The gun just didn't clean up nice anymore. Walter slammed it into the table. His looked around and saw Birkoff staring at him. Walter knew that he was in a bad mood, but he couldn't help himself. He was an old man now, and he could only deal with so much.

What Katherine told him, was unthinkable.

Then Walter got the tapes.

That was two hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty seconds ago. Since that point, Walter had spent every second thinking of the beating that he was going to give Michael when he arrived back to at Section One, which should be any second.

First, Walter wanted to just shoot Michael. Make it nice and clean, no worrying about anything else. However, Walter quickly got to his senses. Then he wanted to go to Nikita, which got turned down by Madeline and Operations.

He wasn't winning.

So Walter went ahead and attempted to clean the guns that had just come in on the last mission. He shouldn't have taken him long, but the anger was winning. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't think of anything else but the words that Michael had called Nikita.

Then Walter added a few words that Nikita should have called Michael in return. All of them were too nice.

"Damn him..." Walter muttered as he looked at the gun, unpleased with his inability to do anything but throw guns around and make a lot of noise. Walter rolled his head around and stopped as he stared out at Birkoff.

There Michael stood.

Walter froze for a second, knowing that he hadn't told Birkoff anything of what happened yet, and he also stayed, knowing that he still wanted to kill Michael. It wasn't the answer, but Walter was ready to move and soon.

"You," Walter bellowed and Birkoff looked around, seeing where Walter's eyes were focused. Walter rarely got visibly upset at Michael, but when he did, Birkoff looked for shelter. It was never pretty and almost always about Nikita.

"What is it, Walter? I don't have the time. I have to debrief," Michael stated out coldly and Walter looked around. He wasn't about to have the conversation with Michael and to let all of Section One hear what Michael called his Nikita. It wasn't going to happen.

"We have to have a conversation, boy... You and me," Walter stated as he stared at Michael. It took all of his old and overused strength to keep him back from slugging Michael on the spot, but he did. Again, it just wasn't the right place. Had Michael just showed up in the weapons area, then it would have been a different story.

"I don't have the time, Walter. If you didn't know yet, I was captured by Nikita's Section and held in a black room for a couple days," Michael stated and Walter narrowed his eyes. He looked around the hallway and grabbed Michael's ear and started to pull.

Walter knew that Michael could have broken free if he wanted too, but Walter also knew that in all the years that Michael had been inside of Section One, that for some reason he had respected Walter for the most part. It was part of the reason why Walter had gone out on a limb to help Michael and Nikita before Madeline decided to play cleaners with Nikita's memory.

"Don't talk about the lies, Michael.... Don't take me for a stupid man, either," Walter stated as he pulled his hand abruptly away from Michael's ear. They stood in the middle of the back hallway of Walter's weapons area. He stared at Michael, knowing the young man was assessing what was the best way to handle the situation.

"Walter, I have a debrief..." Michael stated and Walter shook his head as he almost growled. At first Walter couldn't believe the tape that he had seen, trying to play it off as an act that Michael and Nikita had pulled off. But seeing Michael now, Walter could almost believe Michael calling Nikita those names and saying those awful things.

"I know what you did and you know what you did... cut the bullcrap and talk about the s*it you told Nikita!" Walter shouted and he looked down the hallway. No one turned to look into the two men, yet, so Walter wasn't worried yet.

"It is not your business," Michael replied back, his face not flickering of emotions. Walter shook his head back and forth as he shifted his weight back and forth in his mud covered black boots. He didn't like this one bit and Walter was going to be sure that Michael realized it.

"I told you once... a long time ago... You don't mess with my sugar. She is like the daughter I never had," Walter stated and Michael blinked his eyes. Walter didn't know what was going on in Michael's mind at that moment, but everything was very quiet.

"I don't want to have anything to do with your daughter anymore," Michael hissed back, emphasizing the last part of the sentence. Walter saw red as he wanted to charge like a bull seeing a red flag. He couldn't believe that Michael was acting this way.

"She has been hurt by Patrick... he told her that he never really loved her as he told her he did... and now you..... The man that meant everything to her! I can't believe you! I should hurt you really good," Walter stated as he moved his weight quickly from one foot to another. Michael stood silent and still.

"Don't you feel!" Walter finally hollered and Michael tilted his head off to the side.

"I called Nikita a Section harlot, Walter," Michael stated and Walter shook his head back and forth.

"You called her a Section whore! How dare you get what you are mixed up with what Nikita is!" Walter assessed back as he turned and punched his fist into the wall. He felt the pain and he felt the crack of a few bones. He was doing exactly what Katherine had asked him not to do, but Walter couldn't help himself.

"I have a debriefing... Nikita had some pretty elaborate plans, Walter. Maybe you don't know your own daughter as well as you claim to know her," Michael bit back as he took one step back from Walter. It wasn't a move of fear on Michael's part, it was a move to get him out and to the debriefing.

Walter wouldn't have any of that.

"You leave right this second and I'll have all of Section One hearing that tape, Michael... I swear to god... and maybe even George too!" Walter threatened and Michael turned his head to the side. The veins on Walter's neck were throbbing, and Michael was almost worried for Walter's health at this point.

"Then I wouldn't be hurting, Nikita... you would. Do you think that Nikita wanted you to know about that?" Michael quܥe "You mean, blame Madeline and Operations," Walter dryly stated and Michael just merely closed his eyes. He did not say a word he did not move his head. Michael closed his eyes.

"I won't fall for that, Michael! I'm not a senile man! I know you and I know your games! I got to protect my sugar!" Walter fought back as he took a deep breath and stood tall.

"Maybe I am not the one playing games, Walter," Michael replied back. He was getting too close to material that he just couldn't let out. Walter was hell-bent on getting everything out of Michael, and he was worried. He couldn't tell that Nikita was planning something and that he was helping. Instead, Michael had to endure Walter's tirade.

"You always play games. I think you play more games than Madeline! Maybe you never loved her!" Walter shouted and Michael closed his eyes again. He even shook his head. The words were to hard to listen too any longer.

Something had to be done.

Michael stepped forward and pressed Walter into the wall. Walter looked up at Michael's eyes like a wild man finally trapped by a tiger. Michael tilted his head off to the side and looked to the hallway. It was unbelievable that no one had stopped to see what the noise was about, but it didn't totally surprise Michael either.

"Listen to yourself, Walter... You have seen us together... Do you believe that I never loved Nikita?" Michael questioned in a soft whisper, one that would always be between Walter and himself. Michael waited as Walter shook his head back and forth.

"Fine... You know Section One probably better than most... but Nikita knows something better than you," Michael revealed and Walter's body tensed even more, hearing Michael saying her name. All the Walter heard in his head was Michael's voice repeated Section whore over and over again.

"And what is that?" Walter finally challenged back, but grasping the concept to stay quiet. It was a bare whisper, but with all the intensity of yelling.

"Things are not always what they seem," Michael responded as he pushed his hands away from Walter. He sighed and pushed his hands through his hair. Michael waited for Walter to respond.

But Walter was deep in thought.

He knew what he saw on that tape. He saw the look on Nikita's face. He couldn't believe the shock and horror that was written across her face. That was not something that Nikita could have acted and pretended about. When Michael called her a Section whore, it was the first time that Nikita had heard such words of such hatred from Michael's mouth. They were like a slap across her face, only they hurt so much more and so much longer.

