"Nikita... are you sure you want to do this?" Michael questioned about ten minutes later as the nurses had finished with Laury and stated that Nikita could go in. Nikita nodded her head as she stared at the room.

She may have wanted too, but she hadn't moved from the spot since they made it there. Michael had a firm hold of Nikita's body. He wasn't entirely immune to the situation. He knew Laury and spent time with her. She was far too young to have passed off the face of the earth with just a few people around her.

Nikita moved forward and into the room. She looked down at Laury and gasped as she almost retched. She stopped herself and then looked at Laury's cold body.

"Laury..." Nikita rasped out the whisper. Nikita moved closer to the bed and brushed back the young woman's hair. "This shouldn't have happened...."

"I should have been here last night... I'm sorry..." Nikita begged for forgiveness.

Michael swallowed and looked towards the window. He had forced Nikita to make the decision and now he regretted it. It wasn't something that could have been foreshadowed.

They both assumed that this was a minor set back that would be fixed with a change in medication.

Michael stood there with Nikita for five minutes, with very few words being spoken.

Nikita turned into Michael's arms for a moment and then lifted her head.

"I have so much to do..." Nikita announced and Michael watched as Nikita moved out of the room with a brave front.

"I have to contact Section... Do they have a place that we can bury Laury?" Nikita questioned and Michael shook his head.

"We don't have arrangements.... We don't even have services..." Michael spoke and Nikita sputtered. She couldn't believe that. "But the kids will need to grieve. They were her friends!"

"I know... we do a lot of grief counseling when one dies..." Michael remarked.

"I need to give her a proper burial Michael..." Nikita announced and Michael sighed. "Not through Section One..."

"Then I'll do it myself..." Nikita declared as she moved over to the nurse. Michael knew that Nikita would and she nodded her head to the nurse as she had lead Nikita to the phone.

"Hello? Nikita?" Walter answered the phone. Nikita swallowed and blinked her eyes.

"Pappap... do you have any contacts with funeral homes?" Nikita questioned as she started to break down once more. Michael moved to her side. Nikita had been too attached to Laury and he regretted his decisions to let it happen. This is what happened when a therapist cared too much.

"No, sugar... she didn't..." Walter whispered.

"Please.... I need to give the hospital a place to send her body..." Nikita cried out and then dropped the phone. Michael picked it up and held Nikita with one arm.

"Walter... I'm going to take Nikita home.... Can you talk to the nurse here?" Michael questioned.

"Yeah.... Take care of my sugar and let her know that I will take care of this...."

"I don't want him paying!" Nikita hissed into Michael's ear and Walter heard the words.

"Just take care of her..." Walter warned Michael and he kissed Nikita's ear. "I have too, Walter."

Michael handed the phone to the nurse and started to walk Nikita out of the wing as she questioned everything, but it didn't matter.

Finally, as they waited for the elevator, Nikita just lost everything. And then Michael carried her.

*

Death not merely ends life, it also bestows upon it a silent completeness, snatched from the hazardous flux to which all things human are subject. ~~Hannah Arendt

Michael looked over at Nikita in the car. She was staring out the window, with nothing else happening to her. The amount of times that Michael had been there, there was never a silence like this one, where Michael didn't have any answers for what happened and how to help out. All he could do was continue on driving and find his way back to his house and try to be there. For whatever Nikita needed.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home?" Michael questioned as he turned off of the highway. Right now, he could go either place.

"Walter will be busy..." Nikita stated out softly, not really giving an answer. Michael didn't care where they went. He wasn't going to leave Nikita's side either way. Not until she expressed the need to be left alone to deal with the grief that was consuming her.

"I'll call someone at Section One and have them get your car..." Michael spoke as he continued to drive on towards his house, hoping that it would be the shelter that Nikita's heart needed at the moment. He had already called Madeline to inform her of Laury's death and to allow her to know that Nikita was planning some sort of service and burial. Madeline wasn't pleased but didn't say no.

"Would you like me to call someone for you? Perhaps Adrian?" Michael offered as he strained to keep his own composure. He just wanted to hold Nikita and make it all go away. It wasn't realistic and he had to hold onto reality for the both of them.

"No," Nikita replied as she lifted her hand and pressed it against the window. Michael turned the car and found himself in front of his house. He pulled into the small driveway and stopped the car.

Nikita robotically opened the door and stepped out. She looked towards the house and then leaned against the car. She started to crumble before Michael could even get around the car. Nikita placed her head against the concrete of the driveway and cried silently. Michael rubbed her back and waited for Nikita to lift her head up for air.

It was a struggle, but soon Michael got both of them into the house and Nikita settled back down on the couch. She immediately drifted of to sleep as Michael moved into the kitchen.

He pitched the pot of coffee and moved to the refrigerator, looking for the soup that he had from earlier in the week. He poured it into the pot and dropped his own head. Laury was a bright girl. She had a great sense of humor. To think that he didn't need to sneak out of the office to go see her, hurt Michael also. On his first visit to Laury in the hospital, she smiled and told him how much he loved Nikita. Laury just could see it. "No! NO! DON'T TAKE HER!!!" Nikita screamed out, as Michael was spontaneous lifted from his reverie. He turned away from the stove and looked at Nikita as she started to swing her arms out in her dream.

"NO! NO! NO! SAVE HER!" Nikita screamed as her body started to slip off of the couch. Michael moved and settled on the coffee table in front of her and slightly shook her arms. "Kita...."

Nikita eyes opened wide as she looked at Michael for one second with clarity and then with tears flooding her vision. "I've seen it before... many many before her..."

"She was your client, Nikita... It's different..." Michael whispered, unsure if that was the right tact to take in this moment. But it was the only thing that he could think to say.

"I guess you were right...I shouldn't have attached to her... but she was still alone... all alone... because I was selfish... because I froze..." Nikita declared the hatred for herself.

"She wasn't alone, Nikita... She knew that you cared..." Michael spoke and Nikita pulled her arms up, pushing Michael away from her.

"I always stare... stare down as they work... so many..." Nikita whispered as she thought of the images in her dream. They all came back. All of those people she had seen. Back to haunt her, to claim one more. But this time, it was someone more than just a street person that Nikita knew in passing. It was someone that Nikita cared about.

"Dreams always attack when you least expect them... they are bad memories... but they aren't real..." Michael emphasized and Nikita chewed on her bottom lip. "I saw them shock her..."

"They tried all that they could do...." Michael supported Nikita as he kept his physical distance.

"Over... and over again... her body bounced... I've seen it before... but this was different... She was only a child..."

