"Michael!" Nikita screamed again as her body started to tremble. The field of her vision shrunk to look at the words that were written and the by line. Her own son, stumbling and revealing Section One, not to those inside of Section One, but to the real world was unthinkable, but happened.

It exposed Dr. Leanor Westfall, who had aged all these years, working silently for Section One, protected by Michael and Nikita. That protection may not stay any longer now. Nikita couldn't believe what she saw; a picture was included with the article. She didn't know how Aubrey got the information to start with.

"Danielle... Is Aubrey home?" Nikita questioned and she shook her head back and forth as she studied Nikita. The little eight-year-old had gotten use to reading Nikita. She was more than distressed now. She was trembling, barely able to hold her hands together on the paper.

"Michael!" Nikita screamed again as her world spun. She couldn't see straight. It was a nightmare.

Michael slowly walked down the hallway. Sometimes it was hard to tell exactly what Nikita was screaming about. It could have been about something as small as not having any milk left, or something much worse. As he started to focus on her body, he realized that it was something more than just needing milk.

"What is it?" Michael questioned and Nikita handed over the newspaper and stood up. She started to pace as Michael's face paled as he read the headline and saw the work of his own son. There were too many good facts and there were too many good conclusions.

"Have you seen Aubrey?" Michael questioned without turning his head. His eyes couldn't tear away from the picture of Leanor. It was the way she looked when Michael had last seen her. At that time, he had been grateful that he had gotten his wife back with her help. Leanor had done so much for Nikita and Michael swallowed.

What was going to happen now?

"No... and we should take our family in... and set up guards..." Nikita announced as she started to move quicker. Technically she was right, until she turned and saw Danielle staring at Nikita. Nikita looked to Michael and rubbed her hands.

"What are we going to do?" Nikita posed and Michael stared at Nikita. Right now, he wasn't thinking straight and thinking about who could have seen this newspaper article in Aubrey's school. The problem was that he needed to talk to his son, who was no where to be found.

"Michael... what about Leanor?" Nikita questioned as she leaned her body against the wall. She was barely hanging on and Michael looked to Danielle, seeing her eyes focused lightly on the girl. Michael reached out and touched Danielle's arm.

"Danielle... Do you remember how to go upstairs and call Walter?" Michael inquired. Danielle nodded her head, but she didn't tear her own young eyes off of Nikita. Michael should have been proud of Danielle remembering that. He only nodded his head and looked at Nikita once more.

"I want you to go up there and do that... And I want you to give him a message..." Michael stated, but he couldn't even look at Danielle. He stared at Nikita, focused on her arms as she weakly struggled to maintain her position against the wall.

"A message?" Danielle asked as she stood up and carefully pushed her chair in. It was something that had been important for Danielle to do when Nikita was still in a cast. Nikita had healed a lot, her ribs from the fights still hurt and she still wore a brace on both her ankle and wrist, but it didn't seem to be too bad.

"Tell Walter that 'the unicorn has two horns' and he'll know what you are talking about," Michael stated as he turned his head to face the young girl. She blinked her eyes, finding the statement ridiculous. Mia had showed Danielle her unicorn collection and Danielle knew they only had one horn.

"The unicorn has two horns?" Danielle stated over, making sure that she had it correct. Michael nodded his head and was about to part his lips when Danielle moved. She knew that she had been correct and she decided that it was some sort of message. She ran upstairs, pounding her feet heavily against the steps, knowing that something was wrong.

"What if someone sees this, Michael?" Nikita questioned, as she couldn't stop her mind. It was running away with her. She knew their luck of late; she knew that although things seemed to be going good, that the time was for something bad to happen. It just never was easy for them.

"Nikita, the first thing is to have Aubrey brought back home," Michael stated with certain anger in his voice. Nikita stared at him and closed her eyes. It was at that instance that he knew that Nikita's mind was getting way ahead of her. It was difficult to know what Nikita was thinking, but she was thinking too much.

"What about Leanor, Michael?"

"Nikita... I think you need to sit down and wait to jump to conclusions... We have no information," Michael stated and Nikita closed her eyes and made the move to sit down, but she was faltering. Michael stood up and grabbed Nikita's arms and pulled her into a hug as deeply as he could.

"Don't worry, Nikita... We'll be sure to make this all work out... we always do..." Michael uttered as he used his hands to push Nikita's now chin length hair with his hands. He felt her tremble as he pulled out his phone and placed it to his lips.

"I need the guards on Aubrey to bring him home," Michael announced. He felt Nikita holding onto his body tighter, showing that she was still allowing her mind to run off track. Suddenly, he heard the words from the phone and he knew that he better grab Nikita tighter.

"Find him," Michael strongly ordered as he pulled the hand away and slammed the phone in half. Michael dropped his head as he heard Nikita's sob. He knew that she must have figured out what was going on from the words. He rubbed her back slightly and then swallowed, finding a lump growing in his house.

"Michael.... What if someone reads that article, figures out he is our son and then takes him, Michael?"

"Nikita... he skirted around the guards... Mia used to do that all the time," Michael informed Nikita. It was the truth, and it didn't even make Michael feel more comfortable. Michael was positive that it did absolutely nothing to make Nikita feel better about what was going on.

"Does he even realize what he may have done?" Nikita inquired and Michael shook his head back and forth. Here was his son that had finally found something that he was good in, something that he wasn't being compared to Mia in and something that was his alone to do. Now, it had turned into something that was going to cause problems for his family. Michael hoped his son didn't know what he did, but something deep inside of Michael told him that this was rebellion.

Aubrey didn't realize that the woman he wrote about, Dr. Leanor Westfall was probably the woman that healed Nikita enough so she could have her son. If it wasn't for Leanor, Nikita might have never allowed Michael to touch her again, to make love to her again. It was Leanor that made Aubrey's existence possible and now he may have taken her chance at continuing to live on the outside, down the drain.

Nikita's crying didn't subside, and Michael couldn't blame her. She had been through so much in the past few years and now the continuing horrors popped in front of her. It was never easy to be Michael watching all of this happen to his wife. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he were in Nikita's shoes. He was a fighter, Michael knew that, but he wasn't quite sure if he could have been as strong as Nikita has been through during her entire life.

"Let's go upstairs..." Michael softly stated as he kissed her forehead. She barely nodded her head. Michael looked at Nikita and swept her legs up, lightly lifting her and kissing her head once more.

"I'll take care of you... and then we'll figure out what to do..." Michael whispered as he walked down the hallway and to the stairs. He looked to the door and sighed.

Where was Aubrey?

*

"You don't actually believe this stuff, do you Aubrey?" Kirk asked as he lobbed the basketball up into the air. Aubrey watched as it perfectly arched and dropped through the hoop. Aubrey grabbed it with his hands and started to move with it. Kirk moved to the left and picked off the basketball and placed it back into the net without missing a beat. Aubrey stared at the net and dropped his head.

Kirk was his best friend, for now. He was a member of the basketball team and had been in the area and the school for just over a year. Aubrey never believed that a boy like that, had talent and had the likes of everyone in his grade, would even consider being friends with Aubrey. Sometimes, even now, Aubrey found it hard, but Kirk did like him.

And they were friends.

"There must be something... I mean... doesn't it in a way make you feel safer?" Aubrey questioned as he turned and looked at Kirk. He bounced the ball a few times and moved to the chairs that were being his garage. Kirk turned his head to the side and swallowed.

"I guess... but if they are so evil... wouldn't they notice you, Aubrey?" Kirk questioned and Aubrey laughed. He looked around. He knew there were things that he couldn't tell Kirk, like how his parents worked for the government and how he was mostly watched, but he stopped those thoughts.

