Davenport had placed stitches into the back of Nikita's head as he barked out other orders. Michael had left the clinic to call someone. Davenport was guessing that it was George, Michael's mentor, but Davenport didn't know if George would have the answers that Michael needed right now.

Something had happened in that car, but Michael wasn't going to say a word. Davenport was left inside of the clinic by himself. He had sent all the other staff home. He knew how to run the equipment and there was only Laury and another girl staying overnight. Davenport pushed Nikita's bed down the hallway and towards the CAT Scan. He knew that she had a concussion, he didn't know what else.

But as Davenport started to set Nikita up on the machine, she woke up and Davenport found out something else about Nikita.

She was claustrophobic.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Nikita screamed as her legs started to fly around Davenport's body. He was afraid that she was going to hurt herself in the machine and started to pull her out. "STOP IT! NO! Please go away..."

"Nikita... It is me, Davenport..." Davenport spoke, as the machine didn't give an easy access to getting Nikita out. He had a way to make it less claustrophobic, but he was just going to need time.

"What?" Nikita questioned as finally her head was pulled out from the white bulky machine. Davenport looked at Nikita and looked at the bump in the head. It had barely gone down any with the ice he had Michael hold there as the stitches were placed.

"You hit your head... Do you remember that?" Davenport questioned as Nikita continued to pant. He didn't want to sit her up right now. He waited as Nikita nodded her head.

"Laury hit me..." Nikita stated and Davenport nodded his head. "Michael found you passed out... I'm going to do a CAT Scan of your head to make sure all is ok..."

"No... don't put me back in that pipe!" Nikita stated as the door opened. Michael appeared, tired and exhausted, but ready to help out. "Can I stay in here with her?"

"I'll pull the sides out... you'll be able to hold her hand..." Davenport stated as he slipped away and allowed Michael to get close to Nikita. "Don't be afraid..."

"It is so closed in... and I can't breath..." Nikita complained as she remembered the image that she had as soon as she opened her eyes. Michael took Nikita's hand and squeezed it.

"You need to relax.... And I'm going to be right here..." Michael spoke and Nikita lifted an eyebrow.

"You aren't going to leave?" Nikita questioned, challenging Michael. Now that he knew that Nikita felt that she had abandoned her to Walter, he knew that she was going to test him. A lot.

"I'll be right here... Holding your hand..." Michael confirmed and Nikita blinked her eyes.

And though Nikita did have another panic attack inside the machine while Michael held her hand, all went smoothly.

And it was no surprise when Nikita had a concussion.

*

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. ~~Helen Keller

Nikita rolled herself off of the bed. Her sleep had been fitful; not only from the weird dreams and conversations she had been having, but the fact that medical staff woke her up every two hours. She was annoyed, but now another feeling was coming to her. She was hungry.

At first Nikita's feet didn't feel quite there. She stopped and took a deep breath and smiled when she realized that she was still in her clothing from the day. She pushed the few bangs that had fallen out of the tight ponytail and winced when she brushed her hand over the bump on her forehead.

"You should still be in bed," Michael spoke as he turned the corner. He had been watching her a lot during the slumber, pleased to see that although at times she whimpered, she didn't have severe nightmares. Michael remembered watching Nikita through those. They weren't pleasant.

"I'm hungry..." Nikita stated with her head tilting to the side. Aside from the fact that she was tired and had a concussion. She didn't feel bad right now. "I don't have a headache... I'm fine."

"It's going to be touch and go, Nikita. A concussion can give you a feeling of being fine and then later, it will hit you..." Michael warned and Nikita shrugged her shoulders. She moved to the closet and pulled out some scrubs. She needed to change. "You can't take a shower. You have stitches in the back..."

"I know. I didn't forget all of the night," Nikita bit out. Michael swallowed and then moved to the bed. Nikita moved to the bathroom and started to change. She came out looking more comfortable, but more like a woman that just needed to be hugged. "Now, tell me about Laury."

"I'm looking for a good specialist for her in France. It is proving to be difficult," Michael spoke and Nikita blinked her eyes. She knew that she knew what was wrong, but she couldn't remember it now. "What was it again?"

"Laury has Lyme Disease..." Michael spoke softly, trying not to sound condensing to Nikita. She wasn't all there and he didn't want her to feel like she needed to be.

"Yeah... Lyme Disease... has she been told?"

"Davenport told her this morning... But she really wants to talk to you.." Michael informed Nikita. Nikita shrugged her shoulders and looked around the room. "When can I go home?"

"Davenport will see you when he wakes up. He was up for about thirty hours... so it might be a while... but there is a problem.." Michael informed Nikita and she blinked her eyes. She didn't want to stay here too long. "What problem?"

"You have a pretty bad concussion, Nikita... and with your grandfather out of town and out of communications... you are home alone..." Michael started to lay the foreground of Nikita's problem.

"And someone needs to observe me..." Nikita finished for Michael. He nodded his head. "There are a few solutions to that problem."

"Like staying here?" Nikita commented as she rolled her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach at the moment. Nikita didn't like that thought at all. "Or I could stay in the house with you."

"I need something to eat," Nikita abruptly stated and left the room, heading towards the kitchen.

~~

The slapping of Nikita's feet was the first thing that started to annoy her. Then it was the sound of the refrigerator. Then Nikita was sure that she wasn't doing as well as she had said she was doing.

But Michael had kept his distance and Nikita struggled to make a sandwich for herself and to sit down at the one table that was to be used.

Nikita blinked her eyes a few times and looked across the room.

And there was Laury.

"I didn't know you were here. I'll leave, Michael doesn't want me to see you," Laury spoke as she started to turn around. Nikita shook her head carefully from side to side.

"Laury... if you are hungry, get some food and sit down," Nikita spoke and Laury attempted to smile. She moved to the refrigerator and started to rifle through.

Nikita stared at her food for a long time. She was glad that it was Saturday and that the cafeteria inside of Section One didn't operate. Even the noise that Laury was making was disturbing Nikita. And she didn't want people to see her like this.

"You don't mind me sitting here with you?" Laury questioned as she inched towards Nikita with a plate of food that was similar to Nikita's. "No... I think we have to talk either way."

"I'm so sorry," Laury whispered out as the tears started to course down her face. Now she could see the bump on Nikita's head. It was so large and starting to turn to a bruise. Nikita pushed her food to the side, suddenly feeling her entire stomach churning at the thought of eating. "I can't stay that it wasn't your fault... but you have a disease... and that was in control."

"I don't understand it..." Laury spoke and Nikita licked her lips. She didn't think that Laury would understand it with Davenport explaining it. "I'm not an expert..."

