Part 15 by N507
Nikita blinked and stopped. The situation crashing around her. For a few moments, it had been nice seeing Michael running around in circles, as that was what Madeline needed. Nikita stopped and paused. That might have to change.
Nikita hadn't known. She had been late in the past because of the stress, and Madeline had sure placed in onto Nikita's body in the past several months with the tracking of her twin daughters. Nikita swallowed as she found her room empty.
"What am I going to do?" Nikita questioned out loud, knowing that Madeline did not know herself when she sent Nikita on this mission per say. Nikita could not stop worrying and Nikita leaned her head back and the tears ran down her face.
The door opened and suddenly she was rushed to by two male operatives that showed her love that she desperately hoped was true. The truth could kill Michael, and Nikita just wanted to get out of this situation. She knew Madeline needed time, but Nikita had her own problems. Hopefully in time, Madeline would understand that.
"Sugar... how are you feeling.... The baby...." Walter whispered out and Nikita sat up and stared at him.
"What baby Walter? I was in an accident... because of you." Nikita said deeply as she stared at Michael. Michael looked to Walter and stepped back.
It was hard enough telling the innocent Nikita about the baby and their relationship, now it had to be done all over again.
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Birkoff tried to keep on an eye on the twins as he looked at the growing crowd around him. He looked up and swallowed as he saw the girls lifting their shirts and grabbing several strands of beads. Madeline would have crapped herself seeing them.
Birkoff looked around, seeing nothing but flesh and bars. He looked straight ahead as the girls walked into the Cat's Meow, but he had easily been separated from them. He looked around and easily bought a beer, thinking it would be easier to enter the Cat's Meow that way. He looked around the area, seeing the seedy places that Walter had always talked about.. saying that you could see ANYTHING on Bourbon Street.
For the longest while, Birkoff was sure that Walter was just extending the truth, but from the signs and the not well blacked out windows, Birkoff could see that Walter had easily told the truth.
"YOU!" someone screamed deeply from the balcony above the Cat's Meow. Birkoff looked up to find the twins standing with loads of beads. Birkoff stared at them as they pointed towards him.
"You need to earn beads to meet us!" The girls cried out in pleasure, and Birkoff looked at people pointing to him, because he was beadless.
"You better get working. Those are fine looking ladies." some men started to say and Birkoff sighed. He had to stay with them.
Birkoff flashed his shirt up and down quickly and the girls laughed loudly.
"That's what girls do! You have to do what guys do. You are a guy, right?" Copper laughed out and Birkoff felt as if he had turned into a three-inch man.
"STRIP!!!!" The girls started to chant, and suddenly, the number one rule of Section One had been broken. NEVER CAUSE A SCENE!
Birkoff started to unbuckle his belt...
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Part 16 by Northstar
"Birkoff!" Ops yelled into the intercom.
"Uh sir, Birkoff isn't here." Jones the young intern answered.
"Well, where the hell is he?"
"He had some downtime sir."
"Find him. NOW."
"Yes sir. Right away sir."
"Is Walter back yet?" he inquired for about the nth time.
"No sir. Nobody knows where he went."
"Is there anyone here in Section at all?" Ops barked again.
"Yes sir. I am." Jones said with a small smirk playing around his mouth. It was a good thing he wasn't facing Ops right now. It was strange that no one else other than Operations was in Section tonight.
"NO! I mean someone of importance, you idiot." he snarled. He turned the intercom off. Birkoff on downtime, Walter no where to be found, Michael and Nikita on a mission that had gone south and no Madeline either. There was something strange going on with her too. She had seemed a bit pre-occuppied the last few days.
It was just 3 days ago, before Michael and Nikita left that he had found Nikita and Madeline talking and when he asked Madeline about it after she was very evasive and wouldn't directly answer his question other than to say it was private. He tried to corner Nikita about it, but she too was closemouthed about what was talked about. He needed to get control back of his operatives and that included Madeline.
****
Birkoff was just in the process of removing his belt, when he thought better of it. This wasn't him. He couldn't go through with it. He was not about to humiliate himself in this manner. The girls would have to come to him. He didn't need any beads. Besides, Operations would do more than ground him this time if he got caught. It was six months since he had last been allowed out of Section after that fiasco with Walter. He couldn't afford to cause a scene. Not when he just got his freedom back.
"Come on Birkoff!!" they chided him. "What are you waiting for?" The other girls giggled along with the twins.
"Sorry girls. I can't." he responded. "I'm going back. You two can do whatever." and with that Birkoff started walking back the way they had come from.
************
Part 17 by Sherry
Michael's mind was in turmoil. It seemed that Nikita had her memory back ... or at least her old memory. Now it seemed that she remembered everything before the accident, but nothing since. He didn't want to have to go through all the explanations again, but there was no choice. At least Walter was here, so that might calm her down a little. Maybe he should just call the doctor and let him handle it. No, he thought to himself, I can't do that. I leave the explanations to other people too often, especially when it comes to Nikita. This time she needs to hear from me.
