THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE

By Aries


CHAPTER ONE

Nikita walked slowly through the halls of Section taking the time to say hello to each operative who said hello to her. She headed straight over to Walter’s station and started fingering one of his current projects carefully. She seemed distracted somehow but Walter couldn’t put his finger on it. If he had a bet, it would be something to do with Michael.

“Hey sugar, what’s up?” Walter asked lightly.

“Oh, not much Walter. Just waiting around for this mission.” Nikita answered. Her voice sounded distant to him.

“What time should Birkoff and I be over to your apartment on Christmas Eve?” Walter asked sure that Nikita was going to have the Christmas party that she held every year on that day.

“Oh, I’m not going to have it this year. I want to spend some time by myself. It’ll be my vacation.” Nikita told Walter as she began to walk away.

“You’re not having the annual party?” Walter asked incredulously. He couldn’t believe that she was just going to give up on Christmas like this.

“I’m just not in the mood for it Walter. If you want to have one, go ahead.” She said and walked over to Birkoff’s station to tell him the news. Walter could tell when Nikita told him because the sadness on Birkoff’s face was the same on his own. Walter decided that he had to do something and quick.

Pulling down the gate to his station, Walter quickly walked in the direction of Michael’s office. Michael would be the one who would be able to talk Nikita into having the party if no one else could. Walter was sure of that much.

When he reached Michael’s office, he knocked lightly on the door. He heard the curt “Come in” and entered the office slowly and closed the door behind him.

Michael looked up from his computer mildly surprised to see Walter standing there instead of Nikita who always came to bug him about coming to her Christmas party about this time of year.

“What can I do for you Walter?” Michael asked with the blank stare fixed on his face. Walter was not intimidated at all by the look Michael was giving him. By now, Walter was used to it.

“It’s about Nikita.” Walter said quickly and watched Michael turn the surveillance off to his office. When Michael was sure that the room was secure, he turned back to Walter.

“What about Nikita?” Michael asked Walter making it clear that he wanted this to be quick.

“She’s not having the Christmas party this year. I was wondering if you knew why or could talk to her and find out the real reason why she’s not having it. She wouldn’t tell me.” Walter informed Michael.

“What do you want me to do about it? I’ve been against it since she started the tradition.” Michael told Walter. Walter wasn’t really surprised by Michael’s reaction to the information that Walter just laid in front of him but he knew that it had somehow affected the man.

“I want you to talk to her. To find out why she’s not having it. Michael, if she’s not having it because of Section, that means that they are achieving their goal of sucking out her soul. Her compassion. Do you really want that to happen?” Walter confronted Michael boldly. The only time that Walter stood up to Michael was when Nikita was involved.

Michael just stared at Walter with no emotion in his eyes or on his face. Walter felt like he was going crazy trying to talk to a bunch of people that were not listening to him.

“I will see what I can do.” Michael replied curtly and turned back to his computer. Walter got the message; this little chat is over. Walter turned and walked out of the room exasperated with both Michael and Nikita.

Once the door closed to his office, Michael let the blank stare fall off his face. He was worried about Nikita. She did seem increasingly distant as Christmas approached. Now she wasn’t holding the party that she held every year. He wanted to know why and how he could convince her that she should have it.

CHAPTER TWO

Michael left his office and went in search of Nikita. He tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He walked over to Birkoff’s station and asked Birkoff if he had seen her.

“Yeah, she just left after checking in with Madeline.” Birkoff told Michael and turned back to running the sims for the upcoming mission.

“So she’s heading home now?” Michael asked with his blank stare held firmly in place.

“Yeah, I imagine so.” Birkoff replied without even looking up at Michael until Michael turned to walk away.

Walter walked over to Birkoff’s station after Michael was out of sight to find out if Michael had been looking for Nikita. He was gladly satisfied when Birkoff told him that he was.

Meanwhile… Michael quickly left Section and headed for the black Miata that was parked nearby. He had to get to Nikita and find out what he needed to know before she did real harm to herself. He knew that she was prepared to commit suicide last year before she was sent out on the suicide mission he saved her from by giving her her freedom. He wanted to prevent her from doing any damage to herself now.

No matter what image he presented for Section, she was a part of him. He had tried to deny it for so long. He did it by turning her invitations to her Christmas parties down, using her the way that Section wanted him to, and rejecting her everytime he started to open up to her. He knew that she was starting to get tired of the games.

It didn’t take long for him to reach her apartment building in his Miata. Traffic was light which made traveling there that much easier. When he got there, he quickly moved out of the car. He moved towards the building like a cat protecting its family.

When he reached Nikita’s door, knocked lightly. He wanted her to think that this was an ordinary visit from him at first. That was how he operated. He was totally unprepared for the sight of her when she opened the door for him. She looked tired. There were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Her skin was very pale and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Upon seeing this, the blank stare left his face.

“What do you want Michael?” She asked. The exhaustion she was feeling was revealed in her voice. How she managed to hide all of this from Walter and Birkoff he didn’t know.

“I wanted to see how you are doing.” Michael said carefully watching what he said. “May I come in?”

“Now is not a good time Michael.” Nikita said. “I was just getting ready to lay down.”

Michael pushed past her anyway. He was determined to find out what was bothering her whether or not she allowed him to or not. He was worried about her. She was pushing herself too hard. Section was pushing her too hard.

