Circles. They were the one object that Nikita learned to hate in her often-brief stints into a public school system. Who cared if a circle had a diameter and a perimeter, other than Birkoff? Who could keep which one was which? And she never quite grasped the concept of Pi. The only circles that meant anything to Nikita in her childhood were rings. Almost every other month, her mother would have another circle gracing her finger, swearing to Nikita that this time was finally the right man. Nikita was never surprised when the ring disappeared along with the promises.

On a map, the town of Liberty Circles, out in the mid-west of the United States seemed to make perfect sense that the town would be easy to understand and explore. A town made up with seven circles, progressively growing in size from the center. The center circle itself was interesting. The name of the street was Lemon and the circle was Lemon Center, as one lone lemon tree stood in the small circle. There were no gazebo and no statue to the person who founded Liberty Circles; there was a lemon tree.

All the circles were given names of almost round fruit. From working from Lemon Center and moving away from it where, Lime Street, Orange Way, Apple Avenue, Grape Blvd, Kiwi Place, and Peach Court. All of them contained nothing but personal dwellings. The only businesses on these streets were small ones ran out of the house and most women would cut and style hair from their basement.

Around Lemon Center, there was West Park and East Park, which were divided by North Street and South Street. The parks were mirror images of one another, trees, grass, and flowers. There were no benches in the parks, there weren't even pathways made out of cement. They were real spots of nature that were tended to and each half of town could claim one of the parks as being their own. It didn't separate the town in reality, but one looked at it, it felt that way.

There were two other streets, East Street and West Street, each running in that given direction and from Lime Street, the town was divided into perfect fourths. To get to the everyday items that were needed to run a household, one would have to travel. Past the last circle, North Street ran into a large park, where there were finally swings for kids to play on and paths for people to walk in. There were two ball fields, one for the boys and one for the girls. There was a swimming pool, which had an old plastic slide curling down two stories into the deep end of the pool. The park even had a volleyball court, very rare for a small town.

Past the town on South Street was the huge mall, as the residents in the town believed it to be. It was one long strip of buildings, which included the grocery store, a hardware store, and the store to play the lottery. It was the lottery store that had the most business on any given day, but the town was proud of this mall.

East Street had the schools located once outside of town. There were three schools; all placed on the same side of East Street and all separated by ten-foot fences. There was the elementary school, closest to town. Their little recess area had a swing set and an asphalt play area for playing kick ball. The middle school was placed right next to the elementary school. The building was a bit larger and had only a grass patch and a few benches outside. It was the high school that had more. They had the track and the football field, which only had some temporary stands placed to it. The football team was never particular strong and the fans only came on homecoming to see which girl was going to be queen and going to be pregnant before the end of the year.

On West Street, there was the one lone church, but it was an immense structure with large windows of stained glass. Most people were moderately religious and some would go to church on Sunday and study the windows instead of pay attention to the sermon that was occurring. Those people were the last to kneel and the last to rise. They were the ones with their heads turned off to the side and the ones that clapped when the sun started to stream into the glorious panes of glass, making the church a kaleidoscope of colors.

Before one could concentrate on the uniqueness of the houses inside of Liberty Circles, one has to know what is around the town, what makes the town its money and why often people drive through. It appeared as a town divided, not only by West Park and East Park, but because of the orchards that ran around the town in a long ring. To the east, there were large and vast Apple Orchards and the smell of apples was always pleasantly around. Liberty Circles, because of the vast amounts of apples and talented mothers that stayed home, most often made the top three apple pies in the county fair, an accomplishment that was on display on a plaque when coming into town, from whatever direction one was. To the west, the fields were filled with oranges. Not many towns had orchards, but Liberty Circles had two. The orange scent was also pleasant, and often, when there was a breeze, it was so soft and gentle, one could not tell what the smelt.

The houses in Liberty Circles were varied. First, they only build the houses on one side of the circle streets, always on the side furthest from Lemon Center. All the houses had driveways and garages, as parking on a circled street was dangerous and it was easier to have the cars off the streets. The houses on Lime Street and Orange Way were redesigned recently, at the town expense. They moved the families out and went to work, making the houses to look like they were carved out of circles. The fronts of the houses had no porches or awnings. They were built with a circle in the front, like the curve that was in front of their house. The front side of the house wasn't flat, it was a curve and that in itself was odd. In addition, the architect had gone another step to weirdness and created the windows, in large and vast circles, most windows giving opening to the first and second stories, where the steps to the second level were seen. That was what visitors wanted to see.

Once one moved away from Lime Street and Orange Way, the houses were often brick and more importantly, flat. They varied in size and height, but they all had a charm of sorts, some with shutters that had half-crescent moons carved into the wood and others with the wood trimmed in a bright pink. All of the houses had no numbers on them, as those numbers were on a stake on the sidewalk and next to the street, clearly distinguishing which house was which.

Although Nikita had been in two small towns recently, this one was on the edge of being weird and odd. Nikita didn't like the feel of the town, but she was telling herself that it was her other emotions being projected onto the town. Nikita was sure that given time, if she had it that the town would grow on it.

Nikita's feelings about the people though, weren't hampered by the view of the town. While unpacking the house, neighbors from all about dropped by, handing Nikita an apple pie if they were from the East side of the town, or handing Nikita orange marmalade if they were from the West side of town. Everyone claimed that theirs was the best.

"Nikita... is that another apple pie?" Madeline questioned as Nikita walked back to the refrigerator. Nikita turned her head and looked at Madeline as she stepped out of their dinning room and looked at Nikita. Her eyes were frozen on Madeline as she clunked the jar of orange marmalade onto the shelf and pulled her hand away.

There was tension between the two and it was the mission that was coloring Nikita's opinion on the town. To say that there was a disagreement between the two would be a vast understatement. The coldness didn't start when they arrived at their house on Grape Blvd., it had started before then, when Madeline was trying to work out the details of the mission.

"No... Mom." Nikita said firmly and sarcastically. Nikita stepped out of the kitchen and moved down the hallway to the front door and started to jog up the stairs. Madeline followed behind and slammed the front door and stared at Nikita's back, as she did not stop to look at Madeline.

"Nikita, we have to talk about this mission. We don't have the stories down." Madeline called out and Nikita turned as she hit the top of the stairs. Her blue eyes glared down at Madeline and Madeline could feel the coldness that Nikita was giving to her. The struggle between the two strong-willed women was commenced and was going to continue.

"Well, Madeline...You are the better operative. Why don't you just write it down and I'll study it." Nikita snapped out and Madeline started to slowly walk up the stairs. She held her hand on the handle and looked at Nikita.

"I have an idea, but I want to make sure it is ok." Madeline said in a soft voice, trying to defuse Nikita's anger and Nikita blinked her eyes as she snorted loudly from her nose.

"Madeline... we are playing mother and daughter... and we already know that your daughter ran away from you for about six years... So if we appear to get along, we won't be real." Nikita spat out at Madeline. Madeline collected her anger, not appreciating Nikita's tone at all. She thought that Nikita would have found this mission almost appealing but now Madeline knew her hands were full with the anger and stubbornness of Nikita. Madeline knew she could play Nikita's game, but she rather not.

"I have to finish unpacking, since you dragged me to a house that has a closet that looks like a cupboard from the kitchen." Nikita said as she turned and walked towards her little corner room. Madeline rolled her eyes and followed Nikita, only to get the door slammed in her face. Madeline rolled her eyes as she was going to have to talk to Nikita about her behavior. Nikita was acting like a teenager, when she was to be the 27-year-old daughter.