"Nah... I'm just a kid, I'm no one they really want," Aubrey said as he threw his hands towards Kirk, playing off everything. The face was, Aubrey did think about that, but then knew that he was a kid. He failed to remember what happened to Danielle not too long ago.

"Want to sleep over tonight? We don't have school in the morning," Kirk questioned as he placed the basketball on the chair and looked to Aubrey. He smiled and looked around. Kirk's house had become like a second home, a home that he really liked to stay in. Aubrey's mother wasn't around and he didn't have to worry what mood she was in. Aubrey didn't have to worry about running into a fleeing John when his father came home and he didn't have to pretend he didn't know what was going on between Mia and John.

"Sure..." Aubrey stated and Kirk shook his head back and forth. He slapped Aubrey's back and started to move towards the house.

"You know what my mother is going to say..." Kirk drifted off and Aubrey slightly laughed as he looked to the phone. He looked over his shoulder and cleared his throat.

"Can't we just said I did?" Aubrey questioned and Kirk snorted as he looked around the room. He looked to the phone and raised his eyebrows.

"Now... you may think your parents don't care, Aubrey... but I don't want to see your father walking down that sidewalk coming here for you," Kirk commanded and Aubrey laughed. He never thought of his father as being scary or frightening, at least not now. Yes, when he was young and Mia was wild, his father was not a man to deal with. Yet, as Aubrey's mother went through her emotional traumas and mishaps, Aubrey felt that his father seemed to have shrunk into the man he was today. He didn't see his father as being scary.

"Come on, Kirk... You know what I've told you about my family... They need to worry about me..." Aubrey stated and Kirk shook his head back and forth as he moved to the refrigerator. He wasn't leaving until Aubrey called his family, and he pulled out some juice and started to drink out of the container.

"Look... we all hate our parents now and then... just call them... If they aren't worried about you, I'm sure they'll just let you stay..." Kirk pointed out. Aubrey looked at the phone and picked it up.

~~

Nikita looked to her hands and closed her eyes. She couldn't get over the feeling that she was failing her family. It was never something that she spoke about, but she felt it more and more. She felt that bringing Danielle into the family was something good.

It may have been wrong.

At times like this one, she didn't know what she was doing and why she was doing it. There were no reasons for Aubrey to be doing this. She had given him all that she could possibly give him.

Accept maybe herself.

Nikita closed her eyes and shook her head. Things were just going wrong and she didn't know how she played a rule into it. Sometimes, she didn't see what she had done, until it was too late. Nikita knew this to be one of those situations. For Aubrey to write like this, against his family, possibly exposing all of them, was a direct reflection on what she had done as a parent.

It was tearing her apart.

Michael dropped his cell phone as he walked in from the hallway. He was partially relieved until he saw Nikita. That brought the issue of telling her what was going on. Michael waited until Nikita lifted her head and strangled her hands once more.

"Aubrey?" Nikita questioned and Michael nodded his head and braced himself. He saw Nikita jump, he saw her react. He waited until Nikita pushed her hands on his shoulder before he grabbed a hold of her, stopping her charging body.

"Yes... and he is staying at Kirk's," Michael issued out and Nikita shrunk away from him, almost like she was injured by the words. Michael saw that his thought process about the issue was not the same as Nikita's thought process. He had a feeling that he was going to need to explain it all out for Nikita.

"NO! That is rewarding him for this, Michael... We need to talk about this!" Nikita exclaimed. She turned away from Michael and threw her hands in the air. It was frustration of the situation; frustration that she could get the chance to change this problem before everyone identified Nikita as being the source.

"Nikita... if we order him from his friend's house, who has been a great friend to Aubrey, we pull more suspicion onto ourselves..." Michael slowly dealt with the issue. She looked at Michael and lightly shook her head, not wanting to hear Michael's words. The Section One part of her mind agreed with Michael fully, but her mother heart, told her that she caused this all to happen and she had to fix it.

"Nikita... Let him have a few days... We'll all be thinking differently in a while... calm down and reevaluate..." Michael issued and Nikita narrowed her eyes. She cocked her head to the side as she looked at Michael, and shook her head. They were definitely viewing this from different sides and Nikita, she was seeing things in a total different manner that Michael didn't know about.

"But we don't have a few days, Michael.... We have to deal with Leanor," Nikita stated and Michael looked to Nikita and placed his hands out on her shoulder. She felt her heart jumped. In that one touch, she realized that she wasn't going to be home when Aubrey did come back.

"No... Michael... I need to be here when he comes back... Everything about Leanor is about me..." Nikita started to state in a voice that showed the shock that overwhelmed her body and shook it to the core. Nikita pulled back as she looked into Michael's face. A face that showed he was willing to use his position to get Nikita to do, as he wanted her to do. A face that said that Michael believed he had the answers and that his answers were correct. A face that said to Nikita that Michael didn't have a clue what she was thinking and feeling.

"The reason why I want you to go to Leanor, is because it fits.... You don't want to listen to all the things that I have to explain to Aubrey about Leanor," Michael slowly started to explain until Nikita turned violently away and shook her head back and forth.

"The only thing that Aubrey should know about that is that Leanor's intervention and help with me, helped create him. That is all, Michael!" Nikita shouted as she turned in a hectic circle, feeling trapped by the walls and by her husband.

"Nikita, he isn't going to accept that. You read his article. I'm going to have to give him more than Leanor helped you.... And then I have to talk about Honus Breslove. Don't you see this, Nikita?" Michael questioned with harsh words, almost implying that Nikita didn't even know what she was talking about. Michael started to step back away lightly, creating a distance between himself and Nikita.

"And let me guess.... I have to take Danielle with me... What other lies, Michael?" Nikita inquired with the fire in her eyes. Michael looked down to his hands, as he was afraid to move them. In ways he wanted to hit Nikita and in other ways he just wanted to hold her.

"You will tell her that there was a falling out between us... and then it is all up to what you want to tell her... Although, I think the truth would be a good starting point, in comparison to the lies that you have been feeding Madeline for weeks," Michael spat out and then stopped. He knew in that once instance, that he spoke too much. He saw the tears overwhelm Nikita's face and she looked around.

"Why did you let me adopt Danielle, Michael.... If you didn't want me around any longer?" Nikita questioned as she turned and opened the window. She felt the coldness rush the room. She didn't care what else Michael said, enough was said.

Nikita had messed up with their son and this was her punishment.

She wasn't good enough to start with. She failed her son as her mother failed her. Nikita was just like her mother and Nikita allowed the tears to fall for that. Her mind was running on so many tracks at once that it wasn't going to stop. If she even had the opportunity to listen to Michael, Nikita would have consciously chosen not to listen to the words.

"Nikita..." Michael tried but he saw the posture. Michael blinked his eyes. He didn't know what was going on, but in some odd sense, he was sure that Leanor would help Nikita.

To bad he didn't realize that he had created the problem.

~~

"Just as I thought... they don't care..." Aubrey stated as he hung up the phone, hearing the last words from his father. Aubrey pushed at his hair and looked to Kirk as he slugged down some more juice from the carton.

"Aubrey..." Kirk stated out. He was a macho boy, but he also understood that some kids had a harder time. Aubrey had complained often that things weren't like a normal family in his house. If all the stories were true, Kirk would be surprised that Aubrey would emerge out of this all free from long term emotional damage.

"Look, Kirk... He said that I could stay for as long as I can.... And when I asked if it could be like during the summer... when I stayed for a few days, he said sure..." Aubrey stated as he threw his hands up in the air. Kirk swallowed as his friend walked out the house and to pull up the basketball.