If this was a plan of sorts, Walter couldn't imagine Nikita putting herself through so much pain. It would be cruel for Nikita to even think that she could work under such conditions. Michael's words had to be haunting her day and night, and not enough time had passed yet.

"And you shouldn't worry about what I say.... play the tape all the way," Michael stated as he turned and headed back to the hallways of Section One. Walter rubbed his mouth with a gruff hand, knowing that he didn't know if he could watch the tape again.

Katherine was going to be calling soon, she was going to try to find Nikita. Walter didn't know what was going to happen and he didn't know if he truly believed Michael on what he was saying. But he had to give it a chance.

Anything to think that Michael and Nikita still loved each other.

*

"Hurry with that report," Nikita snapped from down the hallway. Steward lifted his head and looked towards Nikita. He had been sitting at the computer for the past six hours straight, pulling report after report up for Nikita. Steward didn't even know what he was doing at this point.

"It will be a few minutes," Steward finally commented back and Nikita stopped her movement. Steward shook his head as she headed back towards him. He didn't know what had happened during the past week since Michael had the fight with Nikita, but all of Section Eight was moving quickly, not just Nikita.

In fact, it was like the operatives planned on doing better after hearing the fight. They pulled Nikita to her current fit of activity, seeking all the information and scores she could about the selected operatives, testing each specialty and looking for problems.

He didn't know when Nikita found time to sleep. Steward knew he was having problems keeping up with her and sleep barely was occurring for him, and all he was doing was doing reports and work on the computer.

"Where are the reports from the current tests?" Nikita stated as she looked at the pile of papers in her hands, and didn't see it. Steward looked to the side and started to dig in the pile, glad that he had made several copies of the reports when he was making them.

"Here," Steward stated forcefully when he handed the papers back to Nikita. Nikita dropped her head and pulled a chair over. Steward wanted to cry, upset that she was deciding to pick on him for the moment.

It wasn't that Nikita lacked intelligence, as Steward watched Nikita's eyes skim the scores quickly. She was very bright and intelligent. He just knew what Nikita had done to Patrick, or at least what Steward believed to have happened.

"Pull up O'Hara's scores..." Nikita snapped as she didn't even lift her head. Steward felt a cold sweat cover his body, as Paul O'Hara was one of his other close friends. He wasn't about to allow Nikita to ax that man after what she did to Patrick.

"Maybe it was just an off day for him, Nikita.... I mean, I wouldn't worry about it too much..." Steward started to rush out as he pulled the papers out and handed them to Nikita. She stared at him for a moment and Nikita started to read the papers.

"Pull him off this plan... I need you too..." Nikita started to state out and Steward shot up from his chair. He stared at Nikita with anger in his eyes.

"I won't let you do that! You cannot cancel him, Nikita. He is a good man, you b*tch!" Steward shouted and Nikita blinked her blue eyes. She was silent and Steward looked at Nikita, not liking her silence.

"I was going to transfer him to communications, Steward.. His scores are high there... He needs to be retrained in other areas..." Nikita slowly stated as she was unsure of what had just occurred.

"You weren't going to cancel him?" Steward questioned and Nikita pressed her lips together. She tilted her head to the side and shook it back and forth slightly. There was something there that was going on, but Nikita couldn't place her finger on it at the moment. All Nikita knew and understood was Steward's position and connection with the operatives inside of Section Eight.

"That is the mentality of Section One, Steward... How many times do I have to say that I am not like them, and never will be?" Nikita stated in a firm voice, finding it difficult that she had to continually state this.

"Sorry..." Steward mumbled and Nikita nodded her head. She looked off to the side and rolled her head slightly. There were some other adjustments she wanted to do to the selected operative, but at this point, Nikita was afraid of what would happen if she did such things with Steward. She decided that she would tackle those issues later and by herself.

"We have a lot to do, Steward. Is everything ok at home?" Nikita questioned as she moved her chair closer to Steward. He nodded his head and Nikita didn't quite believe his words. There was something on his mind and Nikita was going to be sure to keep her head up for a while. Yet, it was difficult to do right now with all of the plans ready to go.

"Ok... well... I need to find some operatives to train in an area that hasn't been done here before..." Nikita stated and Steward lifted his head. He watched as Nikita looked through her papers and pulled one out. She had characteristics outlines, preferred scores, and personality types selected. Nikita handed it to Steward and he cringed his eyes.

"Are you looking for someone to bore the death out of someone?" Steward wryly commented and Nikita smiled softly. She turned her head as the three operatives that had painted her first black room were walking down the hallway, getting ready to complete the second black room.

"I'm looking for interrogation specialists... I have some equipment due in from Oversight today and I can't be doing all the interrogation in the coming days and weeks," Nikita spoke and Steward shrugged his shoulders. He didn't see how people with these flat types of personalities would be any good for Nikita, but Steward was sure they had one or two who would fit the bill and willingly participate.

"Things are going to be hectic... Where is Katherine?" Nikita questioned as she looked around, realizing that she didn't to go through this twice. Nikita stood up and hurried down the hallway.

Steward looked around and shook his head. The pieces he was sure were going to fall together, just weren't at this point. Nikita always claimed that she wasn't like Section One, but she was, hiding everything that was important.

Katherine walked by Nikita's side. She had been active in the past few days, more than anything, logging the new equipment that was coming in and keeping the operatives on task during their testing. She looked to Steward and Nikita motioned for her to sit down. They were in still in the open, Nikita wasn't going to hide this information, which told Steward, that this wasn't that important.

"Starting tomorrow... we are going to start phase one.... It isn't hard... and it should go smoothly," Nikita issued out and she watched as both operatives nodded their heads. Katherine looked as operatives moved down the hallway, they were too busy with tasks given by Nikita to stop and wonder what Nikita was doing.

"This first part... will give us a chance to see how the operatives work in the field... and will give us needed information about what Section One is currently working on and how important the things they were working on are," Nikita issued and Steward looked at Nikita crossly. She focused her attention and Steward knew that he needed to question now.

"What exactly will they be doing?" Steward questioned and Nikita smiled. It wasn't an evil smile, it was a pleased smile, as if she knew that Steward was going to ask that question. As if she had planned for Steward to ask that question.

"We will be moving in on key snitches that Section One uses... they aren't monitored tightly and we can get the needed information from them without being noticed... and they are often scared off from telling Section One or bought off..." Nikita stated and Steward shook his head. He didn't see the point of this.

"Can't you find this out on the computers?" Steward questioned and Katherine rolled her eyes.

"How does that get the operatives the field experience?" Katherine questioned Steward and Nikita stepped forward.

"I know Birkoff... since Michael was kidnapped... and has surely told Section One the entire plan... they will be monitoring the computers tightly... They won't be monitoring the snitches..." Nikita stated clearly. Steward dropped his head. He forgot that Michael probably told Section One the entire plan.

Nikita stepped back and placed her hands around her head. She waited for a few seconds and took in a deep breath. Katherine looked to Steward and saw that he had gone back to the work on the computer. Katherine took the opportunity to stand up and moved towards Nikita.

"You look like you haven't eaten in a long time," Katherine stated as she place a hand on Nikita's shoulders. Nikita tried to protest, but Katherine had picked up Nikita's papers and started to walk Nikita down the hallway, moving not too fast, but quick enough.

"Things have been hectic here... and I have to get my workout in..." Nikita stated as she looked to Katherine. Nikita looked straight ahead as if nothing was wrong. But Katherine had seen Nikita holding her head and she saw the weight that Nikita had dropped off of late. She had looked so healthy while with Patrick, but that wasn't the point.

