"Hey Nikita, What's going on with you this evening?" Pete asked. Pete had
been assigned to Nikita for training. She was a good person who Nikita
believed had also been unfairly convicted.
"Not much. Thought I would come into Section early and work out a little. You have finished your training. You can go out you know." Nikita said.
"I don't want to go out there. My life was ruined out there. I would rather stay here."
"Come on Pete. We need to talk."
Pete followed Nikita into Michael's office. That was the only place that she knew that she could turn off the surveillance tapes.
"Michael. Can I borrow your office for a minute? Pete and I need to talk for a minute." Nikita said while clicking her nails on the table trying to sign for Michael to turn on the scrambler. He did.
"I have to run down to systems. I will be back in about fifteen minutes. Don't keep it up too long." Michael said. Just to remind Nikita that the scrambler can not be left on too long because that would figure that something was up.
Once he was gone Nikita began to talk.
"Pete, you are going to have to get over this fear of going out. Once you start having to go on missions you will have to learn to interact with other people. You can't learn that if you stay in Section."
"That is easy for you to say. I have not been out in over two years. I was only out for my first mission and that day was Hell for me. They treated me wrong when I still had my own life. I worked and I took care of my baby. And when I try to let the police know about the murder I saw, what do they do? Those bastards killed my baby girl and then framed me for her death. When I came into Section I wanted to die. I begged for them to kill me. They used that. They would threaten other people with cancellation if I messed up or tried to take my own life."
"I know what you have been through. I can't say that I know what you feel but I want to help you. You have become one of my best friends and I don't want to see anything happen to you."
"How can you help me? I don't even know how to help myself." Pete said as she sat down on the chair and put her hands to her face trying to stop the tears.
"Just give me a chance. I will find someway. I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"Oh girl, this is one promise that I intend on keeping." Nikita said as she put her hand on Pete's shoulder.
Then Nikita walked back to the desk and leaned back to push a couple of buttons turning off the scrambler. Then she finished up on her conversation.
"So what is that move that you are having trouble with again?" Nikita said for the benefit of anyone who could be listening. Pete understood.
"Oh yeah, the roundhouse kick. I can't seem to get it down."
"Well alright. Let's go and work on it now." Nikita said and left a little note on his desk as she left. It said, "Come by the apartment tonight. I need to talk to you about something."
She then left to practice with Pete. After a good two hour workout both her and Pete were about to drop. After a long shower they said goodbye for the evening and Nikita went home and Pete went back to her room in the station.
When Nikita got home she unlocked the door and started looking for the light. She could not see a thing through the darkness. When she finally found it she was scared nearly to death when she saw the shadow of a man standing out on her balcony. But she immediately recognized the shape. It was Michael.
"Why are you waiting out here?" She said.
"Just looking, I didn't know when you were going to be home so I went ahead and let myself in. I hope you don't mind."
"I never have before." Nikita said and walked up right up behind him. She put her hand on his shoulder and felt how tense he was. "Is everything alright Michael?"
"Fine, I was just thinking about some things."
"Like what." She asked as she started to massage his shoulders without even realizing she was doing it.
"It's nothing important." He said and leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
When Michael leaned his head back she wanted to reach over and kiss him so bad. But she thought that it would be better if she didn't. So she had to get to the subject of what she wanted to talk to him about.
"Michael. I was wondering if you can help me with something."
"What do you need?" He said as he looked around to face her.
"I have been working with Pete for most of her two years of training and I have yet to be able to help her. She still suffers so much. Losing her child has scarred her. She doesn't want to even leave Section to interact with the outside world. How can I help her?"
"I don't know if I am the best person to ask about this."
"But you lost a child also. I just thought that you..."
"Nikita I told you a while back that Simone and I never had a child. That was put in the records for your benefit during our war with Red Cell. I told you that."
"I just thought that you were hiding something from me again. I didn't believe you at the time. I'm sorry."
"I guess I should say I am sorry to you. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I have got to find some way to help her though Michael. If she is not able to face the outside world then she will never make it as an operative like she is now. And I don't want to see her cancelled."
"Have you tried to get her to talk to Madeline?"
"Madeline! She wouldn't help. She would just use this as another weakness and turn it against her."
"You don't know that. When I lost Simone and when I ....lost...you." He paused for a minute remembering the pain he felt on the way back to Section the night of her cancellation. "She helped me. Or at least she tried to. You need to get her to talk to Madeline. Maybe she will even let you sit in with them during a session."
"I sure hope you are right Michael." Nikita said.
"I do too." Michael said.
That evening they spent talking over a cup of coffee. They talked about many things except the subject of them.
The next day at Section...
"Pete. I want to talk to you for a minute." Nikita says as she pulls her over to the wall beside her.
"What's going on?" Pete thought that something was wrong with Nikita. This worried her.
"I want you to go and talk to Madeline today. You will need to be there in one hour."
"How could you do this to me? I don't want to talk to Madeline. What could she ever do? Nothing that's what, Thanks a lot Nikita. Thanks a lot." She said sarcastically and turned and walked away.
This upset Nikita but she knew that she was doing the right thing. "One hour Pete."
That had to have been the longest hour that she had ever spent in her life. She was waiting it out in Michael's office. She sat on the chair across from him and clicking her nails on the arm of the chair. Michael stood it as long as he could then he got up and walked over to her and lifted her hand up and placed a pillow under it so that it would muffle the sound of it. Nikita couldn't help but laugh at him. He did know how to calm her when she was nervous. And she was definitely on the edge today.