"But you know about it?" Laury questioned and Nikita blinked her eyes. She couldn't even think of nodding her head.

"Michael is calling around for a specialist.... Part of the problem is that Lyme Disease isn't that common in France.... Have you been out of France?" Nikita informed Laury and then questioned. Laury was immediately nodding her head. "I went to Seattle for the summer...."

"Well, Lyme Disease is transmitted through ticks... and when it is first caught... easily treated... But it took your severe symptoms for us to find it..." Nikita continued on. Laury looked around with tears in her eyes. "You mean... my hands?"

"Tingling in the hands... it is one of the symptoms... But there are mental symptoms... And what happened yesterday was one of those..." Nikita carefully spoke. Laury swallowed and stood up. She moved to the counter and looked back at Nikita.

"How are you?" Laury questioned.

"A concussion... and I think it is three stitches... I've had worse," Nikita stated, choking back her own tears. She didn't even know why she wanted to cry right now. Nikita wiped at her face and then looked at Laury.

"Will I get better?" Laury questioned. Nikita shrugged her shoulders. She rarely knew enough about Lyme Disease to talk about it. "I've told you all that I know about it. That is why Michael is looking for that specialist... or at least a doctor from the states to talk to the doctors here.."

"But you don't know?" Laury questioned again and Nikita swallowed once more. She knew how Laury felt like right now.

She knew the feeling too well.

"Do you remember anything that you yelled at me in that room?" Nikita inquired. Laury shook her head back and forth. "You yelled things that were hateful about things that were known about me... that I was abused..."

"I always thought that was something that made it easier to deal with you... made you cool..." Laury stated and Nikita winced at the word. She approached this all carefully.

"I think it is better that we don't talk about this... We are fine, Laury," Nikita stated, immediately shutting down. She wasn't cool. What happened to her wasn't cool. It should scare those kids.

They ate in silence and Laury sipped her milk before looking up at Nikita. "You did what Michael was complaining about..."

"What?" Nikita inquired as she turned her had and looked at Laury more. She looked around the room and then over her shoulder. "Michael was complaining that you shut down when you are about to speak... You told me once that I did that and that I couldn't do that. Why are you different?"

"Laury... do you know those bad days... when you can barely get out of bed?" Nikita questioned and Laury nodded her head.

"My days are worse than that... especially when you can't get more than a few hours of sleep because of terrible nightmares... and listening to people judge what I can and cannot do every single day... that bad day... I have that day over and over again, everyday of my life," Nikita spoke and ended it all with a slight shrug. "And I have to learn to live with it. If that means helping you by telling you to do the opposite of what I am doing, I'll do that."

"Excuse me..." Michael spoke and Nikita looked towards the doorway. She knew that he had heard her words and Nikita cleared her throat. "What do you need?"

"Davenport wants to see you, Nikita... And Laury... you should be in your room. You are restricted," Michael stated out with a firm voice. Nikita nodded her head and started to move. She stood up and blinked her eyes, as she was suddenly unsteady on her feet.

"Nikita?"

"I'm fine," Nikita hissed out as she started to move once more, brushing past Michael and then down the hallway.

"How can she be so right about me when she is so wrong about herself?" Laury quizzed Michael. Michael looked around and leaned his head to the side. He didn't need to explain himself to the girl that hurt Nikita.

"Because humans are complicated. And if it wasn't for the complications, life would be extremely boring," Michael informed Laury. He turned and walked down the hallway. Laury sighed and took the dishes to the sink to wash.

~~

"I need to speak to you," Michael spoke as he entered the room. Nikita looked at Michael and blinked her eyes. "I thought that Davenport needed to see me."

"He'll be in around two," Michael stated in a soft voice as he moved towards the bed. He noticed Nikita backing away and swallowed. "You said a lot of things last night that I have thought about."

"I don't remember a lot about last night," Nikita reminded Michael. He nodded his head. Michael attempted to touch Nikita, but she was on the defensive and pulled away once more.

"Please don't be scared of me, Nikita. We just need to talk. We were able to do that in the past," Michael pointed out as his face softened. Nikita felt the tears again and blinked her eyes. She couldn't remember a person who could get into her like this.

"That was six years ago," Nikita pointed out as she waved a finger at Michael. "That was much too long. I made a mistake back then and for that, I am sorry."

"Mistake?" Nikita questioned as her voice cracked. Michael looked at her and knew that her body just wanted to be hugged, but her mind was holding her as far away from him as he could. Michael easily remembered the one time when Nikita asked for him to hold her, and he was allowed to do that.

He wanted her to ask again.

"We need to clear this mistake up.. because I think that once it is past... we can move onto new things..." Michael spoke carefully and slowly.

"What if I don't want to move on? There is nothing here, Michael," Nikita declared. Michael shook his head back and forth. Nikita's words were lies. He knew her. "If you didn't care about me, Nikita... You wouldn't fight me on this. If you weren't close to letting me in, it would be so difficult to get there."

"Why now?" Nikita questioned as she painfully looked into Michael's green eyes. She was lost in her feelings and her emotions.

"Because when I found you last night... at one point, you were surprised to see me back... because I had left you..." Michael stated and Nikita flinched. She stared at Michael as her face paled. Nikita didn't realize that she had said something to Michael that indicated those deep down feelings.

"You must be mistaken..." Nikita faltered as she shook her head back and forth. Michael returned his thoughts by shaking his head. "You were stunned that I came back... but there is one thing I need to clear up and apologize for..."

"What?" Nikita questioned.

"I didn't leave you... I didn't abandoned you... I did what I felt was best for you," Michael opened up as he looked at Nikita. Her tears were rolling down her face.

"No... you took me to Walter. You gave me back to him," Nikita defended her thoughts. The first opened words that Nikita had allowed out since Michael saw her again.

"You wanted to find him.... And I couldn't give you anything more..." Michael explained as he shook his head back and forth. Never in Michael's mind had he just forgotten about her.

In fact, in giving Nikita a life with Walter, Michael gave him a sentence of a lifetime of wondering about Nikita.

"I wanted to find him... It didn't mean that I wanted to be dropped off with him and forgotten! You left me!" Nikita cried out and Michael bowed his head.

"I thought it was what was best for you... and it hurt me to do that, Nikita..." Michael choked up. He knew that Nikita was going to hurt over this, but it needed to get out.

"You could have visited.. and instead, I spent nights staring out the window wondering what I did wrong.... Because everyone who has ever spent time with me.. goes away... leaves... and I'm left behind..." Nikita trembled out. Michael shook his head and swallowed. He reached out and grabbed Nikita's hand.

