Spoilers for "Time Out of Mind" - The story takes off at the point of Michael's aborted evacuation of Nikita from the mental facility.

Unraveled Sanity

The hairline fracture of Michael's heart cracked uncontrollably as they dragged her away. He had come to this god forsaken place to rescue her from her torment and had, once again at the final hour, been forced to betray her.

The helplessness and despair that he felt at that moment was clearly evident on his face as she repeatedly screamed his name in reckless abandon. His legs threatened to give out from underneath him as the pain he felt violently shook his resolve .

His emotions teetered on the tightrope that was his mind as he mentally walked its distance knowing to break down now would mean losing everything. He steeled himself using every fiber of his existence to turn around and face them.

"Thank you, he monotoned to Dr. Lukas. Please let me know when she's well enough to be released", he managed, handing over his business card before departing. He walked back to the mission van cursing Section and the people responsible for it's existence, himself included.

The self loathing he felt threatened to rise up from his core spilling itself all over him. He fought to keep it at bay. What cruel trick of fate to live in a place that repeatedly tested their sanity. And yes, he realized thinking back, they had all been subject to it's venemous touch at one time or another.

************

"Jason, report", Michael commanded, forcing himself back into mission mode. "Nikita has withdrawn within herself, Michael. Madeline is going to have to stimulate her psyche to get her back on track". "Let me know the minute we have the required intel", he adamantly advised him. "You got it Michael", Jason responded before severing the connection.

Michael had no intention of moving from this spot until that time. He decided come hell or high water, he would remain onsite so that the next time she called out to him, he would move in for he could not and would not forsake her again.

Nikita had withdrawn to a place deep within the recesses of her mind feeling almost completely lost when she heard her. "Nikita? Nikita, listen to me", Madeline pressed. "GO AWAY!", she screamed. "Nikita, we had no choice. You need to reestablish your link with David French", she pushed on.

"Madeline?", she dronned. "Yes Nikita. The mission is almost complete. You have to hold on and initiate one more encounter with French. Can you comply?". "Please Madeline, I've had enough, please!". "Nikita, you have to try and focus", Madeline continued, knowing obtaining closure was Nikita's only hope for escape.

She was finding it difficult not to feel remorseful for Nikita's situation. Her emotions had, after all, been cast into uncertainty after her last assignment. An assignment which she had barely managed to escape from alive. She realized then that Operations had his own plans and that they did not include her.

That had been the moment of true realization. Realization that she was truly on her own. They were all on their own. The bonds that had been in place for so long were breaking down systematically. Sides were being chosen and taken. There was really no one you could trust.

She felt the stab wounds of Operation's betrayal again realizing that Michael and Nikita could trust each other with their lives and Paul's betrayal hit home that much harder. She had to do it. It was the only shred of her humanity that she had left to hold on to.

She was determined to help Nikita reach mission closure and turned her attention, once again, to the Level 2 operative's unraveling sanity. "Nikita, you can do this. I know you can. Search yourself for the inner strength and we'll get you out of there".

************

Madeline's words came across clouded to her but through their density she heard two things; inner strength and we'll get you out. She tried to focus, finding it more difficult each time. Then, his image appeared to her and he was there. "Michael?", she called out. "Yes my love, we can do this together. You have a backup pill Nikita. Please try and remember".

"Pill", she repeated trying again to focus. She opened the cabinet drawer beside her searching its interior for her bag. Her hand groped around haphazardly finally coming in contact with the object of her desire. She clutched it to her chest not quite sure what she was supposed to do next.

Madeline's words again danced in front of her; inner strength Nikita, inner strength and she opened the purse. She remembered now. The backup pill was stashed away in the lining of her purse. She pulled at the black material trying desperately to free the medicine from its hiding place but found she just could not do it.

"We'll get you out", came the words again causing Nikita to dump the contents of the bag on the bed before tearing at the lining of the purse with her teeth and exposing the last green tablet. She bought the bag to her face shaking it violently towards her mouth swallowing bits of lint and fabric along with the tablet. She slumped back on the bed, feat accomplished, and waited for the drug to take effect.

She began feeling the effects of the medicine neutralizing her system and quickly got up advancing towards the door and looking out. The hallway was clear prompting her to proceed forward. She moved stealthily down the corridor towards David French's room and quietly entered. The room was empty.

She peeked back out into the hallway just as the door to the file room closed shut. Following her instincts, she approached the room cautiously and looked in. There stood French, wide eyed and alert leafing through the file cabinet's documents. She watched as he retrieved a particular document occasionally looking over his shoulder.

So, she wasn't the only perpetrator in this looney bin, Nikita thought to herself as she waited for French to exit. "I'll take that", she readily voiced as he exited into the hallway, clearly caught off guard.

"Who are you?", David queried trying to gain some momentum. Nikita saw the move before it came and skillfully out maneuvered him administering a swift karate chop to the back of his neck. She scanned the document noting it had the intel they required before placing it safely in her undergarment.

************

It was then that they appeared. The facility's beefy orderlies quickly advancing upon her as they observed David's unconscious form lying on the floor. "You know the rules, Nikita. Acts of violence will not be tolerated without punishment", they admonished as they grabbed her from each side dragging her towards the electro shock therapy room.

"No, wait please, Nikita screamed. You don't understand. He started it, she cried out". Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the orderlies continued carrying her towards her punishment. "MICHAEL, she screamed. HELP ME! I HAVE THE INTEL".

Jason, who had been hooked into Nikita's transmission all along quickly dispatched the info to Michael advising him that Nikita had obtained mission closure but was in eminent danger. Michael wasted no time charging out of the mission van and into the facility's compound determined to prevent her from enduring any further inflicted pain.

He ran through the institution's corridors towards the electro shock therapy room, his guns drawn, causing many of the patients to scream and howel at the sudden excitement.

He kicked the door in just as Dr. Lukas was about to administer the shock therapy causing the orderlies to turn and advance upon him. Michael fired off three shots dropping the trio where they stood witnessing the immediate relief in Nikita's eyes.

He gently removed the mouth gag from her face lifting her up from the gurney to her feet. "Michael, she half moaned, half cried; you came for me", tears welling up in her eyes. He kissed the tears away standing her up completely and taking her in his arms.

"Let's go", he softly voiced taking her by the hand and leading her out into the light of day. "Jason, call in housekeeping", he ordered as he pulled the mission van out and away from the hell that was her temporary home and headed back to the hell that was their permanent one.

Nikita leaned her body close to his and he held onto her with his free hand knowing as long as they had each other, they would always endure.

THE END

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