"I told you that you can have some of the cupboard space in my room!" Madeline called out through the door but there was only the sound of a shoe hitting the door. Madeline rolled her eyes and stepped away. She moved to her room and picked up the phone. She sighed and turned on the computer. There were things that needed to be done, and none of it was going to make Nikita happy. Yet missions weren't about making Nikita happy.

*

Madeline had mauled over her plans for this mission for weeks, from the time that Nikita was escaping the hands of Mrs. Papappas. The fact that Birkoff needed Nikita in Vernsville just gave Madeline a way to work on the information and plans without running into Nikita. Madeline was very careful with all the details of this plan, as it was more about Nikita than anything else.

Because of Madeline's need to keep secrecy, Nikita still did not know who the target was and what was needed from the target. It was a touchy situation and Madeline knew that Nikita's instincts would be screaming that there was a plan here that she would not like. Madeline knew that once she sat down with Nikita that it would be a battle, but she had to work on the situation before it got out of control. The worse part was that Nikita did not realize that there was a situation, or at least, her psyche was in denial.

That was the reason why Madeline grabbed the three videotapes from her dresser in the main room and stepped out into the hallway. She checked Nikita's small room and then started down the stairs; happy to see that Nikita had tightly made her bed. Madeline heard the commotion inside of the kitchen and placed the three videotapes on the television and made her way to the kitchen.

Nikita had baked cookies and Madeline raised her eyes as Nikita stuck her finger into the batter-covered dish and licked up the extra batter from her finger. Nikita's eyes sparkled as she turned and slung the dish into the sink and pushed the timer on the oven. The first batch of cookies were cooling on a rack and Madeline smiled at the perfect circles and the perfect golden brown of the dough. Madeline licked her lips as her head moved from side to side, as she did not know that Nikita knew how to bake. It was amazing that Nikita had any home life skills to begin with.

"Nikita... When you are done we need to talk about the mission." Madeline said and Nikita turned as she pulled one of the cooling cookies with her hands. Madeline turned her head and smiled as she saw the image of the warm chocolate chips oozing out of the cookie onto Nikita's fingers. The young woman was slighted so often as a child that it was a wonder how Nikita could find enjoyment in the little things, but she did.

Madeline didn't want Nikita to lose that. That was the reason why Madeline had moved forward with this mission, in this manner, and not in an easier and quicker fashion. Like Madeline had pointed out to Nikita, sometimes the missions and plans had to be about the operatives and not the targets. Birkoff was enjoying his time in Cancun because of Nikita and now it was time to possibly give Nikita something back, more life and less pain. It was all that Madeline could hope for.

It took a good fifteen minutes for Nikita to bring in a tray of warmed cookies and two glasses of milk. Madeline smiled as she pulled back from the television and looked at Nikita. Although Nikita was not one to say sorry to Madeline, the gesture, baking and then bringing cookies to Madeline was a way for Nikita to apologize and Madeline sighed at the happiness in her heart. She knew though, it was going to be short lived and that when Nikita learned of the mission at hand that all hell was going to break lose. Madeline knew that Nikita was not going to take any of this well, because she will not be able to see the benefits to her as a person.

They sat in silence, watching America's Funniest Home Videos as they ate their cookies and drank their milk. Madeline waited for the show to end and flipped the volume off of the television. Nikita turned and looked at Madeline as she pushed forward the PDA that she knew that Nikita was waiting for.

"This is Dr. Ralph Bowles. He is a psychologist and we need to get into his files." Madeline said and Nikita looked around and stood up.

"I brought my cat prowler outfit..." Nikita said and Madeline shook her head as she took Nikita's arm in her hand. Nikita chewed her lips as she sat back down and studied Madeline carefully. Madeline looked to the file and then to Nikita.

"We are going to use him as a doctor... to help you." Madeline said and Nikita stared at Madeline and blinked her eyes. She rolled her head back and then began to shake it. Madeline looked at the golden strands of Nikita's hair carefully as Nikita protested Madeline's words as Madeline predicted.

"I don't think that is a good idea. You know me and psychologists don't get along." Nikita stated and Madeline looked around. She knew that Nikita had been physically assaultive towards one of her drug counselors, but Madeline had made her own decisions on why that occurred.

"You get along with me." Madeline pointed out and Nikita bitterly smiled as she looked at Madeline. Madeline in turn, felt her heart flip over in worry.

"You can cancel me." Nikita pointed and Madeline sighed and looked around the room. She took Nikita's hands, surprised that Nikita allowed Madeline to do so. There had been a time when they had a good relationship, but that had been pulled apart due to Operations. Whatever trust Nikita had was gone a long time ago due to Michael's manipulations, and even thought that relationship was mending did not take away the fact that everyone in Section had hurt Nikita in some way or form.

"I'm doing this to help you... Michael has been worried about your flinching... I feel that it stems back from before Section for you." Madeline said and she watched as Nikita blinked her eyes repeatedly. Madeline waited as Nikita tried to do everything to contain the anger that Madeline knew would not be held back.

"Michael? Why do you have to get into our relationship? WE ARE..." Nikita said and then stopped as she resumed to shake her head. Madeline saw the trust coming up again. Nikita saw Madeline and Madeline, second-in-command, and saw her connection to Operations. Nikita was afraid to admit anything.

"You two are doing well. I don't want the details.. But the flinching needs to be dealt with... Michael and I think it could be more." Madeline said and Nikita stood up and started to pace.

"There is no flinching. I don't know what you are talking about!" Nikita exclaimed and Madeline nodded her head and turned on the videotape. There was Michael and Nikita standing inside of Section One just the other day before Nikita left. Nikita looks at Michael and when he raises his hand to her face, Nikita pulls away before she allows the touch.

"That." Madeline said as she froze the image with Nikita's eyes closed and her head in the process of pulling away from Michael's firm and strong hand. Nikita turned towards Madeline and took a cleansing breath and looked to Madeline.

"That doesn't prove anything." Nikita said and Madeline turned the tape back on, allowing it to play the hundreds of images that Madeline was able to gather from the Section One cameras. Nikita shook her head and sat down.

"I believe this is back from when you were on the streets... When you had abusive relationships with boyfriends." Madeline said and Nikita looked at Madeline and licked her lips. She was stunned to say the least and she dropped her head.

"I'm fine. There is no problem." Nikita said and Madeline reached for Nikita, but she pulled away, not because she was scared, but because Nikita was upset that Madeline would suggest such a thing.

"I'm offering a way to make your relationship with Michael better. If you can get past the difficult history of abusive men, you can be more open with Michael than you are now. It is for your well-being." Madeline said and Nikita nodded her head up and down. Madeline blinked her eyes and smiled, seeing that Nikita was processing what she was talking about. Madeline could feel that all was going to be better, that Nikita was going to allow this help to occur.

"So, we get into Dr. Ralph Bowles files by making me his patient under his care. I get help for my abusive past and we all go home happy." Nikita said and Madeline nodded her head.

Then the changed occurred in Nikita's face. In that one second, Madeline knew everything had changed, that everything that Madeline thought was going right and that Nikita was accepting, was painfully going wrong and Nikita was going to reject. It was before Nikita's face it the scowl and the frown. It was before Nikita's eyes turned to the dark gray of hatred that stared over Madeline's body. It was before all the muscles in Nikita's body contracted and pushed her to a standing position and urged her to scream. Madeline knew that Nikita had baited her in and then she went in for the kill.