"And so much like you?" Michael questioned, trying to get to Nikita's emotional reaction. Nikita turned her head to the side and pulled her feet up underneath her, placing another barrier between Michael and herself. It was clear that Nikita didn't want to talk about it. Michael stood up and moved back to the kitchen.

It was already so late and Michael rubbed at his face. It didn't feel like he had slept for an entire week. He couldn't imagine how Nikita was still running on nothing. Finding a spoon, Michael slowly stirred at the soup, knowing that Nikita would come to him when she felt ready to do so.

"How long until the reports have to be filed?" Nikita questioned as she appeared in the kitchen with him. Michael looked at Nikita and shook his head. He didn't want her to worry about those sorts of things.

"Twenty-four hours after the death certificate copy arrives at Section One," Michael replied, knowing that it was impossible not to tell Nikita. "I should call Davenport..."

"He'll call here, Nikita... He knows where we are..." Michael responded and Nikita nodded her head slowly. She blinked her eyes. "I need to make sure that everything is right... Madeline is going to be checking..."

"I can help you on those forms..." Michael offered, but Nikita shook her head as she moved away. Michael dropped the spoon into the sink and stared. She was in emotional shock, moving from subject to subject just to go on with life.

"Maybe I should call Walter? I don't know if he did the interviews or not.... He may still need me..." Nikita stated out, but Michael was sure that Nikita wasn't talking to him. She was just saying things to keep track of her thoughts.

Michael went to his cupboard for two soup cups as Nikita pulled up the phone and pulled her body tightly on one of the dinning room chairs. "Pappap?"

"Nikita... I was getting worried about you. You are at Michael's right?" Walter questioned as he finally thought he could breath again.

"Yes... I might have to go somewhere else, though..." Nikita commented and Michael lifted an eyebrow, unsure of where Nikita would need to go. "Are things planned?"

"Yes.." Walter whispered as he swallowed. He had been working for hours with all kinds of people, finally calling in Adrian to help pay for the service. "The funeral will be Monday... at the Emmanuel Baptist Church... only place I could get..."

"That sounds nice..." Nikita whispered back as she wiped at her tears, as she thought about the reality of Laury's death. "What time?"

"Ten," Walter responded as he swallowed. He had ordered flowers on the behalf of Nikita and ordered some from himself and Adrian.

"Did you interview?" Nikita questioned and Michael swallowed. He couldn't believe that this was an easy conversation to be on the other end of. "No... I cancelled..."

"Because of me? Don't you need someone?" Nikita questioned and Walter cleared his throat.

"I'm going to wait, sugar.... This needed to be done... I have an interview on Monday afternoon to do..." Walter replied and Nikita's face started to quake.

"But I can't be there.... I will be doing probably grief counseling all day..." Nikita spoke and Michael shook his head. He had to get Nikita out of that duty. She couldn't do that.

"I'll be fine, sugar.... Now, you don't worry about anything else... Try to get some rest..." Walter directed Nikita and she snapped the phone away from her ear and then threw it towards the couch. Nikita looked towards Michael as he motioned that he had food for her.

"I'm not hungry..." Nikita stubbornly spoke. Michael placed the cup down and looked towards Nikita. "You need to eat..."

Nikita turned her head to the side and then jumped up. "Oh my god... her family doesn't even know!"

"Nikita... let me get Madeline..."

"NO! I found them! I should handle this!" Nikita announced as she started to look around the floor. Michael blinked his eyes. "Nikita... you don't know the family dynamic. There was a reason why Laury was alone..."

"You think I don't know that?" Nikita hissed out as she picked up her show and shoved it onto her foot.

"Maybe you should think about it, Nikita. Maybe you should think about how you approach all of this," Michael warned. He watched as Nikita settled down on the couch and looked up at him. She looked to her hands and then swallowed.

"What if it was your daughter? Your child? Wouldn't you want to know?" Nikita finally questioned as she lifted her tear-drenched face. Michael swallowed and felt the tears. He knew what it felt like to be that parent and he knew that Nikita couldn't be the one consoling them.

"Would you want your mother to know if you died?" Michael countered, trying to point out to Nikita that there were different circumstances. Nikita looked at Michael and swallowed.

"She wasn't a mother. Therefore she lost all rights... But Laury's parents need to know..." Nikita stubbornly declared as she shoved the other shoe on her foot and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" Michael questioned. Nikita looked at Michael and he knew where Nikita was going. She couldn't sit still. She had to do everything right now. It was going to destroy her in the end.

"I have their number in Laury's folder at Section... I left it on the bookcase... I need to do this," Nikita declared as she headed towards the door and Michael shook his head. She was taking his car!

~~

Michael flung the phone down once more, finding out that Nikita hadn't arrived at Section One yet and that Davenport had just sent someone out to retrieve Nikita's car from the hospital. Michael paced around the living room, cursing himself for not stopping Nikita before she took off.

He was worried. Nikita was exhausted. Nikita was still in shock. Anything could have happened and Michael was stuck in the house without anything to do about the situation but wait.

It was dark now and Michael moved to the window and looked out towards the street. Even if he had a way to go out, he had no idea of where to go. It was clear that she wasn't inside of Section One. That was probably wise either way. Davenport reported that both Madeline and Operations were huddled into one of the conference rooms. Michael had no doubt that Nikita's behavior on Laury's death was the topic that was being discussed. There were things that were natural for therapist and then there were things that weren't allowed at Section One. It took a long time for one to get use to that things that a therapist would normally do, weren't allowed by Section One standards. It also took a long time to realize that Section One was more medically based than they let on, always testing to see if someone was pregnant, drinking or strung up on drugs. What was done was never for what was best for the patient. What was done was what was best for Section One. It had always been that way.

Michael moved away from the door, thinking once more of why he stayed at Section One. During his years he had learned of things that he was sure that Madeline and Paul didn't want him to know. He learned the truth about the skewed statistics and reports. He had learned of the unreported events and then those reported events. He had heard rumors of drastic measures being taken on some of the worse cases and others being turned away. Michael jumped as the phone rang and he ran to grab it. "Hello?"

"Michael..." Nikita whispered as she sniffled. Michael pressed his lips together and waited for a moment. He didn't need to ask if she was ok, she wasn't. "Where are you?"

"Three blocks from your house.... I couldn't go..." Nikita whispered and Michael took a deep breath.

"Do you want me to come bring you back?" Michael offered.

"I need to let her parents know..." Nikita responded. She was firm in her decisions.

"Nikita... that is something that no one expects a therapist to do... Madeline is inside of Section One... I'm sure that if we give her the information, she would make the contact.." Michael discussed as he pulled on his jacket.