He gently put his hand to her face and said, "It will be alright." That one little sentence went deep into her soul. How many times has he told me that? Seems like hundreds. But it is always alright in the end. She thought.
She looked down at her watch and took a deep breath and got up. "It's time."
She slowly walked out of the office to see that Pete was heading the same way. Pete didn't look quite as angry as she did earlier. Maybe she understood why it must be done. Maybe she wanted to talk about it now.
"I am only doing this to humor you. Don't expect me to say anything."
Well that shot that idea all to hell and back.
Madeline was waiting in her office. Nikita walked in first and was joined by Pete.
"Thank you Nikita. I can take it from here."
"Would you mind if I stayed during the session?"
Madeline looked over to Pete, "That is you decision. Do you want her to stay or go?"
"She can stay. No big deal."
Nikita settled down in a chair and listened to the two of them talking.
"Tell me how you feel these days." Madeline said.
"Oh. Everything is just fine. How have you been doing?"
"Very well, thank you. I have talked to Nikita about you. You are still having trouble getting past your grief. I do understand what you are feeling. But I also know that you need to get past this if you want to live in Section."
"Past what, there is nothing wrong with me. I am just fine." She started to raise her voice. "Just perfect, I've never had a problem in my life. Now leave me the hell alone." Pete could not control the anger and pain that she felt every time she was forced to think of her beautiful baby girl and what had happened to her. And she thought about her every time she was asked to fit in more with Section.
Madeline called Nikita over to her." This is not going to work. I am going to try something new on her."
"New. Like what?" Nikita didn't like the sound of this.
"It is a new drug that will bring her feelings to the surface and force her to face them. If she can't face them, then she will die either from Section of her own hand and I don't want to see that happen. Do you understand that this has to be done? It is going to be painful, Very painful. Not physical pain but Emotional pain. She is going to need her friends here for her."
"Pete. This is going to help you relax. I want you to lean back and allow the drug to take affect." Pete allowed the serene feeling to overcome her. It felt so good.
"So how are you feeling today Ms. Daily?" Madeline asked. She knew that Pete was now in the state to start.
"I am doing fine. I just have to go pick up Micheline from the sitters. I will be back in a little while."
"You have picked up Micheline and are on your way home. What do you see?"
"I can't make it out. It looks like a man standing against the tree. But there is something wrong with him. He is stumbling towards my car. I stop and as he tries to get in the car someone comes up behind him and cuts his throat. I speed away and I can see another man looking through my back window. He is tall and he is wearing a camouflage outfit and a red bandana." Pete said.
Madeline and Nikita look at each other knowing that Pete had face down a member of Red Cell and saw something that she shouldn't have.
"You leave and go by the police station and tell them what you saw. What happened after that?"
"I went and put my little girl to bed and then went to my room. I woke up in the middle of the night to the crackle of flames around me. I jumped up and the room was engulfed with fire. Micheline is screaming for me. I can't get to her. OH GOD! I'M COMING BABY. MOMMY'S COMING! MOMMY'S COMING!"
Nikita sat watching with tears streaming down her face. God, what had Pete been forced to go through. She was still screaming to her baby.
"I'M COMING." she said and then began to talk to Madeline again. "I can't get to her. The door is hot so I kick it open. When I go in I see.... her bed.... is on....fire. She is not screaming for me anymore. But when I get to her she is not on fire. It had not made it to her. I got her and ran outside and started to give her CPR. I have a pulse. I see the fireman coming and I hand Micheline to him. As the man walked away from me I saw it again. A red bandana, It is not the same man though. I start running after them to stop them. But all of a sudden I am in a hospital bed and can't remember anything from the time that I ran after them until the time I woke up. "
"Who came to talk to you, a policeman or a doctor?"
"A policeman, He said that I was under arrest for the murder of my daughter. I had told the policeman earlier that I would testify in court of what I saw that night. And now they say that I killed my daughter. I guess I did. I should have never said anything about it. I should have just let it go."
"I want you to think real hard about what happened after you ran after the man with Micheline. I need to know what happened." Madeline said.
"I was running and I heard her cry. She was calling me..."Mommy, Mommy!" I couldn't run fast enough. The next thing I know I see a man putting her hand over her mouth. She is struggling to get a breath. I am running and screaming for them to stop and let me have her. They stopped long enough to drop her on the road. I ran to her. She wasn't breathing and would not come too. I tried everything I could to help her. I tried everything."
"What is happening now?"
"Hush little baby don't say a word. Mommy's going to buy you a mocking bird. If that mocking bird won't sing Mommy's going to buy you a diamond ring."
Pete sat in the chair rocking back and forth with her arms in front of her singing. She had tears in her eyes.
Madeline had to turn away as tears even threatened her hard eyes. "Pete I want you to come back to me now. The past is over."
"If that diamond ring turns brass Mommy's going to buy you a looking glass If that looking glass gets broke Mommy's going to buy you a nanny goat."
"Pete. Come back to me now. The past is over and needs to be forgotten and forgiven. You were not at fault for your baby's death. I want you to open your eyes."
"Pete. Are you alright?" Nikita asked as she ran to her side when she opened her eyes. They were red and swollen from crying. But Pete couldn't answer.
"Get Medical now, we need help." Madeline said.