"NO! There is no problem.. And if there is... why would I trust a man we want.. There has to be a reason why we want his files... and if you can't give me that reason... There is no way I could ever be open to a target!" Nikita screamed and Madeline nodded her head. She had anticipated this argument from Nikita. She stood up and tried to touch Nikita's shoulders, but was only left standing with her hands waving in the air.

"There are rumors of malpractice... We need the files to see if he is." Madeline said and Nikita nodded her head up and down and then turned to Madeline.

"Then how is all of this connected to Rick Azure and Samantha Jennings?" Nikita questioned and Madeline sighed. She turned and looked at Nikita and swallowed. Nikita wasn't ready to hear the truth. Madeline was never going to give that to Nikita. Maybe if Nikita gave Dr. Ralph Bowles a chance she would find out the truth by accident, but Madeline was not going to tell her.

"He has connections to both... and we will also need to get his fingerprints." Madeline said and Nikita shook her head as she sat down on the couch.

"I'm not going." Nikita said and Madeline looked at Nikita and blew some air up into the strands of her chocolate hair and tilted her head to the side. Nikita was stubborn sometimes and Madeline regretted that she couldn't get Nikita to do this, because it was for the best of Nikita to do so.

"Don't be angry with Michael on this one.... He only wants you to be fine." Madeline said and Nikita blinked her eyes and looked up at Madeline with them. Madeline felt them pierce her skin and knew that Nikita wanted nothing with the woman that was her mother on this mission. Nikita knew that come in the morning, either she was going to Dr. Bowles or Madeline was. Madeline was also sure that Nikita knew some other things that she was about to enlighten Madeline about.

"Why don't you add this to my file? It's going to be found out sooner or later... I love Michael.. And he loves me... and whatever manipulation you are trying to do by saying Michael is involved, I will not buy. He knows he could tell me anything. He isn't telling me I need to see someone... He would have sent me to you, if he really believed this to be a problem. Why would I go to a second rate shrink when the best is standing in front of me?" Nikita said and Madeline bit her lip, trying to process everything that Nikita had said.

Never had Nikita said the love word in front of Madeline with Michael attached to it. It may have been hinted to that there were feelings or an attachment, but suddenly it went to love without Madeline realizing how quickly both Michael and Nikita reached that plateau, that Madeline was sure that Nikita was struggling on maintaining. Nikita had seen Madeline's lie from miles away and now she had to sit back and wait. Madeline and Michael didn't discuss in length about Nikita's flinch. Michael just said that sometimes it is cute when Nikita flinches before his touch, that it made him feel good that after all that she had been through, she still allowed him that luxury.

"I didn't realize that it was that deep yet. More of a reason to do what I am offering you." Madeline said and Nikita leveled her head. Madeline could see the words processing in Nikita's mind, that Nikita in her years at Section One had learned to wait and think before speaking. Yet, her eyes revealed so much of the pain she was feeling as she thought. Nikita would never be able to hide those eyes.

"If you cared about me, and that past, You wouldn't be sending me to a target, Madeline. As I stated, Why would you send me to someone who knows less than you?" Nikita commented and Madeline sighed and rolled her eyes.

But it was a good question and Nikita had a valid point. Madeline should have dealt with this issue before Nikita got involved with Michael. Yet, it was difficult to pinpoint where in the relationship between Michael and Nikita did it go from trainer/pupil to something more. Madeline even had doubts that it was just trainer/pupil, as they were connected in ways that Madeline felt was scary. Still, that was not the reason why Madeline didn't help Nikita. It was much simpler than that. Madeline wanted Nikita to succeed, and a therapist couldn't have that outlook. She wanted Nikita to grow and expand and to so much better than what she was now. Madeline also wanted to give Nikita those things that she never had as a child. Being exposed to Birkoff provided Nikita with something like a family and Walter seemed to be turning from an uncle to a father more and more. Madeline needed to keep those things going right for Nikita, and in doing so, she could not keep an objective mind, like what is needed for Nikita's problems.

"I would need to be objective. You know the nature of my job." Madeline replied shortly and simply. She felt Nikita's eyes harshly stare at her body as Nikita tilted her head to the side. Nikita smirked and shook her head.

"No one in Section One is objective, we aren't allowed to be. And why would you send me to a man if a man started my problems?" Nikita questioned and Madeline sighed and shook her head. Nikita was going to pick apart this discussion, and all the points were more than valid.

"I couldn't find a woman that we are going to be needing anytime soon." Madeline said and Nikita's head did not stop shaking no at anytime.

"I'm not going. I don't need help." Nikita said and Madeline sighed and shook her head as she moved away from Nikita. She couldn't stay here with Nikita, seeing her throw about the opportunity. Madeline moved to the television and pointed to the videotapes.

"I suggest you look and view those tapes. Look at what you are doing to your relationship with Michael. I'm only trying to make it better." Madeline said and Nikita's eyes narrowed lightly. Madeline saw Nikita starting to shake her head again.

"Only I can make my relationship with Michael better and if you wanted it to be better, you wouldn't have dragged me to this circular town in the middle of nowhere." Nikita said as she grabbed the remote control and started to view the videocassettes that Madeline had pointed at. Nikita turned her head to the side and swallowed.

"Oh.. That is after I fell and twisted my ankle because Michael put his bag down... Now why would I accept his touch when he did something so stupid?" Nikita sarcastically remarked as she turned her head from the video screen to look at Madeline. Madeline only lightly shook her head and moved away, not wanting to listen to the running commentary of excuses that Nikita was going to give her.

Madeline sat on her bed and listened to Nikita loudly explaining the situation that was occurring in each instance. It was all a process of denial that Nikita was going through. Madeline leaned back on the bed, telling herself that she was going to read a book, but found herself falling asleep with the wonder on her mind if Nikita was going to make it.

*

The electronic buzzer worked its annoying tone into Madeline's sleeping body as she pushed against the pillow. She rubbed her messed up hair as she opened one eye and glared at the time, finding that the night had past way too quickly. She slowly rolled around onto her back and pushed her hair back with her hands before she finally rolled to slap the buzzer off.

It was in those moments that Madeline spent groaning and rolling around on the bed, as the morning light splattered the room with light, that Madeline realized the significance of the dream she was having all night long. Madeline dwelled in those images, seeking to find an answer that she was sure was missing.

She was seeing the progression of Nikita's problem if it continued. Michael wasn't making a big deal of the little flinch right now, but Madeline had to wonder how long that would last? When would Michael finally comment about it? If he did comment about it, that would be the ending of all that was good in Nikita's life.

But that wasn't the only thing Madeline saw in her dreams. She saw, imagined, and felt what Nikita must have felt when she was that teenager on the street, running from man to man. She ran from one man that was beating her to another man, only to slowly get beaten by that man. Madeline didn't see Nikita receiving the abuse, in her dream, Madeline became Nikita.

Maybe it was because Madeline had been studying Nikita too closely of late. It was almost an unhealthy obsession with Nikita's life, reading everything and anything about abusive relationships from between mothers and daughter to girlfriends and boyfriends. She read about the life on the streets and she even went to the point of counseling girls less than twenty years old who ran away from home. She wanted to know Nikita's life and last night, Madeline had gotten the scare of her life.