"I'm alone.... Please get me..." Nikita whispered and Michael felt tears run to his eyes again. Nikita was so hurt and so damaged that everything that happened could cause this to happen once more. Michael smiled and nodded his head. "I'll be a few minutes."

~~

"Yes... arrangements have been made on the behalf of Laury... Nikita Jackson had them taken care of..." Madeline spoke on the phone as she looked at Paul. He sipped at his brandy and leaned back in the chair, annoyed that this was taking so long.

"She was Laury's therapist at Section One... she was the one that urged for more tests that showed that Laury had Lyme Disease..." Madeline carefully monitored her voice. She couldn't believe that she was allowing this to happen, but it was all part of the bigger picture.

Michael couldn't know that they wanted to bring Nikita down.

"She will be attending the service... perhaps you would like to discuss things with her... I am only making the phone call on behalf of her because she has not taken this well..." Madeline replied to Laury's mother's questions.

"I'm sorry for your lost... both myself and our Executive Director Paul Wolfe will be there on Monday... and if you need anything, please call us," Madeline offered before the phone call finally end.

"Did you see Nikita?" Paul questioned and Madeline shook her head. She knew that Michael brought Nikita into Section One and then quickly left.

"But from phone calls... I found out that for some time that Nikita was missing... Michael didn't know where she was..." Madeline spoke with a soft voice, but with a smile crossing her face. "This really might help us out..."

"Or it could make her more stubborn... It already appears as if she is really depending on Michael," Paul commented and Madeline blinked her eyes. "I thought we agreed that it would be good to keep Nikita on as a therapist... If not, tell me now and I will change our game plan."

"No, Madeline... I want Nikita to stay. She is going to make us some money," Paul replied with a large grin on his face.

"That should help with the government position, shouldn't it?" Madeline replied with a sly wink. "I'm not going to worry about Michael supporting Nikita on this issue until after Monday..."

"I'd worry about it, but I wouldn't take overt actions..." Paul clarified for Madeline.

"So I should worry about Nikita staying with Michael tonight.... I always worry that this is going to blow up in our faces," Madeline commented and Paul nodded his head. It had threatened to do so many times before.

"It could.... But Michael has loyalty to us... He won't give up us for her." Paul replied as he pulled out a cigar and smiled. He lifted his glass towards Madeline. "To victory!"

*

Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear. ~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Michael looked around the dark church as he led Nikita down the aisle. She was unresponsive, as she had been the entire morning. The weekend had been painful to watch, as Michael could do nothing to console Nikita. Her grief seemed to be growing with every passing hour.

But what scared Michael more were the nightmares that had plagued Nikita's sleep. They were drifting back to the sinister acts of her childhood and mixing with death. Michael held Nikita for an hour last night because she had dreamt that he had passed away.

Nikita insisted on being to the service early, that she didn't want Laury's body placed in the church with no one to attend over her. Michael was here because he wasn't about to allow Nikita to drive and she needed him, even if she couldn't accept it at the moment.

Nikita sat two rows back from the front. She stared at the coffin that was strewed with red roses. Nikita didn't even shed a tear as she stared straight ahead. Michael looked at her strict black clothing and swallowed once more as he looked at her. Nikita had already told Madeline that she would be in that afternoon to help with the grief counseling with the children that knew Laury.

Why Madeline accepted was beyond Michael!

Michael moved towards the back of the church after watching Nikita stare towards the coffin for ten minutes. Although Nikita needed him, Michael was feeling the pressure of giving her the attention and feeling the pressure that Section One was placing on Nikita. It was clear that if Nikita didn't have the caseload and new responsibilities that Madeline had given to her, that this entire situation would have been handled differently.

"Michael.." Walter stated as he opened the door and looked at Michael. Michael swallowed and shook his head unconsciously back and forth, indicating that things weren't well at all. "I have tried..."

"It's ok, Michael... Do you want to talk about it?" Walter questioned as he inched towards the back doors to peer into the church to see Nikita sitting in her given position and just stare as now someone lit the candles on the alter.

"I don't know where to start... The nightmares are terrible..." Michael spoke with an emptiness in his voice that indicated that he was close to his last nerve in the situation. Walter leaned into Michael and swallowed. "They are mixing up events... creating new ones..."

Walter lifted an eyebrow as Michael's voice cracked with emotion. "She has so much stuck in that head of hers... We don't know what is going to come out..."

"Last night... she dreamt that I had died... that I had left her..." Michael admitted as he moved into the church and slipped into the last row of pews and settled down. Walter settled down next to him, knowing that Michael needed to talk about all of this. "And she has seen a lot of death... and she asked me why the people that hurt her... are still alive when the ones that she cares for go away..."

"Oh, Michael.... Maybe I should have taken care of this... This is too much of a strain between you and her... You aren't expected to make everything all right..." Walter sympathized with Michael. He had crumbled when Michael said that Nikita decided that she wanted to stay with Michael throughout the weekend.

"It's what she wanted... I can't deny her those things..." Michael responded, giving Walter the answer that he knew was going to come.

"Has she eaten at all?" Walter questioned and Michael shook his head back and forth.

"Yesterday morning... she threw up... But she had some soup last night... and I thought that she would get over the grief... but this morning as she walked out towards the kitchen... she turned back around... unable to even fathom eating..." Michael supplied the answers and his voice supplied the raw emotions that were happening in this situation.

"Does she have to work today?" Walter questioned as he stared ahead as the light started to come up in the church and more people started to arrive. They seemed to sense to leave Michael and Walter to their conversation and to stay away from Nikita.

"She doesn't have too... But she wants to be there... For her clients..." Michael bitterly stated. He knew that years ago he sounded just like Nikita, trying everything to look like you were perfectly emotionally unmoved. That was the way of Section One, but in doing so, it was negating everything that you were to yourself. That scared Michael and he could see that it scared Walter.

"Then get her to see how wrong it is!" Walter snapped with a mute voice so no one could hear his anger of the situation. Michael looked to Walter and swallowed. "I don't know if I can do that... but that has been what I have been trying to do."

Michael stood up and squeezed passed Walter, moving back into the aisle, feeling that he had left Nikita already for too long. He stopped just as Madeline and Paul arrived, with an older couple. Michael stopped his approach and stepped back against the pew that Walter was trying to get out of. "Move, boy!"

"Wait..." Michael whispered as he looked ahead. The woman looked just like Laury and Michael cringed. "That's her parents... they are going to Nikita..."

"Damn..." Walter hissed as he turned his head to the side and ranted silently at the world that he was in.

Nikita hadn't noticed anything until she felt the hand on her shoulder. She had expected Michael or Walter, or perhaps Birkoff or Davenport, but not Madeline as she softly smiled at Nikita. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Nikita responded flatly as she blinked her eyes a few times and then looked at Madeline. "That's good.. we are really going to need you through this trying time..."

