Part 5

After Operations finished talking and Curlly got her cheesecake finally, the banquet started to break up with operatives heading back to their quarters. Xavier excused himself first, his gaze lingering on Brenna, saying, "It was nice to meet you all." and then headed over to talk to Operations.

Ayrelia turned to Drake and said meaningfully, "Don’t we have plans, dear?"

He looked back at her and blinked, "Why yes we do, why don’t we go do that then?"

They headed off together calling their goodnights over their shoulders. Brenna called out, "Don’t worry Ayrelia, I’ll catch you tomorrow."

"I know you will," Ayrelia answered back, hurrying out a little more quickly.

Brenna turned to Sinjn, "It was great to finally meet you. We’ll have to all get together again sometime." Turning to Curlly and Avillion she said, "I’ll see you girls later." And headed out of the banquet hall.

Brenna returned to her room to find Curlly and Avillion waiting for her. "What happened to Sinjn and Jack?" she asked.

"They walked us back, said goodnight and left like they always do," Avillion replied.

"Already?" Brenna asked. "Don’t you guys usually ‘visit’ for a while?" Curlly said, "We do and we did but you’ve been gone over an hour. What’s going on?"

"I just went for a walk. I had to clear my head. I don’t know," Brenna answered. "There is some thing about him that bothers me."

"About Xavier?" Avillion asked.

"Yeah," Brenna replied.

"What’s not to like?" Curlly asked. "He gorgeous, talented, and obviously taken with you. What more do you want?"

Slowly getting out of her eveningwear and into her pajamas, Brenna answered, "That’s just it. How and when did he get to be taken with me? To the best of my knowledge, he first laid eyes on me this morning when he walked in for the briefing. We hadn’t spoken at all until dinner and there he is with the kissing my hand thing. All day long it was like that. Everywhere I turned there he was. First he caught me just as I started to fall after I almost ran him over on my way out of comm. Then he was in my workout room, and when I was leaving he already had the door open for me. And when I did my computer sim he was at the terminal next to mine. It is like he knows where I am going to be before I do. If it were normal circumstances I think I would appreciate all the attention, but I can’t help feeling set up. Besides he feels too much like home."

"Like home?" Avillion asked.

"Yeah. He reminds me of a time and place I thought was long gone. It is so right it’s wrong. He scares me. I just hope whatever the ploy is I’m strong enough to handle it. It has been a long time since I faced that I was never going home again."

Hugging her, Curlly comforted, "Bren that’s hard. But we’ve all been there. What can we do to help?"

"For starters let’s nix anymore plans to set him and I up, okay? Ayrelia moved his name card on to our table today when she moved hers and Drake’s. I know she thought she was helping but she really wasn’t. I may not get to pick who I spend my time with on missions but I can at least try to avoid him on my own time. I think staying far away from him is my safest course of action right now. If you see him stalking me head him off. I am sure two creative people such as yourselves can run good smoke screens. And would one of you switch rooms with me tomorrow? The more inaccessible I am the less chance of something else strange happening."

"Isn’t that a bit excessive?" Avillion asked.

"I don’t know Avillion, but this is really creeping me out. I mean this guy just swept the contest. He’s obviously not just another operative. You don’t get to be that good without facing some pretty serious obstacles. And if he did come from Section 8 like Drake said, why wasn’t he and his mission eliminated like everything else? It’s not like Oversight to overlook something like that when they are cleaning house. I don’t know what I am being set up for but I don’t like it all around."

Avillion conceded, "Now you’re scaring me, Brenna. We’ll do whatever you think is best."

"Yeah we’re here for you," Curlly added.

"Keep you ears open. The more we know about Xavier and what he is really doing here the sooner I can be prepared to deal with it," Brenna instructed. "Now get some sleep, I don’t know about you girls, but I am exhausted."

Part 6

The next morning Ayrelia woke Brenna up early, saying, "I thought you wanted to work out with me."

"I did," Brenna answered, "but not at the crack of dawn." Pulling herself a little more awake, Brenna spied Ayrelia’s too bright eyes, "Nightmares again?" she asked softly.

Ayrelia looked away, "Yeah," she said quietly. Looking back, she poked Brenna again, "Come on get up. Let’s get this beating over with."

Brenna smiled at her friend, "No beating today. I have decided to forgive you. But check with me first before you pull something like that in the future."

"I’ll try," Ayrelia responded sincerely, "but you know how impulsive I am sometimes."

"I thought Section was beating that out of you," Brenna answered darkly.

Grinning wryly, Ayrelia commented, "Some things are beyond even Section’s control."

Deciding to change the subject before it got dangerous, Brenna asked, "Have you spoken to Curlly and Avillion yet?" Knowing how quickly information moved through the CL grapevine.