Madeline pulled her body out of the bed and pulled the gray robe around her body. She shook her head from the thoughts and looked out the window, only to feel something more that seemed to not be her emotions but Nikita's. It was like Nikita had spent a lot of time looking out of windows. Was it because she was looking out on the world she was not a part of, ever? Was it that she wanted to be part of that out there? Was it that she was searching for something more?

No answers came to Madeline as she blinked her eyes and rubbed them lightly. The light seemed something more, as it should to Nikita. The bad things happened at night, and the light, was something better for Nikita. Madeline looked out of the window and sighed, trying to see what Nikita would think about when she looked out to the sky and the sun. It felt like freedom was releasing Madeline's heart and Madeline blinked her eyes and stepped back.

When Nikita looked out a window, yes, in times she was looking at the world that she wanted to be part of, but she had a hope for something more. Madeline closed her eyes and stumbled around the room, trying to grasp that thought that was right there for her to grab, so she could know Nikita better. Madeline stopped and turned around to sit down on the bed. She steadied her eyes out the window and raised her eyebrows as it all of a sudden cleared her foggy head.

Everything that Madeline had seen in the night was made up, based off of some thoughts and some opinions. There were very few facts. Madeline didn't know what the men looked like when they abused her and slapped her around. Madeline didn't know what Nikita's mother looked like when she was drunk. They were all formed in Madeline's mind, but now the one clear thing come to her mind. When Nikita was staring out a window, any window, for reasons not chained to providing security for a mission, Nikita was focusing on a dream, a complex one in her mind. Once Madeline knew that, she knew that Nikita dreamed and therefore had hope. If she had hope, Madeline knew what that dream was of. It could only contain one other person than Nikita herself: Michael.

As Madeline stood up and pulled on the bunny slippers to her feet she stretched her arms about. It was time to start the day anew to start a new strategy, to be conniving if she needed to be. Nikita needed Dr. Bowles, but to push her was the wrong way of going at it. Madeline picked up a brush and lightly ran it through her bed-hair. She pulled the brush through her knots and waited until it appeared as straight and neat as possible without taking a shower first.

The house was a beautiful one; all carpeted in a tan carpet so deep that your feet sunk into it about an inch. Madeline strolled out of her bedroom to Nikita's bedroom, not knowing what time Nikita had finally given into sleep. She tapped at the door and then slowly opened it as her mother use to do when Sarah was still around. She licked her lips and then pushed the door fully open when she found the room was empty.

"Nikita?" Madeline softly whispered out as she turned and found her hand on the railing to the stairs. She moved down the stairs and sighed as she saw Nikita with her feet up on the couch and staring at the television screen. Nikita's clothing had not changed and her eyes were surrounded with blackness of not sleeping. Madeline walked to the television and stared at Nikita as she slowly raised her head.

"I watched all three tapes... four times, Madeline." Nikita said and Madeline nodded her head, hoping for a few seconds that Nikita gave away from that stubborn streak and relaxed her hold and go to Dr. Bowles. Nikita's chin did not move and Madeline knew the words that were next before Nikita even started to say them.

"There is no problem. You are creating one." Nikita said and Madeline nodded her head, not going to fight with the young woman on this point any further. Fighting wasn't going to get Nikita any closer to that office and wasn't going to get this mission moving.

"You need to get some sleep, Nikita." Madeline commented as she moved into the kitchen and rolled her head from side to side, feeling the tension that has somehow disappeared as she slept, arrive quickly back. Madeline looked for the cookies that Nikita had made and found not one left. She turned to see Nikita staring at her.

"I'm not going." Nikita said and Madeline nodded her head as she sat down on the coffee table, in front of Nikita. She reached out and touched Nikita's knees. There was something flickering behind Nikita's eyes as she looked at her. Nikita looked at Madeline and waited. It wasn't like Nikita was scared.

"I'm not going to make you... I'm not going to ask you again. I'll do this mission and you can learn the town." Madeline said as she rubbed the kneecaps of Nikita's knees softly. She waited as Nikita gently bobbed her head up and down, indicating that she understood what Madeline was saying.

"And no more talking about my problem?" Nikita pushed and Madeline smiled and reached for Nikita's cheek. She couldn't believe it when Nikita flinched from her touch also. Madeline looked into Nikita's eyes, feeling sad that she didn't know the answers to help Nikita and she nodded her head.

"I won't mention it again. You deserve to learn the town either way." Madeline said and Nikita smiled gently against Madeline's hand.

"Thanks... I would like to know what this place is really like... I think it has a charm that I haven't found yet." Nikita said and Madeline laughed at Nikita's comment. Madeline couldn't think of one of the charms yet, but she wasn't going to worry about it.

"Vernsville was a really nice town. I wish I could give some operatives a couple years there." Madeline said and she watched Nikita's face go extremely soft. Madeline wondered why Nikita reacted as such and what Nikita was thinking about. It was from the smile on her face that Madeline was sure that Nikita was thinking of Michael.

Madeline wanted to prod Birkoff's mind for what had happened and against her better judgment, didn't send in surveillance teams to watch the normal activities. She didn't even study the local paper. She allowed the mission to go as it was written and didn't worry about what was happening. In time she knew the mission would be completed and that something would happen. Whatever happened, it was significant.

"Can I call Michael?" Nikita questioned and Madeline leaned back and nodded her head. She walked off to the kitchen to get something small for breakfast. In the ten minutes that Madeline took in eating her cereal she did not think about Nikita and found some enjoyment.

"Nikita?" Michael's voice echoed out from the phone as Madeline entered the living room to find Nikita's head down on the couch, finally asleep. Madeline smiled and pulled up the phone. She chuckled softly.

"Nikita?" Michael questioned and Madeline laughed as she moved out onto the little front porch that their house had. Michael sounded perplexed and only served to cause Madeline to laugh a bit more.

"Madeline, Michael. Nikita fell asleep. She stayed up all night." Madeline said and she heard the harsh and angry sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Why would she do that? We are trying to get her back in perfect condition." Michael said and Madeline rolled her eyes with Michael's tones and words. Maybe he was trying to help get Nikita back in shape, as her routine had been broken with her injuries, but that wasn't what was going on during that phone call.

"Michael... don't push her while she is here... She is being..."

"Stressed?"

"No.. How about harassed?"

"No... better.. Lied too."

"Manipulated."

"Michael..." Madeline started to protest against Michael's words.

"Are you trying to hurt her beyond the point of return? Are you trying to..."

"Michael.. Will you listen to me..."

"Destroy her little psyche that for some reason as responded to love? Do you..."

"MICHAEL!"

"Want her like a zombie.. Moving around like the robot I once was because I am no longer that man? Or are you trying to destroy her to..."

"Michael.. Will you listen to yourself..." Madeline tried to protest out as she looked at the passing car.

"To.. To get to me... You want to destroy me again... So you hurt her... But it isn't going to work. Not this time." Michael stated firmly as a fact.

"Why, Michael? Why isn't it going to work?" Madeline issued the challenge. She knew the answer that was to come.

"Because I love her. I love her Madeline and that is the one thing you will not destroy!" Michael said firmly and without hesitation. Madeline blinked her eyes and sat down on the wooden step of the porch, blinking her eyes. Those weren't the words she was ready for. She was ready for another one of Michael's famous lines saying how he wasn't going to tell her because she didn't need to know. Madeline blinked her eyes and waited.

"Madeline?" Michael softly questioned after a period of silence.

"I'm trying to make her better for you.. And complete a mission that is going to be awful... I want her to be strong, Michael... Not so dependent on you.. So that your relationship is better..." Madeline tried to explain, but lacking the words that she wanted to say.