When Medical got there they sedated Pete and took her down to med lab for her to heal from her emotional beating.
"I told you that this was going to be bad on her. But when she comes out from the sedation in a couple of days she will be a different person. I promise."
"Why didn't you ask her what happened after she held her baby?"
"Because that is when the police came. I got the rest out of the report. She was sitting there rocking Micheline and one of her neighbors ran out to help and saw Pete with her hands around the baby's throat. She was feeling for a pulse but when she pulled her hand down the neighbor saw the bruising from where the man had taken her young baby's life. But the woman didn't know that and instead of trying to find out what had really happened she told the police that she was who killed the baby. And of which of course we know that she never saw a thing."
"She didn't tell them?" Nikita questioned.
"She never talked to any of them. Never told them anything about what had happened. She just closed herself off and would not open back up even a little until she met you that is." She smiled at Nikita.
"Some big help, I have known her for two years and have never really known how she ended up in Section. I knew that she was framed for the murder of her child but I never knew exactly what happened."
"You were there for her. I want to you to go and get some rest before you go and see her. I want you to go home and I will call you in tomorrow."
"Alright, But don't expect me to rest."
She left out of the door and Madeline got on her telephone. "Michael. Can you come up to my office for a minute?"
Once he was in the office she began to talk. "I want you to go to Nikita's and give her this." She held up a small syringe.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
"A sedative, she needs it." Michael was still worried that Madeline might be lying and was really having her cancelled and making him do it. That would be something that they would try.
After he left the office Michael went to Walter's station. "Walter can you test this real quick? I can't be too careful when it comes to Nikita. I want to make sure that this is just a sedative."
Walter nodded and walked out for a couple of minutes and then came back and said, "Just a sedative."
"Alright thanks." Michael then left.
Nikita's apartment......
She walked around the apartment with her wine in one hand and the bottle in the other. But no matter how much she drank she could not forget what happened in Madeline's office that day. She sat down on the couch still clutching the now empty bottle of wine. She cried for what had happened to Pete. What she had had to go through before her life in Section.
She heard a knock at the door. She knew that it was Michael. She had heard the clicking of his shoes and she recognized the rhythm of his pace. She got up and let him in. But as she was walking back to the couch she slipped. When she fell the bottle shattered and cut Nikita's hand. But she didn't seem to even notice it. But after Michael helped her up he noticed.
"Nikita, come run you hand under the water." He pulled her along to the sink when he was that she was not going to do it on her own. She was in some kind of trance.
He went and grabbed her first aid kit and began to tend to her wound. It was just a small cut that could be covered up with butterfly stitches. Michael was not worried about the cut. He was worried that she did not act as if she felt anything. She didn't even realize he was there. And if she did then she didn't show it.
"Come and sit down on the couch." he said as he helped her walk there.
"How can people be so cruel Michael?" Nikita said actually startling Michael. She wasn't as out of it as he thought that she was.
"What happened? Tell me." The tears began to spill once again as she told him of what had happened to Pete and her baby. Michael also could not understand how someone could be so cruel, so heartless, and so evil.
As Nikita began to calm down some Michael pulled out the shot and laid it on the table. "I don't think that you will need this now. I will stay with you. I will be here."
She looked at him for a minute and saw this peace that he offered her and she accepted it and leaned down on his chest and closed her eyes. She didn't sleep but she was still feeling better with Michael there. She was going to need all the strength that he can give her for when she has to face Pete the next day.
When Nikita came into Section the next day she found out that Pete had still not come out of her drug induced sleep. The doctor said she would within the next twenty-four hours. Nikita was so nervous on how she was going to do this. How could she help her friend after such an emotional breakdown? She had to think of something. Fortunately Madeline sent her back home when she found out that Pete would not wake up that day, again told her to go home and rest.
The next day came all too soon. When Nikita walked into med lab she saw Pete fighting with the doctor. She ran over to find out what was going on.
"I mean it. If you don't move you are going to hit the floor." Pete said.
"Lay down. You need to rest." the doctor said.
"I warned you." She said and actually laughed when the doctor hit the floor.
"Is someone feeling better this morning?" Nikita smiled.
"You know I feel real good. I feel as though a huge burden has been taken off of me. I don't know what it is. It is like a feeling of something that you don't really know what it is about but you know it is good from the feeling you are having. I know it doesn't make sense."
"It does to me. Come on. I want you to come over to my apartment for some lunch."
"That sounds good to me. Let's go."
Madeline had told her that she would feel better and that fear she had of leaving the Section would go away. She would not forget the death of her daughter but she would not have it hidden just below the surface anymore. Sure enough Pete had gotten over her fears. She went places with Nikita all the time. And Nikita never said anything about the session with Madeline to Pete.
About two months laterBriefing room
"This is our target. He is to be cancelled on site, Along with any other men that happen to be with him." Operations said. "His name is Jacob Dillon. He is working for Red Cell. He has been responsible for the deaths of five Senators. He has to be stopped."
When Nikita heard the name Red Cell and turned to look at Pete who really was not paying any attention. She motioned to Madeline explaining that they needed to get Pete out of there before she saw the man on the screen. Madeline in turn leaned over and whispered something to Operations and he called for Pete.
"Pete. Madeline needs to see you for a minute."