She needed to slow down. Katherine knew the reason why she couldn't, and she still admired Nikita.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Katherine questioned, knowing that the food that she had offered had been nixed. Nikita looked up and down the hallway. Again, she had something prepared. Katherine was shocked as Nikita handed her the detailed sketch of the modified gun that she was requesting.

Katherine knew immediately, Nikita had baited her, that there was no headache.

"When do you need this by?" Katherine questioned and Nikita shrugged her shoulders as she stopped in the hallway.

"Tomorrow... noon," Nikita stated as she pivoted and headed right back to Steward. Katherine wanted to protest, knowing that it wasn't enough time to make the gun and properly test it. Katherine didn't even know where to start with the sketch.

Nikita narrowed her eyes as she made her way back to Steward. She watched as Steward looked up and jumped. He had thought that she had left him for a while. Nikita liked when she got this reaction.

"Those interrogation operatives?" Nikita questioned and Steward looked at Nikita.

"I just punched it in, Nikita... I can only move as quick as the computers," Steward stated. His regretted his words as soon as Nikita pulled him up by the collar. There was no one around, again. Nikita could get away with this and no one would know.

"I don't have lots of use for you right now, other than what you do know about Section Eight and the operatives... I suggest that you start getting that computer moving faster...." Nikita threatened. She dropped the fabric from her hands and brushed her dress lightly. "Now, the names?"

"I don't have them printed..."

"The names," Nikita roared as she leaned over Steward's shoulder and stared at the screen. There were two perfect matches. Nikita found it ironic that it was a man and a woman.

Just like Section One, but no one needed to know that.

"Send them to the second black room..." Nikita stated and she started to move. She stopped and turned around to stare at Steward. When she first entered Section Eight, she was sure that she would have a friendship with Steward. That was probably destroyed when something occurred between Patrick and herself. However, Nikita didn't see where she had gone wrong with Steward. She couldn't have him causing more problems.

"I was going to have you complete the first profile.... but I'll take it down... I know Mick pretty well..." Nikita stated and Steward shrugged his shoulders. He would at least get a night with his wife and family.

*

"Come on sweet thing... I haven't even started Mick's special magic show... I know how to make things appear from nowhere..." Mick smiled as he started down the hallway, with his arm wrapped around a sweet tiny Asian girl. He had been out to the clubs, only a block away from his new apartment. It was the one benefit of being moved to the building that Michael lived in.

Location, location, location!

"Oh.. and where is this great show?" the girl flirted back. She was of tender age, and Mick knew he was treading in dangerous waters. However, the girl had gotten into the club, so Mick started to assume. It was just a distraction for Mick, knowing that the morning wasn't going to look so good, Michael coming to brief him and all.

"It's in my pants..." Mick responded as he leaned over and pressed his kisses deep into the girl's neck. He loved the way that she tasted.

Exotic.

Mick played his hands through her long black hair, trying to recall her name, but coming up blank. Mick laughed, he almost always forgot them all of late. He looked at the girl, who was puckering her lips, wanting Mick to hurry, but he had no such plans.

"And only you know the magic words to make the trick work..." Mick stated and the girl tossed her hair back and forth. She laughed with Mick's joke and dropped her hand.

"I think it's already starting to work... maybe it just needed a magic touch..." the flirtatious words simmered back to Mick. Mick nodded his head as he ordered his body to slow down.

She was very hot.

"I think I like that..." Mick growled as he turned and pressed her to the wall. The hallways and the building itself was much better than what he had at the building with Nikita. First, the apartment was much bigger, giving way to many of Mick's fetishes. His decor exploded over the entire new apartment and he still believed that there was a corner or two that he hadn't pressed a girl into yet.

The traffic was much less. Mick at first thought it was just because Michael was a mean man. It wasn't. The occupants all had been there for an extended time and the newest people had been Michael and then Mick. It should have created a bond, but Mick was sure that Michael hated the fact that he lived right next door to him.

"Do you want more of the touch in pubic?" the girl impishly questioned and Mick's eyes opened.

She was very hot.... and wild.

"Mmm.... I think you are right on target..." Mick growled as he smiled into the girl's neck. He loved the feeling of her skin, he was about to get lost to the girl's appeal and body.

"You!" a voice loudly stated in the hallway. Mick blinked his eyes and looked down the hallway at the two men that were standing at the end, looking as if they had just come out of Michael's apartment. Mick looked to the girl and wrapped his hand around her. He was scared, but he could always push the girl into the men and make a run for it.

"Howdy mates.... What can I do for you?" Mick questioned in an odd accent and with faked happiness. The girl laughed, ruining the effect that Mick was going for. He looked to her and blinked his eyes, trying to keep his act going.

"You are going to come with us..." the first man said and Mick started to laugh, along with his lady for the night.

"The only place he is going to come is...." The girl started to say and Michael turned and pressed some fingers to her lips. It silenced her, but it didn't stop her. She inhaled Mick's fingers and sucked on them for sometime. Mick felt his mouth go dry and he felt the need surge his body even more.

"There are places to do that kind of stuff... not a hallway," the first man stated, seeming to be the leader of the other one. Mick looked to the girl and moved away from her a little bit. Still, she was in good reaching distance to be tossed in front of him.

"Look... whenever Michael needs to take me in... or brief me as his lingo goes... He does it himself... I should go ask him about you two..." Mick said as he took the girl's hand and started to make a move for Michael's apartment. The two men looked to each other and nodded their heads.

"Too bad... Nikita is going to miss you..." The first man stated as he patted the other man's shoulder and started down the hallway.

Mick sputtered as he looked from the men to the girl. They had just said the name of the woman Mick had been wondering about for way too long.

"Who is Nikita?" the girl questioned with jealousy written across her eyes. For one second, Mick was about to call it all off. He looked to the girl and smiled, still feeling the magic show stirring to a fevered pitch down below.

"My sister... Don't worry about it, assistant.... I think it is time that we start the disappearing act..." Mick stated out in a deep voice as he stared at the girl with twinkling eyes. The girl giggled happily and wrapped her body around Mick once again as he opened the door.

Mick turned to close the door and looked down the hallway. Something was going on, but Mick allowed it to drop.

Along with his pants.

~~

Mick pulled his head up from underneath the sheets. He looked to the side and saw the tangled feet to his right. He rubbed a hand over his face and moved away from the feet, trying to focus on what he was truly doing.

Something had woken him up.

A dream of Nikita.

The last time he dreamt about Nikita was when he forced his way into Michael's apartment and saw the pictures of Nikita that Michael had on his desk. Michael moved to the desk and knew that Mick had seen them. Mick, instead of trying to force his issue, felt his own eyes weld up with tears. Mick ran and neither man spoke of it again.

Now the dream was back. One of just Nikita smiling. It was eerie and drove Mick away from the bed in his second room. He looked at the Asian woman who was sprawled out in the sheets, her long black hair tangled much like the sheets.

"Coffee...." Mick muttered as he moved into the kitchen. He looked to the chair and saw his pajama bottoms and then the mess that was left in the kitchen.

"Damn... When will I learn?" Mick muttered to himself as he used the silk pajama bottoms to cover himself from the cool air that was circulating in the room. He then searched for a towel, not sure what the concoction on the floor truly was.

