A/N: I know. I've been very absent lately. But I've had so much schoolwork, writing really hasn't been fitting into my life ... but I only have two more weeks of school until the April holidays so I'll be updating all my multi-chapter fics soon! I promise. But to tie you over a bit, a one-shot. After "Arising" I had to—I just had to. Salex has been OVERWHELMING in the last two episodes (I was squealing my head off when Sean randomly appeared in the last ep) and when I found out he was leaving with Katya in this ep, I just felt like writing a little goodbye scene for him and Alex. So here ya go:

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Nikita, the sauna scene that is according to Dillon Casey is going to happen between Sean and Alex will have happened ALREADY.

As Alex waited outside the car, tapping her foot as her mother gathered her things from the house, she took in her surroundings. Nothing had changed. Nothing. It was as if she was six years old again, running around in the snow, laughing as her father slipped on the ice. Then, she would run inside and grab one of the steaming hot chocolates on the dining table that tasted like cinnamon and marshmallows.

Alex swallowed back the tears. Things had been so normal back then. She let herself smile as Sean hurried down the steps, rubbing his hands together to get warm.

'You could always wear gloves,' Alex suggested.

'Easier to handle weapons without 'em,' shrugged Sean with a grin. He noticed the shimmering in her eyes and his face softened. 'You okay?'

'Yeah,' Alex nodded. 'Fine. Just...being here again. Nothing bad ever happened here, you know? It was always a safe place.'

'I got a place like that,' smiled Sean. 'We used to go there every year until I was fifteen. It was by the beach. Me 'n my sisters used to go swimming every evening.' He glanced at her. 'Is it leaving this place – or her?' He nodded his head towards the house, where Katya still was.

'No, it's not leaving her,' said Alex with a sigh. 'I know she'll be safe. Especially with you guarding her. It's not about leaving this place, either. It's about...returning to the fight. Ever since I found out that Nikita had killed my father and that Sergai Semak had ordered the hit on my family, all I've cared about is killing him and getting Zetrov back. When I found out my mother was alive, that became another priority. I didn't care about which side I was on, who was helping me...I just wanted to complete my mission. Screw Division and Oversight and Nikita. Revenge was all that mattered.'

'Now your mission is over,' Sean stated.

'Yeah. And it's back to the fight that led me to this mission in the first place.'

'Well – you'll get to kick ass a lot more than you have been lately. You've had to put up the princess-y Alexandra Udinov, heir to Zetrov act for the cameras,' Sean smirked.

'Shut up,' Alex muttered but she was grinning as she gave him a shove. He grabbed her arm gently, subtly pulling her a little closer. 'I'm gonna miss you,' he admitted.

Alex tried to ignore the pounding in her heart at his handsome face gazing down at her. 'I'll miss you too.' The words left her mouth without even processing in her head and she immediately clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip, her stomach flipping as she practically screamed at herself oh crap, what did you just say?

Sean just smiled, carefully tucking her hair behind her shoulders and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, just as Katya left the house and locked the door behind her. Alex was too busy trying to drown her blush to notice her mother.

'I'll look after her, Alex,' Sean promised, squeezing her hand. 'You know I will.'

'I know,' replied Alex. 'I trust you.' Reluctantly, she pulled back her hand and turned to face her mother, but before Sean got into the car, she looked over her shoulder, having to say one thing to him that she had to say. 'Thank you, Sean. For everything.'

And for that, Sean only smiled.

A/N: I feel like this really isn't my best work at all. I'm sure it isn't. It was written in half an hour with no editing whatsoever. :P I hope Sean is back in the next ep, though, just to tell Alex that he misses her or something. Oh and for any Mikita fans, I'm probably going to be posting a Mikita post 2x17 one shot as well...I can't resist. :) If you're lucky, Roommates will have a new chapter by tomorrow! 3 Arising has put me on a roll!

Read and review!

-Chimi