Towards Walter's area.

"Nikita, what are you doing?" Birkoff shouted as she pushed the operatives out of the way. Walter shook his head, but she moved passed him and started to pull the machine guns he was counting. He couldn't stop her; he had no right to stop her.

"I'm going to fix what I caused..." Nikita stated and Birkoff's mouth dropped open. He was scared as Nikita continued to walk down the hallway. There was no way that Nikita, by herself was going to make it into those girls. She was committing suicide and she wasn't thinking.

No one stopped Nikita, until a blur tackled Nikita.

"Nikita... no," Madeline stated as she looked at the young woman. It was that one look from Madeline that finally got a reaction from Nikita that gave her a chance to do what she wanted to do all along. She cried.

Madeline looked at John as he walked closer and she handed him the machine gun. She pulled at Nikita's body, keeping her close to her, and looking around at the scene of the operatives. There was nothing here to stare at, and they all gathered Madeline's message. They scattered once again.

"You care for her, don't you, Nikita?" Madeline asked as she pulled away from Nikita's racing body, feeling the pound pulse surging through every since ounce of her body. Nikita nodded her head as she lifted her hands to wipe at the tears.

"You love her, don't you, Nikita?" Madeline questioned and Nikita numbly nodded her head. She didn't want too, but she did. There was no other explanation she would act the way she would act if her children were missing. But to couple that with the fact that Danielle was so damaged made Nikita irrational.

"What is going on and why have I been called in?" Operations voice boomed down the hallway and Nikita separated from Madeline's touch. With a few seconds of blinking the last of the wetness that had smothered her vision, Nikita turned back to Birkoff.

"I need to get in touch with Michael," Nikita said and the entire surrounding areas quieted. Nikita knew that now she was probably asking the impossible. Operations was now by Madeline, pulling at some details, but finding this all interesting. Nikita turned from Birkoff and looked at John.

"Everyone has three hours to gather Intel, put it together and to be ready for a strategy meeting... Birkoff... Three hours and you better have some ideas of how to get Michael in touch with me... I'm going out with this mission..." Nikita stated and turned away with a huff. It was less than a minute when Nikita appeared in the glass office and darkened the windows.

Birkoff rubbed his hair. If Michael hadn't noticed that all of Section One seemed to be going into arrest at the meeting, there was no way to get in touch with him. Often, Birkoff didn't give up, but he was about too. He leaned his head back and looked up at the screen, seeing the huddle of girls. There were more men surrounding them, probably because Section One was now monitoring the webpage. Birkoff looked once more and dropped his head.

Maybe there was another way to get in touch with Michael.

*

There was not one word that could accurately describe a meeting of all the Sections in Michael's mind. Dull, boring, tedious, lackluster, drab, pain, and waste of time, still couldn't describe what Michael felt now and what he was going to feel for the next three days.

The situation he was in now was like being placed in a cage with ten hungry lions and throwing away the key. It never did get down to violence between the heads of Section One. It was always implied threats, impending doom, statistics that meant nothing, and secret planning. Section One never did get involved with the inter-fighting of Section One. If they didn't like a Section, they would go in, destroy it, and create a new one for them.

Michael had the weight at the meeting, but he didn't have the weight to leave the meeting as he ached to do. In fact, since this was such an important meeting, as Oversight tried to make it sound, there was no communication outside of this room. There were whatever numbers Oversight felt that one should read, but that was all.

Nikita was hurting, Michael knew that, but he couldn't do anything to check on her. There had been a thorough scan of his body for extra electrical devices or communication devices before he walked in and signed in to his panel and his desk. He sat there now; studying the bickering that was going on between the heads of the other Sections. The only time that the Sections meeting went smoothly was when Nikita was in charge of Section Two. There were no disputes, all the other heads knew that Michael and Nikita would combine their efforts to shut them all down if needed.

That wasn't still out of question. For sometime Michael had been in consultation with his upper operatives and Madeline about that option. The other Sections sometimes gave the impression of being almost as bad as The Agency or NSA. Sometimes they were just a comedy act of Larry, Curly and Moe. It wasn't good to have those kinds of actions being any way associated with Section One.