"Our relationship is fine." Michael said without hesitation. Madeline nodded her head and stood up. She looked out to the day ahead and thought it was going to be more than difficult.

"Sorry... I didn't want to do this now... I have to go." Madeline said and Michael cut the line off on his end. Madeline folded the phone and walked back into the house. She looked down at Nikita and smiled. She placed the phone on the coffee table and started to struggle with Nikita's body.

"I can't leave you here..." Madeline sighed as she finally slung Nikita's body over her slender shoulder and started the slow progress of taking the larger woman back to bed, noting that when Nikita was a child, her mother probably never bothered to do this for her.

Madeline sighed and looked at Nikita's clock after she had tucked Nikita into bed. Nikita had curled up to her pillow and did not stir. Madeline nodded her head and left, leaving Nikita in peace, for now.

*

The office was dark as Madeline entered the small niche of Dr. Ralph Bowles' world. It was like it was modeled off of one of the famous offices of Freud or Jung. There was definitely the influence of both of those men as Madeline looked at the lone piece of furniture other than the doctor's desk and chair; the long low bed for Madeline lay back on. It was difficult to step into that situation for Madeline, as she was not use to being the patient. She had always been the entering psychologist, other than the time immediately following Sarah's death.

The task at hand was one of difficulty and was going to appear as real as possible. It was a craft that only a perfectionist and an intelligent person could pull off without appearing as being a set up of sorts. Madeline was that master, with magician hands, ready to weave whatever web was needed to get Dr. Bowles to do what she needed him to do.

He was a respected psychologist a while back. He had a typical upper-class upbringing and spent time in the Ivy League, attending both Yale and Harvard. There were scores of voluntary groups he participated with while in those institutions and he had been married. Unfortunately, that joining of two people was smashed apart when his wife was on a plane to Pittsburgh and it crashed.

About seven years ago, he was the forerunner for changing the aspects of therapy and the overriding stereotype of people who went to see therapists. He wanted to change the look of therapy from passive, when the therapist was doing, into something of an active activity, where the patient helps figure out the problems and possible solutions. It was radical at the time, but now, as Madeline sat in that office, it was expected way of practice.

Yet, he soon disappeared, not because he was discredited or because someone had more charisma and better ideas. He stopped publishing and others took over the leadership that he once held. Madeline though had been able to find where he had gone, as that was the beginning of his involvement with the project that Madeline was eager, yet carefully assembling the materials to stop from progressing. He did still see patients and kept a small clientele, that at one time included Samantha's parents; most of his time was not accounted for.

It would have been more difficult to match up a scenario with Dr. Bowles if Madeline hadn't come across a small obscure piece of research that was barely published in a narrative form. In the narrative, it mentioned that he had started to find a radical way of treating the recovering abused woman. Madeline was shocked at the words as he suggested that the woman needed to find the love of their life, go through intensive therapy to make sure that the man was not abusive, and then submit to being abused by another man again. He proposed that after the beating that the love of her life would care for in a way that she needed and she would never be scared of that man.

Madeline had even gotten further information about his study as he was continuing the study, but being very discrete as most of the psychologists argued that it was abuse of the doctor-patient confidentiality. It was radical and Madeline did not say that she agreed with it, just that she was interested in the theory. She was not going to deny that it didn't work, as it showed that it did work.

It was from this search to gather more material over this article that Madeline noticed that Dr. Bowles had been moving throughout the country. He was not staying long in one place, and Madeline had all beliefs that it was caused by the project that he was working on, as if he was searching out the right people. The challenge in finding him in Liberty Circles was difficult, but would not be as much as a challenge as it would be to get Nikita to see him and appear as Madeline needed her too.

Yet, Madeline knew that if she gave Dr. Bowles enough background about Nikita and twisted some of her words in the right manner, that Nikita would appear as a good candidate for his radical study. Madeline knew that they wouldn't be in the town long enough for the good doctor to suggest that he gets someone to beat Nikita up, but he might be able to help Nikita see that there were factors that she did not like to look at or view.

Madeline pulled the tissue out and started to wring it out in her hands as the doctor walked into the room with a pleasant, but not overtly warm smile on his face. Madeline knew he must have been distressed to see that the real patient had cancelled and that her mother had arrived in her place. He was a handsome older gentleman as he walked to his desk with the folder his in his hand. His hair was dark with just a sprinkling of gray starting to make him look more distinguished. He was tall and firm and he had deep chocolate eyes, but Madeline wasn't sure if she would call them warm.

"Hello Mrs. Arking, I am Dr. Bowles." He said as he sat down. Madeline nodded her head and looked out the window as she pristinely sat down on the bed and made no attempt to lay down. She smiled and looked at the doctor a few more moments before clearing her throat.

"Call me Madeline." Madeline softly said and Dr. Bowles smiled at Madeline. He opened up the file and pulled out his pen. It was not a movement that Madeline particularly enjoyed in therapists as they should take notes afterwards, but Madeline knew that she appeared as a difficult case before he even opened the door.

"I do not like to call my clients by their first names.... But if it makes you more comfortable, I will do so to make you feel safe here." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head as she started to check the mental list that she had in her head. He had done the right thing what Madeline made her request and Madeline was sure not going to allow a doctor that she felt was incapable have any contact with Nikita.

"Then call me Madeline. It would get confusing when I talked about Nikita... since she is Ms. Arking." Madeline stated and Dr. Bowles nodded his head and folded his hands. He pauses and licked his lips slowly, and the movement told Madeline that he was studying her, and she didn't like it. There was nothing wrong with it, but it made Madeline tighten up and realize how difficult it was going to be to pull this feat off.

"Why didn't your daughter come? Why are you here? I have read that she has run away in the past...." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline smiled and stood up instantly. She walked to the window and looked out, knowing that she had to think very carefully before she allowed one word to sliver out of her mouth.

"She doesn't see that from that past, being on the streets bothers her current relationship. She wouldn't run to me when it gets extremely serious if she was sure in her judgement." Madeline said and Dr. Bowles sighed at the abstract view that Madeline had given him. He always had difficulties with mothers and daughters because for whatever the reasoning, their outward appearances were never the real relationship.

"I would think that there is some conflict between you and your daughter. She did spend six years on the streets before returning." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline blinked her eyes and swallowed. She knew that she had to stop his line of thinking, before he made this an issue about Madeline and not about Nikita. There was a tension in Madeline as she turned and rubbed her nose.

"We had a year of therapy when she returned. It was difficult because when she left she was a difficult teenager and when she returned she was an adult. That withstanding, we have changed our relationship and none of this deals with that fact that she is ready to ruin a relationship with a perfectly good man because of her series of abusive relationships while on those streets." Madeline said and Dr. Bowles blinked his eyes.

"Sounds like you have had some training. Don't believe everything that you read in Psychology Today. That is the biggest mistake with mothers." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline turned. She found her way back to the bed and sat gently on the material, without losing any of her grace and power.

"I have had some training Dr. Bowles. I though believe that mothers should only be mothers and shouldn't try to be anything else." Madeline said and he nodded his head. He loved that philosophy and couldn't agree with it more. He looked at his papers and then at Madeline.

"And how do you know that this man is good for her? Did you check him?" Dr. Bowles questioned and Madeline enigmatically smiled. He shook his head and pulled a pen out. "That shows that you do not trust her judgement."

