Disclaimer: I don't own the show 'Nikita' or it's characters. I wish I did, though, cause it's kickass.

Michael

Even though I knew I should, I didn't take Alex back to division. She was vulnerable tonight and, in my quest to find her, I'd put her on Amanda's radar. She would have to answer to the older woman eventually, but I decided that it should be a fair fight. And so, here I was, lifting Alex out of my car into my arms, and carrying her into my apartment building. She seemed so fragile, almost child-like as she clung to me…so utterly unlike the strong, willful young woman I'd come to know. Her being in this state almost justified the protectiveness I'd felt toward her from day one. Almost.

"Michael…"

I shifted my hold on her so I could press the elevator call button, and she tightened her arms around my neck. "It's okay, Alex, I've got you. You're safe." She buried her face in the crook of my neck and I could feel the tears mixed with mascara on her cheeks against my skin. She was probably making a mess of my shirt, but I didn't care. I just wanted to make sure she as okay.

The elevator dinged and I stepped onto the elevator as Alex's tense body trembled against mine. Thankfully, there were no other residents in the elevator right at that moment and I didn't have to be concerned about drawing attention to myself or Alex. Her condition would attract uncomfortable questions that I didn't feel like dancing around.

When the elevator stopped on my floor, I carried Alex to my door and set her on her feet, keeping one arm looped around her waist to help her keep steady. She automatically turned her body into mine, clutching the lapel of my jacket as I fished into my pocket for my keys. "Hang on, Alex. Almost there."

I deftly opened the door and guided her inside. I closed the door and locked it before trying to lead Alex to the bedroom. She stumbled so I picked her up again and carried her into my room where I laid her down on my bed, where she curled into the fetal position. I was reluctant to leave her, but I did momentarily to fill a bowl with cold water and find a washcloth.

When my cell phone rang, I answered it, expecting it to be Percy on the other end of the line. I was right.

"What were you doing out there?"

"Retrieving one of our agents. Alex got the oculus, but she's in bad shape. I'll bring her in for a debriefing myself tomorrow," I said firmly.

After a pause…."Fine. Don't forget to bring the oculus."

Upon my return, I set the bowl on the night stand and dipped the washcloth into it as I sat on the edge of the bed. After wringing out the excess water, I pressed it against her flushed, mascara-streaked cheek, proceeding to gently clean her face while cooling her heated skin. Through my ministrations, Alex seemed to alternate between moments of lucidity and times when she seemed to be somewhere else entirely , and this went on for hours. It was during a moment of lucidity as she was drifting off to sleep that she grasped my hand. "Thank you, Michael."

I set the cloth aside to move the sweat-dampened strands of hair from her face. "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you." I didn't know what kind of secrets she kept or why, and I didn't care. I was determined not to lose her, too and if that meant running interference between her and Amanda for now, so be it.

Alex

I woke up with my face buried against something hard, yet warm and comforting…feeling safe. I lifted my head and looked up at Michael, who was stretched out on the bed beside me with an arm around me. Every other time I'd woken up, he'd been sitting beside me, taking care of me. I glanced toward the window and the pinkening sky beyond, and then back at Michael, who was clearly exhausted. Besides Nikita, not a single person had ever done for me what he did last night. Because he was fast asleep, I felt like it was safe to give him an ever so light hug before going back to sleep myself.