"First player to 10... I start with 5," Aubrey announced, promptly find the basketball out of his hands.

"Who is that?" Kirk's father asked as he looked out the window. He didn't came around often. In fact, it was rare that he was around. Yet, it worked out good. Kirk and his mother had a good understanding and had a good relationship.

"Aubrey... His parents... I wouldn't say neglect him... they just have some issues that cause a lot of distress," Kirk's mother replied as she looked out the window. She looked to her ex-husband and swallowed.

She never asked what he did for work. It was probably best that she didn't. He went ballistic when he read Aubrey's article. Now he was studying the writer of the article like he was the plague.

"What do you mean?" he questioned and Kirk's mother rolled her eyes.

"Nothing... just she has been through some cancer.... And some issues.... And his sister had a major injury... He is a fine, boy... No bad influence there... just needs a second home," She stated and she looked out the window. Suddenly she felt cold.

Fate had never been good to her. She wondered if Aubrey's parents felt the same way.

*

It was less than a day before Nikita appeared outside of Dr. Leanor Westfall's house. She looked past the white picket fence to the white door that separated her and Danielle from the doctor that her son placed in danger. Nikita looked up and down the street, as she stayed quiet in the car. It was not until Danielle turned her head and looked at Nikita that she could even pull her mind into the thought of moving.

She felt betrayed and used at this point. In a time that the parents should be united and a time that Nikita wanted Michael, he sent her away, like she was a criminal that needed to be punished. Nikita even started to agree with Michael's assessment that she was guilty for what happened and needed this punishment.

No matter how much Michael wanted this trip to be about Nikita, Nikita couldn't see that and wouldn't allow it. Her family problems weren't that bad, just complicated. She looked down to Danielle and saw the focus that she wanted this to be about. Danielle had many issues still and Nikita hated pulling her away from the tutors and the house she was growing to love.

"Where are we, Nikita?" Danielle questioned as she stared up at Nikita. With those words, Nikita started to move, pulling her purse in one motion, moving slowly at first and then speeding up realizing that Danielle was nervous. Nikita was positive that she could divert the attention to Danielle quickly with Leanor.

"This is a friend who might be able to help you..." Nikita said as she opened the door on her side and started to move around the car. She pulled Danielle's door open and waited for Danielle to unbuckle her seatbelt, but she was stalling.

"But I have Madeline," Danielle stated out and Nikita squatted down. She knew the suitcases were in the back of the car and that hopefully Nikita wouldn't have to go into details about what was going on with her and Michael in front of Danielle. It was awful that they had to do this again and Nikita shook her head as she thought about that. Yet, she caught herself with the movement before Danielle caught it.

"Madeline is going to be like a grandmother... and there are some things you don't want to discuss with your grandmother, right?" Nikita stated as she started to stand up to her full height. Nikita cocked her head to the side, as Danielle pulled her seatbelt off and started to move to stand up outside of the car.

"Ok... but is she nice?" Danielle questioned and Nikita smiled brightly. That wasn't the question she thought she would hear, but it was good to hear it.

"Of course she is nice," Nikita stated and Danielle nodded her head lightly. She looked to the house and the fence.

"She has a big yard," Danielle commented and Nikita waited for her to start to move away from the car. Nikita sighed as she slammed the door shut, and looked towards the house. Danielle lifted her hand and tugged at Nikita's as she slowly started to walk with Nikita.

For Nikita, the walk was too short; appearing at the door to knock sooner than had been expected. She looked to the door and pressed the button for the doorbell. She waited as she heard the noise of more than one person inside the house. Nikita hadn't taken preparations for things like that. Leanor's own daughter had twins about four years ago and they would be about to turn five.

What Nikita thought Leanor would see was not what she did see. She peaked out the side window and knew Nikita instantly. She didn't see the trouble of the girl that was standing beside her; she saw the distress that was written across Nikita and a look o her face that churned Leanor's stomach. She looked at the girls that were running circles around her, Emily and Melissa. They had their mother's brunette hair as Leanor's had finally turned all the way gray.

Slowly Leanor started to move, finding the girls tangling around her legs. She didn't wonder why a little girl Danielle's age wasn't in school; she was concerned about Nikita. She knew that it had to be a reason, but looking at Nikita gave a way a lot of things.

Nikita didn't look good.

Period.

She wondered why she didn't hear from Nikita before this point, nor, Michael. It caused Leanor to stop and look at her grandchildren as Nikita rang the doorbell once more.

"Emily... Melissa... Why don't you go watch some television?" Leanor suggested and they moved instantly, jumping away from banging into her and dashing off to the television. It would give Leanor probably about a half-hour before the girls would seek her out for something.

"Nikita," Leanor answered the door with a smile spread across her face. She noticed as Nikita looked down at Danielle and pushed her lightly. Leanor pulled her head back. The girl didn't look anything like Nikita at all. "I didn't know you had another child, Nikita."

"I didn't. We adopted Danielle... Danielle, this is Leanor..." Nikita introduced her as Nikita dropped her head. Danielle lifted her head and smiled up at Leanor. It was then when Leanor was finally hit that Danielle was not all the way in good shape either. Leanor lifted her head and looked to Nikita.

"Why are you here?" Leanor questioned. Nikita blinked her eyes, wishing that she could just tell Leanor the truth. Michael felt that it was best that Nikita didn't tell Leanor about their son writing an article about her that might place her in danger. It was best that Nikita didn't mention it, at least, that was as Michael had said. Nikita remembered the words Michael said to use and was surprised how perfectly they matched how the felt.

"Michael and I are having some problems... And Danielle needs some stability," Nikita stated with her blue eyes widening. Leanor licked her lips and smiled at Danielle as she opened her house to the two women even more.

"Are you sure it isn't you that needs the stability, Nikita?" Leanor questioned and Nikita dropped her head slightly. It was what Nikita felt, but she wasn't about to admit anything. She had to remember her personal goal about the entire process that was going on.

"Leanor, I just want to work with Danielle," Nikita said softly as she reached down and started to help pull of Danielle's jacket. Leanor blinked her eyes as Danielle lifted her eyes.

"I liked talking to Madeline," Danielle said and Leanor almost jumped back. That said a lot. They had been allowing Madeline to do therapy. Leanor had a feeling that much more was going on here and that it was going to be like pulling teeth to get the information out of Nikita. Leanor took the coat out of Nikita's hand as she smiled.

"Well... I used to be Madeline's teacher," Leanor stated and she waited. Danielle's face lit up with total happiness. Leanor smiled too, feeling that probably several months ago, Danielle didn't have a reason to smile. Yet, the reason why Danielle was able to smile now had to have been Michael and Nikita, and Nikita was beyond a state that Leanor would call distress.

"You and Michael are still together, right?" Leanor whispered and Nikita turned away to look to the living room. Nikita rubbed her hands together. She knew that her husband loved her and would do anything for her, but things didn't seem that way. Nikita knew that she was to blame for that too, to blame that she didn't have the ability to keep her own mind sane enough to handle things that happened. Now she felt that they weren't together, not from the skit like situation that Michael was forcing Nikita into doing, but for the fact that Michael had sent her away.

"It's been a tough time for all of us, Leanor.... But my concern is Danielle," Nikita briefly stated as she turned back around, allowing her eyes only a few seconds to look into Leanor's before turning away.

"Your concern might be incorrect, Nikita..."

"I don't believe it is, Leanor."

"Can I call Madeline, Nikita? You look very distressed. Does Michael know where you are?" Leanor stated as she started to move towards the back of her house. Nikita reached out and grabbed Leanor's hand and Nikita dropped it quickly as Danielle looked up at the contact and the struggle that was occurring.

