This'll probably be a multi chapter fic, depending on the feedback it gets.


Two years. It had been two years since the afternoon they blew up Division. Two years since Nikita left her ring on the windowsill and went off in search of Amanda and her new 'friends. It had also been two years since Alex had drained the rest of the Udinov fortune that was in her name to find her former mentor turned best friend. The rest of the team went into hiding after their names were released as accomplices to the woman who murdered the president. Michael had tried to push personal feelings aside but it proved to be too much to handle for him. Alex didn't blame him, things didn't look good and like or not, he had Max to think about. A new ID and some money were her parting gifts to him, with a wish of good luck being their final goodbye. Birkoff and Sonya had taken off to the west and had settled somewhere in California last she'd heard while Ryan went north for Canada. To the world, they were dead and to the world she was changing lives. But only one life was in her forefront of her mind now.

Under the guise of working with the U.N she was able to keep tabs on the goings on around the world. Especially the ones that seemed out of place to someone who didn't know what they were looking for. Random attacks on facilities that were quiet for the most part. Survivors were always slim to none and the convenience of each place coinciding the The hand facilities they'd learned of was just too much to overlook. She knew it was Nikki. Two years since Alex had laid eyes on the older woman and she finally had a location.

"One more mission, Nik. And then we're out of here." She spoke to an empty office as she turned off the computer glowing with information in front of her and slipped away from the building in silence. One more mission, famous last words, she knew but that was the thing. Alex knew she wouldn't stop until Nikita was safe and with her once again. If that meant that she was risking her like well then so be it because she couldn't think of a better reason to risk it.

Stepping down from her position had been a tough decision, but it was one that she knew she had to make. If she was going to do this alone, she was going to be getting into some dangerous things. Things that wouldn't bode well with the U.N, or for an advisor who was supposed to be speaking out for those who were mistreated. She would be mistreating a hell of a lot of people, those who deserved it but none the less, Alexandra Udinov had to be laid to rest once more; for Alex to be reborn. Alex who'd taken lives, Alex who helped take down a secret government branch that no one was aware of. Alex who owed her life to Nikita a dozen times over, and the very same Alex who was going to be repaying that debt soon.

She felt like she'd been traveling for days, and in truth she probably had been but if she knew Nikki (and she did) she would be watching flights somehow. If she saw an alias that even remotely reminded her of the Russian girl Nikki would take off and she'd be back at square one, forever believing that she was responsible for the girl for the rest of her life. Alex knew this was her fight though, this wasn't their fight and she understood that, but reclaiming the Udinov name had been her fight, and Nikita was there from start to finish none the less. For that? She would lend the help that she knew would be needed, even if it wasn't exactly asked for.

South Africa was hot, hotter than the brunette was used to with her cold blooded build. It wasn't intolerable but she wasn't looking forward to getting used to it, knowing she would probably have to if she knew the stubbornness that came with her former mentor. She wasn't planning on talking her out of this fight, but she was planning to convince her to focus her attention on the original goal; to color in the big picture afterwards. It would keep her off The Hand's radar whatever good that would do and give them a chance to make up a plan to get Amanda once and for all.

Her two years with the U.N made her a lot of contacts. More than her time in Division had given her. A few meetings with some of the ones littered around the cluster of towns and cities she'd been led to and she had an address. It was almost laughable, a loft long abandoned in the middle of a bustling city. She always went back to what was comfortable when she was alone and Alex couldn't have been more thankful for this fact. When her ride dropped her off a few blocks from the building and she began the careful walk towards it, she felt her nerves kick in. This was the first time since she decided to take this on that she actually felt nervous. She wasn't going away, she wasn't leaving Nikita alone to do this, but she couldn't be sure what kind of reception she'd get from the woman. Would she welcome her with open arms? Would it be a cold indifference? A bullet maybe? One can never be too sure when it came to Nikki.

Icy blue eyes scanned the perimeter and she sighed, rubbing her hand against the back of her neck. No cameras. This meant that the reception she'd get would be something less than friendly until Nikita saw who it was, she was blind in there, and Alex highly doubted that she was a social butterfly in this place. Slinging her bag and adjusting her sunglasses a bit she continued on, stepping up to the door with a steady breath. She didn't have a chance to knock though, as it flew open and she was pulled in, back pressed against the door moments later as her breath all but left her body.

One slightly darker than she remembered hand gripped at her tanktop, holding it tight as the cold metal of a gun rested against her temple and dark eyes stared back at her. It was as if everything registered at once, for the both of them. The gun came down and Alex's hands came up to pull at her sunglasses in case they did that good of a job at hiding who she actually was.

"Alex..."

"Hey partner."