"We all make mistakes, Nikita... I didn't realize how you felt...."

"I wrote you... wasn't that good enough?" Nikita questioned and Michael looked at Nikita and wanted to touch her face.

"I wanted you to have a family... to have a parent... to have an education... All the things I couldn't give you..." Michael declared and Nikita stared at Michael.

And their eyes froze on each other as their minds exchanged thoughts.

There was one thing between them that would have served both of them so much better if it had only been admitted back then. And now that factor alone made things so much more difficult now. No one knew how to address it. No one wanted to say it in case the other didn't feel the same way.

One word could change both of their lives.

One word frightened them both, made them run away from what was best for them.

And it was simple.

It was love.

*

All I really want is to feel cared for and safe. ~~ The Age of Innocence

"Watch your step..." Michael indicated as he opened the back door from Section One where his car stood waiting. Nikita looked at him, even as the bitter wind nipped at her nose once more. "I'm not an invalid!"

"Last night, you gave us all a scare. It could have been a lot worse," Michael replied in the warning. Nikita tensed up and walked out of the security of Section One and towards Michael's car, which had been warming up.

Last night, after all the excitement and Davenport almost positive that Nikita had made a full recovery, she relapsed. The first sign that Davenport noted was that Nikita was vomiting. Then suddenly, when Michael had walked out of the room with Davenport, leaving Nikita to wipe her own spittle from her face, she passed out.

Michael froze as Davenport rushed to her side. She was scanned again and all indicators were good. But Michael wasn't going to take any chances tonight. He was going to stay at Walter's house and that was already explained to Nikita. She needed to be stirred every four hours to make sure that she was all right.

"But I'm fine now. I wish you would stop worrying about it," Nikita commented as she diverted her eyes from Michael's stare. He began to drive and swallowed back his words until he was out on the main street. "You push yourself too hard..."

"Oh, so now you are talking about today... and Laury," Nikita commented with an opened mouth, mocking Michael's words. Michael stopped at the red light and looked at the light in Nikita's face. She had shut down in their last personal conversation. Michael regretted that he had allowed the silence during that conversation, continue until neither wanted to talk any further.

"Nikita... Laury is taken care of... Can we talk about something else?" Michael inquired as he started to drive once more. Nikita looked at Michael and blinked her eyes.

"Then we have nothing to talk about... I thought that Laury was still important to us. She is going to be based out of Section One," Nikita announced and turned her head towards the road. She had been cold and Michael shut down his thoughts for a while.

Laury had been taken to a specialist early in the morning. Nikita had been asked to go and Michael couldn't talk Nikita out of going. Davenport was horrified to hear that Nikita went, but Michael wasn't too surprised. What Nikita was known for being, was stubborn. She felt something for Laury and that connection wasn't going to die because Nikita had a concussion.

The specialist was looking hopeful, but warned that things might not be easy. It was also discussed that although the specialist was going to help out with the problems that happened because of the Lyme Disease, that there were still problems in Laury's house and Laury's school that needed attention by someone. That was why Nikita was assigned her first private patient. Laury.

The drive was painfully quiet. Even the car didn't make any humming sounds or shutters. Michael thought a lot about what to do next. The next few days weren't going to be pleasant at Walter's if he was entering as a hostile in Nikita's home. He needed to be there for Nikita medically, but he also wanted to be there for Nikita emotionally.

"Nikita... We have to talk..." Michael whispered as his eyes trained on the road in front of him. He was afraid that if he was brutally truthful about his life, that he would begin to cry. But Nikita needed to hear it all. And she needed to hear it soon.

"You have my complete attention," Nikita sarcastically remarked, as she didn't even lift her head up from the continuous stare focusing on the horizon that Michael couldn't catch up too.

"I know how it feels to be hurt... to hurt deep down and to live with it day in and day out...." Michael started to speak. He heard Nikita rolling her eyes. He knew Nikita so well, that he could guess what her face looked like without looking towards her. "You aren't the only one who has had personal trauma. And experience speaks when I tell you that you need to open up about it."

"What do you know about abuse? Where you a girl in a former life used like a some whore?" Nikita defensively retorted. Michael stiffened, but didn't give up.

He couldn't give up.

"No... and I can't say that I can even feel what you feel when it comes to the abuse... but I know about hiding feelings and how it makes you suffer..." Michael explained. There was silence and Michael took a deep breath. Nikita was shutting him out. But he had to get in. "Before Carla come to get me... for you... I had a year off of Section One... my wife had died with our unborn son... Elena and Adam..."

"Oh..." Nikita whispered out softly. She was cold about Michael, but her heart started to melt, feeling compassion for Michael immediately. "So it took a year?"

"No... I didn't talk about it... I just took the year to get away... to find reasons not to walk about it... See, there were issues in my so-called marriage. I didn't marry Elena because I loved her..." Michael continued on with a softer voice that expressed his emotions easily.

"Because she was pregnant?" Nikita questioned.

"Yes... she was pregnant. We had been together for years... but I never felt that she was the one... I always thought that there was someone else out there that I was meant to be with... I couldn't open my heart fully up to Elena... and when I heard that she was pregnant.. I opened my heart to my son..." Michael explained, but Nikita remained silent.

"Their death scared me and threw me far far away. I tried to work, but Madeline pushed and prodded too much. She wanted details. She asked me about how I was feeling. It was too soon to talk about it and I couldn't do it," Michael continued. He switched lanes and pulled off of the highway.

"That's what I felt from Madeline too," Nikita revealed and Michael took the moment to look over at Nikita.

"But after you left... I found the pain still there... and the guilt... and I needed to talk about it..." Michael expressed, hoping that Nikita was hearing him at the moment.

"And it wasn't the person I expected to tell..." Michael chuckled softly. "Not Madeline?"

"No."

"Davenport?"

"No... It wasn't anyone inside of Section One... It was a bar tender down the street from Section One... Rene... One night I suddenly opened up to him..." Michael admitted to Nikita. She was the first person other than Rene that he was talking about this with.

"One night?" Nikita questioned with a nervous quiver in her voice.

"It took more than one night... but once the pain started to be explained... I found it easier to go along in life... without Elena and Adam..." Michael stated as he pulled up to the next red light, getting closer to Walter's house. He looked at Nikita's face and rubbed his finger down her curved cheek.

"Please, let someone in," Michael begged out. Nikita turned to stare at Michael. She was touched with how much of himself that Michael was offering her to get her to do something that frightened her.