Section One struck utter fear into the opponents that were smart enough to think. Section Two, that now was re-established, didn't even raise a heartbeat. Michael didn't want to disturb the balance, but he was sick of fixing up the mistakes that the other Sections made before they got to Section One.

"As I stated before, Southeast China is the area that Section Seven covers," the older woman from Section Seven argued. It was always about territory in these meetings. Each one wanting more and more, so they could ask for more funds. Too bad they took more and more territory and couldn't even keep things in a static nature. It was dangerous for this bickering.

"No, I'm sorry, but Section Eight is ready to fight to keep that territory as our own. We have always had that area," The man fought as he glared across the table at the woman. He was about to stand up and look at her even more firmly. It was about time that the Sections meeting broke down to that kind of childish behavior either way.

Michael glanced down at his screen and swallowed. There was a blinking light on, indicating that there was a Closed Quarters Standby ordered at Section One. That didn't sound right. He looked and pressed his hands to the panel, seeking out what other further information was needed. All he saw was the massive numbers of operatives that appeared to be pouring into Section One.

"Damn," Michael thought to himself. He had been there for less than four hours and everything at Section One was going as he had least expected it. He had to wonder what kind of thing Nikita was trying to do now. There was no warning that the double key file had been accessed that would have caused a warning flare to Michael's unit too. But he had a funny feeling.

Lee Hung would have to be dealt with when he got back to Section One.

"We have control over the locals," Section Seven argued.

"Because you took our best operative," Section Eight yelled back. Michael rolled his eyes and looked around the room, wondering if anyone else ever thought that these meetings were boring. It was compounded with the personal things that Michael had to go through at home and the fact that Section One was so powerful. In the end, after three days, whatever was agreed wouldn't mean anything if Michael didn't agree to it. Why don't they just ask him his opinion after the meeting so he could tend to the world while they all fought?

Michael studied the person that was filling in for the head of Section Three. The real head was on his honeymoon. He had married some politician's daughter or something. Michael had a close eye on the happenings at Section Three; they were starting to act less and less like Section.

"We don't need to steal operatives..." Section Seven hollered. Michael stood up and placed his hands on the table. They all stopped and stared at him. The last time that Michael had done a move like this, it was when Operations had him covering the meeting for him, but the message came through that Nikita had gone into labor. Michael looked at the table and realized that none of the heads that saw that were even alive any longer.

"I don't care about land. If you don't finish this little foray into the Southeast China, I'll take all responsibility for it, since neither of you are doing the job correctly. It is probably in my best interest to take it over, but I am giving you five minutes, away from the table to solve it. Would you like boxing gloves or guns?" Michael questioned with his eyes burning holes into the two leaders. They stood up and moved to the corner of the room.

It was time to stretch his legs, and he had the power to do so. He moved to the table and poured himself a cup of coffee, seeing that the other heads were standing up and moving too. Poloski, the head of Section Two was heading right towards Michael. That was the only Section that made Michael hold off on taking all of the Sections over. They were still holding their own, especially since the original Section Two lost all men and the location and had to start all over again, without Nikita.

"What is going on at Section One? I have readings that they are pulling together all resources... and sending out operatives to go with contacts?" Poloski questioned and Michael sipped at his coffee. He didn't looked worried, but inside he was wondering what was going on.

"Nothing," Michael stated and Poloski laughed bitterly into Michael's face. The fact was, Michael had a decent relationship with Poloski and had sometimes asked him to take some casework over that was tedious and not needed inside of Section One.

"If I was worried of you stabbing us in the back, I would think that either Section One was under attack or Section One was going to use the cover of the Sections meeting to take us all down," Poloski stated and Michael swallowed and blinked his eyes. He couldn't believe that Poloski had said that, or what was going on at Section One.

"You know, Nikita... She is running Section One. She wouldn't be part of such a plan," Michael stated and Poloski nodded his head. He did know Nikita, unfortunately.

"You are right... but it makes me wonder what Nikita is doing," Poloski stated and moved away from Michael. He turned his eyes and looked to the wall.

He hated Sections meetings.

"We are done," Section Seven stated as the heads started back to the table. Michael nodded his head and looked down at the screen. Now Section Four started to speak, she was a young woman in comparison to the table. Michael watched her. She was another fill in too. He wondered why there were so many fill-ins. He looked at the screen again and flashed his eyes.

