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Michael slowly walked in front of Jurgen whose gun was aimed at the small of his back. He kept his hands out away from his sides and Jurgen had chosen to use him as a possible human shield in the event that Nikita or Davenport decided to shoot first and ask questions later. He knew that they wouldn't dare take the shot if they couldn't be assured that Jurgen wouldn't get off at least a single round. Michael was too important to both of the operatives and Jurgen chose to use this to his best advantage.

Davenport stood alone at the end of the hall. Jurgen stopped short and scanned both left and right trying to get a position on Nikita. "Hold it Michael, that's far enough," he brought the gun up to let Davenport know he meant business. "Don't make any sudden moves or Michael gets it here and now," his raised voice quivered just a bit and didn't go unnoticed by either operative. "Where is Nikita?" he moved into a closer position to Michael.

"Beats me" Davenport shrugged. His hands were behind his back and he stood in a military pose, legs slightly apart feet set into an erect stance. "She took off to find Michael," he lied.

"I asked you where Nikita is?" he brought the gun up to a point at the base of Michael's skull. "I'll kill him you know?" he wanted Davenport to believe this but realized that he probably didn't.

"You kill Michael, and I'll kill you," came a voice from nowhere. Suddenly a ceiling tile came crashing down on him as Nikita dropped down from her vantagepoint near the heating ducts. His weapon discharged and the bullet missed its intended target and lodged in the wall inches from where Nikita was now crouched and ready to fire her own gun. "Don't do it Jurgen, I will kill you" she pointed the gun as both he and Michael struggled to get to their feet. They had both been taken by surprise.

"I don't think so." he stood up brushing himself off while maintaining his grip on the weapon in his hand.

"What makes you so sure?" she leveled the gun at his head as Michael reached out his hand to take Jurgen's.

"The gun," he wiggled his fingers as if this simple action might make Jurgen quicken his response.

"Michael asked you for the gun." Davenport moved in with his own weapon drawn. "Give him the dam gun," he hissed in a voice that surprised both Michael and Nikita.

"I think you should reconsider." Jurgen smiled still not willing to relinquish his weapon.

"It's three to one Jurgen, you don't stand a chance." she waved the gun in his face "Give him your weapon.... Please?" she was losing patience.

"Not so fast Nikita," came a female voice from down a corridor to their left.

"What?" she quickly turned her weapon in the direction of the voice, one that was so very familiar that it made the hairs on the back of not only her neck but also of Michael's stand on edge. "Elena?" she looked like someone had slapped her. "How?" she turned to Jurgen as the woman moved closer. She appeared to be unarmed but her full attention was now on Michael.

"Surprised to see me Michael?" her voice was full of venom as she drew nearer. All Nikita could do was stand, weapon now down by her side as the woman closed the gap between them.

"Welcome Elena, good timing." Jurgen drew her to him and placed a kiss on her cheek, which she happily accepted.

"Thank you, I knew you might be in trouble, Michael always was a handful" she turned and gave a smile very similar to the irritating ones that Madeline was known for.

"Elena what are you doing here?" Michael looked beyond where she now stood and Nikita could see all the confusion clearly written across his features. His normally ice cold eyes betrayed the pain of seeing someone he knew he had hurt badly yet never fully intended to.

"Are you looking for something Michael, or someone?" she took great pleasure in the pain she saw in his eyes. She looked different somehow. It could have been that her hair was cut much shorter than they both remembered. It was now in a blunt cut just below her jawbone and her features, once small and delicate seemed harsher now. "Perhaps you would like to know what has become of your, our son?" she placed an arm around Jurgen's waist to stress the last part of her statement.

"My son, Adam is my son," he gave a terse answer.

"Perhaps in blood Michael, but you gave both him and me up for your precious Section or don't your remember?" she was playing him like a fine Cello.

"I wasn't given a choice" he turned to Jurgen "In Section you have no choices" he was pleading now and both men knew it. "Where is my son?" his voice could not cover his feelings this time.

"In time Michael" she smiled as a small delicate hand reached out for both Nikita's and Davenport's weapons. "We will take those," she was not asking.

Nikita and Davenport gave Michael a questioning glance to which he vaguely nodded his consent.

"Thank you," she smiled, "Nikita if you will come with me?" she pointed the way lazily using a weapon to distinguish the direction

"Do I have a choice," she stopped long enough to mouth 'be careful' to Michael.

"Davenport, you and Michael can follow me" Jurgen turned knowing that neither man was now a threat. Davenport and Michael exchanged glances and Davenport hoped that this new twist wasn't going to endanger any of their lives.

Nikita walked along side Elena trying to keep count of the doors and corridors they had passed through. She wasn't taking any chances as to losing her way in what now appeared to be an almost maze like structure. "Why Elena?" she decided to see if the young woman would open up to her.

"Why? What did I have after my father was killed and Michael?" she turned to Nikita who still found her to be a very attractive woman.

"Section was taking care of anything you needed" she knew it sounded hollow.

"Section killed my father, they took my son's father away and led us to believe he was dead. He never tried to contact us" she was ranting now.

"He couldn't," Nikita put a hand on Elena's arm, "Don't you see? Michael had people he had to answer to" she was pleading their case. "Dangerous people who would have killed you and Adam as well if it suited their purpose" she wished she could make her understand. "He couldn't contact you and protect you at the same time" she stood her ground.

"So he just forgot about us?" Elena didn't want to know the truth.