"My twin granddaughters are in the living room. They are younger than Danielle... but they should be watching cartoons," Leanor slowly pronounced. She was surprised as Danielle just started to move. Nikita looked towards the wall and Leanor moved closer to Nikita.

"You are hiding something Nikita..."

"And you aren't to call Madeline, Leanor. I'm here for Danielle."

"Then you are here for the wrong reasons," Leanor stated as she turned and started to walk down the hallway. Nikita only allowed one tear to fall and she pulled in a deep breath of air and started off after Leanor.

Nikita was not surprised to find the phone in her hand and in one swift move, Nikita stopped the connection. It did not even surprise Nikita that Leanor turned towards her violently and Nikita was suddenly starting to get a picture of what was going on with her and what Nikita knew she must have appeared as.

"You don't understand, Leanor... I've been to the bottom and I'm not close to that... I have fought breast cancer and I watched my daughter survive a horrific injury that almost left her paralyzed... I am not the concern here... If it was about me, I would have gone to Madeline myself," Nikita stated and Leanor turned and hung up the phone. Again, her stomach was churning.

Leanor knew she couldn't stand there and stare at Nikita, as she comprehended what Nikita had said and what she saw on her face. A lot had happened to Nikita since Leanor had last heard about what was going on with the family that had made her partial freedom possible. Leanor had heard about how Nikita was about to go to Section Two and that she didn't want to leave her son Aubrey and her daughter Mia. She didn't know anything about the cancer and the other things that Nikita had mentioned.

Probably the most disturbing was Nikita mentioning that she had hit bottom. Leanor realized that for Nikita, that it had to be a long way down, because she had always been a resilient woman, fighting for what she had and fighting for what other things she wanted. Leanor also knew that it sounded like the bottom that Nikita spoke about was not related to the nightmarish years that she had spent when Mia was just a little kid.

"Breast cancer? You are all right, right?" Leanor questioned as she started to fill a pot of tea up. She decided that it was a neutral topic if she had found one. Nikita moved to the table and looked to the surface. She rubbed hands across it, staying quiet.

"Right?" Leanor questioned again, nervous with Nikita's seemingly hurtful impossibility to answering her question. Nikita pulled chair out and sat down with a sigh that reverberated in the room over and over again.

"You learn with cancer that it is never all right. You are hypersensitive about everything... I get a lot of cysts and I had broken my arm several months back, they thought I had bone cancer... it never is all ok again," Nikita spoke with dramatic words. Leanor blinked her eyes as she pulled out the two cups for the tea. There was sadness in Nikita's words, as if she was prescribing into the same activities that everyone else was. It was like Nikita expected the cancer to come back and was just waiting for it to occur.

"There is more there, Nikita..." Leanor stated and Nikita smiled and nodded her head.

"Yes, there is, but that isn't my concern."

"You are here for Danielle and the fact that you don't want to be near Michael right now?"

"Danielle doesn't need to see me and Michael arguing."

"Then why did you two adopted her?"

"We weren't having problems... Someone my influenced started her to talk again."

"She didn't talk?" Leanor questioned as she pulled out the two teabags. Nikita nodded her head and looked to her hands.

"So you've had her for a while?"

"No, Not really, Leanor. I knew her before she was adopted and she was taken from us... but I would say less than three months." Nikita informed Leanor as the tea kettle started to wail and Nikita turned her head away. She just wanted to get settled, and allow Leanor some time with Danielle so that she could think of how she was going to keep this all together.

"Nikita... hiding from me isn't going to do Danielle any good or yourself any good," Leanor stated as she turned the flame off of the water and moved towards Nikita. She felt encouraged as Nikita allowed her to take her hands and rubbed them lightly back and forth.

"Can we stay here, or do I have to go to the hotel?"

"Of course you can stay here, Nikita... I'm just concerned about you," Leanor stated firmly as Nikita stood up.

"Be concerned for Danielle. I don't need your concern," Nikita stated as she turned and moved towards the front door. For several minutes Leanor was almost afraid that Nikita was going to the car and was going to leave. Things didn't seem good at all.

Until Nikita opened the trunk and pulled out the suitcases.

Maybe Leanor could reach to Nikita somehow.

*

John looked at the computer and blinked his eyes as he looked at the list of names that the guards had of Aubrey's contacts. It was a good time to try to run through the information. Aubrey had gone camping with Kirk and his father. He would be gone for another three days, but of course, John didn't agree with what Michael and Nikita were doing with Aubrey. John felt he should have been punished just like they had punished Mia in the past.

Yet, the list seemed to have turned up nothing. It wasn't like the young teenagers were terrorists. They just weren't like John had been back then. He threw his hands in the air and punched at the keys. He wanted just some basic information about Kirk's father, since he was rarely mentioned at all in all the years that Aubrey was friends with Kirk.

The information that came back made John jump up and move quickly. There was only one thing he needed right now, to see Michael. He needed to see Michael and tell him the news. He was sure that it was bad news.

"Michael, she isn't talking to Leanor... and has been watching the phone like a hawk.... I got this from the computer," Madeline issued out as she stood in front of Birkoff's station. John stopped as he heard the word Nikita. He knew that most of the computer experts had found themselves being hammered by Nikita. She was on a search of her own.

"Michael... I need to speak with you..." John said with a clear voice, yet seeing the worry on Michael's face. Michael groaned and turned towards Madeline.

"Madeline... she needs to talk... Maybe you haven't talked to Leanor about Nikita's problems..." Michael stated as he started to walk, finding it hard to discuss Nikita in front of everyone. Michael barely even noticed that John had followed behind him. His mind only had one focus at this point as he assumed that all was well everywhere else.

"Michael... her problems are not the same as you see them... I think there is some marital strain here that only you can fix," Madeline argued out as she continued to stare at him. Michael closed his eyes, not wanting to hear Madeline on this issue once again. She was always too verbal on it.

"Michael.... We really must speak, now," John said and Michael turned his head, seeing the man who had followed him. Michael blinked his eyes, realizing that John wouldn't have normally followed him like this if it were something not as important.

"What?"

"Kirk's father..... It says that he is dead... I did some checking... and... Do you know where Aubrey is?" John questioned and he watched as Michael's eyes widened and then stared at him. John stepped back and looked around, knowing that all hell was going to break loose.

"Who does he work for?" Michael questioned calmly. John dropped his head and looked to his hands. He knew the words that were going to come were going to hit Michael hard. John looked away and then looked at Madeline. Both were waiting on his words.

"He isn't who he appears to be.... We know him in Section One... as someone..." John drifted off, losing the nerve he had for telling Michael. He knew that everyone needed to know this, that Aubrey's life could be in danger if he didn't say anything, but things were hard. He didn't want to ruin things between himself and Michael if he was wrong.

"Who?"

"We know him as Lee Hung, Michael."

*

Danielle lifted her hand into the coffee can of crayons. She sat at the table with Leanor as she read the newspaper. Nikita had been up most of the night, on the computer, keeping watch over the phone. Leanor had no doubt that Nikita was still awake. Leanor noticed that Nikita's distress was going beyond something more than she had expected.

Leanor was worried.

In fact, Leanor was almost terrified. She had never seen Nikita exactly like this. She had never heard of Nikita being exactly like this.

"Danielle..." Leanor stated as she dropped the newspaper. The thoughts about Nikita were starting to overwhelm her. She had no information. Nikita made sure of it. Leanor saw the tears and Leanor noticed the bags underneath her eyes.