Mick scowled as he moved towards the window. He didn't remember leaving it open, but until the moment he got to the kitchen, he hadn't remembered the fascination that the girl had with whip cream. Mick, himself, wasn't much of a whip cream man, but at that point, the girl had taken over the magic show, to say the least.

"Damn that popsicle... why did she have to leave?" Mick questioned the sky, not knowing why the words were coming now. He had been unreasonably unstoppable of late. He was on a tear of ladies unlike anything he had done before. Night after night, new ones after new ones. He had some wild spurts while living next to Nikita, but that had all stopped when he asked Nikita for some protection.

Mick sure wasn't going to be asking Michael for protection. Mick would rather become a father than ask Michael for protection.

Michael was that scary.

"Don't move," a hoarse whisper came out as a barrel of a gun was pressed to Mick's back. He attempted to look back, to see the face or at least the figure of the person. He got smacked in the head.

"Don't you know how to stay in line," the voice whispered back, but the tone was much more dangerous. Mick didn't know who he was dealing with right now, and he started to get scared.

Then he stopped. He was sure that this was just Section One trying to test some new operatives. They were doing a good job. Mick figured that it had to be Section One because Michael was next door. So, Mick decided not to protest.

"Sorry chicka..." Mick whispered as he turned as directed. He looked to the girl that was still in bed. He knew that to her, he didn't count as anything either.

A one night stand is a one night stand. Nothing else.

"Hurry," the whispered voice responded, now with more people coming out from the shadows.

Mick counted the six people that had come into his window that night. They were silent as could be even now that Mick could see them.

They were damn good operatives.

"Someone wants to see you..." the whisper came back, and Mick turned his head. He expected to see Michael step out of the shadows as did the other men. Instead, Mick got his head shoved into a bag and then he felt a needle.

"This is a bit extreme, isn't it?" Mick shouted before the drugs took effect.

*

Mick lifted his head, half expecting to see feet off to his right, like everything had been a bad nightmare. But he felt the metal over his hands and he jerked his head up in the darkness.

He swore he still had the hood on. It was so dark.

But he didn't feel anything covering his head and he didn't feel his hot breath coming back off of the material. He didn't understand why it was so dark then.

"Ok... Michael.. Madeline... the joke is over..." Mick called out as he looked from side to side in the pitch black. All of his muscles tensed as he had the feeling that he was being watched, but not exactly by who he called out too.

"Look... whoever you are... I have some friends in very high places in some very dangerous places... You don't really want to bloody mess with them..." Mick threatened out, but all he got in return was his voice echoing around the room.

"Hello?" Mick called out, wondering if he was just shouting in a room all by himself.

"Oh Mick..." Nikita's voice echoed in the room and Mick stopped breathing for second. He shook his head, hard, even though he was restrained. He wished that he was truly in a nightmare and could wake up. Mick soon found that he wasn't in a dream.

"Popsicle? You aren't in Section One... you left a long time ago..." Mick trembled out as he looked from side to side. He could feel someone's breath on his skin. He wanted to scream. He wanted to be strong.

There was silence, and it only made Mick worry even more. What if he was imagining things, making up things. He missed Nikita dearly, especially now that he had been captured by someone. This didn't feel like Section One. He had heard Nikita speak of the White Room and the torturers there. This wasn't Section One.

"Ok... What is going on here? Who are you and why do you want me?" Mick called out as he again, looked from side to side. He wanted to see something and immediately.

"As I already told you... I have some friends in high places... I'm sure that they are worried about me and are going to be on your backs before long.... if you let me go... I can bloody save you..." Mick tried to bargain.

"Is that so?" Nikita's voice stated and Mick shook his head. It was Nikita's voice but it just didn't seem like her, or her style.

"Look... Nikita... I can tell they are forcing you to speak... Don't worry.... I have a good tracker on... They will know exactly were we are and come and save us...." Mick declared as he puffed out his chest in order to sound strong and in control.

He was no were near having control.

He was having enough trouble controlling his bladder at the moment.

"You sound scared, Mick," Nikita's voice responded from right behind him. He tried to turn to look in that direction, but the chair was in the way.

"Popsicle, that is you, right?" Mick called out as he waited and held his breath.

"It is," Nikita stated and Mick nodded his head up and down.

"Please tell me you are real, gumdrop.... Please tell me that you haven't been hurt by these people and that you aren't being tortured... I can't handle that.... No matter who the people are..." Mick splattered out quickly, his words rushing together.

The light snaps on and Mick sees Nikita standing there.

"What if I were those people, Mick?" Nikita questioned and Mick shook his head back and forth. He couldn't believe that he saw Nikita standing in front of him, seemingly in charge of what was happening.

"Nah... you can't be like that... that would make you like Madeline or something... Or worse, Operations... and you don't want that!" Mick explained and Nikita blinked her eyes as she brought more lights on, giving Mick the ability to see that she was moving around with her own free will.

"I am in charge here, Mick.... I'm not Madeline or Operations... but I run the show..." Nikita stated in drawn out words. Mick nodded his head with each one..

"So you aren't going to hurt me?" Mick questioned and Nikita smirked as she turned away from Mick. She looked around the room.

"I don't have to hurt you, Mick... All I have to do is turn out the lights..... I'm sure I can get everything that I need from you..." Nikita stated and Mick's face dropped. He was happy seeing Nikita for those first few moments. It hadn't been until this whole ordeal started that he realized how much he missed Nikita. Now, as Nikita turned away and the lights snapped off, Mick started to panic.

"Come on, doll face..... We could have so much more to talk about if I get to look at your pretty face... I know you like to hear how pretty you are.. Which you are... I want to look at your face all the time... Popsicle.. please turn the lights back on..." Mick started to stammer as he looked from side to side, sure that Nikita was moving around the room.

"Flattery won't work, Mick," Nikita's words heavily dropped in the air as her hand touched his shoulder and then was gone. Mick looked to that side and knew that she was gone.

"Come on.. I don't like playing cat and mouse games all bound up... Now, don't get me wrong... the ideal of being in bondage for you is a real turn on.... but you know.. it is always best with some light..." Mick continued to try to maneuver his way to get some lights.

"Why, Mick? Are you afraid of the dark?" Nikita questioned, but she was far away. He could tell from her voice, but he didn't understand why he felt someone breathing on him. Worse yet, he heard them.

"Doll face.... popsicle.... You know... I don't really play that many games... is that what you want me to confess too? I mean is this pay back for everything that I did to you when I was your neighbor or something?" Mick questioned and Nikita laughed. Mick heard Nikita snap her fingers and the breathing person went away.

"I can do more in the dark, Mick... I see your face.... I don't think the ladies in the club would like to hear that you get so scared in the dark that you pee your pants..." Nikita stated out with a mocking voice. Mick snapped his head up. He knew from her tone of voice, that Nikita would do everything that she had just said.

"You wouldn't do that!" Mick shouted out and he slumped in the chair.

"Why, Mick? Are you going to admit that you are afraid of the dark?" Nikita questioned and Mick nodded his head up and down. Nikita allowed the lights to come up and she realized Mick's hands.

"What are you doing, sugar?" Mick spouted out in anger.

"Sugar? Don't call me, Sugar, Mick." Nikita stated and Mick looked to the black walls and then back to Nikita.

"I'm sorry sweetness... but you have me totally confused here... I don't know what is going on and why you still have me chained to this chair!" Mick shouted, allowing some of the anger out.