Michael sighed and walked over to the bed. "How do you feel, Kita?"
Walter sat uncomfortably in the corner. He knew that Nikita had her memory back, and he wasn't sure he wanted to be here to witness this scene. He had heard all the things that Michael had said to Nikita. He knew they devastated her. He also knew that she would fight back with everything she had. And now with the baby business ... well, things couldn't get much worse right now.
Nikita looked to Walter and then turned a frosty glare on Michael. "I'm feeling a bit bruised and battered, Michael. I was just in an accident, after all. Oh, that's right ... you caused the accident. So you know all about it. Isn't it funny how you don't seem to be any worse for the wear. If you wanted to kill me Michael, I'm sure you could have found a much easier way ... a bullet to the brain, poison in my coffee ... Why go to all the trouble of getting in a vehicle with me and then causing an accident? I mean, if you would have just shot me, you wouldn't have had to tell me all those nasty things before you tried to kill me. You could have just killed me and I would have never known how you truly feel ... or was that the point? You wanted me to not only be physically dead, but emotionally dead as well?"
Nikita paused for a breath and Michael just stood there taking it. However, if you knew Michael well, and Nikita did, you could see that each word was tearing him into smaller and smaller pieces. It felt good at first, but seeing his eyes mirror his broken and tattered soul was getting to be more than she could deal with. She had thought she wanted to hurt him badly, as he had her ... but she wasn't like that. What she really, truly wanted to do, was to put her arms around him and tell him that everything was okay. But she couldn't do that. Michael had made that clear in the van before the accident. "There was no US." That's what he had said. So, if that's the way he wanted it, then he would have his wish. But the only way she could accomplish that was to turn on him and fight him with anger. So she let him have it.
Walter was still sitting in the corner watching Michael and Nikita. He understood both of them ... probably better than they did themselves. They were so much in love and so very afraid of it. It was amusing sometimes, but right now it was downright awful. He decided maybe he should just leave them alone to fight it out themselves. He couldn't stand to sit there and watch them rip each other to pieces. He stood up and coughed "I think I'll just go for a walk. You two need to talk. I'll be back in a little while."
Michael and Nikita had both forgotten Walter was in the room with them. That was how they were. When they were so intensely involved with each other ... so into each other, whether it be heartfelt passion, or a horrendous fight like now ... it was like no one else existed. Michael looked over to Walter and nodded. Nikita opened her mouth and said "No Walter. You stay. I want you to hear everything that goes on. I want a witness to whatever drivel is gonna come out of his mouth this time."
Walter sighed and sat back down. Michael sighed and walked over to the window and looked out. What was he going to do? Nikita was on the verge of hating him right now. Maybe that was for the best, but he couldn't see how. He couldn't live his life feeling her hatred every time she looked at him. They would never be able to work together that way. And now there was the baby to think about. Why had he lost his cool and said all those awful things to her, anyway? He hadn't meant any of them. He had just ... lost control ... something he never did, and he would have to figure out why it had happened this time.
Nikita was tired of waiting. She was ready with another attack for Michael, but she didn't want to talk to his back. "Michael, do you have nothing to say? You had plenty to say in the van. Why don't you just go ahead and finish ... get it all out. I'm sure YOU will feel much better."
Michael turned back to Nikita and there was one lone tear running down his face. He felt it, but it didn't really register. One lonely tear ... exactly how he was feeling at this moment ... all alone ... and he didn't have a clue what to do about it. And Walter certainly wasn't going to help him out.
"Kita, I think we should have the doctor come in and talk to you before we do anything else. You seem to have recovered your old memory, but you can't seem to recall anything that has happened since we got here. I want him to check you out and make sure everything is okay. I'll go get him."
Nikita hated this role she was playing. She knew she was hurting Michael by being so angry with him. She knew most of the blame belonged to Madeline. She had managed to somehow drug Michael before they left for the mission. She knew he felt total remorse over what he had said to her and the accident and what had happened to her. She hated adding to his anxiety by pretending not to know what was going on. And he was dealing with the fact that she was pregnant ... with his child ... on top of it. Of course, part of her roleplaying was a self-defense mechanism. The longer she put off having the doctor come in and tell her she was pregnant, the better.
She just wasn't ready to deal with that one yet. Not until she and Michael had things straightened out between them. She desperately needed to know if what he had said in the van was how he actually felt, or if it was the drug Madeline had given him talking.
"Michael, I don't want to see the doctor. Not yet. You and I are going to get things straightened out between us before I talk to anyone. Walter, I want you to make sure no one bothers us until we've hashed things out."
Just then the door burst open and in walked Rudy, followed by a nurse who seemed to be running to keep up with him. "Nikita, are you okay?" he yelled and ran over to hug her. "They wouldn't tell me anything and Michael and Walter said you were okay, but they wouldn't let me see you. I just had to see you for myself, so I sneaked past the nurse and followed them. I heard yelling, so I stayed outside until you stopped. Are you sure you are okay? Did they hurt you?"