"Yes, Leanor?" Danielle questioned as she pulled out the yellow crayon to color in the sun. Leanor smiled as she looked at the little girl. She was very well adjusted now. She had some terrible times, but Nikita's influence made her bloom. Leanor needed to know why Nikita was dying inside.

"Why did you and Nikita come here? Do you know?" Leanor inquired, wondering if Danielle would have such knowledge. Danielle dropped the crayon and looked at Leanor with almost sad eyes. She blinked them and pulled the crayon back up.

"I'm not supposed to talk about that," Danielle whispered as she dropped her head. Leanor leaned forward and placed her hand on Danielle's arm. Danielle looked at Leanor and then pointed to the paper.

"When they put you in the newspaper, did you know?" Danielle questioned and Leanor blinked her eyes. For a second, she didn't want to believe Danielle, then something settled over her. Nikita might not only be here for problems with Michael, that she might be here for reasons of protection of the doctor that helped save her.

"When was I in the newspaper, Danielle? I didn't know that," Leanor stated, hoping that the information would come out sooner or later. Danielle slammed the book closed, showing anger now.

"It was so bad what Aubrey did.... He scared me... He said that there were organizations out there that fight... that you were bad... But you aren't bad... But Aubrey had your picture and all these facts and stuff... It scared me!" Danielle started to bawl. Leanor reached out for Danielle and the little girl attached herself to Leanor, allowing her tears to fall quickly.

Now that little piece of information was discovered, Leanor might have enough to start a conversation with Nikita. She didn't believe that a direct approach was going to help, but now, it might be her only chance at reaching Nikita. For over ten years, she didn't hear much information about Nikita, at all. Now she was sitting in her house, detached and agitated beyond what she had expected.

"Danielle, how much do you know about Nikita?" Leanor whispered out, wondering if she could pull out more from Danielle. She knew that she was pushing it, but then she didn't know how else to learn what she could. Nikita had effectively cut her off from Section One and the people who knew what was going on.

"She is sad a lot," Danielle stated and Leanor sighed. She had figured that out. She also figured out that somehow, Nikita had mixed up reality and what was going on in her head.

The first thing that Leanor started to piece together was this article that Danielle spoke about. If Nikita's own son wrote it, it could possibly not only put Leanor in danger, but Nikita also. That included Nikita's family. Michael probably sent her to Leanor not only to protect Leanor, but also to protect her. Leanor turned her head and helped to place Danielle back in her chair.

Nikita believed that Michael sent her away.

By why?

Leanor didn't know that answer. There were a few possibilities, but some major chunks out of the years that had passed were missing. It was time for Leanor to figure that all out.

"I'm going to just be a few minutes, Danielle... will you be ok?" Leanor questioned and Danielle nodded her head with a smile on her face. Leanor had seen how the responsibility of helping out with her twin granddaughters was helping Danielle. She was very bright and was going to be a great woman when she grew up. Probably not too much different from Nikita.

Leanor walked into the living room and saw the blaring computer. Nikita's hands typed loudly until Leanor pushed the button, cutting off the power. Leanor reached out and stopped Nikita from leaving.

"Please, Leanor... things need to be done..." Nikita stated and Leanor bent down on her knees and looked at Nikita. Slowly she touched Nikita's face, and Nikita flinched. It was as if her body knew that Leanor was getting to close. Nikita wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her.

"Danielle told me about the article...Why didn't you tell me?" Leanor questioned and Nikita turned her head and closed her eyes briefly. She opened them and then looked at Leanor.

"I didn't want to involve you."

"You didn't want to involve me, but yet you came here?" Leanor questioned, knowing that Nikita's attempt at hiding what she was feeling was going bad.

"Leanor, please...."

"No, Nikita... I think Michael sent you here..."

"Yes... he sent me away..." Nikita said as her voice cracked. Leanor watched as Nikita almost rolled her head forward in pain. She almost cracked and gave Leanor the opening that she had been waiting for. This complicated woman Nikita didn't know how to still talk, even with Madeline's help. It amazed Leanor to no end that this was occurring, with Madeline on Nikita's side.

"Why do you think he sent you away, Nikita?" Leanor questioned and Nikita looked at her hands and then lifted her head. Leanor watched as the blue eyes flooded with tears and started to flow down over her face. That crack was forming and now Leanor just had to wait. She had to wait for it to open just enough for her to use.

"Because I'm a bad mother..... I caused Aubrey to be this... just like I caused Mia... I'm not a good mother..." Nikita stated out and Leanor parted her mouth. That statement itself was ridiculous. She knew that Section One was a difficult place to raise children, but Nikita was doing so. Danielle often spoke about Mia. Mia was an amazing woman.

"That's not true, Nikita... you are a great mother... Look at Danielle... Just in a few months and you helped her," Leanor raised up to make Nikita look at. Nikita stood up, about to leave. She took three steps and crumbled into the footstool.

"I am bad.... When I had cancer... the breast cancer... I didn't tell them... I wanted to do it on my own..."

"What?"

"I went into the hospital... and I didn't tell Michael... and I didn't tell my family... I didn't tell anyone... and they found out... and I failed them..."

"Nikita... you did what you felt right.... And then they were there for you..." Leanor issued out, suddenly noticing that the opening that formed was quickly getting fairly big.

"I hurt them, Leanor... I always hurt those that I love....." Nikita announced and the tone screamed at Leanor. Nikita truly and honestly believed that it was so. Leanor frowned. There was still darkness to what Leanor knew. A few words from Madeline, stating that Nikita was complicated and that her bottom was often hard, harsh, and extreme.

This didn't seem like the bottom. This seemed as if Nikita knew that she wanted to fix it all. Leanor could only hope she saw this correctly. Only Nikita would make her question her skills and her abilities. Only Nikita could do this to Leanor, make her worry as such.

"Who have you hurt the most, Nikita?" Leanor questioned and Nikita sobbed loudly. She shook her head back and forth. For an instance, Leanor was sure that she had lost Nikita on this question, that she had pushed too far.

"Michael told me that Aubrey was because he was a teenager... and Michael told me that Mia's accident wasn't because of the car I bought her... but I hurt Michael.... And... and... and... and..." Nikita started to tremble out with violent bursts of sobs between phrases and words. Leanor bent down on her knees again, looking at Nikita.

"And what, Nikita?"

"I killed his baby.... I killed his baby Leanor... and it doesn't stop hurting!" Nikita screamed out as she raised he head and looked at Leanor. Leanor threw out all the lessons she learned in school and in training. She threw her arms around Nikita, feeling her pain and suddenly realizing what a mixed up mind Nikita was dealing with.

Nikita was drifting into a painful sleep as Leanor rocked her back and forth. It was during this time that Leanor pieced together a bit of what was occurring. Nikita's mind was still distressed about what happened to her. It wasn't that Nikita saw that losing a baby was something that happened to her. It was something that she did to Michael.

Leanor saw several things as being possible. Nikita felt that Michael sending her away was like a punishment for being a bad mother. That seemed to be a theme in Nikita's words, although she didn't directly speak it. Leanor was sure that it was something that Nikita thought about. Leanor had to wonder if Nikita felt that if she was a bad mother if that therefore made her a bad wife. It would destroy Nikita's world if she thought that Michael hated her for what was occurring.

This baby Nikita spoke about disturbed Leanor. There was no way of getting over a death of a child. Love works usually, but with Nikita. She even doubts love sometimes. She always needs symbolic gestures of love, something that shows that she is loved. It was difficult to know what to expect when Nikita woke up, so Leanor head to the computer and e-mailed Madeline, inquiring about this baby.

Leanor,

Nikita didn't tell anyone about that for several years... Michael and Nikita only knew... She was injured on a mission when the change of powers was occurring... she was in her second trimester and she lost the baby... She doesn't speak about it....