"Yes Sir. I coming right n---" It was too late. She had seen it. She did not move. She did not breathe. She just stood there with her eyes fixed on the screen. She started to turn white as Nikita jumped up and ran to her. Michael caught her as she started to fall. He picked her up and headed toward med lab. But only twenty minutes later she was out again and going up to Operations' office. She had found out that after she had fainted she had been taken off the mission. That just wasn't going to do.
"I want back on the mission." Pete said as she stormed into Operations' office.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You are too emotionally involved. That would be dangerous to the mission and yourself."
"I don't care about myself. I want to go on this damn mission. I am good at what I do. I have proved that in the last two months. Haven't I?"
"Yes. But this is one thing that I cannot let you go and do."
"SEND ME!" she screamed.
"Pete. Leave." Operations started to get angry.
"No. I want you to ask you one question. Do you have kids? What would you do if they were threatened? What would you do if they were killed? Would you avenge their deaths? That is the Son of A Bitch that killed my little girl. Now I am going whether you let me or not."
"I will allow you to go but you will let Nikita take point. She is more experienced that you and she will be able to take down the target easily. You will be back-up for her. Michael will be in the van if anything happens."
"Thank you sir, I won't forget you for this." She said calmly and slowly walked out of the office.
On Site
Nikita was at Point. She had taken out two guards and was about to take out Dillon. And then she heard someone behind her.
"Nikita, This one is mine Nikita. He is the one that killed Micheline and I am going to be the one that kills him."
"No Pete you will not be the one to kill him. Get back to your spot now." Nikita told her. Michael heard the arguing.
"Pete. Get back to your position now. You have left the area unguarded." Pete would not listen.
"Pete, you have to stop." Nikita grabbed her arm.
"Let go Nikita." Pete turned with a gun pointed at Nikita.
"Don't do this. Please." Nikita begged. She knew exactly what she was about to do. And she was determined to stop her. So Pete hit her upside the head with the gun. She loved Nikita, she was her best friend and she didn't want Nikita to be in the middle of this. The hit had dazed Nikita and she was not able to do anything more than watch the events that unfolded.
Pete got up and walked towards Dillon. He stopped suddenly when he saw this sandy blond haired woman dressed all in black approaching him. When she walked a little closed he recognized her.
"It's you!" He said as he pulled his gun.
"That's right. It's me." She kicked the gun from his hand. "It is time to die you bastard."
They fought for what seemed like forever. But it was only a couple of minutes. Finally she had him on the ground and got up and stood over him.
Nikita had gotten over the dizziness from the blow to the head enough to get up and start running to get Pete before she was spotted by another member of Red Cell. The closer she got the further away she seemed. Right as she got within fifty feet of her, Pete pulled out a knife and stabbed Dillon in the chest. As she did he was able to stab her as well with the knife that he had pulled from his boot. She acted as though she didn't even feel it. She just pulled the knife all the way down trying to literally trying to slice him in two. When Nikita got to her she stood up. She turned around to face Nikita. That was when Nikita saw the blood.
Pete stood for only a second when she fell towards the ground. Nikita had caught her but was dragged down anyway with the force from which she fell.
"Michael! Michael! Get transport over here now! Pete's down, you've got to Hurry!"
"We're coming." Michael said and motioned for the van to go and pick the two of them up. As the van raced to them Pete started to speak.
"I got him, Nikki. I got him."
"You sure did. That bastard is dead."
"I'm sorry."
"There is no reason to be sorry. You are going to be alright." Nikita said as tears flowed from her eyes.
"Really, it sure doesn't feel that way." she smiled and then grimaced in pain. Nikita looked down at the wound. It was a mortal wound, he had stabbed her in an upwards motion in her stomach. She was bleeding to death.
Nikita sat there running her hand down Pete's face trying to sooth her. All of a sudden tears came to Pete's eyes. And a smile came to her face.
"What is it honey?" Nikita asked.
"Micheline?" she asked as she reached her hand into the air.
"Pete. Please hang on. Don't leave me yet." She said as she cradled Pete's head in her lap.
"She is so beautiful. Isn't she? She still looks as beautiful as she did the day she was born." She told Nikita.
"She is beautiful." Nikita said trying to stop her voice from quivering.
"I'm coming honey. Wait for me." Pete said as she laid her head down.
"Pete. Pete." Her voice faltered as she put her hand to her mouth. She felt like screaming. Why did she have to lose her best friend? She leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you. You have been such a wonderful friend to me and I hope you find the happiness that you could not find down here."
She looked up as the van came to a stop in front of her. She looked up at Michael as he bent down to pick Pete up. Once he laid her on a seat he went back to Nikita who was still sitting there on the ground with blood all over her hands and tears running down her face.
"Come on Kita. We have to go." He pulled her into his arms and brought her in the van. Once they started on their way to Section Nikita sat on the floor of the van beside the seat on which Pete was laying. She smoothed her hair and closed her eyes that still stared at the beautiful vision of her daughter. She then turned to Michael.
"She can't be Michael. She just can't be." She cried.
Michael got down on the floor in front of her. He gently took her hand in his and just held it all the way back. He did not know what else to do for her.
When they came to Section Nikita got out first and walked to Michael's office. She wanted to close herself off from the rest of the world. She was closed off to everyone except Michael. When he walked in it was to see Nikita at the window watching her friend being wheeled past her. Nikita knew that her friend would never be back to have the talks that they had shared. Never have the workouts that they had. Never have fun with her and watch her smile again. Only one thing made her accept this. So when Michael came in and asked how she was she told him.