"You weren't there, you didn't see how it nearly destroyed him when he lost both of you," her voice filled with sadness as she though of those times.

"He didn't care if he lived or died," she pressed on. "I was there, Section told him in no uncertain terms to 'get over it' regarding you and his son." she wanted to shake this woman until she understood... if she could ever.

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

(115)

They continued to walk and Nikita continued to count although doing that and trying to maintain a conversation was growing nearly impossible. "Elena, I found Michael alone in his apartment. Section, the organization we work for, gave him what they called time off for his sacrifice" she slowed her pace "Don't you see, he made a huge sacrifice by not going to you and telling you the truth" she hoped she was making headway with her. "He would have gladly traded his life for that of both of you" her grip tightened on Elena's arm.

"Adam was everything to Michael, everything that he should or would never have been allowed the pleasure of if it hadn't suited Section to do so" they stopped before an ordinary wooden door and Elena opened it admitting both of them. It was another apartment, much different from the one Nikita had been assigned to but Nikita was to engrossed in making her understand to notice much. "You know how his face lit up holding that little guy?" she sat in the chair offered by Elena.

"I believe he genuinely loved Adam" she nodded her agreement and Nikita allowed herself the slightest glimmer of hope in changing her mind.

"He loved you both in a way that is I agree hard to understand" she combed a hand through her hair as if to emphasize the confusion trying to understand Michael brought with it. "Michael believes that he doesn't deserve to love or be loved, he has been with Section so long that he doesn't always know where they end and he begins," she wanted so much for her know the real Michael, not the image that living with him conjured up. "He's been hurt, betrayed and used by Section the entire time he's been there," she added quite sadly.

"Why not just leave?" the innocent question make Nikita smile and her reaction seemed to confuse the woman.

"You don't just leave," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "To the outside world we don't exist anymore," she decided to come completely clean with Elena. "Who we were, what we had before being brought to Section no longer matters. Our friends and families think we are dead and if you go against them, trust me, you would be dead," she sighed. "Michael had to do what he did to you or he would have been canceled, if he had attempted to contact you, all of you would be dead right now," she hugged her arms to her chest. "He suffered for hurting you, he's made himself suffer each and every day since" she emphasized that point. The look on Elena's face was twofold, a desire to understand and confusion about the how's and why's of Section.

"Who are these people?" she sat back with her arms crossed over her knees.

"They're an antiterrorist organization" she figured answering each question as they came might be a better tactic.

"What did that have to do with my Father?"

Nikita didn't want to hurt her anymore than she had already been but the truth was what was needed here not trying to buffer her. "He was a terrorist that Section had been after for about 5 or 6 years" she wanted to make this as easy for Elena as possible but she could tell it was difficult for her to believe.

"So my entire courtship and marriage was a lie?" the numbers finally sunk in. "I believed him when he said he loved me, I believed that he was truly happy about my being pregnant" she sat back and the tears overflowed.

"He loved you the best that Michael knows how," she wrapped a protective arm around Elena "and Adam was a light in his self imposed darkness." she smiled.

Elena wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. "But he was always after my father?" Nikita nodded. "So his wanting me to reconcile with him wasn't for me?"

Nikita shook her head then stopped "I think he wanted you to make peace with him for yourself, but no, the bottom line was a directive from Section," she stated matter of fact.

"And Michael always does what Section tells him?" she knew the answer but needed to hear it.

"He does if he wants to live but in this case he did it so that he could protect you and Adam," she whispered. "Now I have a question for you?" Elena nodded and Nikita felt that at least they had made a connection. "How did you get involved with Jurgen?" she needed to know exactly what Elena's feeling and frame of mind were regarding him.

"He showed up on my doorstep one day" she smiled at the memory "said he was a friend of Michael's and when I realized how much he knew about him, what reason did I have to doubt him?" she asked honestly. "He was a friend when I needed one and after a while, I couldn't imagine life without him he was so good with Adam," she smiled and looked ready to cry. "He never let Adam forget that Michael was his father but he did things with him that a father should have done" she tried to explain.

"I'm glad he was there for you." Nikita smiled genuinely.

"Is he acting on Section's part as well?" she needed to know.

"No, unfortunately, he hates Section, Michael and he hates me as well," she hoped that Elena would give her a chance to make her understand. "Why?"

Nikita knew she couldn't lie. "Jurgen once had something, I'm not sure exactly what," she could honestly answer "but it was something that made Section very uneasy," she continued the story. "They made Michael retrieve it by using me." She winced when she remembered her reaction to being used.

"So Michael hurt you as well?" she watched Nikita's reaction and knew before she could answer.

"He's lied and betrayed me, used and hurt me but" she couldn't bring herself to finish.

"But he loves you doesn't he?"

Nikita slowly nodded. "Yes, he does, I'm sorry Elena," she touched the shoulder of the dark haired woman sitting to her left.

"Don't be, I could tell there was something special between the two of you the first time I met you" she laughed. Nikita smiled herself. "That's why Jurgen was using Michael as a shield, he knew I wouldn't risk hurting Michael to get to him" she stared at the woman who had so much to digest. "When he is done, none of us will exist anymore, not me, Michael nor Section if he has his way." She wanted to make sure that Elena understood everything.

"And Madeline?" she looked at Nikita who had a confused look about why Elaine would know of Madeline.

"How do you know about Madeline?" Nikita couldn't cover her surprise.

"Madeline is Jurgen's sister." Nikita's jaw dropped…