Madeline

Leanor dropped her eyes and felt the heavy tears. She needed Michael right now, really. Nikita was beyond anything that she could do with words and reassurance. Maybe the worst thing to happen at this point was for Michael to send Nikita away. He didn't know what Nikita was thinking and he was not to blame for this mess, it was probably going to occur either at Section One or here.

But now Leanor was in charge and things were going to happen. It was a shame that Michael and Nikita didn't try to have another child after they lost that one. It was in Leanor's experience that sometimes that it the best medicine. It never negated that child that they lost, but somehow, having another baby took that pain and love for the one lost... and placed it into the love for the new baby.

Leanor was starting to pull out textbooks and webpages as her doorbell rang. She slowly stood up, worried now. She knew why Nikita was here. What if this was someone bad standing there?

It was Michael.

"Hello, Michael... We've got to talk," Leanor stated as she opened the door and allowed Michael in. Michael looked at her and swallowed.

*

The tone of voice that Leanor had used dictated that Michael had to follow her. He had no option. Her voice lulled Michael in quickly; knowing that something more was going on. She looked up the stairs and continued to the back of the house, ignoring the fact that they had passed Danielle.

"Tell me about the baby, Michael," Leanor stated as she gradually closed the door behind her. She saw Michael's eyes open wide as he swallowed. He dropped his hands out, trying to find a way to side down without moving his eyes from Leanor.

"I don't have the time for this, Leanor.... I have to tell Nikita something about Aubrey and be on my way..." Michael stated out defensively, but his voice did nothing to make Leanor feel secure. She knew what needed to be done.

"I'm not going to allow you to hurt her more, Michael... She feels this is punishment... Her mind has this wild concept that she is a bad mother and a bad wife that only has been reinforced by you sending her here" Leanor translated for Michael, knowing that he had sought out the wrong explanation for Nikita's actions. Michael turned his head and showed that he wasn't ready to speak.

"Tell me about the baby, Michael," Leanor ordered as she stared at him. Michael closed his eyes briefly and looked to Leanor.

"It's so much more than just the baby, Leanor... We hid it for years... Didn't tell anyone...." Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. She had that knowledge already. She paused and waited. Nothing more came from Michael.

"Michael... she feels that she is a bad mother because she lost your baby.... You must have discussed this before," Leanor stated with uncertainty on her voice. Leanor waited as Michael blinked his eyes. He looked to the side and swallowed once again.

"We didn't discuss it until Nikita hit bottom... until Nikita really did try to take her life, Leanor... and I don't think I'm going to beat that battle..." Michael admitted as his voice cracked. Leanor tried to draw in some air, finding it difficult to do so with those words.

"That bad, Michael?" You have to tell me.... I might be able to help..." Leanor methodically stated out, hoping that Michael didn't see her own worries and Michael leaned his head back.

"She is missing something Leanor... and I can't fix it..." Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. Everything was so twisted and she grabbed Michael's hands.

"You still hurt about the baby, correct?"

"Yes... all the time..."

"Michael... you can't push her away... you have to hold her... This is not the answer," Leanor stated as she looked around her own house. Michael rubbed his hands and looked at Leanor.

"You don't understand.... The man named Lee Hung... has been very evil to Nikita.... Took Danielle and got Nikita injured, greatly.... He has our son right now... I have to tell Nikita that..." Michael issued out firmly, but he didn't stand up. It indicated that Michael almost positively knew that he couldn't say that now. Leanor stood up, dropping her hands from Michael's. She leaned over him and swallowed.

"You can't tell her that," Leanor issued as a warning. Michael's eyes bunched up, confusion on every single fleck of green that she saw in Michael's eyes. He was worried about his son and now he was worried about his wife.

"I have too.... He wants Nikita badly, Leanor.... You don't understand... he is out to torture Nikita..." Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. She looked around the office and cleared her throat.

"And you forget that I was trained as an operative too, Michael.... But I also know that Nikita hasn't slept and if you go and see her and walk away.... The damage to your marriage will be unfixable, I promise," Leanor stated and she saw the pain cross Michael's face. He was hurt by every single word that she had stated.

"Honestly?" Michael questioned with uncertainty on every single sound that word made. Leanor regretted that she had to nod her head up and down. She reached for Michael and took her hands onto his shoulders. She stared down at him.

"You go get your son.... You protect him... and then you come back here.... To get your wife back, Michael," Leanor ordered and Michael nodded his head. Leanor pulled her hands away and knew that Michael would listen to what she had said. He stood up and looked around slowly.

"Can I get her back?" Michael questioned and Leanor smiled and nodded her head.

"Your love is the most amazing component of healing for Nikita that I have ever seen, Michael," Leanor spoke in clear and precise words. Michael nodded his head and looked to Leanor. He was saying with his eyes that he trusted Leanor. She only nodded her head as he turned. He was going to listen.

"I will be back soon..." Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. She wouldn't have expected anything less than what Michael promised.

~~

"Mia... I have to be going... I'm going with your father to get Aubrey..." John said as he settled the phone next to Mia's bed. He wrapped his bare arms around Mia, not wanting to leave the sanctuary that Mia provided him when they could. She turned towards his chest and kissed his skin lightly, still tasting the salty covering of sweat that had been there hours ago.

"You are going to be carefully, right?" Mia questioned and John ran his hands through Mia's hair. He waited to fall into the covers and spent the next hours making tender and passionate love to this beautiful woman. He looked at her and sighed as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Of course...." John stated as he started to move. Mia wouldn't let go of him. John dropped his head once again, trying to get the goodbye to be easier than it appeared as it was going to be.

"John... I love you..." Mia whispered out tenderly as her eyes met his. He smiled lightly and nipped at her lips. He felt her heart leap. He knew in her mind she dreamt of the time he stayed there in her bed instead of going, but this one was important.

"I love you, Mia.... And I have to bring your family home..." John stated with a soft voice. It brought tears to Mia's face, allowing her to know that she was missing major segments of her family.

"I want you to be my family," Mia stated out firmly and John stopped. Those words echoed in his mind. He had never heard Mia be so direct about exactly how she felt. She said that she loved him, but that fact that she wanted him to be her family, was something more than he was expected in this mid-afternoon interlude.

"Mia... please think before you say things like that..." John stated and Mia rolled up onto her side as John tried to leave. Her eyes looked up at him and he stopped. Right now, Michael could be saying that there was a gun pointed to his head and John was the only one who could save him, John would stay there.

"I have... I love you John... more than what I know to do with..." Mia stated and John blinked his eyes. He leaned down and kissed Mia deeply.

"You don't know how much the feeling is mutual..." John whispered and Mia started to cry as the smile crossed her face. For the first time in an absolutely long done did Mia feel totally whole.

"Go... and bring my father and my brother home... I believe in you..." Mia whispered as John slipped out of her bed, but never out of her heart.

~~

"This is the camp Aubrey said they were going to come too," Michael stated as he looked around the area. There was a small cabin that served as the registration booth. John had walked in, leaving Lori outside with Michael. She looked around. She knew that Lee Hung wouldn't have come to the place that they had claimed to have gone too.

"Michael... they were hear.. until some big 4x4's came in and took them away..." John stated and Michael swallowed. He looked down and then around to the trees that were surrounding the camping ground. He rubbed his hands together as he swallowed.

"Any clue to where they may have gone?" Lori questioned John as she moved closer. It was sure apparent that she liked John and had Michael not been so worried about Aubrey and then Nikita, he would have noticed it and exploited it.