"I understand..." Nikita replied once more, answering with a flat voice that almost grated on Madeline's sense of compassion. She turned and touched the woman's arm behind her. "Nikita... this is Mr. and Mrs. De Arch..."

"Laury's parents," Nikita supplied before Madeline could say so. Madeline looked as Laury's mother moved closer to Nikita. Nikita couldn't even stand up, as she suddenly felt guilty. Paul was standing in the background and was content on watching the show until Madeline turned and pulled him towards the back once more.

"I'm sorry... I wanted to call you myself... I just couldn't..." Nikita started to explain, but she stopped as Laury's mother sadly smiled.

"I know... Madeline explained it all to us... And how you got this day prepared for..." Mrs. De Arch spoke and Nikita rubbed her hands. "And we have to thank you for taking Laury underneath your wings..."

"I was just watching out for her... I should have done so much more for her..." Nikita immediately started to blame herself.

"Laury was difficult to handle... Now we know why... why she ran away... and why her behavior was so erratic... I'm not going to tell you that we didn't have problems before... but we had always been able to handle it..." Laury's mother interrupted Nikita's rants about her own flaws.

"I'm so sorry that it had to come to this... I was going to call you on Friday... and one thing led to another... and I just forgot..." Nikita whispered as the tears sprung to her eyes. She pushed them away and looked at Mr. and Mrs. De Arch. "If there is anything that you need... I can help you find someone to talk about what happened and I'm sure that we can get the specialist to explain what happened..."

"That's nice offer... and Madeline has arranged for all of that... I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate what you have done for our daughter... I don't think there could have been better hands... And I don't know what happened for her to latch onto you..." Mr. De Arch spoke and Nikita giggled softly. "She slammed something into the back of my head..."

"Oh my!" Mrs. De Arch exclaimed and Nikita shrugged her shoulders. It had been a huge thing when it happened. It seemed so minor now. "Things like that aren't uncommon... I knew that she was a good girl..."

"Thank you..." Mrs. De Arch spoke as she bent down and hugged Nikita. Nikita nodded her head and slipped back into the pew as the parents moved forward and looked into the coffin and into their daughter they hadn't seen since she had run away.

"Are you ok?" Michael whispered as he approached the pew. Nikita nodded her head, but didn't move. Michael squeezed passed Nikita and took Nikita's hand and squeezed it.

Walter arrived and looked at Nikita. Michael helped Nikita move over, as the service was about to begin. Michael wrapped his arm around Nikita's shoulders as her head fell to Michael's shoulder as the tears poured. And Walter took Nikita's hand and squeezed and held it tight.

Together, Michael and Walter held Nikita as the entire funeral proceeded and then stayed well until it was over.

~~

Mick hummed as he walked down the glum hallways of Section One. Birkoff had turned away with a huff and everyone else seemed to disappear as he appeared. Mick didn't question it, just continued on in his business as he had planned to do.

But it was when he looked into Nikita's office and saw her with her head hung low, that he finally noticed that something was wrong.

With Nikita.

"Is this a bad time, Popsicle?" Mick questioned as he entered her office and closed the door. Nikita lifted her head and rubbed at her red and puffy eyes. She had skipped lunch and was trying to get ready to help her group when they arrived in. She had pushed off most private therapy sessions until tomorrow.

"Did we have a meeting?" Nikita questioned as she avoided the question. She was ready to snap that every time was a bad time.

"Yes... about the dance. Did you forget?" Mick questioned as he crossed his legs as he sat in the chair, finding the entire experience of entering Nikita's office being disjointing.

"Yes, I did..." Nikita admitted as she reached her hands up to her neck and rubbed at the sore muscles. She looked at Mick and then started to shuffle through her papers. "Just give me a sec to find the file..."

"Did something happen, doll face? Did you and boy wonder have a fight?" Mick questioned as he leaned in close to the desk. Nikita lifted her head up and stared at Mick as her face paled. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Mick questioned back and Nikita swallowed as she felt the acid that was left in her stomach surge once more, ready to spill over. She didn't want to get into this, but knew that she was required to do this. To be the proper Section One therapist.

"Laury passed away, Mick...." Nikita whispered and Mick shook his head. "No..."

"Her funeral was this morning... and I decided to go home with Michael Friday night because I was tired instead of going to visit her..." Nikita continued on as she blinked her eyes. She knew that Mick wasn't equipped to respond to what she had said. "About this meeting...."

"We can reschedule, Nikita..." Mick finally spoke, feeling said that he hadn't realized all of the signs that something bad had happened, not only to Nikita, but also to all of Section One.

"I have a few ideas.... And since Laury was the one that mentioned it to me... I can't fall through on this..." Nikita strongly spoke even as her hands trembled through her papers. Mick nodded his head and took a deep breath, hoping that it would rub off on Nikita.

It didn't.

"We still need a hook... a title... a reason why..." Mick pointed out at the questions that had plagued him all weekend long. Nikita swallowed and lightly smiled. "I may have figured it out."

"Then don't be shy.... Tell me sweetheart!" Mick declared, trying to find something happy to grab onto. He wasn't a man that was used to sadness, especially in the way that Nikita expressed it and withheld it. It was easy to hold a crying woman, but Nikita was definitely not that kind of woman.

"I think we should simply call it Laury's Dance.... In honor of her," Nikita spoke as her voice cracked. She turned her head to the side to hide the tears. Mick knew that it was the best idea. It was a real idea and a great honor for the young girl. But he wasn't sure that he could handle Nikita like this throughout the plans. "Is that going to be too hard on you?"

"This isn't about me, Mick. This is about what is best for Section One and what will give Section One the best press and return," Nikita pointed out as her voice turned cold and jaded.

"Then this would be a go... Would you like me to work with the graphic artists and concept people on this?" Mick questioned, wondering if Nikita was going to pull back from the project now that it had turned personal.

"I'd like to meet them... Can we schedule a morning meeting?" Nikita inquired and Mick nodded his head, smiling at Nikita. "We can do breakfast... Steven loves to do breakfast... How about Wednesday?"

"That sounds good... call me here with the details..." Nikita instructed Mick as he already saw that it was best that he left. He stood and didn't say a word as he slipped out of the office. He looked down the hallway and then looked at Michael.

"Why don't you go?" Michael questioned as he touched Nikita's door. She lifted her head and swallowed.

"My kids..."