The blinking was bigger than before. Michael touched his hand to the screen and smiled, as it appeared as if Section One finally was able to break the communications barrier that Oversight had placed on this meeting. Michael noticed the small symbol located on the blinking area. Michael tried not to look to drawn to what was going on his screen, but only half-paid attention to everyone else as another fight started.

It was taking a lot of cross-referencing and Michael started to pull together that there was a four-letter message to him. He looked to the computer and stopped. He would have to confirm what his mind instantly thought about, and he moved quickly.

H

"Damn... Nikita didn't do that on her own..." Michael hissed, as there was a buzzer around the room. Michael waited and then continued with his work. Everyone was worried about the alarm. If anything, it was Birkoff buying time for Michael to hurry to find the message.

HUNG

Michael typed quickly and swallowed. The doors flew open and there was a rush of operatives. Not Oversight operatives. Section One operatives.

"Nikita has called for your assistance..." John stated as he pulled his hood off and looked at the room of the heads of Section One. If they complained now, Michael could take them all over in less than five seconds. They all knew it too. No one had ever been able to break through to the Sections meeting.

"What is going on?" Michael questioned and John handed him a panel and looked as three Section One guards. John looked to his watch and swallowed. He had less than ten minutes to get back to Nikita's planning meeting.

"Lee Hung has taken Danielle.... He has Red Cell and Glass Curtain protecting, and Nikita is going in..." John said and retreated. Michael was about to go with him, but was stopped. He looked to the panel. It was a personal message from John, asking Michael to stay behind, because he felt that most likely this was a trap and that in the end, someone was going to have to bail them out.

"Let's get to the real issues... I have some time," Michael stated as he looked at the heads of the other Sections. Poloski looked at Michael and swallowed. Michael saw that Poloski really believed that Michael was going to ruthlessly take over the other Sections.

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea.

Just not now.

*

Nikita stood in the massive room that had been pulled together by taking some walls down. She needed all of her top operatives in the room and all information to be pulled together. She had already started to assemble a schematic of the mission that was going to occur, based off of what Birkoff was able to find by piggybacking the signal into the computer that ran the steady stream of the cameras in the warehouse.

"We have a location in the middle of an old industrial park.... Tell me about the building," Nikita ordered as she looked over the computer at an operative behind Birkoff. His name was Hans and had been also working with Birkoff, trying to draw the image of the warehouse in such a short period of time. It was difficult, but so far this was all that they had about the inside of the warehouse. With Red Cell and Glass Curtain protecting Lee Hung at this time, the satellite check turned up nothing.

"What we have determined is one half of the warehouse is one floor and the other half is two floors. There are only guards in the second level.... And there are no ladders or hatches to the roof, except for one. The guards watch a video camera that is set up outside before doing any movement. He doesn't seem to like the roof that much." Hans reported and Nikita waited as the hologram popped up in three dimensions for everyone to see. Nikita narrowed her eyes and swallowed.

John looked around the room as he slid into the back of the room. Nikita was not to know that they had made contact with Michael, it would and could distract her even more. She had the entire room's attention currently. She looked at the hologram and swallowed.

"How is his protection?" Nikita questioned the room at whole. John stood back, waiting for the information to come up one at a time.

"From what we can see... Red Cell his covering the inner layers and up to five hundred yards outside of the compound," one operative, with a small goatee spoke. Nikita nodded her head and looked around the room. Names weren't important now, only information that Birkoff plugged into the computer as he went it placed areas of hostiles and possible weaknesses.

"I got information from a contact within Red Cell that they have one hundred men on sight and another hundred are scheduled to be there by high noon tomorrow," a small woman reported. Nikita blinked. That was going to cut down the window of opportunity for this mission.

"How about Glass Curtain?" Nikita questioned, looking at the operatives that she knew had good contacts among Glass Curtain. They all seemed to wince, Nikita knew that the reaction couldn't be good.

"I got a number of one hundred on sight with another seventy-five entering the area by high noon also," the first man responded, rubbing his gloved hands together. He had just arrived back from his meet.

"I have intelligence that they are protecting the area up to a mile away with wires and traps..." the woman next to him spoke. They often worked in a pair and she was playing with a scarf that was still around her neck.