"The 4x4's left through the woods... there should be a path... but they may be looking for us..." John stated and Michael looked around and swallowed. Night was soon going to be on them. Although Lee Hung had yet to send a ransom on his son, it would come soon. Michael moved back to the car they drove up in and pulled out the palm computer.

"We can follow them without following the tracks too much... Nikita has become over protective since Mia's old wild ways," Michael announced, not noticing John wincing. He tried to avoid any conversation about Mia period when near or around Michael. It wasn't a good idea.

"A tracker... I never knew Nikita to be so overprotective," Lori stated and Michael and John turned towards her. She smiled wryly. Michael and John shook their heads at the bad joke.

"He said they left about two hours ago, Michael... Hike there from here? He is going to move Aubrey and do it quickly," John pointed out and Michael turned and looked around the camp. There was what he was looking for.

Three-wheelers.

"We have to make it, John.... I have to save Nikita," Michael stated as he started to move. He swung his legs over the vehicle and started off in the path that the computer told him too. There was one left and Lori sat in front of John. She smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her.

"I thought this was about Aubrey?" Lori questioned and John rolled his eyes.

"Everything is about Nikita... the sooner you learn that... the better off you'll be." John stated as he revved the vehicle and chased after Michael.

*

"Nikita?" Leanor whispered as she walked into the room. She looked at the young Danielle tightly wrapping her arms around the older woman. Both were awake, but neither were admitting to each other that they knew the other one was there. Leanor blinked her eyes. She changed her analysis of what she saw. She saw Danielle trying to console Nikita as she cried.

"Danielle... can we have some time alone?" Leanor questioned the young girl as she placed a hand on the girl's back. This wasn't what Leanor had hoped to find when she walked into this room. She wanted to see Nikita sleeping. Danielle lifted her head and stubbornly shook her head back and forth.

It was a difficult situation. Leanor had found out that Danielle had been abused as a child and then Nikita revealed that Danielle's father to her had died because of suicide, but really he was recruited into Section One. It was unclear why Danielle stopped talking, but it seemed more and more like it wasn't her mother that caused it, but rather one of the foster care situations she had been placed in.

"I am staying here. She needs love," Danielle stated and Leanor couldn't stop but smiling. Danielle was so correct that Nikita needed love, yet this wasn't the love she needed. Leanor didn't have the heart to tell Danielle that Nikita needed Michael instead of her. Leanor rubbed at Nikita's hair as she turned her eyes towards the woman. There was a plead in her eyes and Leanor nodded her head.

"She knows you love her, Danielle.... You know... Sissy.. the housekeeper... She is taking the twins out for ice cream... She'll take you too if you run real fast..." Leanor stated and Danielle looked to Nikita. She kissed her makeshift mother and ran out of the room.

Leanor settled on the bed where Danielle was laying and touched Nikita's face lightly. She blinked her eyes, as Nikita didn't move her eyes at all.

"I don't know what is wrong with me, Leanor.... At times I should be happy... and I'm not... and when I'm sad... I'm more than sad..." Nikita admitted in a voice that was just above a whisper. Leanor nodded her head and continued to sooth the troubled Nikita. Leanor paused, trying to figure out the right words to say to Nikita.

"It's not anything that can just heal, Nikita... It will take time..." Leanor whispered back as she leaned down closer to Nikita. She noticed at Nikita had bundled up the pillows, propping herself in an awkward position, but one that she seemed to need to be in.

"You know... I had everything under control... even losing the baby for a long time... until.. nevermind..." Nikita said as she shook her head, stopping her thoughts. Leanor pushed up with her arms and looked down at Nikita's face gently.

"I want to hear what you were going to say, Nikita... I think I understand what you are trying to say... but you have to say it..." Leanor stated firmly and Nikita closed her eyes and parted her mouth. She said that way, looking like she was allowing a silent moan out of her system.

"I w as under control until I found the lump... I didn't own my body... I didn't know my body..." Nikita whispered as she kept her eyes shut tightly. Leanor nodded her head. She didn't know the details but swallowed. It was common to feel like one no longer had control when cancer comes into the picture.

"You were sick a long time?" Leanor questioned and Nikita sputtered out a cold laugh. She blinked her eyes and looked at Leanor with her eyes.

"I was sick for a while... but somehow a terrorist got in... and made them continued to give me chemotherapy... after I had healed... They were about to chop my breast off..." Nikita whispered and closed her eyes. Leanor swallowed. What Nikita had been through had to be the worse and now she seemed not to be able to get past it. Leanor was sure that Nikita continued with a vivid watch out for other cancers.

"You never went to support groups or anything?" Leanor questioned and Nikita shook her head back and forth. Nikita took her hands out and looked at Leanor.

"They were offered in the hospital... but I did it all by myself until Michael stumbled over me... I just couldn't admit what I was feeling... I was afraid I would reveal myself too much..." Nikita explained and Leanor gathered a deeper picture of what occurred to Nikita.

"So you didn't let Michael take care of you while you were sick?" Leanor questioned and Nikita nodded her head. Leanor looked away and swallowed. She knew that Michael was going to have to take care of Nikita now.

"Oh, Nikita.... You'll be fine... I promise you... I really do," Leanor responded as she leaned down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around Nikita and swallowed.

There were some people in the world that just stun you from what they are willing to endure. They struggled and struggle and eventually they get to that place in time that things go right. There were some people in the world that are remarkable. They keep on surprising you when you least expect it. Then there were people in the world that you just respect because of who they are. They do something that is so unthinkable by all, that it demands just utter and blind respect. Nikita was one of those rare people that fit into all three categories. She was someone that beat the odds before and Leanor was sure was going to do it again for one reason.

She was Nikita.

~~

There was a little cabin about three miles from the camp location that Michael, John, and Lori had arrived at. Michael had hiked in the last half of mile, leaving the vehicles behind, not wanting to alert anyone of their arrival. What they did hear about ten minutes ago was a helicopter.

Yet, the signal on the computer still showed that Aubrey was in that cabin. Michael motioned with his head for Lori and John to circle around. He wished he had one more operative to take the other side of the cabin, but that wasn't going to happen. Now was the time to attack the house.

Michael moved to the front door, taking an approach of just knocking, although his gun was firmly ready to shot and kill if needed. There was no response and Michael turned the handle and moved in.

Things occurred quickly. Lori entered through the backdoor and John leapt through a pane of glass into the dinning room. The two boys, Kirk and Aubrey were tied up in the living room, in wooden chairs. Already, Aubrey had gathered a sharp piece of glass and was trying to cut his way out.

"Where did Lee Hung go?" Michael questioned Aubrey as he pulled the gag off of his son's mouth. Aubrey blinked at Michael and then Michael stopped. Quickly, Michael hugged Aubrey and held him to his body, even as Lori cut Kirk go.

"Are you going to arrest my father?" Kirk questioned and Michael looked around the cabin and sighed. He didn't know if Lee Hung was ready to come back with more men or if he had planned on tempting Michael to the house. He didn't have a choice; they had to leave soon.

"I think your father is gone, Kirk..." Michael stated as he cut at the bindings that were on Aubrey's ankles. Lori looked at the table and turned with the small camera in her hand.

"I think someone is watching us..." Lori stated and Michael pulled away from Aubrey. The last rope fell to the ground. Michael took the camera and looked at it. It was possible that Michael could take it back and see if Walter could reverse the projected area of the signal, but by then, Lee Hung would be far gone.

Michael went back to the table and placed the object on the table. He pulled out his gun and smashed it into thousands of pieces. Michael turned and looked at the two boys.