"I don't think I can.... It's been so long..." Nikita replied and Michael pressed his lips together as he suddenly felt the tears now. The tears weren't for his Elena and Adam. They were for hearing that Nikita was scared and for the thought that she may never let anyone in.

"It doesn't have to be me... It can be anyone..." Michael revealed as his heart gasped with each word he said. It didn't need to be him, but Michael wanted it to be him.

Nikita hugged herself and let out a soft moan. Michael lurched and swallowed once more. "You need to do this, Nikita. It will heal you... in time... and I know that it hurts when you do open up... but it heals..."

"I can't... there is no one. It would kill my pappap to know all of the truth.... It would literally kill him..." Nikita begged out, trying to find any reason to stop herself from opening up.

"You are going to find the time, Nikita... and I want you to know... I am always here for you, 'Kita... And if you ever need to talk... I don't care if you have to pull me out of an appointment with Madeline... I want you to know that I will listen..." Michael declared.

But there was no response.

Nikita closed herself down, shaking her head and crying against the car door. Michael swallowed and drove on in the night.

~~

Michael pulled into the driveway after an unexpected trip out. He didn't want to leave Walter's house once he had arrived there two hours ago, but Michael didn't know something about Walter and Nikita.

Neither knew how to cook or keep food from spoiling.

Michael had pulled Nikita back outside for the emergency dinner out.

At some small little seafood restaurant not far away. And when they had gone and eaten, Nikita was fine. But things were different now.

"Nikita..." Michael whispered as he opened the car door and looked at the slumbering Nikita. She had slowly drifted to sleep about ten minutes ago, but when Michael pulled to a stop and Nikita didn't react, Michael started to worry.

Nikita opened her eyes wide and immediately started to sway, showing that her center of balance was off. Michael reached out and pulled the seatbelt off before touching her shoulders. "You don't look good..."

"Headache," Nikita stated as her eyes were still glassed over. Michael watched Nikita stand up, only to continue her swaying. Michael moved in closer and observed her. He did not need Nikita falling anymore.

"Do you think you can walk to the house?" Michael inquired as he studied Nikita's eyes as they darted from place to place. "What?"

"Nikita... do you remember what we just did?" Michael questioned firmly. He needed to know.

"Ah... we didn't come from Section One... ah.. ah.. we ate?" Nikita questioned, unsure of the answer. She was grasping for an answer and Michael nodded his head that Nikita had guessed right this time.

"Yes... we went out for dinner. Do you remember what you ate?" Michael continued on in his assessment of Nikita. Davenport had warned that this was possible. Nikita looked stunned, but she clearly knew why Michael was there and why she was waiting to walk up the stairs.

"Ah... pizza?" Nikita questioned and Michael shook his head back and forth. He moved into Nikita's body and felt her squirm as she felt his arm around her waist. "We had shrimp..."

"Oh... yeah... shrimp..." Nikita stated as she blinked her eyes. She attempted to rub her forehead but winced as she grazed her hand across the bump. Michael tightened his grip on Nikita, knowing that she was scared from his touch. "You are probably tired... and need to sleep that headache off... Let me help you inside..."

"I have such a bad headache... did I take aspirin?" Nikita inquired of Michael. He shook his head and then inched up the walkway. "You just need to sleep.... That's why I'm here, remember?"

"Oh... yeah..." Nikita stated, agreeing with Michael. He looked at Nikita and cleared his throat. "Can I have the house keys?"

Easily, Nikita found the keys and pulled them out. Michael took them in his hand and then Nikita touched Michael's neck. "I... I... don't know I can make it.... My head hurts..."

"I'll take care of it..." Michael replied as he eased his hands around Nikita. He realized how much this meant for Nikita to ask him to carry her, even if she didn't ask for it exactly. But Nikita immediately looked more relaxed.

And she allowed him to help her.

~~

"No..." Nikita muttered out in her sleep as her head tossed from side to side. She was panting, the dream was getting more intense.

It had been a long time since she dreamed of her childhood, with such a clear vision. She could have drawn the faces on papers herself. They were that clear. Nikita tossed around the side and groaned as her forehead crushed against the pillow.

But it didn't wake her up.

"Please.... Momma... no.. no... no... no... no..." Nikita continued to cry out as she struggled in her present body the demons of the past. No matter how hard she attempted to suppress them and hide them far away from her new life, they came up.

They were always there.

"Momma.... No!" Nikita shrieked as she sat up in the bed and rubbed at the tears rolling down her face. Her heart was pounding and Nikita closed her eyes.

It had been a long time since she had a nightmare of this magnitude. In fact, it was a long time since she had dreamt about this particular time in her life, right before she ran away.

It had gotten brutal then. The men would do anything they wanted to her and their sons were starting to become of age to know what was happening. It was the worst feeling to have to watch over her shoulder over at home, but to look over your shoulder when you were out on the street, just walking to the store, was even worse.

Admittedly, not all the times that happened were directly orchestrated by her mother, but Nikita knew something.

Her mother knew.

Often Nikita would get punished if someone 'had' her on the streets or stopped Nikita from retrieving the various cigarettes and alcohol for her mother. Punishment was just more of the same.

Nikita pushed her feet out of the bed and stretched her arms. She couldn't stay in the room. She couldn't stand feeling alone.

She had been alone all of her life, except for a few times.

And most of those few times were because of Michael.

Nikita didn't know what she felt about Michael staying in the house with her. It was true that he was staying in Walter's room, in Walter's side of the house while Nikita was on her side. It was also true that Nikita couldn't lock her side of the house because Michael had woken her up once to check on her.

And his words were haunting her.

Nikita wasn't sure if she could start to let it out. She didn't know if the phrase 'open up' was in her personal vocabulary. But Michael made it sound easy. He made it sound necessary. And he offered.

Nikita trudged out of her room, allowing her mind to take a backseat to her heart. Nikita found herself standing outside of Walter's room, seeing Michael sleeping on his back on the very bed that her grandfather slept in for the past six years. Nikita rubbed her hands together and inched into the room, blocking the light from the hallway, but Michael continued to sleep.

"Michael?" Nikita whispered out, but her voice betrayed her and didn't come all the way out. She inched towards the bed and nudged the edge slightly. Michael turned his head to the side and continued to sleep.

"Michael?" Nikita called out again and this time, Michael heard more of her voice and turned his head to look at her when he opened his eyes. As soon as Michael's eyes adjusted to the lack of light and saw Nikita, he sat up straight. "Is something wrong?"

"No... I feel fine... my headache is gone..." Nikita responded and Michael nodded his head. That wasn't all that he was asking for in that question, but he knew not to push it. Nikita was in the room with him. That was a start.