The nurse finally spoke up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Samuelle ... Mrs. Samuelle. I tried to stop him, but I had an emergency and he just slipped by. I'll see that he leaves and doesn't disturb you."
Nikita smiled at Rudy. "It's alright, Nurse. Rudy is an old friend. Just let him stay for a few minutes? Then I'm sure he will leave on his own."
The nurse hesitated and looked to Michael, who nodded for her to do as Nikita asked. The nurse nodded then turned and left.
Rudy picked up on something the nurse said and asked "The nurse called you Mr. and Mrs. Samuelle. When did you get married?"
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part 18 by Laurenne
"Yes, Rudy, Michael and I are married." Nikita replied emotionlessly. Giving Michael a harsh stare. She didn't know if she could keep this up much more, it had started to tear at her as well. She loved Michael more than life itself and making him suffer like this as much as it was the revenge she deserved to have, was cruel, and not her. She wanted to kiss him to hold him, to tell him that she loved him, not to hurt him.
"I always wondered if you two would ever get married." Rudy said. Michael stared at the wall, looking past it, nothing registering, nothing mattering, other than Nikita...she hated him, she didn't know.
"Rudy, it was so kind of you to make sure that I was ok. I'm just resting now, getting better." Nikita said, forcing out a smile that she found within all the pain, confusion. Yes, she was confused even though she knew what was happening. ' This baby, their baby, Michael's baby...My baby...' She thought. She fought back tears of pain and confusion as she continued to smile at Rudy, she had to or he would never leave. She needed to finish this with Michael. "Well, Rudy, I don't want you worrying too much. How is your sister, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be away too long, and I'm sure she's better company than we are." Nikita said still with a smile painted on her face.
"She doing great Nikita. I get to see her a lot." Rudy said smiling. Just then the nurse popped in seeing that Rudy hadn't left. She smiled at the growing crowd in the room.
"Mrs. Samuelle really needs her rest, gentlemen." The nurse said opening the door for the men to exit. Walter stood up and walked to Nikita's bedside.
"Sugar, I'll be here if you need me, you call me if you do, you understand?" He said protectively. Nikita smiled with tears growing in her eyes, and one escaping down her face. Walter wiped it away.
"I will Walter, please just make sure we have a few minutes." She said softly.
"I will sugar." He said walking away guiding Rudy out with him. The nurse smiled at the two remaining occupants and closed the door.
Michael looked at Nikita and it took everything in him not to turn away, not to walk out that door. He couldn't take this. How he let anyone do this to him, was beyond him. Nikita was the only one. Even his dear Simone, she was...different. He had loved her dearly, but Nikita, was...his compliment. He couldn't explain his love, he didn't have a choice, his love came from somewhere he had no control of. When she came into section, she was just another trainee. Nothing different from the rest, he was supposed to seduce her like he had the rest, to separate her soul, from her being, to become the machine that section wanted. But, Nikita...Everything in him couldn't have done that and somewhere in between, he had fallen in love, he had regained a part of his soul. And every second away from this woman that loved him, that completed him, killed him. Every night that he went home alone, every night he walked into that apartment, that he stood there alone, where he slept alone, where he had nightmare's alone...killed him.
Everything he had done, everything he does is ultimately for her, her, she, Nikita...was his only reason for still being here. Even during his marriage, Nikita had been the one he thought of. He hated himself for lying to her, every second of deceit, had been miserable. Elena would always hold a place, he had cared for her.
Nikita didn't want to do this, she kept telling herself this over and over. She tried to remember why she was even doing this. 'Yes, that's right, for Madeline. A woman who she didn't even know or particularly care about. Someone that had frustrated her and angered her to no end sometimes. But those were her children and somewhere inside I couldn't refuse, but look that it was doing to Michael, and to me. Why do I have to deceive Michael, I could tell him what was going on without hurting him anymore, nothing was going to be easy anymore, not at this point.' She thought. "Michael..." Nikita spoke and Michael slowly turned towards her, not sure he could take anymore. "I'm sorry, what I said before...I was wrong." She started.
"No, no it wasn't-" Michael said quietly and slowly.
"Yes, Michael, it was, just stop and listen to me, please. It wasn't your fault, there were a lot of things that were said and happened because you were driving for hours on end, because we were tired, it just happened. Michael...I love you." Nikita finished.
"I know you want answers from me, and I know I haven't given them to you yet-" Michael began.
"Michael.." Nikita said shaking her head. "I don't need answers from you yet, I understand...I may not be happy about it most of the time, but I accept that, I know you have your reasons." Nikita said.
Michael swallowed. "Nikita, there's something that you don't know... you're pregnant." Michael said softly barely inaudible. Nikita looked away, playing this out with surprise, then back to him with love.
"I had a feeling Michael, and I'm glad." She said letting tears escape down her face. "But Michael, there's something else, about the mission..."