"She's happy now. She's with her baby." she said as a tear ran down her cheek. "She's got what she has wanted for years, her baby back."
The end
"Not much. Thought I would come into Section early and work out a little. You have finished your training. You can go out you know." Nikita said.
"I don't want to go out there. My life was ruined out there. I would rather stay here."
"Come on Pete. We need to talk."
Pete followed Nikita into Michael's office. That was the only place that she knew that she could turn off the surveillance tapes.
"Michael. Can I borrow your office for a minute? Pete and I need to talk for a minute." Nikita said while clicking her nails on the table trying to sign for Michael to turn on the scrambler. He did.
"I have to run down to systems. I will be back in about fifteen minutes. Don't keep it up too long." Michael said. Just to remind Nikita that the scrambler can not be left on too long because that would figure that something was up.
Once he was gone Nikita began to talk.
"Pete, you are going to have to get over this fear of going out. Once you start having to go on missions you will have to learn to interact with other people. You can't learn that if you stay in Section."
"That is easy for you to say. I have not been out in over two years. I was only out for my first mission and that day was Hell for me. They treated me wrong when I still had my own life. I worked and I took care of my baby. And when I try to let the police know about the murder I saw, what do they do? Those bastards killed my baby girl and then framed me for her death. When I came into Section I wanted to die. I begged for them to kill me. They used that. They would threaten other people with cancellation if I messed up or tried to take my own life."
"I know what you have been through. I can't say that I know what you feel but I want to help you. You have become one of my best friends and I don't want to see anything happen to you."
"How can you help me? I don't even know how to help myself." Pete said as she sat down on the chair and put her hands to her face trying to stop the tears.
"Just give me a chance. I will find someway. I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"Oh girl, this is one promise that I intend on keeping." Nikita said as she put her hand on Pete's shoulder.
Then Nikita walked back to the desk and leaned back to push a couple of buttons turning off the scrambler. Then she finished up on her conversation.
"So what is that move that you are having trouble with again?" Nikita said for the benefit of anyone who could be listening. Pete understood.
"Oh yeah, the roundhouse kick. I can't seem to get it down."
"Well alright. Let's go and work on it now." Nikita said and left a little note on his desk as she left. It said, "Come by the apartment tonight. I need to talk to you about something."
She then left to practice with Pete. After a good two hour workout both her and Pete were about to drop. After a long shower they said goodbye for the evening and Nikita went home and Pete went back to her room in the station.
When Nikita got home she unlocked the door and started looking for the light. She could not see a thing through the darkness. When she finally found it she was scared nearly to death when she saw the shadow of a man standing out on her balcony. But she immediately recognized the shape. It was Michael.
"Why are you waiting out here?" She said.
"Just looking, I didn't know when you were going to be home so I went ahead and let myself in. I hope you don't mind."
"I never have before." Nikita said and walked up right up behind him. She put her hand on his shoulder and felt how tense he was. "Is everything alright Michael?"
"Fine, I was just thinking about some things."
"Like what." She asked as she started to massage his shoulders without even realizing she was doing it.
"It's nothing important." He said and leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
When Michael leaned his head back she wanted to reach over and kiss him so bad. But she thought that it would be better if she didn't. So she had to get to the subject of what she wanted to talk to him about.
"Michael. I was wondering if you can help me with something."
"What do you need?" He said as he looked around to face her.
"I have been working with Pete for most of her two years of training and I have yet to be able to help her. She still suffers so much. Losing her child has scarred her. She doesn't want to even leave Section to interact with the outside world. How can I help her?"
"I don't know if I am the best person to ask about this."
"But you lost a child also. I just thought that you..."
"Nikita I told you a while back that Simone and I never had a child. That was put in the records for your benefit during our war with Red Cell. I told you that."
"I just thought that you were hiding something from me again. I didn't believe you at the time. I'm sorry."
"I guess I should say I am sorry to you. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I have got to find some way to help her though Michael. If she is not able to face the outside world then she will never make it as an operative like she is now. And I don't want to see her cancelled."
"Have you tried to get her to talk to Madeline?"
"Madeline! She wouldn't help. She would just use this as another weakness and turn it against her."
"You don't know that. When I lost Simone and when I ....lost...you." He paused for a minute remembering the pain he felt on the way back to Section the night of her cancellation. "She helped me. Or at least she tried to. You need to get her to talk to Madeline. Maybe she will even let you sit in with them during a session."
"I sure hope you are right Michael." Nikita said.
"I do too." Michael said.
That evening they spent talking over a cup of coffee. They talked about many things except the subject of them.
The next day at Section...
"Pete. I want to talk to you for a minute." Nikita says as she pulls her over to the wall beside her.
"What's going on?" Pete thought that something was wrong with Nikita. This worried her.
"I want you to go and talk to Madeline today. You will need to be there in one hour."
"How could you do this to me? I don't want to talk to Madeline. What could she ever do? Nothing that's what, Thanks a lot Nikita. Thanks a lot." She said sarcastically and turned and walked away.
This upset Nikita but she knew that she was doing the right thing. "One hour Pete."
That had to have been the longest hour that she had ever spent in her life. She was waiting it out in Michael's office. She sat on the chair across from him and clicking her nails on the arm of the chair. Michael stood it as long as he could then he got up and walked over to her and lifted her hand up and placed a pillow under it so that it would muffle the sound of it. Nikita couldn't help but laugh at him. He did know how to calm her when she was nervous. And she was definitely on the edge today.