"I... ah... I... had a nightmare..." Nikita related and Michael nodded his head as he moved over in the bed and offered Nikita somewhere to sit down. She stared at the spot for a long time and then opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Michael offered.

"It's the run of the mill nightmare, Michael.... You know..." Nikita played off her reaction to the dream with a shrug of her shoulders. Michael continued to stare into Nikita's eyes as she twitched from side to side. He knew that Nikita was lying. Something in that dream terrified her.

"I don't know, 'Kita.." Michael spoke softly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "You never really told me..."

"I can't..." Nikita replied and Michael tried not to frown. He looked around and then back at Nikita. "Then why are you here?"

"Ah... ah.. I guess... I guess I was wrong..." Nikita stated as she started to back up. But something stopped her. She looked into Michael's eyes and stopped. She wanted to give into all of her urges, to let her mind stop trapping her heart and let it go.

"Kita?"

"Ah... remember when I stayed at your place?" Nikita tentatively questioned.

"I remember all of it. I think about it a lot," Michael replied as he watched Nikita rub at her neck compulsively. She was trying to find something for her hands to do so she didn't look nervous.

"Michael..." Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head. He would do whatever she needed and Nikita was scared that she knew that. "Can you hold me?"

The tears ran down Nikita's face, and Michael's reaction was immediate. He pushed the blankets away from his body and offered a space for Nikita to slide in next to him. He wrapped his arms around Nikita as she clung her body against his. Her face was pressed to his chest, her ear listening to his rapid heartbeat.

"It's ok to cry..." Michael directed Nikita, although she was already crying.

And Michael took a deep breath and felt some weight lift off of him.

This was a start.

*

We cheerfully assume that in some mystic way love conquers all, that good outweighs evil in the just balances of the universe and at the 11th hour something gloriously triumphant will prevent the worst before it happens. ~~Brooks Atkinson

Michael didn't know when he suddenly woke up. He only knew a few details.

He missed waking Nikita up at the four hour intervals.

He was holding Nikita.

And she was beautiful.

Michael had passed his time since his eyes opened, studying what he could see of Nikita's face. She hadn't stirred during her sleep at all, her face pressed against his steady chest. It felt wonderful and Michael guessed that it gave Nikita comfort, as she had no nightmares to wake him up with.

And her face was soft and relaxed. In fact, it was the best Michael had seen Nikita since she had walked into his office for her interview. Michael felt his heart rate increase as he thought about the time that had passed and how close he was to throwing Nikita out without the job. Now he couldn't seem to think of life ahead from this point without Nikita being at Section One and working.

And Nikita being with him.

He picked up the arm that Nikita was holding onto with her arms and stroked at the three strands of hair that had broken free from the ponytail. Michael knew that it was still an expression of Nikita holding herself back, something that was now engrained into her life and something that wouldn't be broken with mere suggestion of it. Michael could imagine how Nikita's face would look pressed against his chest with her hair all about. His heart melted with just the thought.

He had wanted to help Nikita. Now this was much more. Holding her, was just the tip of the iceberg and Michael wasn't sure what would come next.

The peacefulness didn't last as long as Michael wished that it would. But it had to have been easily an hour after Michael woke to stare at Nikita that her body started to shake her awake. Michael stayed still and hoped that Nikita wouldn't be too shocked with what she had asked for last night. He didn't want backwards progress.

"Mmm..." prettily moaned as she turned her head off of Michael's chest and then her head jerked. Michael looked towards Nikita, knowing that at that moment that her head jerked, that Nikita knew that something was not like it normally was. She recognized the presence and turned back towards it, but didn't press back against Michael.

Instead, she opened her eyes to look at Michael. For a moment there was silence, but then she started to move. "No.... no no..."

"'Kita..." Michael whispered out as Nikita slide out of the bed and smacked her knees against the wooden planked floor. Her entire body was shaking as her head thrashed from side to side. "NO!.... I... NO! HOW COULD YOU!"

"'Kita... you had a nightmare last night... wanted me to hold you..." Michael slowly pronounced and waited for Nikita to slide down to the floor before moving towards a sitting position. He watched Nikita as she covered herself.

"No... No..." Nikita whispered and Michael pressed his lips together.

"Please, relax, 'Kita... You know in your heart that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you... that I care for you too much..." Michael spoke carefully, choosing his words as he went.

"Why would I ask for you to do that?" Nikita questioned as she shook her head from side to side. Michael knew that right now that Nikita knew that she had asked for exactly what Michael told her. The truth was a savior and Michael hoped that it would shine through for Nikita.

"Maybe because you needed that, Nikita. Maybe it is something that you never had the luxury of having before and on some level your mind realized that I was willing to give that to you..." Michael explained in a tender voice that floated in the air softly. He could see that Nikita was still panting and trying to get control over her mind, which was warring with her right now. It wasn't a good place to be if she was all alone. But she wasn't.

"I never remember sleeping that good before..." Nikita admitted with a soft cry. Michael sat on the bed and smiled gently. He was pleased to hear that Nikita was seeing the good. "It's a huge step, Nikita..."

"And you didn't mind?" Nikita inquired as she flipped her head around to view Michael. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "How could I complain when I slept like a baby myself?"

Finally Nikita's face lit up with a smile that crossed from cheek to cheek, with nothing holding it back. It was a fleeting moment as Nikita pulled herself of the floor to get moving. And then her eyes grabbed hold of the clock.

11:17 a.m.

"OH MY GOD!" Nikita screamed and Michael watched as Nikita started to dash around the room, before she suddenly remembered that they were in Walter's room. "We are late! How could we sleep in! What is going to happen... what about the girls... and Laury... and Birkoff.. he must be having a heart attack..."

"'Kita..." Michael whispered and Nikita stopped and looked at Michael. Seeing his calm demeanor dropped Nikita's shoulders towards the ground. "I had us scheduled out today... With your concussion, I didn't want to push it... And you needed the sleep..."

"Oh..." Nikita sighed out with relief. She sat down on the foot of the bed and Michael rubbed at her back slightly, not wanting to do anything too overt. "Are you ok?"

"What about Madeline?" Nikita questioned and Michael softly smiled. He didn't need to worry about Madeline. "Ah... Madeline never checks in, Nikita.. and when she does, she calls my cell..."

"Oh...." Nikita commented, but she was still distracted. Michael looked at her and swallowed. "What's wrong?"

"It's going to take time... This may be a one time thing..." Nikita warned out and Michael shook his head. Now that it happened once, Michael was sure that it wouldn't be long until they were going forward from this step.