"Do they have explosives with them?" Nikita questioned and the two operatives shrugged their shoulders. Nikita looked around the room, Hans moved to a computer quickly and typed.

"We have a number of small devices on the ground, Nikita... They are land mining the ground for us..." Hans reported and Nikita closed her eyes. Lee Hung must have known that Nikita wouldn't give into her demands.

"That isn't good at all. We have to make a move at night... with the landmines.. How are the supplies and men getting in?" Nikita questioned and Birkoff looked at Hans and shrugged. Nikita stared at the operatives, some conferring on what little intelligence they did have, trying to answer Nikita's question.

Nikita turned her head lightly and saw the camera that was on the children still. She narrowed her eyes. Seeing that they were finally getting food and water. Nikita stepped closer to the screen and continued to study the picture. Danielle was fussing a little bit, but no one was paying attention. Nikita blinked her eyes as Danielle started to whirl her hand around in front of her face as she stared at one of the girls.

"How about helicopters?" Nikita questioned and the operatives all stopped talking.

"I have a contact in a town not far from that location, said that it sounded like the military was doing maneuvers... It is possible," the woman with the scarf replied. Nikita waited as her eyes fluttered from side to side, operatives quickly moving to get a more definitely answer on the question she asked.

"We might have another problem, Nikita," John spoke up and Nikita lifted her head. She rubbed her hands together. She didn't have to address him to talk. He moved through the operatives and finally got a good look at the building. It wasn't small for a warehouse, in fact, it was quite large.

"I talked to a friend who knows a friend in Black Death. They are pulling their men in and moving out tonight," John stated and Nikita blinked her eyes. That meant two things, there was another terrorist group that wanted to protect Lee Hung and that they were moving on land, which meant that one of the ways into the warehouse was going to be opened and not filled in with landmines.

"Birkoff... what is the least likely approach of anyone onto the warehouse?" Nikita snapped, moving her eyes quickly. He pulled at his eyebrow and looked up at the map. He studied and then pointed to a road that entered the industrial park from the north.

"Do we have a reconnaissance team on sight?" Nikita barked out.

"Yes," Four operatives replied. Nikita pointed to the hologram and then the map, indicating the area they were to move to, to make sure that it was the path that was being left open. With knowing that, it gave Section a way in without having to worry about landmines and tripping on wires.

"John, send out two teams of twenty... Black Death don't have that many men," Nikita stated. John looked at Nikita and swallowed.

"They are kamikaze, Nikita. You do know that?" John questioned and Nikita looked at John and bitterly smiled.

"If they have too, they can destroy the vehicles, but best case scenario is using the vehicles they have to place an advance team in..." Nikita stated and John nodded his head. He started to type at his panel, there not being an open computer in the room.

"Nikita... a contact that is sleeping with a higher up in Red Cell has confirmed that Red Cell is shipping in supplies every ten minutes, via a helicopter pad about twenty miles away from the industrial park," Nick, an older gentleman reported.

"How big of a Red Cell team is staying at the pad?" Nikita questioned.

"About ten to twelve," Nick responded. Nikita sighed, feeling a plan taking place in her head. She knew that now was the time to move that anything less would be wrong and dangerous. The problem was that there needed to be some penetration in the inside to take down some guards before the teams from the outside started to get in.

"John... Do we have men that can blend in with Red Cell personnel?" Nikita stated and he checked at his pad.

"We have two," John replied. Nikita blinked her eyes, and searched the room. There were no easy answers here; they were all waiting upon Nikita now. Nikita didn't even notice Madeline and Operations in the back of the room, to her back. They were watching how expertly she was doing everything. Even under this sort of pressure.

"I want those two men to get on any helicopter as soon as possible and take positions inside of the warehouse... The closer to the children the better..." Nikita stated as she opened her eyes. John was surprised that they weren't going to take over the helicopter pad. Nikita rubbed her hands together.

"Ok... In three hours, I want eight teams of eight, to be within one hundred yards of the warehouse, at these points," Nikita started to order, pointing at the hologram as she went. The locations were flagged with red flashing dots.

"Three hours, Nikita? We have landmines..." an operative complained out. Nikita looked around the room and then stopped as she finally found Walter. He nodded his head.