"Not when she asked me to do so." Madeline quipped back and Dr. Bowles blinked his eyes. He had only one other patient that ever asked her parents to check out her current boyfriend. She was the first one he had helped in his extreme ways. He nodded his head and sighed, he had just attended her wedding a month ago and she was extremely healthy.

"So why isn't she here? It sounds like she trusts you greatly." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline shrugged her shoulders and then stood up. It was suppose to look like Madeline's gesture when she was nervous. She looked out the window and rubbed the pane of glass. She wrinkled her nose, as it did not feel like normal glass. It was thicker and a specialty, which was odd since the security in the building, was difficult and they had armed guards.

"I didn't say that we don't have problems. She doesn't see that she has a problem and that it could destroy her now." Madeline said with a loving mother's compassion. Dr. Bowles stood up and walked to his own window, trying to figure out the motivation here. Madeline closed her eyes, as she was afraid that he wouldn't buy her story, which meant that everything changed. Madeline was sure that even though he was a target and that Madeline needed things from her, didn't mean that he still couldn't help Nikita. It would probably take another two years for Madeline to find someone like Dr. Bowles for Nikita and by then it would be too late.

"So you are hoping to discuss to me alternative ways of therapy?" Dr. Bowles whispered and Madeline nodded her head and moved to his desk. She placed her purse down on the desk and dropped her head. She saw the little square and looked up at him, knowing that she was learning about his files, the ones that she was interested in.

"It may be her only hope. Her flinch is getting to be an issue and this man, he loves her." Madeline said and Dr. Bowles nodded his head. He pulled out a calendar and then shook his head.

"You are proposing something that is difficult for me to arrange, I don't know your daughter's activities and didn't you just move into town?" Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head as she leaned forward from the bed that she had again sat down on. She looked at the map of the town and looked at the doctor.

"She likes to run... a lot." Madeline stated and Dr. Bowles nodded his head and pointed to Peach Court. Madeline nodded her head and opened her eyes as he looked at his watch.

"I know it would be difficult to suggest this to your daughter, but I could arrange to be somewhere on Peach Court right after dusk, if she happened to go for a jog." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head and pointed to the house that she was living in. He nodded his head and pulled the map away.

"I will try to run into her... sometimes a person needs a friend other than the mother." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head in agreement. She reached into her purse, as she was sure that Dr. Bowles was ready to rid himself of Madeline, citing other clients needed to be seen. She pushed the little device and looked at her watch as the screaming occurred outside in the waiting area.

"Excuse me, that is Harrison from a couple towns over." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head. She waited for his door to close and smiled. The little device was transmitting a low frequency and Harrison more than likely was a schizophrenic male who did hear people yelling that they were going to kill him. It was going to take sometime to calm down Harrison and Madeline walked behind the good doctor's files.

It was the lack of information on what he was working on when he was moving around that Madeline was interested in. It would signal the direction the project that he was working on was heading and why. She looked at the little map and turned to the shelves of books behind his desk. The files were behind the center one and Madeline sighed as her eyes scanned the shelves.

"Harrison... do I have to medicate you?" Dr. Bowles voice echoed in the hallway outside as Madeline frown and bit her lip. She couldn't seem to find the book that she needed, until in the admits of classic books like Shakespeare's Othello and a collection Robert Frost poetry a big book of Freud's Classical Dreams Analyzed stared at Madeline. She pulled at the book and watched the files appear.

They were all on computer zip files and Madeline smiled as she pulled out the dummy files. She knew that it would just report that there was a computer error and to take the computer to the dealer. Dr. Bowles wouldn't know that the information was not on those disks. Madeline looked at the disks and bit her lip, knowing that time was running out and she needed to make a decision.

There was one marked Private Diary and she pulled it. She was glad that it was gray as she pulled the label off and put it on the dummy zip disk and placed it back in it's place. Madeline slipped the disk into her purse as the files were hidden again. She heard the door opening behind her as she pulled out Shakespeare's Othello.

"This is a very old edition. I didn't find that many people liked Othello." Madeline said and Dr. Bowles smiled and nodded his head as he took the book from Madeline's hands and placed it back.

"I don't particularly care for the book myself. We can continue... I am sorry about that..." Dr. Bowles said and Madeline nodded her head as she walked back to the bed and sat down.

"I have a feeling that you have issues about your daughter... that you want to protect her to the end of your life." Dr. Bowles prodded again and she sighed. She didn't want him to cloud the situation. This was all about Nikita and no one else.

"Dr. Bowles, I am sure that you are smart and intelligent, but I know that my daughter is 27 years old, and that she makes her own decisions. I am just trying to get her the proper care that she is seeking through me. As we both agree... a mother shouldn't be a therapist too." Madeline said as she stood up and sought out his hand. She shook it with a smile.

"I'll be sure she goes for a run on Peach Court tonight after dusk." Madeline said and Dr. Bowles nodded his head and watched as Madeline moved out the office. He blinked and sighed. He always got the difficult ones.

*

The skies were starting to gather clouds as Madeline pulled the car up into the driveway. She rolled up the window quickly and popped open the trunk. Silently, Madeline grabbed the three bags of groceries like a good mother would and dashed off to the porch.

At first, when Madeline entered the house, she was sure that Nikita was still asleep. She placed the groceries on the dinning room table and walked up the stairs. If Nikita was going to sleep this night, Madeline couldn't allow Nikita to sleep all day. She nudged the door opened and found the slightly rumpled bed, but no Nikita within it. She turned around and saw that the bathroom was also empty.

There was a swoosh downstairs and Madeline looked at the stairs as she turned. Her first instinct was to check that her gun was by her side, ready to go into action. Madeline rolled her head and sighed, as she knew that she had to pretend to be the mother.

"Nikita? Is that you?" Madeline called out as she started to walk down the stairs. Madeline's only response was another slam, this time of the refrigerator. Madeline pulled the gun and started down the stairs quickly. She pressed her body against the walls and looked around in her hyper-vigilance that Section One had so well taught Madeline about. She trembled as she turned her head around the wall and saw Nikita standing next to the refrigerator, pushing the entire contents of a the water bottle into her mouth.

"Nikita, for god sakes, Answer me when I call for you!" Madeline admonished Nikita as she pushed her gun back to her side and shook her head. Madeline blinked as Nikita continued to guzzle at the water.

"You shouldn't drink that so quickly." Madeline scolded Nikita as she pulled the water bottle down and stared at Madeline. Madeline knew that everything was still filled with tension as Nikita allowed drops of water dribble out of her mouth and down her chin. It was like a movement for Nikita to challenge Madeline, to see how far she was going to go.

"Did you just come in from a run?" Madeline questioned and Nikita lowered her eyes and stared at Madeline as her body still panted. It was a silly question as Nikita stood there, in the black biker shorts and a gray sports bra and a heavy coat of sweat on her body. Her hair was soaked with sweat, even as it hung away from her head in a high ponytail.

"I took a nap and went for a run while you were gone for five hours." Nikita remarked as she pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed another bottle of water to replenish the liquids that she had expelled during her run. Madeline looked to the groceries and started to unpack as it was made clear that Nikita was not going to help.

"How long did you run?" Madeline questioned as she placed the milk on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Nikita looked for a clock and sighed.

"About an hour.. Running around Grape is easy and fun. Not too many dogs." Nikita commented and Madeline nodded her head as she pulled the bag to the refrigerator and pushed the various kinds of yogurt onto the top shelf along with the milk. Nikita blinked at Madeline as there were a good four different brands and various flavors.