"Well... maybe now we should worry about the lack of food in the house..." Michael pointed out with a slight chuckle in his voice so that Nikita didn't take the comment the wrong way. Nikita laughed in response. "Walter is in charge of the food..."

"He is?" Michael questioned and Nikita nodded her head. "He orders out a lot..."

~~

Several days later, Michael was still staying at the house, under the unspoken agreement that he would stay until Walter came back, but never left anything behind that would alert Walter to his presence. Walter had called Nikita and Nikita informed him that he could still stay away, that she was fine.

And Michael had slowly gotten Nikita to do simple things around the kitchen. He told himself that it was so when he did leave, that Michael wouldn't have to worry if Nikita was eating right. But it was so much fun teaching Nikita how to cook.

Milkshakes were fun.

But today, Nikita seemed off. Michael had woken up several times during the night as Nikita's body struggled through nightmares, but Nikita hadn't mentioned having them. He had wonder if Nikita was thinking about that.

Birkoff said something about it, but Michael brushed it off. If anyone inside of Section One knew that Michael was staying with Nikita, no one mentioned it. Michael didn't care either. He would answer truthfully if asked. There was no reason to hide the truth.

"Aren't you hungry?" Michael questioned as he watched Nikita push away from the table. She had left her dish of fried rice virtually untouched. Michael had watched Nikita cook it. She had the skills and followed the recipe perfectly. It was really good and he had to wonder why Nikita was pushing away from the table. "Nature calls..." Nikita whispered in reply.

But Michael didn't believe her.

Michael took deep breaths, trying to stay at the table and to continue to eat, but his attention was divided and he needed to go find Nikita. He looked up and down the hallway and started towards Nikita's section where he found her, sitting outside the door. Without a word, he slide down against the wall and kept a six-inch gap between himself and Nikita. "Do you want to talk?"

"You haven't asked me yet," Nikita stated and Michael tilted his head to the side. He looked at Nikita's quivering bottom lip. "I don't have the right to ask. Only you can make that decision, Nikita."

"The dreams won't stop..." Nikita revealed and Michael nodded his head, not wanting to push Nikita any further. "And I see it..."

"The first time? That was the worst, right?" Michael inquired, trying to get the information from Nikita. He watched her arms tighten around herself. He wanted to hold her, but there was something raw about Nikita's emotions that spoke to allowing Nikita to do what she needed to be done.

"No.... it was awful... don't get me wrong... but the first wasn't the worst..." Nikita spoke in a shattered voice. She was struggling to maintain her composure enough to speak. She closed her red-rimmed eyes and opened them once more with more tears rolling down her pale face. "After that first time... there was this hope... hope that it wouldn't happen again..."

"Oh god..." Michael gasped as he looked at Nikita. He looked at her and felt his own tears. "I'm so sorry..."

"How can you be? You weren't there...." Nikita winced as she thought about the events again. She lifted her head and shook her head, indicating that Michael should remain quiet. "And even after that second time happened... there was this dream that it wouldn't happen again... and that sliver of hope would splinter over and over again.... But there was always that hope..."

"Until that hope was to run away?" Michael inquired as he looked at Nikita's body as it slowly inched towards him.

"Exactly," Nikita confirmed as she reached her hand out to Michael. "But I still dream it... I remember those first few times clear as glass on a hot summer day..."

"I'm here for whatever you need, Nikita," Michael restated, sure that on some level, her consciousness needed to hear that support again. "I know..."

Nikita dropped her head down to Michael's shoulder and took some shuddering breaths. She was thrown off but now something else was controlling her actions.

It was no longer being controlled by her mind that said that no one should known so she couldn't be pitied. It was no longer her stubbornness thinking that she could get through anything that life was ready to throw at her.

Her heart was controlling her and begging to be freed from the restraints that the mind and stubbornness had placed over it years and years ago.

"It was in the night.... My mother came home so drunk..." Nikita started out as she bravely looked into Michael's eyes. If he could still hold her through all of this, he must think her to be very special. It was a new feeling for Nikita to experience and she took a deep breath, knowing that she had to finish what she had started. "I was young... and I was wearing a dirty pink nightgown that was too short... I was always so tall..." Michael nodded his head and took Nikita's hand into his. It was the support that was nonverbal that was giving Nikita the immediately strength.

"He came into my room... he was a man that had been dating my mother... I never cared to know his name..." Nikita chuckled out at the irony. She was sure that if she had known the name that it would have haunted her all of these years also. But Nikita's voice immediately sobered. "He pulled the blankets off and said that we were going to play a game..."

"Oh my god..." Michael gasped out as he shook his head. He didn't know if he could listen to this, knowing that this was just the first of many times that this happened to Nikita. He pushed his head against the wall and held onto Nikita's hand. He had worked in the field a long time, but being with Nikita, it was beyond his concepts how this could have happened to Nikita and happened for years and years without anyone standing up and stopping it.

To say it was wrong.

"He said that my mommy would want me to win... and that I would have to follow the rules..." Nikita continued on and she tried to breath, but suddenly found it impossible to continue. She felt her stomach surging, but knew that there was nothing there.

"You don't have to tell me..." Michael finally whispered as he saw how physically painful this was for Nikita. She looked at Michael and cleared her throat. "No... for the first time in my life... I feel that I have too..."

And slowly, on the floor while tangled in Michael's grasp, Nikita went through each painful detail that she had in her mind for that first time.

And they cried together.

~~

The papers had stacked up over time, but Michael didn't seem to care. He would get all the reports done sooner or later, and he was sure that once Walter arrived back, that he would have the ample time to catch up on the work he hadn't been doing at home of late.

"That's an awful large pile, Michael. Things must have been busy," Madeline stated as she appeared at the door. Michael trained himself to slowly raise his head and smile at Madeline.

"Things were fine. I just spent some personal time at home the past two weeks," Michael declared, giving Madeline enough information, but kept a lot hidden from her.

"The staff has some interesting things to me earlier..." Madeline commented and Michael shrugged his shoulders. He was sure that Madeline learned right off the bat that the staff didn't always paint an accurate picture.

"There were some big things happening, but nothing too interesting..." Michael blankly declared, challenging Madeline to disclose what she found out and from whom.

"Oh... Gail down in medical said that Laury is seeing a new specialist... outside of Section One..." Madeline started as she inched into the office. Michael looked at Madeline and blinked his eyes. He knew that Madeline always had problems with individuals who were being served at Section One needing to get services elsewhere.