"We have some Intel about the landmines that Red Cell uses.... They aren't planting them deep, but they aren't really sensitive... I have some devices that will alert you when you are about fifty feet away from them... I should be able to get each team two of them...." Walter said and Nikita nodded her head. That got rid of that problem.

"I want one team of fifty, ready to go through the pathway once we have stopped Black Death.... Using those vehicles or ours, we should be able to get almost all the way to the front door..." Nikita stated and the operatives all nodded their head. Nikita didn't have to state that the children were not to be harmed in any way.

"John... you are to go get Lee Hung," Nikita stated and he nodded his head. He understood.

"Back up teams?" Birkoff questioned. Nikita swallowed and licked her lips.

"I want one back up team of twenty within a mile of the compound... I want one other back up team of forty within five miles...." Nikita stated and Birkoff nodded his head. They would be emptying a lot of Section One operatives into his mission.

"So we are going for a full frontal assault, then?" Madeline questioned and Nikita turned around. She looked at Madeline and then to the screen. Danielle was still whirling her hand in the air.

"Nikita, I have an operative ready to go in on the helicopter..." Birkoff sounded and Nikita nodded her head.

"No..." Nikita stated lightly and Operations narrowed his eyes. Two men in the inside with no explosive devices didn't mean anything at all.

"Why aren't we taking the helicopter pad down?" Operations questioned and Nikita smirked. Of course it would be those two that would be having all the questions.

"Because if we take them down, there might be a distress call and it would warn Lee Hung and all men on sight that we are coming..." Nikita stated firmly as she walked around the room. Nikita looked at the plan of the warehouse and licked her lips lightly.

"Are you going to distract?" Birkoff questioned and Nikita nodded her head.

"With whom?" Madeline asked.

"With me," Nikita stated and the entire room stopped and stared at Nikita. Nikita blinked her eyes as John shook her head.

"Walter... I'm going to need intelligence on the helicopters they are using... and then a harness to strap myself to the underneath of one... I should be able to take the guard out on the roof and then get inside..." Nikita stated and John, Madeline, and Operations started to protest.

"That is suicide..." Madeline stated and Nikita shook her head.

"I'm who Lee Hung wants, Madeline... Even if he captures me, he isn't going to kill me... I might be able to take down some guards a long the way and get out later," Nikita stated and Madeline threw her hands up in the air and mumbled to herself.

"Get me a line to Michael, now," Operations yelled as he walked away with Madeline. Birkoff looked to John and he shook his head. Operations and Madeline would not know that Michael had been able to be sprung from the Sections meeting. Yet, John needed Michael to stay there, he had a feeling that not all was right.

"Nikita.. That is mighty dangerous..." Walter stated and Nikita smiled and looked around the area.

"I'm risky our men to get my girls back.... Give me some of those ball explosives...." Nikita stated and Walter nodded his head and moved out of the area.

"John... I'll be inside of that warehouse within the hour.... You do not, under any circumstance start to move into the warehouse before scheduled time... I should be able to plant some hard explosives on the roof before I kill the guard..." Nikita stated and she stopped and turned around.

"Birkoff... I need one more team... of about eight... After the sequence starts on the warehouse, I want the helicopter pad taken down.. And if they have too.. Shoot down the helicopter with a rocket launcher..." Nikita stated and turned. She started to look as the operatives shook their heads at her.

The plan was going to work.

It had too.

*

It was a flash back to the old days as Walter fussed with the equipment pile that was for Nikita. He lifted his head and saw her body, looking probably even better now than it did then, striding down the hallway. She wore heavy boots and had a black cap over her hair already. She stared at Walter and didn't even blink.

There was no time for a 'how's it shakin', sugar', there was time for details. Nikita planned the mission and she knew what she had to do. She didn't even look to the panel; there would be no way for her to take it with her either way. She started to pull at the bag that would hold the ball explosives towards her body.

"Why only six?" Nikita questioned and Walter looked to his list and sighed lightly. He knew that Nikita was going to question everything.

"You aren't going to be able to set a lot of these up. They'll know something is up the minute they seem them," Walter stated and Nikita shook her head and looked to the panel that Walter was using.