He gently put his hand to her face and said, "It will be alright." That one little sentence went deep into her soul. How many times has he told me that? Seems like hundreds. But it is always alright in the end. She thought.
She looked down at her watch and took a deep breath and got up. "It's time."
She slowly walked out of the office to see that Pete was heading the same way. Pete didn't look quite as angry as she did earlier. Maybe she understood why it must be done. Maybe she wanted to talk about it now.
"I am only doing this to humor you. Don't expect me to say anything."
Well that shot that idea all to hell and back.
Madeline was waiting in her office. Nikita walked in first and was joined by Pete.
"Thank you Nikita. I can take it from here."
"Would you mind if I stayed during the session?"
Madeline looked over to Pete, "That is you decision. Do you want her to stay or go?"
"She can stay. No big deal."
Nikita settled down in a chair and listened to the two of them talking.
"Tell me how you feel these days." Madeline said.
"Oh. Everything is just fine. How have you been doing?"
"Very well, thank you. I have talked to Nikita about you. You are still having trouble getting past your grief. I do understand what you are feeling. But I also know that you need to get past this if you want to live in Section."
"Past what, there is nothing wrong with me. I am just fine." She started to raise her voice. "Just perfect, I've never had a problem in my life. Now leave me the hell alone." Pete could not control the anger and pain that she felt every time she was forced to think of her beautiful baby girl and what had happened to her. And she thought about her every time she was asked to fit in more with Section.
Madeline called Nikita over to her." This is not going to work. I am going to try something new on her."
"New. Like what?" Nikita didn't like the sound of this.
"It is a new drug that will bring her feelings to the surface and force her to face them. If she can't face them, then she will die either from Section of her own hand and I don't want to see that happen. Do you understand that this has to be done? It is going to be painful, Very painful. Not physical pain but Emotional pain. She is going to need her friends here for her."
"Pete. This is going to help you relax. I want you to lean back and allow the drug to take affect." Pete allowed the serene feeling to overcome her. It felt so good.
"So how are you feeling today Ms. Daily?" Madeline asked. She knew that Pete was now in the state to start.
"I am doing fine. I just have to go pick up Micheline from the sitters. I will be back in a little while."
"You have picked up Micheline and are on your way home. What do you see?"
"I can't make it out. It looks like a man standing against the tree. But there is something wrong with him. He is stumbling towards my car. I stop and as he tries to get in the car someone comes up behind him and cuts his throat. I speed away and I can see another man looking through my back window. He is tall and he is wearing a camouflage outfit and a red bandana." Pete said.
Madeline and Nikita look at each other knowing that Pete had face down a member of Red Cell and saw something that she shouldn't have.
"You leave and go by the police station and tell them what you saw. What happened after that?"
"I went and put my little girl to bed and then went to my room. I woke up in the middle of the night to the crackle of flames around me. I jumped up and the room was engulfed with fire. Micheline is screaming for me. I can't get to her. OH GOD! I'M COMING BABY. MOMMY'S COMING! MOMMY'S COMING!"
Nikita sat watching with tears streaming down her face. God, what had Pete been forced to go through. She was still screaming to her baby.
"I'M COMING." she said and then began to talk to Madeline again. "I can't get to her. The door is hot so I kick it open. When I go in I see.... her bed.... is on....fire. She is not screaming for me anymore. But when I get to her she is not on fire. It had not made it to her. I got her and ran outside and started to give her CPR. I have a pulse. I see the fireman coming and I hand Micheline to him. As the man walked away from me I saw it again. A red bandana, It is not the same man though. I start running after them to stop them. But all of a sudden I am in a hospital bed and can't remember anything from the time that I ran after them until the time I woke up. "
"Who came to talk to you, a policeman or a doctor?"
"A policeman, He said that I was under arrest for the murder of my daughter. I had told the policeman earlier that I would testify in court of what I saw that night. And now they say that I killed my daughter. I guess I did. I should have never said anything about it. I should have just let it go."
"I want you to think real hard about what happened after you ran after the man with Micheline. I need to know what happened." Madeline said.
"I was running and I heard her cry. She was calling me..."Mommy, Mommy!" I couldn't run fast enough. The next thing I know I see a man putting her hand over her mouth. She is struggling to get a breath. I am running and screaming for them to stop and let me have her. They stopped long enough to drop her on the road. I ran to her. She wasn't breathing and would not come too. I tried everything I could to help her. I tried everything."
"What is happening now?"
"Hush little baby don't say a word. Mommy's going to buy you a mocking bird. If that mocking bird won't sing Mommy's going to buy you a diamond ring."
Pete sat in the chair rocking back and forth with her arms in front of her singing. She had tears in her eyes.
Madeline had to turn away as tears even threatened her hard eyes. "Pete I want you to come back to me now. The past is over."
"If that diamond ring turns brass Mommy's going to buy you a looking glass If that looking glass gets broke Mommy's going to buy you a nanny goat."
"Pete. Come back to me now. The past is over and needs to be forgotten and forgiven. You were not at fault for your baby's death. I want you to open your eyes."
"Pete. Are you alright?" Nikita asked as she ran to her side when she opened her eyes. They were red and swollen from crying. But Pete couldn't answer.
"Get Medical now, we need help." Madeline said.
When Medical got there they sedated Pete and took her down to med lab for her to heal from her emotional beating.