"Gail has a big mouth..." Michael warned as he shifted in his chair. "And Laury has Lyme Disease... Not very common to our doctors..."

"No... that's not common at all... Did Nikita find this out?" Madeline questioned.

Michael knew that Gail had said too much to Madeline.

"Nikita had her suspicions..."

"Was this before or after Nikita mysteriously had a concussion?" Madeline bit out sarcastically.

"It was before.... But the Lyme Disease wasn't diagnosis until afterwards..." Michael confirmed, but still hoping that this conversation would end.

"Oh... and she got a concussion how?" Madeline inquired.

"Laury attacked her.... But the situation was contained and maintained. Both are fine now," Michael quickly related, hoping that it all sounded a lot less than it really was. Michael knew how Madeline was about the rules and protocol and knew that this was challenging those standards.

"If Laury attacked Nikita, why are we still treating Laury? And has Nikita been enrolled in our therapist victims group?" Madeline quickly jumped on Michael.

"The disease caused the actions. Nikita decided that it was ok for Laury to stay.... And Nikita had enough support..." Michael stated and Madeline sighed. She looked at Michael as she wagged a finger at him. She knew that something was up, but there wasn't enough proof.

"Where were you last night? I drove past your house and didn't see a light on..." Madeline inquired as she reached the door.

"I was asleep like regular human beings..." Michael remarked. Madeline nodded her head. "Funny... I didn't see your car...."

Michael waited as Madeline walked away. He hated this invasion into his privacy but sighed back any reaction. He never knew how far Madeline was away at any given moment. Michael rolled his head around and looked to the door once more.

And there was Nikita.

"Yes?"

"Walter came home this morning..." Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head. He could almost read the disappointment in Nikita's face, but didn't want to read anything into it. They were just delving into some of the problems and there were still many more to come. Unless Nikita was emotional and needing to be held at night, Nikita wouldn't allow any touched from Michael. Not even to briefly hold hands.

And her hair was still stiffly pulled up, restricting herself.

"I guess it is good that I took my things with me... What did you tell him?" Michael questioned. Nikita looked around and grinned softly.

"Not all of it..." Nikita admitted. Michael groaned. He had hoped that through all that he had been through with Nikita, that she would start to see the importance of being open with her pappap. She wasn't ready to do that yet. She was still trying to give him an image of her that wasn't the true image.

"I told him about Laury... and the concussion... He thinks I stayed here..." Nikita spoke in a soft voice as she didn't care enter the office all the way. Michael blinked his eyes and then looked around.

"Well... I guess all is back to normal..."

"Yeah, Michael... normal..."

Michael watched Nikita walk away and sighed. He didn't like this. He already felt separated from her

And tonight was going to be awfully lonely.

~~

Michael groaned, as the noise was louder than before. He turned on his side and stared at the clock.

12:54

It felt so much later than it was, and Michael still hadn't gotten a good five minutes sleep. Now someone was knocking at his door. He trudged down the stairs and swung the door open.

"Michael..." Nikita whispered as she held her jacket over what were her pajamas. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep...."

*

Friends are those people who know the words to the song in your heart and sing them back to you when you have forgotten the words. ~ Anonymous

The cold weather didn't seem to be letting up as Adrian tended to her flowers. They weren't doing well either, even with all the tending that she had spent on them of late. She pushed back her red hair and studied the blooms on the flowers. They should have been much larger and the colors should have been more vibrant, but that wasn't the case. Adrian frowned and moved down the path, seeing that it seemed to be spreading throughout her entire greenhouse.

There was a noise in the background and Adrian sighed. She didn't like to be disturbed, especially of late. "Danielle, is that you?"

There was no answer and Adrian squatted slightly to look at the slightly ill looking green leaves. She wasn't quite sure what was happening.

But it all started to happen when she last saw Nikita. Weeks ago. And it was a fight. Adrian wanted to find out what was going on, but part of her promise to Nikita was not to meddle into her life.

A promise that she had broken when she pushed Nikita about Michael. Adrian turned around and jumped as she saw Nikita standing there, pale, but still there. "Nikita... I have been wondering about you..."

"You have?" Nikita questioned in a solemn voice. It was clear that Nikita was disappointed with what had happened between herself and Adrian. To a point, Nikita wanted to be like Adrian, strong and independent. However, that view had slowly changed for one factor.

Michael.

"Yes. You have never missed your visits before... without calling," Adrian spoke, trying not to accuse Nikita of anything. Nikita rubbed her arms and looked around the greenhouse that she had used to hide from all of her worries.

"Can we go into the house?" Nikita questioned as she looked at Adrian. The day had finally come and Nikita didn't feel that she could handle the new age psycho-babble that Adrian seemed to specialize in. That was what the greenhouse represented to Nikita. She had finally moved past that.

"Why would we, dear? We like it out in the greenhouse," Adrian spoke as she was shocked with Nikita's words. For a few seconds, Adrian allowed her own feelings and emotions have domain over her mind. But as she looked at Nikita's face, Adrian realized that things had changed. "Sorry... I can have some tea brewed..."

"That isn't necessary..." Nikita announced as she started to back up and headed towards the entrance that would take them right into the house and into Adrian's private den. Nikita opened that door and felt the cool air caress her body.

"Is something wrong?" Adrian questioned as she closed the door and pulled off her gardening gloves, with not a speck of dirt on them. Adrian immediately moved towards her desk as Nikita looked at the various pieces of uncomfortable furniture.

"No... something is finally right..." Nikita announced and Adrian lifted her eyebrow. She hadn't expected Section One to be all right. She expected Nikita to have difficulties.

"Then why are you here?" Adrian questioned. Nikita's jaw tensed and Adrian saw that although things were finally right, Nikita was still dealing with a lot of things. Probably part of that darkness that she saw in Nikita's being, but couldn't identify.

"I needed to tell you something..." Nikita started and then dropped her head. She looked to her hands and rubbed at her nose slightly. "Nikita? What is this something?"

"Michael helped me.... Happy?" Nikita questioned and Adrian sunk to her chair. She wasn't sure if she was going to be happy. "I don't care about our argument.... I don't believe that you came all the way over to tell me that Michael helped you..."

"You are right. You always seemed to be right..." Nikita commented as she continued to slowly pace the floor, knowing that she couldn't sit down.

Michael didn't know that she was here. He just knew that Nikita was going to be in to Section One a bit late, because of something that she needed to do. Nikita was positive that Michael was hoping that Nikita was talking to Walter, but for some reason, Nikita felt that this one needed to be done first.