"Don't worry Mr. Samuelle... I was never close with him.. He is really bad, right?" Kirk questioned, sounding younger than his years. Michael nodded his head and moved to the door.

"We have to get started... Night is not too far off... and Aubrey's mother is scared stiff..." Michael said and Lori smiled as she looked at the two boys.

"I want to have a son someday..." Lori stated as she looked at John with a sly smile crossing her face. John smiled back, but he didn't connect what Lori was trying to hint at.

"I'm sure you'll find a good man, Lori," John stated as he walked past the tall brunette. She sighed as she looked at his body.

She had already found him.

~~

"Nikita... Nikita..." Danielle whispered as she shook at Nikita's body. Nikita opened her eyes, finding everything out of sorts. She last remembered having Leanor there with her. Now Danielle was back. She looked to the window and saw that it was pitch black out and she couldn't hold her eyes open.

"What?" Nikita questioned and Danielle smiled as she held out the cell phone.

"You were ringing..." Danielle stated and Nikita lifted her head, but it felt so heavy. She blinked her eyes a few times, attempting to clear her vision so she knew what was going on. She never knew why she would sleep so heavy. Nikita rarely was a heavy sleeper.

"Hello?" Nikita questioned, wondering if something more was going on at Section One. She regretted that she had gotten off the computer. She couldn't even guess at how long she had been sleeping for. And to top that uncertainty off was the fact that Nikita still wanted to sleep more.

"Mom.... It's just me," Mia commented quickly, almost sensing that Nikita was not fully aware of what was going on. Nikita rolled her head around and blinked her eyes a few times.

"What is it Mia?" Nikita questioned, as her eyes grew heavy once more. She almost thought she heard a giggle on the other end. She then heard Mia make a hush whispered towards John to stop what he was doing.

"I was told to call you to say that Aubrey is fine and that dad is on the way to get you..." Mia stated and Nikita shook her head. She couldn't even understand what Mia was talking about. Nikita was told that Aubrey had always been fine.

"John says he is sorry that they didn't get Lee Hung... that they will get him next time," Mia relayed the message and Nikita's vision cleared instantly. She wanted Lee Hung so badly to die for what he has done to Section One and most importantly to those that Nikita cares about.

"Lee Hung? Was Aubrey captured by Lee Hung!" Nikita screamed into the phone as her feet slapped down onto the wooden floor. She heard the soft sigh on the other end, but her heart was racing. She didn't identify that Mia was not worried.

"Mom... everything is fine.. Aubrey is home... and he is punished..... So you and dad have a good vacation... I think you need it..." Mia said and disconnected the connection. Nikita sat back down and handed the phone to Danielle.

Nikita slumbered back in bed, not sure if this was a dream or real life. It didn't feel like real life. She just couldn't seem to get a handle onto what was said to her, and with that thought, Nikita drifted back to sleep.

*

The door was opened as Michael touched it. Standing in the hallway was Leanor as she studied the man. He looked to the stairs, showing Leanor that he wanted to be with Nikita at this time. Leanor tilted her head down the hallway. She expected Michael to follow as he did. There were things that still needed to be discussed.

"Where are you going?" Leanor questioned first, as she looked to her sink. She looked out to the night sky. She hoped that Michael was going to make this all simple, nothing complex.

"We are going to a small hotel in Virginia... I need sometime alone with Nikita... but I don't want to have to worry about making meals and cleaning up," Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. It made perfect sense and she finally turned to look at Michael.

"Michael.. is she unable to have another child?"

"What?"

"Michael... is she unable to have another child?" Leanor questioned in the same tone as she stated the question the first time. Michael rubbed his hands together.

"It is risky with the cancer... the hormonal changes can cause the cancer to come back," Michael informed Leanor. She nodded her head and looked away for a second. Nikita was also very close to nearing the end of her biological clock.

"The risk might be greater if you don't..." Leanor whispered and Michael dropped his head.

"We have to go on what faith gives us, Leanor. We aren't going to go out there and try... the chemo has stopped her period from coming every month as it is... We don't protect... so, it hasn't happened yet and I will not make Nikita feel like she needs to do this," Michael stated and Leanor nodded her head. She understood fully.

"I understand, Michael," Leanor stated, just so that he fully knew that she did know. "Michael... just love her..."

"I do."

"Michael... I don't know how to explain what I mean..." Leanor stumbled, frustrated at her own inability to tell Michael what needed to be done. She blinked her eyes and Michael softly smiled, showing instantly that he knew what needed to be done.

"Leanor... my life means something because of her... I have to cherish her... because I have neglected to do that of late," Michael issued as he turned and moved gracefully out of the kitchen. He was a husband out to make the world right for his wife again.

~~

John stood at the window in Mia's bedroom. He looked lightly over his shoulder, feeling a chill come across his shoulder. He didn't know why he was in the room. He knew that Mia's father would mount his head in the den if he knew what he was doing to his daughter.

But it felt so right.

And John couldn't help himself any longer. Mia was inside of him, making his entire body ache to be with her, to be by her side at every moment of the day. John was staring outside of the house, feeling that Michael somehow had to know that feeling.

Yet as everyone reminded him, Michael's relationship was so different than what conventional words could say. Walter sometimes even hinted at Michael and Nikita having some sort of psychic bond that they knew what the other one was thinking because on a higher plane they were connected cosmically.

"John?" Mia whispered as she reached her hand out to the spot that John normally occupied in her head. She lifted her head slightly, seeking out the awareness of where her love of her life had gone too. She turned to see that John had once again, looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'm right here..." John whispered softly as he looked at Mia's beautiful face. She had the most perfect combination of genes. If John were ever brave enough, he would have thanked Michael and Nikita for creating this angel that was willing to give him everything that he never had.

"What is it? What is bothering you?" Mia questioned as she pulled at the sheet and started to stand up from bed. John wanted to turn and tell Mia to sleep, but he looked at her and knew that she knew him too well. He wasn't going to be able to hide forever, especially when his body wanted to be joined to hers at all times. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, content with feeling her.

"John.. please talk to me..." Mia whispered as she looked out into the darkness that he was looking into. Their lovemaking earlier had been rushed; John with a need to declare is love for Mia. Mia wasn't going to complain, but it was like John was worried about something, and that something made him stare out the window without her.

"Mia... I don't want you to worry about it..." John stated back as he tugged his hands tighter around Nikita. It was a gesture trying to get Mia to drop the subject. He dropped his head slightly and started to nudge at her lips, trying to get her lips to part and allow him to change the subject. Mia slightly allowed it to happen and then pulled her head away.

"Please, John... No secrets... You've seen what that does to even the best couples," Mia whispered and John blinked his eyes. He knew exactly what Mia was talking about. He sighed and started to turn back to the bed. He settled with his back on the headboard and with Mia in between his legs, so that her face wasn't looking directly at him.

"When you said that you wanted me to be your family, Mia... I finally felt wanted..." John whispered out and Mia gasped. She turned to turn to face him, but John's hands stayed on her shoulders, keeping her in the spot on the bed he had arranged.

"I didn't know family... I can barely remember what my mother looked like, Mia... Somehow Section One became my family... it meant so much that you wanted me..." John whispered as he dropped his head closer to Mia's ear. This time, he didn't stop Mia from turning and facing him. She lifted her head and kissed the tears away from his cheeks and rubbed her hands across his chest.

"John... how can I not want you? You are who I love..... the man that changed my life... showed me that I can have something... I only said those words because they are what I truly felt..." Mia spoke out with more voice in her voice. She saw the protest on his lips and she leaned up and kissed his words briefly away. She wanted John to know that he wasn't a play toy like she used to do with men. She wanted John to know that he was who she wanted and no one else.