"You are going to tell me who you are watching for Section One... You are going to tell me everyone that have contacted because of Section One... and you are going to tell me in the next few hours..." Nikita outlined in a strong voice.

"Are you nuts, sweetness?" Mick responded without blinking his eyes.

"Would you rather do this the hard way, Mick? I can turn the lights off again..." Nikita stated as she leaned into Mick. He shook his head and Nikita nodded her head. She knew that she had him, but then, she knew that in time, if she explained everything, that Mick would have been willingly helping her.

"Can I just know what is going on?" Mick questioned and Nikita shrugged her shoulders. She moved to the stool and brought it close to Mick. She studied his eyes and sighed.

Nikita almost missed him.

"I am going after Section One... and I need your information... And once I know what you told Section... I'm going to give you some fake intel... which you will give Section One..." Nikita stated clearly. She knew that Mick would protest.

"Now that one is funny, popsicle... Like Section One would believe fake intel!" Mick stated and Nikita tilted her head to the side.

"Oh yes, Mick.. It is so funny... Remind me again... who lives right next to you?" Nikita questioned and she watched as Mick's face paled.

"Michael... Super Spy himself," Mick stated out proudly and Nikita nodded her head and looked to the door of the room.

"Now, Mick.... I saved you a lot from Section One operatives taking you in for fun... Now... Michael... Super Spy himself... he probably doesn't even know you are gone... How about that for protection?" Nikita questioned. Nikita stood up and circled the stool, knowing that she had struck Mick speechless for the moment.

"I mean.. if he is so great... he should have known you were in trouble... I mean... he has done the impossible..." Nikita stated as she placed herself back on the stool and crossed her legs. She stared at Mick and raised an eyebrow. "Or did I do the impossible? Took you from right next from Michael..."

"I never said I wanted to stay next to him, doll face..." Mick asserted quickly and Nikita nodded her head. She rubbed her hands together and swallowed.

"See... I'm not after Michael... and I'm not doing this to pay you back for all the hell that you have put me in..." Nikita truthfully admitted and Mick pressed his lips together. He felt like he was in a middle of a cyclone, being tossed from one side to the other side. Nothing was making sense at the moment.

"Look... I am still in this strange black room for bloody knows what! You know that I would do anything for you sweetness!" Mick urged Nikita and she dropped her eyes and nodded her head. She sighed heavily and she couldn't believe that she almost felt sorry for what she was doing to Mick.

"What is your question, Mick? Do you want to know what I am doing or why I am doing it?" Nikita questioned and Mick rubbed his hands together, rubbing at the wrists were they had been found to the handles of the chair.

"I think why... I thought you loved the people inside of Section One!" Mick finally declared and Nikita stared into his eyes and caught the light glaring off of his head. Nikita smiled internally as she leaned slightly back on the stool.

"You know that feeling when you woke up in your bed... all tangled with that sweet young Asian toy you took home with you... and you didn't exactly know what had happened?" Nikita questioned and Mick raised his eyebrows.

"Now how did you know that! I mean... unless you did something..." Mick stated and then stopped his words. Nikita nodded her head up and down as she moved it slightly from side to side.

"We were in your apartment hours before you got back, Mick.... I had a feeling that last night was going to be whip cream night... It had been a couple months..." Nikita matter of factly stated and Mick's eyes expanded.

"You drugged the whipped cream?" Mick questioned and Nikita nodded her head.

"But you remember that feeling... Of not knowing what happened... Its a side effect of the drug we gave you... But you remember it?" Nikita questioned again, hoping to bring the conversation back on track. Things always tended to drift away from the point with Mick and Nikita wasn't going to allow it to continue for long.

"Yeah... damn bloody hell if you ask me.... I wasn't even sure if I was in the right place let alone who I was!" Mick declared and Nikita internally winced. Those were powerful words, for a man that felt that lost for only a few seconds.

"Imagine feeling like that for a week? How would you like to feel like that for a month? Rather.. .feel like that, every moment you are awake for months?" Nikita questioned out with biting words. Mick winced. Nikita's personal pain was not masked now, as it was heard on every single word she spoke.

"I don't think I would like that..." Mick finally softly spoke.

"I lived it... You wouldn't like it," Nikita stated as she stood up. She stared at Mick and felt her internal controls were about to combust. She was about to lose control, and this was only with Mick. She scratched at her neck nervously and swallowed.

"I'm going to get something to eat... Sit around... Enjoy the room... Then we will talk at length... I'll bring you some water..." Nikita stated, remaining cold, but kind also. She looked at Mick for a few more moments, realizing that he had finally caught on that the best thing to do at this moment was to stay quiet. Nikita moved out of the room and closed the door. She leaned against it and swallowed.

Nikita was sure that Mick had considered her a friend of sorts. She rolled he head down and sighed.

He probably didn't consider her that any longer.

*

Section One seemed to be on a lockdown from the words that Michael had muttered. Even as knowledge from his debriefing seeped into the ranks, that didn't stop the hostile feelings that Walter had, and then passed onto Birkoff.

Although they were inside of Section One, their hearts were with Nikita.

As was Michael's.

"Birkoff... I need updates from the incoming data every ten minutes," Michael ordered as he walked down the hallway. Michael was about to continue down the hallway and into his office, when Birkoff didn't even lifted his head. Birkoff knew better than to ignore Michael and that was what caused Michael to stop.

"Did you hear me?" Michael questioned and Birkoff lifted his head.

"Yes... I heard you as well as I did when I heard what you called Nikita," Birkoff spat out and Michael froze. He looked over his shoulder for a split second and saw Walter standing nearby, surely to see what Birkoff said to Michael.

"That isn't any of your concern, Birkoff... Just do your job," Michael stated and Birkoff shook his head back and forth. Truthfully, Birkoff was near tears looking at Michael and knowing what had happened. His heart went out to Nikita and he wanted to help Nikita.

Michael saw all of that.

"If you want to help Nikita... give me those updates... I swear," Michael stated as he leaned down towards Birkoff. Michael watched as the computer expert looked to Walter and then to Michael.

"Don't talk to him, Birkoff.... We all know what he is," Walter loudly spoke, seeing that Birkoff was about to break and give Michael what he wanted.

"You'll get the reports every half hour, Michael... As per Madeline's orders," Birkoff spoke out and Michael stood up and stared at Walter.

"Do you want Nikita to destroy Section One?" Michael questioned Walter, turning his back on Birkoff. Walter had a lot of pull inside of Section One, and he could turn all the operatives against Michael very quickly. He had only turned Birkoff against Michael, which told Michael that Walter, although not publicly noting it, realized that something more was happening.

"Maybe she is just going to destroy the bad stuff... starting with you..." Walter snapped back as he tilted his head off to the side. Michael was about to speak again, when Walter turned away and picked up a gun to clean again.

"Fine... every half hour... but I want to know if anything odd comes in..." Michael stated as he stared at Birkoff. Birkoff rolled his eyes at Michael and then stuck his tongue out at Michael as he turned his back on him. Birkoff didn't need to be told to do something he was already doing, almost routing all the information he was getting in that was somehow related to Section Eight to Michael's computer. Most of it hitting Michael's computer before heading on to Madeline and Operations.

Birkoff and Walter weren't as dense as Michael took them to be, and knew when there was plan afoot.

They both had been around when Nikita didn't have her memory. Michael most often forgot about that.

In one moment, Birkoff pulled out his candy as Michael slammed his door. All people were where they were supposed to be.