"They can wait... We brought in a lot of extra staff for this... Specialized staff... Maybe you would want to talk to one of them?" Michael offered and Nikita shook her head as she looked to her hands. It was unspoken that Nikita wished that the grief for Laury were the only thing that had her bothered.

"I'm just tired... and coffee makes my stomach sick..." Nikita stated as she rubbed at her eyes. Michael inched in and swallowed. "Please, Nikita... Go home..."

"To Walter?" Nikita questioned and Michael nodded his head. "Someone has to help you through this... It doesn't seem that it is me right now..."

"Michael..."

"No, Nikita... I'm not saying this to be bitter... I'm saying this because in many ways you need your grandfather to be your grandfather..." Michael informed Nikita of his opinion and assessment.

"What about Madeline? I told her to stay?" Nikita hedged, and Michael knew that Nikita was ready to go. She was exhausted from the week before and then Laury's death. She needed her own down time. To do whatever it took to find herself once more.

"I'll handle it..." Michael promised and Nikita nodded her head. Home sounded so nice right now.

~~

Walter limbed towards the door and opened it. He saw a lovely older woman with red hair smiling at him. "Belinda?"

"Yes... and I guess you are Walter..." Belinda replied as she extended her hand. Walter nodded his head and let Belinda in. If his first impression was right, Belinda was going to be a lot more than a personal assistant.

~~

Nikita walked up the path, staring at the unfamiliar car in the driveway. She shook her head, sure that the interview that Walter had scheduled was for around twelve-thirty, which was almost two hours ago. Surely the interview wouldn't still be going on. Nikita opened the door and hear a riff of laughter. "Walter?"

'Sugar?" Walter called out as he looked from Belinda who was sitting on the love seat, still talking about her last patient. Walter grimaced as he stood up and moved towards the hallway and looked at Nikita. "What are you doing home now?"

"Is your interview still going on? I can just go to my room.." Nikita questioned softly as she looked towards the living room. Walter blinked his eyes. He didn't like it when Nikita didn't answer his questions. During one of their many recent long conversations, Nikita identified it herself as one of the ways that she would avoid topics she didn't want to discuss.

"Well... I think we have moved passed the interview stage..." Walter smiled out, but Nikita didn't return the smile. She rolled her shoulders back and rubbed at the black dress suit that she was still in. "I'm going to change..."

"Sugar?" Walter called out as he watched Nikita move down the hallway. Nikita stopped and looked at him. "You are coming back out, right? I want you to meet her..."

"And I don't want to be alone right now," Nikita replied as she turned the corner and pushed into her room. Walter felt his heart break. Nikita had enough pain in her life, that she didn't need this. He also realized that for Nikita to come home meant that she was really trying to get herself back together.

"Is that Nikita?" Belinda questioned as she appeared next to Walter.

"Yes... she still isn't taking all of this... Its hard..." Walter whispered. He had filled in to Belinda the outline of what happened, never giving too many details. He had also told her of Nikita's job and Belinda found it ironic. She had left Section One many years ago because she didn't like their methods. But as Belinda noted, Section One would declare that they had cancelled her job.

"She looks like she may be hungry. Do you think I can wrangle up some soup in the kitchen for her?" Belinda offered.

"You don't start working until next Tuesday... when I come home..." Walter stated and Belinda shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not going anywhere... and it's a favor... not duty..." Belinda spoke as she turned and moved towards the kitchen. Walter smiled and moved back to the living room, watching the second hand on the clock roll around quickly, wondering if Nikita had decided not to come back.

"Pappap..." Nikita whispered as she silently entered the room in her bare feet. Walter blinked his eyes and opened up his arms. Nikita snuggled in close to him and started to cry.

The soup that Belinda brought in about five minutes later would go cold. Nikita finally feel asleep and the dreams stayed away.

~~

Michael looked at the dark rooms as he closed the door and locked it. He moved to the living room, viewing Nikita sleeping in Walter's arms, wondering if he should leave.

But Nikita turned her head and opened her eyes. She smiled as she looked up at Michael. "Hallo..."

"How are you feeling?" Michael whispered as he squatted down and touched Nikita's knee.

She slowly extracted herself from Walter's arms and rolled her head around. "Worn out.."

"Do you want me to leave?" offered Michael as he looked at his hand on Nikita's knee. It wasn't what he wanted to do.

"No..." Nikita replied and Michael nodded his head, unsure of what would happen next.

"Thank you..."

"I did nothing," responded Michael as he moved his hand off of Nikita's knee and glanced at Walter, wondering if he was really asleep.

"You love me..." Nikita choked up as she said it. Michael blinked back his instant tears.

"I'm just glad to see that you got to sleep... Let's not worry about the other things..."

Nikita reached her hand out and touched Michael's shoulder before he started to stand up. "I want you to stay with me tonight..."

"That's good.. I wanted to stay..."

"And... I thought a lot..." Nikita continued as she looked into Michael's glowing green eyes. "About what, Kita?"

"About... if I would die today..." Nikita started and heard her voice crack. Michael shook his head but Nikita continued on. She had too. "that I would know that you loved me.... I know that..."

Michael nodded his head, wondering where this was going.

"And deep down... somewhere that isn't ready to speak out to you directly..." Nikita stated and then stopped. Even now, after she had thought about it, she couldn't say the words 'I LOVE YOU' to Michael. Not yet.

"I know that I wouldn't die... not knowing how it felt to love back..." Nikita replied as she turned her head to the side. Michael smiled and knew that these words would be what he would remember forever.

"And that you.... Will forever... be a part of me," Nikita whispered as she bowed her head. Nikita took one deep breath and blinked away her tears. "Do you mind if we eat before we go to sleep?"

"Whatever you need," Michael replied as he stood up and extended his hands out towards Nikita. She took them and stood up. Michael held onto her hand and led the way to the kitchen.

Walter lifted his head and blinked back his own tears that he had been trying to hide. He was never so proud of Nikita as he was now.

*

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival. ~~Dalai Lama

Michael walked down the hallway and turned his head to the side. Madeline had been hovering around Section, unsettling Michael. The tasks of day-to-day operation had long been handled by himself, but Madeline seemed to be meddling more than normal. Especially with Nikita.

Michael turned the corner and entered a conference room, moving the blinds and looked back out towards the hallway without being detected. Birkoff had told Michael that Madeline had pulled tape from last week when he had been helping Nikita. He felt angry with Madeline for doing all of this and he tried to find a reason why she did not like Nikita.

"Birkoff? Michael questioned as he went to the phone, knowing that Madeline was standing out in the hallway, monitoring the hallway and Nikita's office. It was Friday afternoon and everyone should have been wrapping up early.