"They are now a remote position denotation. Walter... you are going to push these all off about two minutes before the teams attack... I need more," Nikita stated out harshly and Walter bit his lip. He pulled a drawer out and Nikita grabbed six more.

"What if they find them?" Walter questioned and Nikita blankly looked to the wall. It was like she wasn't even considering that the men from Red Cell and Glass Curtain wouldn't find out about this attack. They were going to know sooner or later.

"They look like super balls, Walter... A toy... They aren't going to worry about them," Nikita said as she snapped the bag around her waist and started to reach for the hard explosives that would be placed on the roof. Walter grabbed her hand and waited for her eyes to look up at his.

"Super balls with lights, Nikita... Don't be unrealistic, here," Walter stated and Nikita swallowed. He rarely ever called Nikita her full name to her face anymore.

"I'm not. I know what I'm going to do Walter.... I don't need to know about the hard explosives... You will have to simultaneously explode all of them at the same time as the balls.... Tell me about the helicopter," Nikita ordered quickly in precise words. Walter pulled up a computer screen that showed the underbelly of the helicopter that was being used.

"There is a hook, right here... You are going to double connect to it... With a strap around your waist and one between your legs..." Walter said as he pulled out the two harnesses that he had designed for Nikita.

"Not enough, time... Only time to do one," Nikita stated and Walter dropped his hands to the table with a smack.

"Are you looking to kill yourself?" Walter demanded. He got nothing in response, but Nikita staring into his eyes. He shook his head and swallowed. He knew that even if he said for Nikita to do both, she was only going to do one.

"Connect the one around your waist... This suit devise will support you..." Walter said and Nikita looked at the black contraption that Walter was holding up. Nikita touched it.

"It's gong to make running impossible once I get on that roof, Walter," Nikita stated. Walter simply turned the item over and pulled the zipper down. She would be out of it ten seconds at the max. Nikita looked at it and started to slide it on, when Walter stopped her.

"You are putting it on backwards... The hooks are to be at your stomach," Walter stated and Nikita stared at him and continued to put it on. She looked behind her and saw the hooks.

"I've got to be able to see if they spot me... So far they haven't been checking the helicopters when they land... but if there is a guard out on the roof, with me hooked in so I'm looking down is the safest way," Nikita stated and Walter rubbed at his head. He was nervous about all of this. Nikita asked him for the safest way to start out, and slowly and surely, she was twisting all of his safety devices to make this the most ridiculous and suicidal like maneuver he had seen an operative do to date, voluntarily.

"Fine... You are going to do it any way you want too.. Here is your communications unit," Walter said and Nikita shoved her hand out and pointed to her ear. Walter did not back down; he didn't want to lose connection with Nikita during this one.

"Do you have the magnetic gloves?" Nikita questioned, knowing that they would only help to keep her hands up, they wouldn't support her from the flying helicopter if the strap broke. Walter looked to the table and continued to push the communications unit towards Nikita.

"We will have to use what communications we already have... You will know what is going on," Nikita stated and Walter placed it down and blinked his eyes. He was scared. He was really scared. This was probably even scarier than finding Nikita sick with breast cancer. This was bothering him more than anything else he knew in his life.

"We won't be able to communicate with you," Walter said and Nikita nodded her head. She knew that, but knew that most likely, she was eventually going to get caught and abused. If that occurred, she wanted to be able to give Section One a continuous stream of information. If she used this communications unit, once she was found, they would know that there was a bigger plan going on. She wasn't going to risk it.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, Walter,' Nikita stated as she tried to turn out of the area. She was acting like Michael would, but inside, she felt like she was falling apart. She was scared stiff to be doing half of these things, but knew it had to occur this way. She was not surprised when Walter grabbed her hand turned her around.

"Why are you doing this, Nikita?" Walter questioned and Nikita tightened her jaw. She blinked her eyes back and forth, not wanting to answer the real question that Walter was bothering her with. Nikita steadied her eyes once more on Walter and sighed, hoping that he would take what she would give him and live with it.

"I don't know what you are asking, Walter. Those children are captured and in danger because of me," Nikita stated and pulled her arm away, but she stayed. She knew she was going to hear a protest and she waited as Walter's mouth parted.