"Well, don't you normally run for at least an hour and a half?" Madeline questioned as she dropped the plastic bag to the floor and looked at Nikita. Nikita slowly squeezed more mouth into her mouth and swallowed. Nikita placed the bottle down next to the sink and tilted her head to the side.

"I discussed this with Michael. Because of the injuries and this is the first time I have been able to work out, that I should cut back for about a week, not to overuse the muscles." Nikita said and Madeline pulled out some lunchmeat and put it on the shelf. Madeline turned and closed the door.

"That's unacceptable. You need to run that other half hour." Madeline said and Nikita blinked her eyes and shook her head as she walked away. She couldn't believe that Madeline wasn't listening to her.

"Madeline, it was Michael's decision and he consulted with the doctors. We don't want to aggravate anything." Nikita said as she tried to continue to maintain her composure, but it wasn't easy. Madeline rubbed her hands together and lowered her eyes to Nikita.

"You will run that half hour, Nikita... After dinner... I heard that Peach Court is a nice road to run on..." Madeline said and Nikita looked at Madeline and shook her head.

"So it is more important for me to run tonight than it will be for me to get some decent rest?" Nikita challenged with her voice starting to get louder. Madeline placed her hands on the counter and looked at Nikita.

"You were the one that decided not to sleep last night. You must pay for your decisions." Madeline said and Nikita shook her head as she began to pace. The anger was visible and Madeline only tried to wait.

"I can't believe you! Michael knows me best! He knows my limits! Are you ordering me to run tonight?" Nikita questioned and Madeline began to nod her head. Madeline knew as she did so that the mood that Nikita was starting to rant into was going to get worse.

"This is punishment!" Nikita hollered loudly and the new glasses started to rattle in the cupboards. Madeline swallowed and tried to step forward and speak as Nikita slammed her foot down on the floor. "Just because I don't want therapy because there is no problem, you order me to run!"

"Nikita... you are going to break something... and this is not up to discussion!" Madeline said and Nikita turned and stared at Madeline. She waited and shook her head as her eyes started to fill with tears.

"So it doesn't matter that my leg hurts...." Nikita softly whispered out and Madeline kept her eyes from blinking. She lifted her head and smiled at Nikita.

"You stomped on it, Nikita. It doesn't hurt because you were running." Madeline stated and Nikita threw her hands up in the air as she finally allowed the tears to roll down her face.

"Fine! I'll run just like you want me too, after dinner, Madeline. Who cares if I hurt more? You don't care about me... you just care to show that you can still order me around!" Nikita cried out as she turned out of the kitchen and headed off to the living room. Madeline blinked her eyes and followed Nikita.

"What about dinner, Nikita?" Madeline asked and Nikita shook her head and looked at Madeline. Madeline stepped back as she realized that she may have been crowding Nikita a bit too close when she was in this mood. Nikita shook her head and swallowed.

"Oh, yeah.. You don't know how to cook..." Nikita slowly drawled out as she looked at her hands. She lifted her head and smirked evilly at Madeline and threw her head to the side.

"I think it is time that you learned how to use a cook book, Madeline. YOU are the MOTHER." Nikita snapped and turned around in a rush. She stormed up the stairs and slammed the door so hard that the entire house shook. Madeline stood in the living room for several seconds as she pulled herself back together after Nikita's display of anger.

Madeline shook her head as she walked back to the kitchen. She pulled the zip disk out of her purse and pulled the kitchen cupboard out. She worked quickly to push the disk into the drive and started to process of sending it all to Section. She sighed as she pulled her cell phone out, as Nikita's tantrum was still continuing upstairs.

"Simon..." Madeline said as the line picked up. She wished that Birkoff was there and regretted that she sent him to Cancun now. She heard the normal noise of his area as he typed at his computer quickly.

"Madeline..." Simon said almost sarcastically. He listened carefully and finally heard a scream of frustration that was clearly Nikita. Madeline rolled her eyes and looked at the rest of the food that she had to put away.

"I am downloading a zip file... I want you to go through it, but it isn't anything of priority." Madeline said as she looked at the frozen pork chops and wondered if she could cook them without too many problems. Madeline shook her head and threw them into the freezer.

"I have five missions in the next day, Madeline... Can I hold off?" Simon questioned as Madeline shook her head as something slammed from inside of Nikita's room.

"Sure. That is fine." Madeline hissed out and Simon lightly curled his mouth up in a smile, hearing that Madeline was having a difficult time of things right now. He had a feeling that this might occur when Madeline told him that she was going out on a deep cover mission with Nikita.

Simon's relationship with Nikita was terrible. They did not get along at all, and that was most of the reasons why Birkoff now worked so exclusively with Michael and Nikita. Nikita would bicker to Simon all the time as he ordered her around. She felt slighted, but Simon still couldn't figure out why.

"Difficult mission?" Simon questioned as he lightly chuckled. He knew that Walter had a bet with Birkoff that Nikita was going to physically assault Madeline before this mission was over. It was an extreme statement, but one had to know Nikita, and from Simon's exposure to Nikita, he was taking Walter's side on this one.

"Nikita is just throwing a tempter tantrum because I ordered her to do something." Madeline said with a growl in her voice. Simon smiled again and looked around the area. He really did feel for Madeline. She was really good at helping people with their problems, but sometimes she couldn't see the reasoning or the solutions to things going on around her.

"Madeline, I'm going to remind you something you told me about Nikita before you separated us." Simon started off as he heard a door in the background slam again. Simon smiled and thought that only Nikita could get away with behavior like that kind.

"Madeline... you told me that I had to excuse some of Nikita's behavior on the fact that she never had a chance to be a teenager... and treat her kind of like the way I treat Birkoff... Well.. Remember.. She was never a teenager who had a mother... You can't be her mother, but she sure can act like a teenager." Simon said and Madeline nervously chuckled on the other line.

"So this is how a teenager acts?" Madeline questioned and Simon looked around, suddenly wishing there were alarms ringing to get him out of this question. Simon swallowed and looked around and knew that the time was coming to answer.

"Or this is pure Nikita... It is difficult to know the difference." Simon said as he picked up the transmission from Madeline and hurried the transfer. "I got the zip file."

"Simon?" Madeline questioned as she looked at the food and swallowed.

"Yes, Madeline?" Simon questioned, worried about what she was going to ask for.

"Do you know how to make pork chops?"

*

There was something about Peach Court that Nikita could not put her finger on that made it seem different from all the other parts of town. Maybe it was because the houses were spread apart a little bit more than anywhere else was in the town of Liberty Circles. Maybe it was because most of the houses had large trees in the front yards that made everything seem darker than it really was.

She had walked to North Street and started the long circle around Peach Court, finding nothing to like about the road. It contained more noises that Nikita could not identify and more objects that were hard to distinguish. It was like Nikita was watching over her shoulder the entire time, because nothing was constant and everything was changing.

She tried to jog and run, but the muscles that had rested from the first jog earlier in the day were starting to protest the signal that her mind was giving her. It only proceeded to compound the problem that she was having on this darkening night.

Nikita couldn't remember the last time she was afraid of the dark. As a child she was and even when Nikita protested, her mother would take her out into the dark. On the times that they did have an apartment, there was no extra money to keep an extra light running to chase the demons away. Yet, most of Nikita's demons didn't live underneath her bed, or the couch that she often slept on, they were with her mother, in her bed.

Section had really gotten rid of the fear, as on the streets, nights were the most dangerous times. That was one of the reasons why there wasn't must problem training Nikita to be observant in the nighttime for Section One, she was already to be that way. Yet, she couldn't call that fear.