"Yes, Michael?" Birkoff finally picked up the phone and looked around. There wasn't much that Michael asked for anymore. It always had to do with Nikita, although Birkoff didn't mention that to Michael.

"Can you make sure that the videos black out? I need to see Nikita. I haven't seen her since Tuesday morning..." Michael spoke and Birkoff cleared his throat. "But you didn't see her Tuesday morning..."

"Where I saw her is none of your business.... I just need to get into her office..." Michael spoke as he made it clear that Birkoff shouldn't butt into his business in other avenues of his life. There were lots of rumors flying around Section One, none which were true and Michael had to wonder if it was the rumors that were causing Madeline to cover all tracks.

"I can do that... But Madeline seems to be guarding Nikita's office..." Birkoff reported and Michael blinked his eyes. "Can you have her office ringed? She'll go for the phone call... It could be Paul..."

"I can do even better than that... It can be Paul..." Birkoff gloated as he typed his fingers of the computer. Michael tensed up. He didn't want to know what Birkoff was playing with this time. "I don't care what you do and who calls Madeline. Just make it happen."

"How long do you need?" Birkoff inquired.

"As long as you can give me.." Michael replied back as he hung up the phone. He knew that Birkoff would not be happy with the way Michael felt him with an answer, but no way of getting it to Michael. Michael opened the door of the conference room as Madeline quickly moved down the hallway towards her own office. Michael slipped silently and quickly into Nikita's office.

"Long week, are you heading out soon?" Michael questioned as he closed the door and looked at Nikita. She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. If Nikita's week could have gotten worse, Nikita didn't know how it could.

"A girl in my group... had a miscarriage today... Madeline is trying to blame me..." Nikita spoke and Michael blinked his eyes. "But you aren't to have pregnant girls? Didn't you know?"

"The tests from Medical came back negative... I didn't know until she suddenly was screaming in pain and bleeding..." Nikita whispered as she rubbed her bare arms. Nikita shook her head and looked to her calendar. "And I have to be late on Monday..."

"Late?" Michael questioned, concerned about that word. Madeline was breathing down their necks for a reason and Michael hadn't figured it out yet. "Why?"

"Walter is having his knee replaced.... I'm going to go and work on paper work and will be in as soon as he is out of surgery..." Nikita explained, worried that Michael would say no.

"You can have the entire day..." Michael whispered and Nikita shook her head back and forth. It was not possible. She had another meeting with Mick on Monday, with the plans of placing the finishing details on the dance. "I have to get back... I'll work all weekend to make up those hours... I have reports due everywhere..."

"Take whatever time you need, Nikita...." Michael spoke as he inched in and finally slipped down into the chair in front of Nikita. "Do you want company there?"

"At the hospital?" Nikita questioned nervously. Michael nodded his head. He could see the small tinge of worry in Nikita's eyes, but she swung her head from side to side. "I'll be fine."

Michael wasn't quite sure about Nikita's words, but he wouldn't be discussing this any further. Michael tilted his head to the side and the piles of papers that Nikita seemed ready to pour herself into. But after this very long week, Nikita needed time away. "Are you leaving soon?"

"I didn't have plans too," Nikita remarked softly and Michael blinked his eyes. He had noticed the time that had passed between them. Nikita admitted something close to saying that she loved him, and then backed away into the work. It was the stress that had been happening with Laury and work, but Michael didn't want to lose the hold he had with Nikita now. They had come too far.

"Mick called me earlier... He wanted us to come to some special night at the new restaurant..." Michael spoke as he made the offer. He really wanted to spend some quality time with Nikita where it was just them again. Nikita lifted her head and leaned on her hands. "That's tonight?"

"Yes... Mick says that it is casual... so we could just go from work?" Michael suggested and Nikita smiled softly.

"Are you asking me out?" Nikita teased and Michael nodded his head. He leaned forward and encased one of Nikita's hands in his. He rubbed it when he felt how cold Nikita was. "We need this, Nikita... We can't allow Section One work become all of our life... We've come too far..."

"He was talking about this place..." Nikita stated and Michael rolled his eyes. When didn't Mick talk about his places! "He told me that it has a large dance floor... but that there won't be too many people tonight..."

"But we will have trainees waiting on us..." Nikita pointed out and Michael shrugged his shoulders. "But it is a free dinner..."

"Free? Mick said free?" Nikita questioned with a laugh. Michael nodded his head. He hadn't believed it himself until Mick repeated himself for about the sixth time.

"Let me get my stuff ready to go with me tonight..." Nikita caved in with a smile on her face. Michael was glad to see that Nikita was anxious to spend sometime with him. "I'll meet you outside..."

~~

Adrian watched as staff opened the door and she smiled. Another man walked forward to take her coat. She smiled and allowed the fur to be slipped off of her shoulders. She knew that it was casual dress, but she had a reputation to maintain.

It had been a long time since she had been out anywhere. She looked around and then smiled at the approaching man. "Adrian! What a pretty sight to see! You are looking younger every time I see you!"

"Mick.... You haven't seen me in two years!" Adrian replied to the charming man. "Yes... I haven't bothered you in two years... and I haven't asked for money in almost eight years!"

"And I have never been so proud of you... You have done good for yourself," Adrian replied at the man that somehow had come underneath her wings. She shook her head and looked around. "Your dinner date has been here, Adrian..."

"He has?" Adrian asked surprised with that announcement. She was usually left at the table for long amounts of time before he would arrive.

"I know... I was kind of shocked when he was the first guest of the night.. . and all dressed up.... You two sure know how to stick out and announce that you have money..." Mick commented as he turned to the side and extended his arm. He patted Adrian's arm as he walked with her. "And I am telling the truth when I say it is good to see you out again. Life around Paris just isn't the same with you in almost seclusion."

"Well... I have my life and Paris has its own," Adrian stated as Mick smiled and shook his head. The young man had his own ideas and Adrian like that. She followed Mick and turned the corner into the table that was settled in the nook, surrounded with Roman artifacts. He had certainly moved up in class from the second rate strip club that he was running when he was twenty.

"George... You are on time. This is a surprise!" Adrian stated as she smiled at her dinner date. George stood up and kissed Adrian's hand softly. "It has been too long my dear."

Mick pushed Adrian's chair in and then flourished away to wait upon others that he had invited and to correct the staff that were learning the ins and outs of the new restaurant.

"So tell me, my Adrian, what have you been busy with in all of these years?" George questioned and Adrian laughed. They talked periodically, but nothing was like seeing the person face to face to talk. "It has been a long time... How long?"

"Our last dinner was over eight years ago, Adrian..." George stated as he tilted his head to the side. The waiter soon came over and asked about the kind of wine. George ordered and then turned back to Adrian. "So.. what have you been busy with? Gardening?"