~~

The tension was building in Madeline's head as she processed the details that Michael had laid out for herself and Operations. Some of the details were primitive, while others were not. Some of the items sounded like Nikita, when she was inside of Section One, and others sounded like someone else had given them to Nikita.

"Section Eight seems to be inactive," Operations hissed deeply as he stared out the window to the operatives down below, who seemed to be having issues themselves. In fact, it appeared on the most part that Section One was separating itself, or at least the major players of Section One.

"Seems to be... that is the key..." Madeline stated as she moved towards the window. She looked to Michael's office and swallowed. He was working as hard as he always did. It had been sometime since Michael just locked himself into his office to work and write reports. Walter was cleaning the guns like he was preparing for the war to end all wars, and Birkoff.... he was eating candy quicker than he could type.

"Something personal happened during that fight..." Madeline assessed as she pulled her head away from the window. She was greeted by Operations laughing annoyingly.

"Something did happen... Seems as if there are no feelings between Michael and Nikita... You, in the end... did achieve what you wanted..." Operations said as he picked up the tape. Madeline looked at the details, how it was pulled and where it was pulled from.

It was too easy to get this tape and to have Section One see it. It was as if Nikita had just given it to them. Which was a possibility that Madeline didn't want to think about. She turned from the tape and looked at Operations.

"The highlights were wonderful... although I think you would be shocked with Nikita... Michael called her a Section whore... Bravo dear, Michael... He finally learned..." Operations gloated and Madeline simply turned her head.

Madeline knew that she was being played and being played well. However, she didn't feel it was Nikita. She still couldn't give the credit to the person that deserved it. Nikita had gotten underneath their skins and was playing every trick in the book that she could think of to make Section One start to self destruck and to become disorganized. Madeline felt it, but couldn't identify what was being done.

"Although I am interested in the black room that Michael spoke about..." Operations stated and Madeline turned and narrowed her eyes.

"The white rooms are perfectly fine..." Madeline clearly spoke as she folded her hands in front of her stomach. She hated when Operations heard of something new that was working elsewhere. He would want to use it too.

Madeline always won those fights. What worked in the past would continue to work.

"It's it possible that we are training our people to only withstand the white room.. but change the room.. and they can't handle it?" Operations posed, knowing that he was annoying Madeline. It was the only thing he could do at the moment.

"That is not possible," Madeline judged quickly and without thought. She turned and stared out the window. Inside, she was more than afraid that Operations was correct. She didn't need to tell him anything, especially that which would make her look bad.

"Have we gotten the information from Jorten yet?" Madeline questioned, changing the subject, slightly. Jorten was one of the men that Section One had connected to Section Eight, as a man possibly giving extra funds to Section Eight. That was not what Madeline nor Operations wanted and so, Jorten become very high on their priority list.

"You know our contact... Mick has gone... He has gone AWOL again," Operations sighed as he rolled his eyes. Madeline looked out to the hallway and frowned. She didn't like the sounds of that. She knew that Mick had been Nikita's next door neighbor for a good bit of time, but that Nikita was annoyed with him most of the time. Plus, Mick was living right next to Michael. No one could have taken him.

"A trip? Now?" Madeline questioned and Operations shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head back and forth. He did know that Mick sure did get around and in a way, was envious of the man.

"Could be a vacation... Could be a spending spree... Could still be in some college dormitory being passed from one co-ed to another... I really don't know, Madeline," Operations stated with a bite. Madeline nodded her head as she narrowed her eyes.

"We can't contact Jorten without Mick... I don't like this.. Sounds like a set up..." Madeline stated and she watched as Operations rolled his eyes. Madeline hated when he acted like he knew everything.

Madeline was about to speak again when Michael exited his office and walked over to communications. He was staring at Birkoff and finally pulled Birkoff up from his seat. Madeline leaned closer to the window as did Operations.

"I wonder what that is all about..." Operations posed and Madeline looked at him and then back down.

Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right at all.

*

"Mick, if you don't sit down right this second, I am going to do more than nail you to the chair! Do you understand?" Nikita hissed as she looked away from the computer where she was pulling up the data as Mick gave it to her. She looked at the terrorists that Mick had already named, but so far, they had been small potatoes.

"I'm sorry popsicle, but everything that has happened as me all nervous... the last time I felt this way was when Michael threw me out of his apartment... He was so angry that I saw those pictures..." Mick started to rattle on and Nikita turned her head to look at Mick. She wondered about the pictures. She was sure that they were of Adam and Elena. That's what the pictures were when she was last in the apartment, and that was when Michael and Nikita were supposively together.

"Pictures? What pictures? Operatives aren't supposed to have pictures..." Nikita commented, wanting to know if anything had changed in Michael's life. It was part of her jealous streak too. It was hard to believe the words that Michael had told her at the little cafe as she continued to have the nightmares of the fight with Michael.

"Of you, doll face... Many of them.. framed and hanging up like some damn shrine.... Now my mother... She did that for Elvis... I never understood why someone would put pictures up of a famous person and all that hoopla..." Mick hurried out and Nikita closed her eyes. She had blocked out most of Mick's extra words and swallowed.

"Of me? Pictures of me?" Nikita questioned as she shook her head. She was sure that she was wrong. Michael didn't own any pictures of her.

"Oh yes, sugarplum... Big, small, old, new... Like I said... kind of like what my mother did with Elvis... except he doesn't have you in blue velvet yet.... but I am sure that it will come sooner or later..." Mick continued until Nikita stood up from the computer. He closed his mouth tightly as Nikita moved towards him.

She was at the end of her nerves. Mick had just talked too much and now she was getting off track. Mick was an old friend, of sorts, but Nikita couldn't allow him to get her off track like he was doing now. She didn't blame Mick for what he was doing, as he was just being himself, but Nikita was blaming herself.

"Sit down," Nikita stated as she pointed to the chair that was right behind Mick. He sighed and sat down as he rolled his eyes up to look at Nikita. Mick sighed again as he waited for Nikita to sit down, which caused Nikita to roll her head to the side and to stare at Mick.

"Is there something you want, Mick?" Nikita questioned as she stared at him. The past two days had been difficult task for Nikita. The easy part was getting the operatives to move on task, but dealing with Mick, was the worse. He had no attention span if it didn't benefit himself and Nikita was starting to regret ever letting him out of the black room.

The other snitches all too willingly turned over information about Section One. Some even wanted to get Section One back for some of the ways that Section One had used the intel they had shared. Mick just wasn't like them and Nikita would go into her room at the end of the day and just want to pound her head into a wall.

Mick was infuriating.

But he was Mick.

And Section One still didn't realize that Mick was missing.

"I need some water... and not that fancy water that the one man gave me yesterday... I don't like my water in glass bottles... and no bubbles in it..." Mick ordered and Nikita folded her hands on her lap as she blinked her eyes. She couldn't believe Mick.

He was getting worse.

"Do you think that I am your waitress?" Nikita questioned and Mick rolled his eyes.

"No... but you are holding me prisoner... the least you can do is give me water because I'm not allowed to wonder around the hallways..." Mick replied sweetly and Nikita shook her head as she stood up. Mick was a man that she would never fully understand, but she did fully intend on using him to the best of her ability.

"Here..." Nikita snapped as she opened up the small cooler in the office and handed the bottle over. Mick pulled the water to his lips and happily sipped at it. He looked to Nikita and cocked his head off to the side.

