Nikita led the prisoner out, with Michael following vigilantly behind him. She considered what to say to Michael when she got an opportunity. "I thought you were dead" was too close to his words after finding her in Lyons and would invoke memories in both of them that were too raw. "I'm sorry" was too trite. Everything she could think of was too distant or too personal. She had still not resolved the dilemma when they reached the transport area.

A Section van had parked not far from the vehicle from the Center. Unsure which was to be used for the prisoner, Nikita stopped, forcing Mr Smith to do so too. She turned and took a step to the side. Michael remained facing the prisoner's back, taking a short step to the other side. Between them they had the entire area covered. Nikita waited tensely for some sign from Michael that he would not accept her watching his back. A turn of the body, even perhaps pacing in a slow circle. That he did not brought her a shard of joy. Their relationship might be shattered, but there was still some thread of professional trust there. A foundation that could be built upon. For now it would be enough.

==

"Is Madeline also alive?" Mr Jones asked quietly as he watched Michael leave.

"Yes. She's been working with Michael. She ensured your communication lines to the Center stayed open during this." Paul gestured around him generally.

"The full story would be helpful," Mr Jones said with acerbity.

"The Council is a coalition of powerful men who lead, or have deep links into, a variety of special interest groups, terrorists, and miscellaneous criminal syndicates. Its power is immense, though very few people know of its existence. Even many of the groups it finances or otherwise sponsors don't know where their backing comes from. Red Cell was a major conduit from the Council into the wider terrorist community. It helped other groups, usually at the behest of the Council."

Paul paused, considering his next words.

"The Center fed Section missions against Council opponents or competition. Section would be seen as fulfilling its Charter, and the Council would be rid of... nuisances. However, Section went head to head with Red Cell and refused to disengage. George tried to deflect us, then discredit us, and finally had to warn off Red Cell directly, but Section prevailed despite him."

"Section's success against Red Cell, and then George, threatened to expose the Council's existence, and splinter its control over the more minor, and sometimes more radical, terrorist groups. Before Section could go further, and inflict more damage, it needed crippling."

"How did you discover all this?" Mr Jones finally asked after digesting Paul's words.

"It took several years to piece things together. Once George was exposed I knew we could find the link into the Center. When you used Nikita to move against Section we thought it might have been you." His smile was wolfish. Mr Jones looked grim.

"So you sent Madeline and Michael to sort this all out alone?"

"Of necessity. They had to be completely isolated from Section to eliminate the risk of back-wash to the Center."

"That's a great deal of trust," he commented.

"Yes." Operations was unflinching.

"Why didn't you just forward me your evidence once you knew the target? Why such an elaborate ploy?"

"Given the systematic discrediting of Section One within the Center, what proof would you have believed?" Mr Jones sniffed reflectively and conceded the point.

"An impressive performance." It was a grudging admission.

"Impressive enough to cause you to rescind the cancellation orders against my people?" Paul asked quickly.

"Yes. For the moment at any rate," he added before Paul could feel too triumphant.

==

Mr Jones trailed behind Paul on the walk to their vehicles, talking to his colleagues back at the Center. He noted Madeline's presence as his eyes ran over the dangerous and dedicated group of people gathered before him when he caught up. He put the phone away and addressed them as a group.

"Our house will obviously be cleaned, from the top down. It's likely that this will result in a reorganisation of structures and personnel. The investigations will take some time. For the moment you'll proceed as usual, pending notification of changes relevant to you. Nikita, your role in this requires particular scrutiny, so you'll return to Section with Madeline and Michael. Consider yourself seconded to Section in the interim."

There was a brief, shocked silence. "And if we don't want her?" Operations questioned in a conversational tone.

"You have her," came the uncompromising reply. "And I expect to get her back intact." The threat was explicit. Operations stared at Mr Jones for a few moments then nodded.

"Of course," he replied in a bland tone.

Mr Jones prepared to leave with his prisoner. "I expect your full report by tomorrow morning. You'll be handling the follow-through on this so I'll have one of my people send you the interrogation reports regularly."

There was an awkward moment when Mr Jones left. Madeline and Operations were looking at each other, their expressions unreadable. Michael was looking off into the middle distance, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Nikita looked at each of them, not knowing what to say. In the end, she decided to say nothing.

Nikita turned and strode to the van, got in, and headed for the back. Michael entered next, choosing a neutral position about midway down the van. Madeline sat opposite Michael, and Operations sat beside him on the side furthest from Nikita. She could draw no conclusions from that, however, as it placed him in front of the computer terminal, which he was using even before the van started moving.

"I know you're both tired, but we need to move fast, before word gets out," Operations said quietly to Michael and Madeline. They nodded. Nikita watched as the three of them discussed the next group of targets and the logistics required to act against them. She thought Michael might have preferred to simply listen, but Madeline drew him in by asking for his assessments of several tentative profiles. Nikita realised Madeline was treating him as more of an equal than she had ever seen her do before, and Operations was following her lead.

Irrespective of personal feelings or beliefs, the three shared a professional respect. Nikita folded her hands together, then looked up. Her voice seemed to catch the others by surprise.

"I know where Rossi will be in 12 hours. It's an exposed transit." Operations studied her then nodded, asking her for details. Madeline immediately started profiling even as Operations discussed logistics with Michael, whom he tasked with the profile's execution.

Nikita looked down at her folded hands, then up at Operations. "What will be my role?" she asked in a neutral voice.

"You'll have tactical oversight of Section missions," came his answer, equally neutral. Nikita nodded.

"I'm not going out in the field?" It was a careful query, not a demand for an explanation.

"No. Mr Jones has ordered us to keep you safe, and so we shall." His tone was utterly bland.

"Fine," she responded tonelessly. What did you expect? she asked herself. Nothing has been forgotten.

==

Epilogue/Tag

Nikita stood to the side of Comm in Section, watching the other operatives at work, coming to terms with being back again. Things were not the same as when she had left, just as she was not. She had been assigned an office on the main level, but she did not want to go there yet.

Michael had not returned to Section. He had transferred to another vehicle and headed back out. They had not said anything to one another, and the one look they had exchanged had been deeply guarded, on both sides. Now that her relief at his survival had faded, she was left contemplating where they would go from here. Where could they go, given all that had happened between them?

The only direction left is up, surely. Hope was such a fragile thing. So was trust. When he returned they would talk. She would make sure of it.

An incoming team, heading noisily to Munitions, drew her out of her thoughts. It was strange not seeing Walter there. While part of her hoped he was well and happy, another part noted that she lacked a useful source of gossip and information. Walter had always known what was going on in Section. Without friends or allies, Nikita knew she was very much out of Section's information loop.

Nikita drew a deep breath. It would not be easy, but these were the cards she had been given. She would deal with it, as she had so much else. After all, what else could she do? Maybe this time, she could do better.

==

Mr Jones was playing the piano, a deep sense of satisfaction pervading him as he contemplated the recent actions of Paul, Madeline, Nikita and Michael. They had done extremely well, and reached the objective much faster than he had anticipated.

He smiled. There was no sign that any of them realised that they had been tested. His role remained undiscovered. There was plenty to keep them all busy for quite a while too.

It was not yet time for the next stage, so for now he would observe. How they handled themselves would determine what form his strategy would take.

He smiled again. The coming months should be very interesting.

The End

.