"I've been busy in my own kind of work... kind of you with your Michael..." Adrian remarked and George grinned. He knew that this would come up.

"So, are you still pruning Nikita?" George questioned and Adrian lifted an eyebrow. In fact, she didn't have a clue what was going on with Nikita now. It had been Walter that contacted her when Laury had died. Not many details go back to Adrian any longer.

"Pruning? No... I'm still discovering her... So when did you learn of her?" Adrian questioned and George shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Young Michael didn't see me for a long time after his wife and child passed away... and suddenly he was there about this woman... who was abused and he helped... But there was something more..." George stated, puzzled with how this all went together.

"Well... you should be happy to know that Michael's feelings weren't without basis... Nikita's feelings ran deep and far back... Although if she ever admits them, will be a feat to see..." Adrian assessed and George nodded his head. "So when did you find out about the abuse? Walter told you?"

"No... I didn't find out until very recently. Nikita suddenly confessed it all..." Adrian spoke as she looked to her fingers and suddenly the wine was being poured. She sipped it and thanked George for getting the best that she had had in a long time. "I don't believe that Walter even knew..."

"And what do you think about being a mentor to a protégé that is working inside of Section One?" George questioned. Adrian turned and politely smiled at George. "I should be asking you that question. Michael has been working there for much longer."

"True," George replied with a tender smile on his face. These were all facts that Madeline and Paul were unaware of. George was positive that if Paul knew who Michael's and Nikita's mentors were, that they would be out of work. "I think Michael is beginning to see the nature of the beast..."

"The beast that was modified our program," Adrian bitterly stated as she turned her head to the side and leaned her head back.

Michael and Nikita had just entered and were settled at a table across the other side of the restaurant, clearly because Michael and Nikita didn't smoke, while George still did.

"I didn't expect to see them..."

"Neither did I," George commented and Adrian turned her head and swallowed. He hadn't seen Michael and Nikita. He had seen Paul and Madeline.

~~

"I think I like the theme here," Nikita stated as she looked at Michael with a smile on her face. She had relaxed the moment that she walked out of Section One. Michael knew that the same was true for him.

"I think Mick has outdone himself..." Michael stated with a nod, agreeing with Nikita's words.

"Michael..." Nikita stated and Michael turned his head back to look at Nikita. She rubbed at her neck softly. "It's ok to be feeling overwhelmed?"

"By work?" Michael questioned and Nikita nodded her head. It was easy to tell that Nikita was. It wasn't often that you had girl pass a pregnancy test miscarry during group. Michael swallowed and looked around. "It shouldn't be that way.... At least, I don't think it should be... but Section One is different..."

"It was never like this at the woman's shelter..." Nikita admitted with a soft voice. Michael blinked his eyes and sighed. "Maybe it is a phase, Kita."

Michael didn't even believe his own words. Things were just getting worse, particularly since Nikita arrived. Michael didn't know the connection so he wouldn't speak a word of it until he knew what was going on.

"Ok... we have to make a deal on this.. Friday nights.. when we are out... No talking of work..." said Michael as he seriously looked into Nikita's eyes. He didn't want this to become a place for Nikita to pour out her worries, although they were matching his. They had other issues that Michael had to slowly get through.

"Ok... but only if you promise to practice dancing with me," Nikita tested Michael and he nodded his head.

~~

"I cannot believe our luck. Why didn't I see them sooner?" Madeline questioned as she looked at Paul, but looked at the mirror that was behind him, finding it perfect to see Michael and Nikita without staring.

"Madeline... We can't act upon anything here... We are going in the right direction..." Paul spoke as he looked at Madeline. He took her hand and rubbed it slightly.

"This week has gone so well... I had separated them.. I don't know how this happened..." Madeline declared as she was extremely at herself for allowing this to happen.

"The stress is eating away at Nikita. Did you see her face this afternoon? How did you plan that one?" Paul questioned as an evil smile crossed his face. He had almost jumped for joy in the brilliancy of having a girl miscarry inside of Nikita's group. Not only was her group still upset that Laury died, they were losing their trust in Nikita, and that was only going to make things more difficult.

"I didn't plan it. It truly was something we didn't know about," Madeline commented and Paul raised an eyebrow. It was a great windfall for Section One. He looked at Madeline and took the wine that had been placed on the table for him to pour at his leisure. He poured some for Madeline and smiled. He lifted his glass and continued to grin. He wasn't going to let Michael and Nikita bother his plans for the night. "For us!"

Madeline clanked her glass against his and smiled back at Paul. "For us!"

~~

Nikita licked at the last remnants of the pastry and took Michael's hand softly. He rose and led Nikita towards the dance floor. Slowly, they started to sway from side to side, keeping their bodies far apart. It all started with the simple hand dance and Adrian sighed.

"They are so beautiful together," Adrian whispered to George who was watching the couple. Their hands were the only thing that was touching as they swayed from side to side. It was more than George had expected from Nikita at this point.

"Amazing," George responded as he looked as Michael slipped a hand around Nikita's waist, moving in closer to her, but definitely in a loving way. There was nothing overtly sexual about the acts and they continued to sway back and forth.

For Michael and Nikita, they were in their own little world. They found the joy of dancing something that they shared and somehow easier for them to express their needs for each other while they swayed from side to side rather than staring at each other, thinking about what to say next.

It took about three songs until Nikita finally lowered her head towards Michael's shoulder and neck, nestling there like she would in her sleep, but in front of everyone inside of the restaurant.

Michael and Nikita didn't know that Adrian and George were there. They didn't even see Madeline and Paul.

Madeline had hurried with desert as soon as Nikita and Michael made the way to the dance floor. Then she stopped as Paul pulled her coat onto her shoulders. She knew that there were big problems down the road.

But Paul was right. There was nothing that she could do on this night.

*

We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it. ~John Newton

Nikita pushed her hands up through her pulled up hair. She tried not to panic right now, but her mind wasn't working as she had trained it to do. She looked towards the door and rocked back and forth on her feet until she sat down.

She had just said goodbye to Walter as they had wheeled him into the surgery room early in the morning. Nikita rubbed her eyes as she thought about the promises that the doctor had spoke.

They sounded so nice. They sounded perfect.

But Nikita found it hard to think about it, to believe those good words that had been promised to her.

Nikita sat down on the edge of the chair and swallowed. It was only five minutes from the moment that Nikita left Walter and walked down to the surgical waiting room. She rubbed her hands together and swallowed.

Suddenly, she was sure that she couldn't do this.