"I told you that this was going to be bad on her. But when she comes out from the sedation in a couple of days she will be a different person. I promise."
"Why didn't you ask her what happened after she held her baby?"
"Because that is when the police came. I got the rest out of the report. She was sitting there rocking Micheline and one of her neighbors ran out to help and saw Pete with her hands around the baby's throat. She was feeling for a pulse but when she pulled her hand down the neighbor saw the bruising from where the man had taken her young baby's life. But the woman didn't know that and instead of trying to find out what had really happened she told the police that she was who killed the baby. And of which of course we know that she never saw a thing."
"She didn't tell them?" Nikita questioned.
"She never talked to any of them. Never told them anything about what had happened. She just closed herself off and would not open back up even a little until she met you that is." She smiled at Nikita.
"Some big help, I have known her for two years and have never really known how she ended up in Section. I knew that she was framed for the murder of her child but I never knew exactly what happened."
"You were there for her. I want to you to go and get some rest before you go and see her. I want you to go home and I will call you in tomorrow."
"Alright, But don't expect me to rest."
She left out of the door and Madeline got on her telephone. "Michael. Can you come up to my office for a minute?"
Once he was in the office she began to talk. "I want you to go to Nikita's and give her this." She held up a small syringe.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
"A sedative, she needs it." Michael was still worried that Madeline might be lying and was really having her cancelled and making him do it. That would be something that they would try.
After he left the office Michael went to Walter's station. "Walter can you test this real quick? I can't be too careful when it comes to Nikita. I want to make sure that this is just a sedative."
Walter nodded and walked out for a couple of minutes and then came back and said, "Just a sedative."
"Alright thanks." Michael then left.
Nikita's apartment......
She walked around the apartment with her wine in one hand and the bottle in the other. But no matter how much she drank she could not forget what happened in Madeline's office that day. She sat down on the couch still clutching the now empty bottle of wine. She cried for what had happened to Pete. What she had had to go through before her life in Section.
She heard a knock at the door. She knew that it was Michael. She had heard the clicking of his shoes and she recognized the rhythm of his pace. She got up and let him in. But as she was walking back to the couch she slipped. When she fell the bottle shattered and cut Nikita's hand. But she didn't seem to even notice it. But after Michael helped her up he noticed.
"Nikita, come run you hand under the water." He pulled her along to the sink when he was that she was not going to do it on her own. She was in some kind of trance.
He went and grabbed her first aid kit and began to tend to her wound. It was just a small cut that could be covered up with butterfly stitches. Michael was not worried about the cut. He was worried that she did not act as if she felt anything. She didn't even realize he was there. And if she did then she didn't show it.
"Come and sit down on the couch." he said as he helped her walk there.
"How can people be so cruel Michael?" Nikita said actually startling Michael. She wasn't as out of it as he thought that she was.
"What happened? Tell me." The tears began to spill once again as she told him of what had happened to Pete and her baby. Michael also could not understand how someone could be so cruel, so heartless, and so evil.
As Nikita began to calm down some Michael pulled out the shot and laid it on the table. "I don't think that you will need this now. I will stay with you. I will be here."
She looked at him for a minute and saw this peace that he offered her and she accepted it and leaned down on his chest and closed her eyes. She didn't sleep but she was still feeling better with Michael there. She was going to need all the strength that he can give her for when she has to face Pete the next day.
When Nikita came into Section the next day she found out that Pete had still not come out of her drug induced sleep. The doctor said she would within the next twenty-four hours. Nikita was so nervous on how she was going to do this. How could she help her friend after such an emotional breakdown? She had to think of something. Fortunately Madeline sent her back home when she found out that Pete would not wake up that day, again told her to go home and rest.
The next day came all too soon. When Nikita walked into med lab she saw Pete fighting with the doctor. She ran over to find out what was going on.
"I mean it. If you don't move you are going to hit the floor." Pete said.
"Lay down. You need to rest." the doctor said.
"I warned you." She said and actually laughed when the doctor hit the floor.
"Is someone feeling better this morning?" Nikita smiled.
"You know I feel real good. I feel as though a huge burden has been taken off of me. I don't know what it is. It is like a feeling of something that you don't really know what it is about but you know it is good from the feeling you are having. I know it doesn't make sense."
"It does to me. Come on. I want you to come over to my apartment for some lunch."
"That sounds good to me. Let's go."
Madeline had told her that she would feel better and that fear she had of leaving the Section would go away. She would not forget the death of her daughter but she would not have it hidden just below the surface anymore. Sure enough Pete had gotten over her fears. She went places with Nikita all the time. And Nikita never said anything about the session with Madeline to Pete.
About two months laterBriefing room
"This is our target. He is to be cancelled on site, Along with any other men that happen to be with him." Operations said. "His name is Jacob Dillon. He is working for Red Cell. He has been responsible for the deaths of five Senators. He has to be stopped."
When Nikita heard the name Red Cell and turned to look at Pete who really was not paying any attention. She motioned to Madeline explaining that they needed to get Pete out of there before she saw the man on the screen. Madeline in turn leaned over and whispered something to Operations and he called for Pete.
"Pete. Madeline needs to see you for a minute."
"Yes Sir. I coming right n---" It was too late. She had seen it. She did not move. She did not breathe. She just stood there with her eyes fixed on the screen. She started to turn white as Nikita jumped up and ran to her. Michael caught her as she started to fall. He picked her up and headed toward med lab. But only twenty minutes later she was out again and going up to Operations' office. She had found out that after she had fainted she had been taken off the mission. That just wasn't going to do.