"I'm sure you look sexy drinking water.... Give it a try... please Popsicle?" Mick begged as he pushed the bottle towards Nikita. She stared at him, with nothing on her face. She pushed her hand out and pushed the bottle back towards Mick.

"This isn't a game, Mick... This is life and death..." Nikita stated and Mick rolled his eyes.

"Nothing is life or death, doll face.... That is just a phrase you Section people speak to make me scared... Well, after that black room... Life or death doesn't scare me!" Mick quickly rattled off and Nikita leaned back in her chair. Slowly she studied Mick and tilted her head from side to side as she did so. It was easy to see that Mick was starting to worry.

Mick might claim that he didn't get scared easily, but that was all a fabrication of his mind. Just with Nikita staring at him, he just started to quake in his seat. And it was all so easy to do! Nikita was amazed with the kind of lies that Mick spouted out so quickly. She also knew that he would give her the truth.

If she could put up with him much longer.

Her patience was running out.

"You know, Mick... The black room is just down the hallway..." Nikita finally stated, placing the last nail in Mick's act. He solemnly nodded his head and placed his right leg over his left.

"What do you want to know, popsicle?" Mick inquired and Nikita smiled. This was progress. The first progress in two hours since Nikita asked Mick how his night was.

"Do you know who Section One wanted you to contact next?" Nikita questioned and Mick nodded his head. He leaned back in his chair and stared at Nikita.

"Yes... I know... But bloody hell... why am I telling you?" Mick questioned and Nikita almost growled at Mick. It was taking six steps forward and then sixteen steps back. Nikita felt like she was a charging bull who thought that a brick wall was a cape, continually smacking into it, over and over again.

"Mick... who does Section One want you to contact next?" Nikita questioned again, spacing each word out slowly, hoping that Mick could tell from her tone that the time for games were over.

"Is this about you and Michael? I never understood how you guys could go from so hot... like you were going to combust if you didn't mash your bodies together... to... a friggin' iceberg!" Mick shouted and Nikita shook her head back and forth. It was all old territory that Mick kept going back too, because Nikita didn't want to give the straight answers.

But now Nikita had the choice. She could spend the next week with Mick, playing his game of back and forth until she finally got the information. That was definitely something that Nikita didn't want to do. She couldn't tell him what she was doing now, but the past, that was something that couldn't be changed.

Nikita leaned over to the computer and made sure that the recording devises and anything else that could catch Nikita's words were turned off. She was sure of that and opened her eyes as she looked at Mick.

"We were in love for a long time, Mick... We still are..." Nikita whispered and Mick started to shake his head back and forth.

"Michael... that man told me that it was over with you..." Mick stated and Nikita closed her eyes. It was painful to go over all of this again. She had to deal a lot with these emotions with Michael, but with Mick it was so different.

"Mick... The reason why it cooled off... as you like to put it... was because Madeline adjusted my mind," Nikita painfully admitted as she looked at Mick. She knew that Mick was touched by her words as his eyes glassed over with tears. Nikita leaned her head back and sighed lightly. "It sounds awful, doesn't it, Mick?"

"How could a woman do that? I mean... damn popsicle... Why didn't you tell me?" Mick questioned and Nikita shrugged her shoulders. She knew the answer to that question, but again, this was something that she would never verbally state.

Nikita knew from the moment that she realized that something had happened, that she was going to get Madeline and Operations back for it. It was in those first few moments as she was walking to meet Michael, knowing that something was different and knowing that she didn't feel anything for Michael but a vast and empty hole... the plan that had been in the back of Nikita's head finally got the motivation to activate.

"She plays games, Mick... Which is why she has to be stopped...." Nikita pointedly spoke as she leaned in closer to Mick. He didn't speak. He reached out and touched Nikita's hair softly.

"So... Michael didn't stop loving you either?" Mick questioned and Nikita closed her eyes.

"Mick... Madeline only wants to play games... She is twisted.. but you can help me stop her from doing this again... and I can help you... Operations doesn't like you much... and if he found out that you were with me..." Nikita started to explain as she shook her head back and forth.

The fear was back in Mick's eyes.

"NO! You wouldn't do that to me, doll face... After all we have been through..." Mick started and then stopped as Nikita started to lift her hand. Nikita looked to her computer and then to Mick.

"Who are you going to be contacting?" Nikita questioned and Mick nodded his head.

"Jorten," Mick replied and Nikita blinked her eyes.

Hard.

"Who?" Nikita questioned and Mick shook his head back and forth. He thought that Nikita was supposed to know things like this.

"A bloke named Jorten... I don't really know him... but they think that I will have a good repertoire with him... seems as if he fancies himself as a ladies man..." Mick stated and Nikita smiled. It wasn't from the statement.

It was from how easily Section One stepped into what Nikita wanted them too. It wasn't a trap, but it was close enough to be one.

Finally Nikita started to laugh, which annoyed Mick. Although he loved spending time with Nikita, this was getting quite old for him. He didn't understand Nikita's laughter and he was almost worried that this meant that something else was going to happen to him.

He couldn't handle much more. But as long as it didn't include the black room, Mick would at least try.

For Nikita.

"Jorten? Are you sure?" Nikita questioned, with the chuckle still lingering in her voice. Mick nodded is head as he sat up straight in his chair. He blinked his eyes as Nikita's face was actually turning red.

"Now... this is Section Eight, right?" Michael questioned and it only caused Nikita to laugh more. Mick didn't see the humor in this. From the conversation he had with Birkoff... Jorten was a major player with Section Eight that had enough information to take down Section Eight.

"You don't have to look far for Jorten, Mick... But you are sure wrong... Jorten is not a ladies' man..." Nikita stated with a knowing smile on her face. Mick looked up and down the room and then to Nikita.

"Why are you asking me about him if you know all about it?" Mick questioned with a flurry of anger. Nikita leaned back in her chair and shook her head.

"Mick... There is no Jorten... Jorten is a figment of my imagination..." Nikita stated and Mick's face paled.

"So you are Jorten?"

"You can say that..." Nikita smiled broadly as she watched Mick's head shake back and forth.

Planting the bad intel was going to be easy. Too bad rest of the plan was so hard.

*

Mick shook his head as he picked it up from the table. He looked around and felt the blaring music pounding his head back and forth. The lapse of time from Section Eight to where he was now was making him notice that Nikita wasn't all innocent in this game she was playing.

Mick didn't know what Nikita had given him, or how she had given it to him, he just knew that he had been drugged yet again. There was a glass in front of him, filled with some sort of liquor, but Mick if it was on his breath, it was because Section Eight put it there. He pulled himself up and looked around.

It wasn't a club that he normally went too. It wasn't a club that he was totally unknown at. Mick knew that he had to go back to his apartment and go back quickly. He found walking difficult, but knew that he couldn't allow his repetition get on the bad side at all.

It was the closest club to his apartment building. Mick was grateful that he hadn't run into Michael yet, knowing that it would be difficult to explain his absence of what he believed to be three days. He looked from side to side as he entered the security code and entered the building. Somedays, he was just glad that he lived only one flight up.

Mick pushed himself against the wall as soon as he exited the staircase. It wasn't because of the person he found in the hallway, holding a brown bag of groceries. Mick felt sick to his stomach.

Then he saw Michael.

And Michael saw him.

"Mick..." Michael drawled out as he gracefully placed the groceries on the floor and moved towards the man that had been missing for a week. He tilted his head to the side and wonder immediately what Nikita did to him, not that Michael would show Mick that he knew that Nikita had a hand in this.