He didn’t like the way that she looked or the fact that her normally tidy apartment was practically torn apart. It looked as if someone had broken in. He felt like he was facing a totally different person. She was cold and seemed to be unfeeling. He got the impression that she was turning into a carbon copy of what he pretends to be for the Section.

From the looks of things, things were getting bad for Nikita after the incident with Adrian. He hated seeing it happen and not being able to do anything about it. He tried to help her on the mission they were placed on together but more often than not, she was sent out on missions without him.

She closed the door behind him knowing that she was in no shape to try and force him to leave. She walked over into the kitchenette and poured herself a glass of milk. Michael watched every move that she made carefully. He knew that she didn’t normally drink milk at this time of year. She drank eggnog.

She didn’t even bother to offer him anything like she normally did. She was rather quiet and still. It hurt him to see her like this.

“Why are you here?” She asked again after taking a long swig of her milk.

“I already told you that.” Michael replied.

“Did Section send you?” She asked wearily.

“No.” He answered curtly while he walked over and sat down in one of the chairs she had situated around the room. “Why don’t you come over and sit with me?”

Nikita was stunned by his question. She knew that there had to be some reason why Michael was here in her apartment but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

CHAPTER THREE

Nikita walked over and sat in the chair next to the one that Michael was currently sitting in not taking her eyes off him for one second. After all that he’s put her through in the name of Section, she was beginning not to trust him. Who was she trying to kid? She didn’t trust him in this sense as far as she could throw him.

All she wanted right now was to get him out of her apartment so that she could go back to bed. She was tired and sore from the recent series of missions she had been placed on. They were all hard on her. A lot of them were pointless.

Michael looked around her apartment then turned his eyes back on her. He was careful not to betray any of the feelings that were running through him to her.

“Where are all of your Christmas decorations?” He asked mildly.

“I’m not decorating this year. I don’t have the time or the energy for it.” She replied weakly.

“Nikita…” Michael’s voice trailed off as he saw the way that she was looking at him. He knew that she was suspicious of why he was there so he knew he had to get to the point fast or she would be showing him the door before he could find out the intel he needed.

“What Michael?” She asked trying to get him to finish what he started to say.

“Walter paid me a visit in my office this afternoon. He wanted to know if I knew why you aren’t having your Christmas party this year.” Michael told her.

“And so you came over to find out for him?” She asked quietly now understanding the whole meaning of this visit.

“Yes. You love those parties Nikita.” Michael started his assault.

“I’m not in the mood this year. I’m too tired. Besides I’m tired of trying to get people to come and only the same ones showing up each year.” She stated quickly hoping to get rid of him soon.

Michael knew what she was talking about or rather who she was talking about. It was him. He was the real reason why she was not having the party this year. The realization hit him hard. Now he really needed to do something because she needed him to.

“Nikita…” Michael started but wasn’t sure what to say. He knew that she didn’t want to get into it with him right now.

“Michael, don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it. Just leave me alone.” Nikita said as she walked over to the door and opened it. She knew that she was making it quite clear to him that she wanted him to leave now.

He got up silently and walked over to the door. When he got there, he stopped in front of her and caressed her cheek with his hand very briefly. After a couple of seconds, he dropped his hand and left the apartment to go and figure out what it was he was going to do to put Nikita in the Christmas spirit. It was going to take a lot of planning and he needed to get started soon if he was going to accomplish his goal.

CHAPTER FOUR

>Michael went back to his office in Section. He had to come up with some ideas fast. He tried thinking of some on the way to his office but none came to him. He didn’t know what to do so he left his office almost as soon as he got there and went down to Walter’s station.

“What’s up Michael?” Walter asked curious as to why Michael was there. Michael never came here unless he was picking up weapons for missions.

“I need to talk to you about Nikita.” Michael said directly. He certainly wasn’t one who wasted time.

“Sure…” Walter said as he followed behind Michael. Michael had turned to go back to his office sure that Walter would follow.

Once the two men were inside of Michael’s office, Walter shut the door and Michael turn the surveillance equipment off. Michael then turned towards Walter.

“I take it you talked to her?” Walter asked knowingly.

“Yes. I know the real reason why she is not having Christmas this year.” Michael said.

“Well, what is it? What can I do?” Walter asked eagerly. He was always willing to do things for his beloved Sugar.

“The reason she is not celebrating Christmas this year is because of me. I’m not sure what to do at this point. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Do you have any ideas that could help us get her back into the Christmas spirit?” Michael asked keeping the blank stare in place. He didn’t want Walter seeing how much it pained him being the reason Nikita was not having Christmas. He hated being who and what he was. He hurt her time after time for no real reason but for the means of Section.

“I don’t know of anything. Maybe we could pretend to be the ghosts of Christmas for her?” Walter suggested lightly.

“No. That won’t work with her. We need something else. Something better.” Michael said as a thought struck him. “Wait! What about if I had the Christmas party this year? If I showed to Nikita that even I can get into the Christmas spirit?”

Walter was stunned that Michael had thought of such a thing. He was stunned that Michael would actually DO such a thing.

“I think that it might work!” Walter said as he snapped his fingers. “What can I do to help?”

“Start working out invitations and stuff like that. I will need to work on refreshments and actually go out and buy a tree.” Michael said as he thought of all of the work this was going to take. He just hoped that she would show up after all of the years he’s turned her down.

To Chapter Five