"I want back on the mission." Pete said as she stormed into Operations' office.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You are too emotionally involved. That would be dangerous to the mission and yourself."
"I don't care about myself. I want to go on this damn mission. I am good at what I do. I have proved that in the last two months. Haven't I?"
"Yes. But this is one thing that I cannot let you go and do."
"SEND ME!" she screamed.
"Pete. Leave." Operations started to get angry.
"No. I want you to ask you one question. Do you have kids? What would you do if they were threatened? What would you do if they were killed? Would you avenge their deaths? That is the Son of A Bitch that killed my little girl. Now I am going whether you let me or not."
"I will allow you to go but you will let Nikita take point. She is more experienced that you and she will be able to take down the target easily. You will be back-up for her. Michael will be in the van if anything happens."
"Thank you sir, I won't forget you for this." She said calmly and slowly walked out of the office.
On Site
Nikita was at Point. She had taken out two guards and was about to take out Dillon. And then she heard someone behind her.
"Nikita, This one is mine Nikita. He is the one that killed Micheline and I am going to be the one that kills him."
"No Pete you will not be the one to kill him. Get back to your spot now." Nikita told her. Michael heard the arguing.
"Pete. Get back to your position now. You have left the area unguarded." Pete would not listen.
"Pete, you have to stop." Nikita grabbed her arm.
"Let go Nikita." Pete turned with a gun pointed at Nikita.
"Don't do this. Please." Nikita begged. She knew exactly what she was about to do. And she was determined to stop her. So Pete hit her upside the head with the gun. She loved Nikita, she was her best friend and she didn't want Nikita to be in the middle of this. The hit had dazed Nikita and she was not able to do anything more than watch the events that unfolded.
Pete got up and walked towards Dillon. He stopped suddenly when he saw this sandy blond haired woman dressed all in black approaching him. When she walked a little closed he recognized her.
"It's you!" He said as he pulled his gun.
"That's right. It's me." She kicked the gun from his hand. "It is time to die you bastard."
They fought for what seemed like forever. But it was only a couple of minutes. Finally she had him on the ground and got up and stood over him.
Nikita had gotten over the dizziness from the blow to the head enough to get up and start running to get Pete before she was spotted by another member of Red Cell. The closer she got the further away she seemed. Right as she got within fifty feet of her, Pete pulled out a knife and stabbed Dillon in the chest. As she did he was able to stab her as well with the knife that he had pulled from his boot. She acted as though she didn't even feel it. She just pulled the knife all the way down trying to literally trying to slice him in two. When Nikita got to her she stood up. She turned around to face Nikita. That was when Nikita saw the blood.
Pete stood for only a second when she fell towards the ground. Nikita had caught her but was dragged down anyway with the force from which she fell.
"Michael! Michael! Get transport over here now! Pete's down, you've got to Hurry!"
"We're coming." Michael said and motioned for the van to go and pick the two of them up. As the van raced to them Pete started to speak.
"I got him, Nikki. I got him."
"You sure did. That bastard is dead."
"I'm sorry."
"There is no reason to be sorry. You are going to be alright." Nikita said as tears flowed from her eyes.
"Really, it sure doesn't feel that way." she smiled and then grimaced in pain. Nikita looked down at the wound. It was a mortal wound, he had stabbed her in an upwards motion in her stomach. She was bleeding to death.
Nikita sat there running her hand down Pete's face trying to sooth her. All of a sudden tears came to Pete's eyes. And a smile came to her face.
"What is it honey?" Nikita asked.
"Micheline?" she asked as she reached her hand into the air.
"Pete. Please hang on. Don't leave me yet." She said as she cradled Pete's head in her lap.
"She is so beautiful. Isn't she? She still looks as beautiful as she did the day she was born." She told Nikita.
"She is beautiful." Nikita said trying to stop her voice from quivering.
"I'm coming honey. Wait for me." Pete said as she laid her head down.
"Pete. Pete." Her voice faltered as she put her hand to her mouth. She felt like screaming. Why did she have to lose her best friend? She leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you. You have been such a wonderful friend to me and I hope you find the happiness that you could not find down here."
She looked up as the van came to a stop in front of her. She looked up at Michael as he bent down to pick Pete up. Once he laid her on a seat he went back to Nikita who was still sitting there on the ground with blood all over her hands and tears running down her face.
"Come on Kita. We have to go." He pulled her into his arms and brought her in the van. Once they started on their way to Section Nikita sat on the floor of the van beside the seat on which Pete was laying. She smoothed her hair and closed her eyes that still stared at the beautiful vision of her daughter. She then turned to Michael.
"She can't be Michael. She just can't be." She cried.
Michael got down on the floor in front of her. He gently took her hand in his and just held it all the way back. He did not know what else to do for her.
When they came to Section Nikita got out first and walked to Michael's office. She wanted to close herself off from the rest of the world. She was closed off to everyone except Michael. When he walked in it was to see Nikita at the window watching her friend being wheeled past her. Nikita knew that her friend would never be back to have the talks that they had shared. Never have the workouts that they had. Never have fun with her and watch her smile again. Only one thing made her accept this. So when Michael came in and asked how she was she told him.
"She's happy now. She's with her baby." she said as a tear ran down her cheek. "She's got what she has wanted for years, her baby back."
The end