"But they aren't your children, Nikita," Walter bluntly stated and Nikita silently stepped back for a second. She didn't want Walter to know how much she had attached to Danielle. He must have known, from the way that he was looking at her. Nikita looked to the wall and swallowed once more, finding the strength to continue on with this conversation.

"I am doing this for my children," Nikita bluntly stated out and Walter blinked.

"How?"

"I caused this to happen. If something happens to those children, Walter... Do you think I can be a good mother to Aubrey and Mia? Do you think I would be able to stand living with myself?" Nikita demanded in short and precise words again, that cut at Walter's heart, making him know that Nikita meant every single word she just spat out.

"No... But Nikita..." Walter said and Nikita smiled and leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Don't worry, Walter... Your sugar is going to be fine... I promise," Nikita stated and Walter nodded his head. He turned and watched as Nikita walked down the hallway, stopping once more to firmly tell John the lay of the land that he wasn't to stray from the profile.

"John..." Walter called out as the younger man walked down the hallway. He looked around before moving towards Walter.

"I was just coming to get my equipment... I wanted to get on sight and see what is going on myself," John stated and Walter narrowed his eyes.

"There is something more going on here, isn't there?" Walter questioned.

"I don't know what you are asking about," John blankly stated, in a fashion that Walter was use to seeing with Michael. Walter used his hands to rub at his neck and then sighed heavily.

"Can I get in a van.... I don't think this is going to be as smooth as Nikita thinks it is going to be..." Walter stated and John nodded his head as he started to pick up the equipment. Walter looked around and finally turned away from John.

He didn't want anyone catching him praying.

*

"One... two... three... four..." Nikita counted in her head as it felt as if her entire body was going to be bruised before she even got onto the roof. The force of the wind was chaffing her face and the black hat that had hid her hair was gone. She still had the important things. Explosives and a gun.

Times like this, she thought she should be thinking that this was the way that Superman felt like. She looked down and saw the vast darkness that was under her. There were only a few lights every now and then, this trip seeming to be longer and longer with each passing minute.

"One... two... three... four..." Nikita chanted in her head, even as her mouth started to chatter. It was a warm night, in the mid 70's, but to Nikita, it felt like she was out in the middle of the winter. Her legs were being jostled in every direction other than what Nikita wanted them too.

Maybe if it had been day, it wouldn't have been as scary as it was now. Now, hanging in the darkness, only seeing the pitch black beneath her, Nikita was worried and feeling every ounce of Walter's fear. He had the right to be scared for her. She had to have been out of her mind. The reality was that she did have enough time to put both straps on and she had enough time to take the other precautions that Walter wanted. It was Nikita who was in the rush and who wasn't thinking with her full mind.

"One... two... three.. four..." Nikita chanted again in her head, trying to do any mental activity that would easy the tension in her body as she hurdled through the air. Of all the things that Section One made her do during the years, this one took the cake. And she was making herself to do this. Nikita didn't know why she had decided to do it this way, but in her rational mind, the one that came up with the plan, knew it was the only way. Now she was allowing her mind to think and to have emotions. As soon as the building appeared, Nikita would have no time for that any longer.

"Michael... Mia... Aubrey... Danielle..." Nikita's mind produced and she even smiled against the bitter force of the air, feeling it push the skin of her face downward, towards her chin and neck. She was sure that she would look like a bag lady with layers of skin hanging on her neck and chin by the time she got to the roof. Those were the people that mattered right now and Nikita closed her eyes briefly, knowing that the trip to the warehouse was almost over.

Suddenly, the building appeared. Nikita looked down and saw the men that were on the ground. There were a lot of them. She started to worry that she was going to lose too many of the Section One personnel. She shook her head, forcing the thought away as the helicopter lined up to land. There was no one out on the roof, and that was going to make her life a whole lot easier.

Just as the helicopter sat down, Nikita unbuckled and unzipped herself away from the helicopter. She pulled out of the magnetic gloves and moved quickly as the men from the helicopter talked to the one guard that was placed inside the little shack.

There was very little coverage on the roof, but Nikita was about to sneak behind the shack and start placing the hard explosives down on the roof. It was sure to light up the sky when it blew. Nikita waited and poked her head around the side. The camera from the inside of the warehouse was only pointed to look in the direction of the helicopter. There were no other cameras located to get a view on the roof. Nikita moved quickly and placed more explosives in places that were out of view of the camera, before slamming the door in.