What was creeping up her throat with every pounding step she took as she jogged was fear. It grabbed Nikita's heart and made it push the pumping heart even harder and the sweat that Nikita had already worked up grew a bit heavier. How Nikita wished to cut across West Street, to East and back onto Grape Blvd, just to be safe, to be back where she knew.

There weren't many joggers in the town and as Nikita pulled away from West Street, Dr. Bowles easily spotted the pretty blonde and raised his eyebrows. Rarely did a child that run away to the streets and lived on the streets for six years return to a beauty as such. He looked as she turned her head from side to side and she pulled down the earphones from her ears. He could see from the body language that she was not comfortable with the jog on Peach Court, as it was the one of the roads that was rarely used for such an activity.

He moved slowly and crossed the street. He bent down by a tree and started to slowly tie his shoes. He looked behind his back and saw that he was clearly in the shadows as he waited for her to enter into his territory. He heard Nikita's steps and stood up.

"AH!" Nikita gasped as she jumped back from the man. He turned and entered the light as Nikita placed her hands out defensively. She blinked her eyes and swallowed back the instant anger as she saw that it was Dr. Bowles. It did not take Nikita a second to realize that she had been set up by Madeline and that it would be easier to accept that she was going to talk to this man rather than protest it.

"I didn't mean to scare you... I was tying my shoe." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita nodded her head and dropped her hands as she pushed back her hair. She rolled her shoulders and extended her hand.

"The scared sh*tless Nikita." Nikita said with a pleasant smile, trying to be the opposite of everything that Madeline might have told him. Dr. Bowles blinked his eyes and smiled at Nikita.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it's not a good way to start off. Your mother set you up for this and I helped her." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita laughed nervously. She had not expected him to say that. Nikita looked around and started to walk as to stop from her heavy jog would only serve to give her cramps. She was not surprised as Dr. Bowles walked with her.

"I can't blame you for not going to therapy... but I do want to help you." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita rolled her eyes and stopped underneath a large tree to stare at the doctor. He seemed nice and he was doing everything that Nikita would want him to do. Yet, Nikita could not deny that she did not have a problem, and that more than likely, Madeline was doing all of this for some other reason, like to destroy him emotionally. There were always reasons and Nikita sighed and realized since she didn't know what was going on, she was going to have to play for the time being, not that she would tell Madeline.

"Look, I don't have a problem, no matter what my mother says." Nikita said and Dr. Bowles just nodded his head and continued to walk down the street with Nikita. Nikita looked into his eyes and suddenly he felt just like the street, something wasn't quite right.

"Then why did you run from your boyfriend... and why did you ask your mother to check him out? Why all this self-doubt?" Dr. Bowles pushed and Nikita leaned her head back as she slowed her walking even more, trying to sort out which words to use and how to use them.

"I didn't ask my mother to do anything. Don't believe anything she says about my relationships. She doesn't understand them." Nikita said as she pushed violently at her hair. Dr. Bowles sighed and grabbed Nikita's arm. Nikita stared at him, allowing him some power for a few seconds, until she pulled her arm away and moved away from him.

"You still act like an abused woman." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita turned and stopped. She couldn't believe that a man would take her action as being an abused woman. Section One had taught her how to make the power that one thing he has and use it against them. Nikita stared at him as he moved closer and closer. She stepped back, in case she needed to attack, as it was always easier from afar than closer.

"See, you just backed up. Your mother told me that you flinch, too." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita stared at him, not wondering what he was talking about, but how could any of the things that Section One had taught her to do be construed into falling into patterns shown by abused woman. She never saw it as such and she was sure that Michael would never have seen it as such.

"I don't flinch." Nikita said and Dr. Bowles only responded by rolling his own eyes. Nikita stared at him, surprised that a therapist would do such an action. They were suppose to be supportive and compassionate, they are not supposed to belittle your own thoughts and ideas.

"And I don't act like I am an abused woman. I am quite capable of taking care of myself." Nikita said in a raising voice and Dr. Bowles raised a hand and used it to show that Nikita should lower her voice.

"I don't care what you say." Nikita said softly and Dr. Bowles started to walk and he turned to see that Nikita had followed him.

"See, first you lowered your voice as I ordered and now you follow me. All because you have been abused." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita stopped with her hands on her hips and stared at him. He stopped and looked around.

Then Nikita saw his eyes, as they did not look like the eyes of a therapist. There was something else there, almost predatorily in manner. They glowed and twinkled with something that wasn't safe but something that might not be all that dangerous. It confused Nikita's entire mind to look into his eyes. She had seen dangerous eyes before, like the man from Red Cell and Bauer, but Dr. Bowles eyes didn't look like them. Yet, they were definitely not safe eyes, like Michael's gray-green eyes that she could read or the soft eyes Walter always had for her. Dr. Bowles showed an absence in his eyes and the closest thing that Nikita had to compare them with were Madeline's eyes, but still, that didn't convey the feeling that Nikita was getting.

Dr. Bowles took the time to look at Nikita. He could see the confusion in her eyes and he could see the pain. Her eyes and her body posture did everything to look like a woman that had found a good relationship but still had the bad ones hidden in her minds. He also so something more in Nikita that needed to be studied that there was something more with this woman that stood in front of him. He couldn't believe that she had compassion, she was truly upset at all that had happened to her and he was sure that she had never come to terms about the relationship between her and her mother. He felt that a major chunk of her life was missing and that she was trying to plug that hole up. He didn't know if it was her boyfriend that she was missing or a major part of her soul. It didn't tell him in her eyes, even though he saw a lot, he didn't see enough. But at least there was more than her mother.

"We are going to continue to discuss this, because deep in your heart, you know that you still live with that abuse every day of your life.... And you want to heal. You don' t want to continue to show that you have been abused with your everyday behavior and you want something that you can't get." Dr. Bowles said in a deep tone that sounded more like a threat and Nikita looked at him.

"What can't I get?" Nikita challenged him and he reached out and watched as Nikita pulled her entire body away from his hand.

"Freedom...." Dr. Bowles said and Nikita slightly gasped. "From the demons... and I am the only one who can get rid of them."

"I don't believe you, Dr. Bowles. And I'm not going to see you again." Nikita said and Dr. Bowles laughed as he pinched her shoulder.

"But we will my dear, your mother will make sure of it." Dr. Bowles said as he turned and walked back towards his house. Nikita stood there, somewhere on Peach Court between West Street and South Street. Nikita hung her head back and swallowed as the rain started to drizzle down onto her body.

The rain was cold and only caused Nikita to run harder and harder. She was working out her anger at Madeline and the anger of her run. She was trying to figure out how Section One training could make her appear as the constant victim and then she had to wonder if that was Section One always intended on making Nikita looking at. Michael didn't fight like her, and maybe that was because the women were trained to be the passive ones on the attacks, too appear as easy victims. That thought was eating away at Nikita and in turn, didn't help Nikita's quest for peace. Instead it fueled her mind with anger that continued to follow her to her house like a stray dog eager for food.

"MADELINE!" Nikita angrily stated as she opened the door and then allowed the door to swing back with a force that Madeline unfortunately was getting use to. Madeline turned out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hand as Nikita stood in the living room dripping from the rain.

"Is it raining?" Madeline questioned and Nikita narrowed her eyes and flung the ponytail holder off of her hair and splashed wetness throughout the air.