"Yeah," Ayrelia said thoughtfully. "I think you might be on to something there. After Curlly and Avillion filled me in about your chat last night I dragged Drake’s butt back out of bed. Here’s what he found," she said, handing Brenna a panel. "Be sure to sweep that panel when you’re done though. Birkoff would fit if he knew we were hacking the systems again."

"Such useful skills that man has," Brenna commented. "I see why you keep him around."

"If you only knew," Ayrelia replied suggestively.

"I don’t want to know. Thank you," Brenna responded primly.

Focusing her attention on the panel in her hands, Brenna read the information on Xavier that Ayrelia and Drake provided with interest.

As Brenna was finishing it up, Ayrelia commented, "Now I see why he reminds you of home."

"Of course," Brenna replied, "It was his home too. In a way it’s like we grew up together. I keep feeling like if I just think hard enough I’ll remember where I knew him from. But I have been over it in my head a million times. I think it is so much more I knew his type than I knew him specifically. I wonder how he got into Section?" she mused.

"Drake knew better than to pull any of the highly sensitive files, but one of his searches for information on Xavier, hit on something about a west coast organized crime family. But as soon as Drake tried to follow it up he was shut out. Maybe that has something to do with it," Ayrelia suggested.

Brenna’s eyes went wide with shock as a realization hit her. "I gotta go," she said tensely as she jumped out of bed and started searching for some clothes to wear.

"What is it?" Ayrelia asked concerned.

"Nothing," Brenna replied handing the panel back to her. "I just remembered something I have to do."

As Ayrelia continued to stand there considering her, Brenna said, "Don’t you need to sweep that?" Indicating the panel Ayrelia was holding.

"Yes," Ayrelia replied, "but it can wait until I have figured out what was is going on with you."

"Nothing is going on with me, other than I am late for an appointment," Brenna answered. "And you better hurry, the daily systems check begins in seven minutes."

"Shit," Ayrelia exclaimed, heading for the door. "We will talk about this later."

"Sure," Brenna called over her shoulder as she headed for the shower.

Brenna raced through her shower and flew out of her room. She found Birkoff at his usual station. "Xavier anywhere around?" she asked intently.

"Who?" Birkoff asked

"You know, the new guy that won yesterday’s contest. Have you seen him?"

Recognition dawning, Birkoff said, "Try Michael’s office. That is where he was last time I saw him."

"He’s in there with Michael?"

"You know many people who hang out in Michael’s office without Michael, other than Nikita?" Birkoff replied. "What’s with you today, Brenna?"

"Nothing," she replied glibly, "probably just too much coffee. Thanks."

As she headed off in the direction of Michael’s office, Birkoff said quietly, "But you don’t drink coffee, Brenna." Deciding he probably didn’t really want to know, Birkoff just shook his head and continued with his work.

Brenna casually glanced in the window of Michael’s office as she walked by. She saw him and Xavier in deep conversation, obviously disagreeing about something. Knowing she would be reprimanded if she interrupted them, she continued on past looking for a good place to work, where she could watch the door.

As soon as Xavier emerged, several minutes later Brenna shut down the terminal. She fell into step with him as he walked past the station where she had been working.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asked.

"It appears we are walking," he answered bemused.

Brenna said, "I meant in the out of doors. Perhaps in the park by your apartment?"

Xavier blinked, his expression serious, "Three o’clock?"

"See you then," Brenna answered and headed for her quarters.

In her quarters, Brenna quickly changed into some workout clothes and headed for the training gym. Much too wound up today for yoga, she settled for a more aggressive workout that involved punching bags. That’s where Ayrelia found her later that day.

"I thought there no beatings to be handed out today," Ayrelia asked from her vantage point lounging in the doorway.

Still furiously attacking the bag, Brenna responded, "Correction, I said YOU would not get a beating from me today."

Ayrelia came to stand behind the punching bag so she could see Brenna’s face. "So who did it set you up with? It must have been pretty bad to deserve this kind of punishment."

Still proceeding through her forms, Brenna responded "My previous decision can be changed you know. Are you volunteering to be my next target?"

Stepping away, Ayrelia said, "Nope just checking on you."

"I’m fine," Brenna declared.

"Of course you are," Ayrelia rebutted.

"What time is it?" Brenna asked.

"2:27," Ayrelia answered.

"Shit. I’m going to be late," Brenna said and gathered up her stuff to head back to her quarters.

"Where you going?" Ayrelia asked.

"For a walk," Brenna said flatly.

"You’re late for a walk?" Ayrelia asked incredulously.

"I keep a very tight schedule. I am the alpha female remember?" Brenna replied.

"Not even you are that scheduled," Ayrelia declared.

"Don’t be so sure. You can even look in my PDA," Brenna said, handing it to Ayrelia.

Ayrelia let out a low whistle. "You are a freak."

"A very late freak. I’ll catch you later," Brenna said taking back her PDA and hurried back to her quarters.