When she kicked the door open, the guard was right behind it. His nose shattered into his head, and Nikita didn't need to check for a pulse. He was dead. She pulled at his machine gun and pulled it over her shoulder. She really couldn't use it, as it would cause too much noise, but it was better then the one that she had now. If she had too, she could use them to be creative with.

Nikita slowly walked down the stairs, stealthily keeping silent. When she hit the hallway, there were no guards walking about. Nikita moved to the first room and stepped into it. She moved to a vent and dropped a ball into it. She moved to the door and almost opened it up on a circling guard.

Nikita waited as he turned and rounded the corner before she pulled him into the room as she snapped his neck. She looked around the room, seeing that it was an office, and there was a desk. She moved and shoved the body into the area underneath the desk that was meant for a person's legs to stay under. Hopefully no one would find him.

She instantly realized that the floor plan they had was a bit wrong. The side that had levels, actually had three floors. She couldn't risk saying anything out loud. Hopefully Birkoff would be able to pick up on the difference of the configuration from the tracker that was on her body.

Methodically Nikita moved one room after another, dropping one ball to another. The third floor was going to explode brightly too. Nikita knew that it was the second level that she would meet with more guards and more trouble. She had to wonder if that was where Lee Hung was hanging out at.

Again, she did her imitation of Michael, and was not seen by one guard. She easily snapped the necks of three and then moved to the edge of the floors. She looked out and saw the children. Nikita turned and waited. There was a guard approaching her. He grabbed her shoulder and Nikita swung out. The girls gasped, but nothing else was said. Nikita saw that one of the guards on the children was one of the Section men she had been able to get in. She hoped the other one was close to the children too.

Nikita turned and smacked the guard with the machine gun, but it fell out of her hands, smacking against the ground of the warehouse. Nikita pulled at her arm and moved down the hallway as the yells were made. She needed to get rid of rest of the balls of explosives. She turned and threw them down the first ventilation place she could find.

Soon, two guards came around to her front. Nikita moved like a cat, jumping up onto the thin beam that was the handle of the railing that showed the edge of the floors and then jumped out at them. They both felt their heads snap back and fell to the ground, but Nikita was cornered.

Nikita turned and saw the girls looking at her. Danielle was pointing at her and Nikita closed her eyes as the men wrenched her arms backwards, holding her tightly against the wall, knowing that Nikita was dangerous.

"NIKITA!" Danielle screamed out and the Section One man moved forward and looked at her. He was telling her to be quiet. Nikita was sure that there was no doubt in her mind that these men knew who she was once they saw her.

Just as she had planned.

But Nikita's heart swelled. It was a terrible time for Danielle to finally speak, but she did. She had yelled for Nikita and how much Nikita wished she could go down there and hug the little girl. Nikita hung her head down low, knowing that none of this would matter much if this traumatized Danielle past speaking again.

"Come..." A guard hollered as he started to pull at Nikita by the tiny hairs on her head. Nikita swallowed and staggered along, noting how the men must not know a lot about her.

~~

They dragged Nikita into a room on the second floor. Nikita was sure that she was away from most of the explosives that she had planted. She was pulled to the wall and her handcuffed hands strapped to an iron circle on the wall. Yet, she still had plenty of movement and smiled internally at that. So far, the only abuse to her body had been the pulling her hair and the slight hit of a machine gun to her rare when she dragged her feet.

She was still surprised by the lack of intelligence that they had about her. Nikita knew that Lee Hung somehow knew a lot about her and with the additional resources from Red Cell and Glass Curtain, they should have known better.

"Stupid woman..." The one guard stated as he smacked her across the face. There were three other guards in the room with her. The man was close and Nikita pushed her feet up, pushing her back to the ground. Before the guard could even gasp, Nikita crossed her legs around his neck and snapped it. The guard dropped to the ground and now the other guards were on her.

"Get her legs..." One guard yelled out and Nikita continued to move as quickly as possible. Her task was to kill as many guards as she could. That meant while she wasn't captured and while she was captured. She even got her legs around the second guard and disposed of his worthless life before the other guards even moved.