The surgery was expected to take just over two hours. Walter's arthritis was severe and he had been putting off surgery for a long time. The surgeon spoke that he would be out to see Nikita as soon as he was done with Nikita. Nikita blinked her eyes and swallowed as she felt the tears there on her face.

The reality of the situation, even though it was extremely rare, she could lose her only family that Nikita has ever had. She stared at the door that led down to the operating rooms and swallowed once more. Until this moment, she hadn't had the time to think about it in this manner. She had hurried to help Walter's room downstairs and to set up a room for Belinda.

It seemed as if Belinda would be staying over at the house. Not that Nikita cared. Because of Belinda, Walter was going to be able to come home tomorrow if all went perfect.

Nikita had brought files that needed to be worked on for Section One, but now they went forgotten on the chair next to her. To even think about them made her stomach upset, worried that if she stopped worrying about Walter that something bad would happen.

She couldn't allow it to happen.

There were only two other people in the surgical waiting room and Nikita did not plan on talking to them at all. Both were leaning back slightly in their chairs and just about to drift to sleep. Nikita wanted to scream at them that they shouldn't be sleeping at all, but Nikita just felt more tears coming to her face.

"Are you ok, Kita?" Michael questioned as the nurse opened the door and Michael looked at Nikita. She was barely sitting on the chair and Michael regretted that he hadn't been there from the beginning. He had been there at the blood bank at the hospital as Nikita gave blood for Walter, just in case. Walter had donated his own blood, but Nikita wanted to be sure that there would be enough, just in case. Michael had felt obligated to donate, until Nikita fainted during donating.

"Michael?" Nikita questioned as she turned her head. Michael moved towards Nikita and wrapped her up in his arms as she stood up into his embrace. "I couldn't do this.... I thought I could be strong..."

"It's ok, Kita... I'm here..." Michael whispered to Nikita as he sat down where Nikita had been sitting and then settled Nikita down on his own lap.

"But you have work..." Nikita started to speak, but Michael placed his fingers on Nikita's lips to hush her. "I'm here for you... That is what matters."

Nikita dropped her head to Michael's shoulders as her entire body continued to tremble. Michael being here didn't stop the worries, but it gave Nikita the support that she needed. She had the warm arms wrapped around her, telling her that it was ok to be worried about all of this.

"I wanted to be here earlier..." Michael explained and Nikita bowed her head. She hadn't told Michael the time of the surgery for this reason. She didn't want to make Michael feel obligated to sit her with her.

"He just went back..." Nikita responded and Michael nodded his head. He rubbed his fingers across Nikita's hairline and swallowed. This weekend had been a lot about Walter. But Michael looked at Nikita and realized how scared he had been when Nikita fainted after donating blood. One minute she was proclaiming that she was done and that it was Michael's turn. The next moment the two nurses at the blood bank were hauling Nikita's body back up onto the bed, asking her to wake up.

"How long is it supposed to take?" Michael questioned Nikita, hoping to keep her talking. That was going to be the key of keeping these hours to go by quickly and for him to keep Nikita from staring at the clock.

"Two hours..." Nikita stated and Michael nodded his head. He was going to be there every minute for Nikita, until she was ready to go on with the day. Nikita didn't need to tell Michael how worried that she was. He knew that Walter was Nikita's only family that she had ever had. He knew how far both granddaughter and grandfather had come, especially recently. He also knew how scared one could be for another. That was the feeling he had when Nikita had fainted while donating blood. He wanted to ease that fright some by just physically being there for Nikita.

"So, have you met Belinda?" Michael questioned and Nikita allowed a hesitant laugh out as she leaned her head down on Michael's chest. She didn't want to be the weak girl, but this was her Pappap. She was scared, but knew that with Michael there, that she could try to face whatever happened next.

~~

There was a hazy as the pain started to drift in and out of Walter's thoughts. He looked around and saw a nurse standing by his side. She was instructing him to do something, that he was to blow out, but as Walter finally heard the words, she was pulling at the tube. Walter coughed and gasped as he swallowed and felt the sore pain.

"Here... suck on this..." The nurse instructed Walter. He blinked his eyes and turned his head towards her and willingly took the ice in his mouth. His throat hurt so badly and he didn't know why. Things were blurred and then he dropped his eyes away from the nurse and saw the constant passive movement machine that was slowly bending Walter's artificial knee already. He had been told that it would be there, but he didn't expect that he wouldn't know that they had already started it.

"My sugar?" Walter questioned and the nurse raised her eyebrow. She had heard some strange things working in the recovery room for over ten years, but she hadn't heard this one. "What do you need?"

"My... granddaughter..." Walter whispered through the pain in his throat. The nurse placed more ice chips in Walter's mouth and smiled as she nodded her head. "She has been asking for you... I sent someone to go get her..."

Walter nodded his head and struggle as he attempted to keep his eyes open. He had a dream that had bothered him during the surgery. Nikita had broken down and retreated back into the shell that she had tried to construct for herself. Walter needed to see that Nikita was ok and was not falling apart.

"Pappap?" Nikita questioned when Walter opened his eyes again. But this time he was in a new room. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been asleep again, but he didn't care. He saw Nikita as she nervously stood there. Walter noticed the hand on Nikita's shoulder, but didn't need to ask who it was.

"Sugar..." Walter whispered with a smile on his face. He could see that Nikita had been worried, but that she was ok.

"How are you feeling?" Nikita questioned and Walter shrugged his shoulders. "I have felt better..."

"I'm sure you have..." Nikita commented as she reached out and stroked Walter's hand. She had never been this scared for someone else in her life. "The doctor said that everything was fine... that it went in perfectly..."

"Did I need blood?" Walter questioned and Nikita nodded her head. "They used yours... That was all that you needed."

"You should go to work..." Walter immediately stated as he lifted his eyes and looked at Nikita. He didn't want Nikita to be around the hospital all day. He was glad that she had been there for him now, but he also knew, that she had to other things in her life.

"I have a little bit," Nikita commented back as she looked at Walter, sure that he could see all of her emotions and feelings running across her face.

"But you have that client today.... And I don't want to stress you out, sugar... Belinda will be in to keep me company..." Walter struggled to get Nikita to go. It was nice to see Nikita right now. It eased the pain of the drug-induced dream, but he also didn't want Nikita to wait on him hand and foot. That was not the job of a granddaughter. Walter wasn't going to allow it.

"I arranged for Nikita to arrive in late.... She had some car problems and I had to pick her up," Michael stated for Walter's benefit and Nikita looked at Michael. She weakly smiled and took a deep breath. "See Pappap... I got some time to be by your side... and thank god that everything went fine."

"Thank you..." Walter stated again and he looked up at Michael.

He was also thanking Michael.