If Mick could drive Michael crazy when Michael was down, Michael couldn't see how he could stop himself from having some enjoyment of watching Mick squirm. Plus, Mick needed to feel that Michael didn't know what was going on.

At least, at the beginning.

"Michael.. please it's been a long night..." Mick stated as he placed his hands in front of him, shaking his head. But shaking made the pain grow in intensity and Mick's vision was blurring. He took three steps forward, while it felt like he had taken twenty.

"The night is young, Mick... it is barely 9:30... Is something wrong?" Michael questioned, trying to hide his smile of the humor of the situation. He could only imagine how Nikita handled Mick in the past week.

"You know... I think I had too much to drink at Barnbuzzer.... that place is wild..." Mick stated as he looked to the wall and thought he should be at his apartment by now. All he found was wall. Mick placed a hand out to the wall and leaned against it.

He almost wanted to cry.

"Barnbuzzer just opened for the night less than a half hour ago, Mick... I don't think you are telling me the truth..." Michael stated in slow words as he looked to the wall and saw that the door that Mick wanted to get too. Michael looked to the door and then back to Mick. The man didn't look that good at all.

"You know... It's just been a long few days, Michael... You know.. ladies... they ate me up... I'm just tired..." Mick stated as he started to move across the hallway, trying to move away from Michael.

It was hard to look at Michael and to think of him as the man that Nikita still loved, the man that she had always loved. He still looked like the Section One operative that Mick had worked in the past and the same Section One operative that could kill him with a blink of his eyes. Yet, from seeing the intensity of Nikita's words about Michael and what she was willing to do to the people that tried to destroy that, made Michael seem almost human.

Almost human.

He still scared Mick to the core.

"Mick.. you were gone for a week... We were looking for you... Almost concerned..." Michael stated and Mick turned his head off to the side and closed his eyes. He felt that he missed a few days... not a week.

"A week? I guess that I was gone that long... really I didn't notice..." Mick stated nervously as he started to rub his arm. He was starting to wake up and realize what a bad job he was doing getting Michael off of his back. Mick didn't want to break down and tell Michael everything.

Michael made a move at first slowly. Then he grabbed Mick's arm and turned it around to stare at the elbow region. Michael snorted and pointed to the little pinprick.

"Not very original... Did you like the black room, Mick?" Michael questioned as he dropped the arm. Michael watched as Mick's face paled and he started to stumble backwards.

"B-black room?.... I don't know what you are talking about... what.. b-bla-black room?" Mick trembled out and Michael stepped forward. He continued to follow Mick until he was leaning against the door to the staircase.

"You were taken by Nikita," Michael stated out flatly and Mick shook his head back and forth furiously. Michael turned his head to make sure that they were alone in the hallway before leaning in close to Mick.

"It's ok, Mick... I know that Nikita can be scary..." Michael stated and Mick continued to shake his head back and forth.

"Michael... I think we have this big misunderstanding... I mean... I didn't see popsicle... God.. I haven't talked to her in .... well... Since she left.... I went and saw Jorten..." Mick stated as he nodded his head up and down, liking his words. Mick smiled at the end and Michael shook his head back and forth.

"Mick... we aren't being monitored..." Michael stated and Mick looked around and shook his head back and forth.

"If you were missing me... Well... let's just say, Michael.... If I was captured and tortured... I wouldn't bloody be trusting people right now, would I?" Mick challenged and Michael nodded his head. He could agree with that comment, and that alone would help when Mick's bad acting skills were put up for Madeline and Operations to view.

"Let's forget about that now, Mick... Did Nikita give you a message?" Michael questioned softly, hoping beyond what Michael could rationally think could happen, did.

"A message?" Mick laughed out as he bent down and got away from Michael's arms. Mick moved down the hallway, with a steadier stride as the drugs continued to wear off. Mick turned around and chuckled again. "A message... surely, Michael... You are joking?"

"No," Michael replied with a soft voice. Michael turned his head slightly away from Mick's happy face. Michael had hoped too much that Nikita would try to keep him informed, even though Michael understood the importance of him not knowing what was going on.

"Michael... hell... I didn't even know I was gone for a week! Doesn't that tell you something!" Mick finally shouted. Mick turned around and pushed his way back into his apartment. He looked around and saw the window that had been open had been closed.

"Mick.. you have to understand that this is bigger than you..." Michael slowly tried to explain. Mick turned and shook his head back and forth.

"I know about love... and revenge... I don't do the revenge, Michael... Never did.. It's dirty business..." Mick commented, and Michael tried to counter. Mick lifted his hands and crossed his eyes slightly. "When did you start talking so much, Michael? Why can't you just be quiet?"

Michael stood there, shocked that Mick had challenged him on this. The same Mick that had been known to run around the block just to stay away from Michael. The same Mick that once started to wear a woman's wig to get out of the apartment building without Michael stopping him.

"Go ahead, Mick..." Michael finally stated as he nodded his head. Michael gave up the control and leaned against the table as he looked at Mick. Maybe Michael would just learn something from all that Mick seemed prepared to tell him.

"Well.. it all started out like a normal night... I guess about a week ago... And I thought that some Section people were visiting you... when they said something crazy about Nikita... But I forgot it... I had a great woman on my arm and she wanted to play with whip cream..." Mick started to explain. Michael blinked his eyes, finding it hard how any of these details had anything to do with Nikita.

"And then... ah.. Michael.. I had a wonderful night... I mean.. the crazy upside-down squat hurt a lot.. but all of that was made up by the girl's hungry... oh... and man... you haven't lived until a woman does the reverse cowgirl... oh my god... man... Is it getting hot in here?" Mick recounted the memories fanning himself lightly.

Michael wasn't amused.

"Mick.... I don't care about that..." Michael warned in a simmering voice. Mick popped his head up and then started to nod his head. Mick had finally realized who he was really talking to again.

"Well... I guess Nikita's men were too good... when we played with the whipped cream... we got drugged... I woke up.. and wham, bang... Nikita got me in some weird torture cell with no lights!" Mick explained as his voice started to lift in volume as he recounted the events for Michael. He even swung his hands around for special effect.

"She took you from this apartment?" Michael slowly questioned as he blinked his eyes. He thought when Mick was missing that Nikita had Section Eight take him from the street or something. Never did Michael imagine that Nikita had her people walk into Mick's apartment.

It scared Michael.

Nikita had trained them all very good. If she wanted too, she could probably close Section One down, and no one would be able to do anything.

"Yep.... and you thought you were good..." Mick hissed out as he shook his head back and forth. Michael turned around in a circle and rubbed his chin lightly. He didn't like where this was going.

"Did you tell her anything?" Michael questioned and Mick rolled his eyes. He couldn't be sure if Michael was truly on Nikita's side here. Mick was sure that he was, but Mick now knew the importance of being careful.

"I told her about the pictures," Mick stated and Michael's eyes expanded. He shook his head and left.

If there was one thing that Michael didn't want Nikita to know about quite yet. It was the pictures.

Michael didn't care about the food that he had left in the hallway. He entered his apartment and left the bag behind. He wasn't hungry any longer.

He looked to the pictures that Mick had told Nikita about. Michael didn't feel that Nikita needed to know about them, but now she did. Michael wondered if it made him look weak or if it made Nikita wonder about his stability.

That didn't matter now. Michael took one picture and held it in his hands as he walked to the window, to again pray, that Nikita's plan works correctly.

*