"Nikita, child...." Adrian called out. "Please, sit down... you are making me nervous, pacing about like that.... There is no reason to be so worried about talking..."

"I was sexually and physically abused," Nikita announced with a rushed voice as she turned and faced Adrian. Nikita watched as the words got into Adrian's mind and started to process. The color drained from the older woman's face. "From a very young age..."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Adrian questioned as the tears started to form in her eyes. In Adrian's eyes, she had failed Nikita. Nikita shrugged her shoulders. This was the question that she had been asking herself from the moment that she met Adrian.

"The connection... between me and Michael... was that he got me away from the last nightmare of my life... and made it so I didn't have to run from my mother... and the men..." Nikita spoke and Adrian pressed her lips together. She couldn't believe that she had missed all of this. Nikita had all the classic symptoms, but Adrian had never placed them together.

"Michael knew?" Adrian finally questioned, the only words that she was able to put together.

"I was really bad... the memories were eating me alive... and he took care of me when I was on the streets and really sick... he just knew..." Nikita spoke and Adrian nodded her head. She had a feeling that there was a connection between Michael and Nikita, and now she knew that it was true.

She also was able to take some pleasure in the fact that she was right about Michael and Nikita. Even though Nikita hadn't confirmed that they were spending time together, it was clear that they had been. Adrian was sure that Nikita wouldn't have done this without Michael.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Adrian questioned and Nikita nodded her head and pulled a chair up. "But nothing more than Michael knows... it has been a slow process..."

"I understand," Adrian responded and Nikita folded her hands on her lap. And started to answer all of the questions.

~~

Nikita hugged her body against the walls as she walked down the hallway. Birkoff had already spotted her and started to wave his arms about frantically.

"What is it, Seymour?" Nikita questioned as she finally moved from the wall towards the desk.

"I thought you would want to know... Laury is in the hospital..." Birkoff spoke and Nikita frowned. Some of the medication hadn't been treating Laury very well of late and Nikita wasn't surprised.

"The doctor said that she should be fine... but needs some time to relax..." Michael continued before Birkoff could continue to speak. Nikita looked at Michael and sighed. "It is best for her," Nikita declared and Michael nodded his head. He looked at Nikita and saw that she had been crying some. "Are you alright?"

"Yes... just had a conversation with Adrian that went too long..." Nikita stated and then covered her mouth. She looked at Michael as he raised an eyebrow.

"Adrian? Is that your mentor?" Michael inquired. Nikita nodded her head. There was no reason for her to continue to fight with Michael over this. In the time that had passed since she interviewed, Nikita proved herself to have the capabilities to be the therapist that she was hired to be.

"As in Adrian Duplessi?" Michael questioned and Nikita nodded her head. She looked around before shrugging her shoulders. Although she didn't mind Michael finding out, she didn't want everyone knowing that she had a connection to Mrs. Duplessi. "Walter called in a favor..."

"Mighty big favor..." Michael commented as he whistled. He knew that Adrian Duplessi was the most sought after modern philanthropist in modern day France. She was worth hundreds of billions of dollars. She could make or break a program like Section One.

Hell, if Walter had big enough connections for Nikita to get Adrian as a mentor, he could have gotten Adrian to create a whole new shelter for her.

"I'd rather not talk about it... I finally started to tell the truth..." Nikita stated as her eyes looked at Michael. His only response was to nod and look towards his office. It was the unspoken offer that his door was always open for her.

Nikita stood around Birkoff, chatting about nothing particular. Birkoff was going to go visit Laury around noon so Nikita knew that she didn't have to run out immediately to see Laury. She didn't like to hear that Laury was all by herself.

"Do you know her room? I want to call and talk to her nurse... to make sure that she doesn't feel abandoned," Nikita spoke to Birkoff. He pulled out the card and watched Nikita walk down the hallway.

He knew that Nikita wasn't going to call Laury or that nurse.

"Did you want to talk?" Nikita questioned as she entered the office and closed the door. Michael nodded his head and moved to the couch next to Nikita. He was so comfortable in this relationship, but Michael was aware of how much he was going to have to work to get things to be almost normal.

"How did you sleep last night?" Michael questioned. It was the one question he had been dying to ask Nikita since he saw her in the hallway. She didn't visit last night. Although Michael slept, it was not peaceful.

"I got half way to your place...and knew that you thought I needed to start to stay home... but I ended up at the Hilton..." Nikita spoke and Michael shook his head. He didn't like the idea of Nikita in a hotel either.

"We are going to have to work on that..." Michael warned and Nikita nodded her head. She looked at Michael and swallowed. She just never wanted to be away from Michael, although most of the time, she was uncomfortable being around him. But Nikita knew that Michael held the key to her healing.

"Well... maybe we can do something different.... You have heard of the Fifth Annual Section One Dinner Dance, correct?" Michael questioned and Nikita blinked her eyes. She had heard about it when she started and immediately stated that she would not be attending. First, because tickets were only sold as a couple, and Nikita knew that she couldn't do anything like that.

"Yes... but I'm not going. Are you?" Nikita questioned. Michael looked at Nikita and took one of her hands. He was going.

But only if Nikita was going.

"It is unspoken that everyone in a professional role in Section One goes..." Michael delicately reminded Nikita of the work culture that she was in. He saw the fear in Nikita's eyes. She knew that she would have to go with someone. "I have a ticket.... I was wondering if you would like to come with me?"

"As in your date?" Nikita questioned with a quivering voice. Michael could hear the fear in Nikita's voice and felt the fear as she pulled her hand away and crossed it on her lap, starting to put up defenses.

"As friends, Nikita... Small steps... But unfortunately, I think this is something that isn't an option," Michael informed Nikita. She blinked her eyes and then held back the tears with one firm sniffle.

"I don't know, Michael... I don't know how to do these things... Is it formal? Do I have to dance? How many forks are there going to be?" Nikita started to rattle off the list of questions that was frantically building in her mind. Michael pressed a finger up to her lips.

"It is formal.... You would have the choice about dancing, although it would go noted if you didn't.... and I don't know how many forks... but you could follow my lead," Michael answered in a manner that was uniquely Michael. He quelled her fears and made Nikita feel that she had the resources to do this. "I don't want to pressure you into this... But I thought it would be easier that you attend with me... and you know I don't bite..."

"And what do you get out of it?" Nikita demanded as her eyes fluttered to look at his.

Michael grinned and smiled. "A chance to know you in another way that just holding you in your sleep and to see you in a dress that wasn't covered in a strawberry milkshake."

"I can try..." Nikita responded with a firm voice.

"That is all that I am asking. It is all that I will ever ask for."