Chapter Two
Michael and Nikita sat in Ryan's office after everyone else had went on their way. In his arms Michael rocked the baby girl gently. She was asleep, so at the moment she was being very little trouble. "Isn't she cute?" Michael asked Nikita.
"Yeah." Nikita distractedly replied.
Michael could immediately tell something was wrong. "Nikita, what is going on?" he asked.
Letting out a sigh, Nikita replied, "It's nothing."
"Hey!" Michael tried to get her attention, knowing there was something wrong and she just didn't want to admit it. "You can tell me."
Nikita looked away from his gaze embarrassed to admit the issue. "What if she is mine Michael" Nikita asked.
"What would be wrong with that?" Michael rubbed the baby's cheek gently with his finger.
Nikita grimaced. "I can't be a mother, Michael." She replied, "I am not the right material for a mother."
Shifting the baby in his arms, Michael walked over to Nikita. "Nikita if she is yours, we will love her and raise her. You'll be a fine mother."
"I've told you before Michael, I don't know that children are in the cards for me."
"Try holding her." Michael suggested.
"I don't think I can." Nikita looked up at them.
"If she's yours, you are going to have to get to know her." Michael reminded her.
"I know Michael. Why can't you understand how difficult this is for me?" Nikita rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"Well, we will try this in small steps." Michael told her. 'I think holding her would be a good first step."
A rush of panic filled Nikita as Michael put the baby gently into her arms. She had not held a baby since Sophie in the Victor Han mess. Just the fact that this baby could be hers made it ten times worse. "Nikita," Michael knew exactly what was happening in her head without her even saying it. "Stop overthinking it. If she's yours, we'll deal with it. Just enjoy the beautiful baby you are holding."
Looking down at the baby, she woke up and was grasping her hands in the air towards Nikita. Nikita took her tiny hand in her fingers, and Avianna squeezed her tiny hand around Nikita's index finger. A smile gently crossed Nikita's face. The smile was infectious, causing Michael to smile too. He put his arm around Nikita's shoulders and commented, "You look good holding her."
Nikita rubbed the baby's cheek gently. "So whose baby do you think it is?" Nikita questioned.
"If not one of ours?" Michael questioned. Quietly he pondered it. "Well, let's see. If it is Birkhoff's, heaven save us. He'd have no idea what to do."
"Yeah, but the ex-seal? Sean would be better?" Nikita asked with a laugh.
""He was loyal to his mother. At least he has a sense of family." Michael replied. "Sean would have a sense of duty to his kin. He's got Alex, which would help too."
"Alex." Nikita pondered that possibility, "I hope she could handle it."
"She has been through a lot. A baby would be a lot more stress on her." Michael agreed.
Maybe that's Amanda's game." Nikita gently rocked the little girl.
"Could you imagine Owen as a father?" Michael thought about the next possibility.
"Someone who kills for a living, that may not be a good idea." Nikita said.
"Good idea or not, it may be a possibility. I agree with you there. I don't think Owen has any parenting skills."
He was good with Emily, but yeah,, parenting skills are completely different. I think he and Birkhoff would be the least skilled at being a parent." Michael agreed. "We're all just going to have to help each other. None of his is ideal, but Amanda knew that. That's why she did it."
"Taking care of a baby could tear us apart."
"And that's exactly what Amanda wants." Nikita acknowledged.
"Makes sense." Michael agreed.
"So now what?" Nikita questioned.
"Well, we are going to have to go and get a room ready for her. Someone will have to go out shopping to get things for her since we have nothing for her."
"Who's doing that?" Nikita asked.
"I believe that Alex and Ella were going to go." Michael replied.
Alex and Ella walked into a baby store. The two of them had been nominated to get supplies for the baby. "Have you ever been baby shopping before." Alex asked Ella as she grabbed a cart.
Ella shook her head. "I'm the baby of the family and I have no nieces or nephews."
Alex smiled. "Me either. I guess we'll have to ad lib."
"Hey, look at how cute!" Ella pointed out a tiny pink dress hanging on the rack.
"That's cute. What do you think we should get for clothes" Alex questioned.
"Babies need a lot." Ella tried to remember things she had heard before, but then fustratedly she pulled out her cell phone.
"What are you doing?" Alex questioned.
Punching a few buttons on her cell phone, she replied, "I am looking up a list of supplies for a baby." Ella replied.
Smiling, Alex replied, "That's a good idea. Where does it start?"
"Clothes." Ella replied, scrolling on the cell phone. "5-7 one-pieces for three months."
"Can you imagine if the baby is Birkhoff or Owen's? Them trying to dress a baby if it's their girl I have a feeling they'll have trouble putting into the frilly dresses" Alex laughed.
Ella just nodded. She did not know them too well, so she just had to assume what Alex was saying was realistic. They found the onesies and grabbed a couple of packages of them. "What if she's your daughter?"
Taking a deep breath, Alex didn't respond, absent-mindedly flipping the some clothes. "I don't know." Alex finally replied, "It's a little scary. I have no idea what I would do. I have no idea how to care for a child. And I am definitely not mature enough for a baby."
"You do what you have to." Ella replied.
"I supposed so." Alex answered. "I just don't know what Division is going to do with a baby. I don't know what any of us are going to do with a baby. None of us are ideal parents."
"Unfortunately one of you is a parent now through some cruel twist of fate." Ella continued pushing the cart along, picking out things off the list as they moved along.
"This is insane. Of all the crap that Amanda has pulled, this is the most insane stunt . Owen's an ex-cleaner- he is in no condition to be a father. Birkhoff- I don't think he knows anything about kids. He would have no idea what to do. Nikita has never been thrilled about kids- with everything she has been through and the fight we are fighting, it's just not ideal. Michael has had kids before, he's the only one with any experience. Sean has strong family ties, so that is a plus for him, although the navy seal must not have much child experience and he was the baby of his family."
"I'm sure we will figure it out." Ella tried to reassure Alex.
"I know we will, but this changes everything." Alex replied, clearly stressed out by the situation. "What kind of life will this baby have?"
"A good one." Ella replied, "You are all good people. The baby couldn't ask for better people."
"But a crappy situation." Alex replied.
"Well, I think we are good on clothes, we should go for monitors, bottles, nooks and those kind of things. Lastly we will have to get furniture." Ella tried to arrange with Alex.
"Good thing we brought the SUV." Alex joked as they moved into the next aisle.
Birkhoff was in his office, which was more like a lab, working on the DNA testing. The machines and things were all working while Birkhoff sat supervising. Leaning back in the lab chair,, he tried to imagine how it was real. Ever since he had seen the baby brought into Division, his brain had struggled to comprehend that the child was one of theirs. Even worse- the baby could be his.
It's not that he had anything against children, it was just that he did not have any experience with them. He would not have made the choice to have kids, but now he could possibly be a father. It was a scary thought. He wasn't close to his family and he would have no idea what to do. There was also no interest in kids either. With his life and the way things were going, Birkhoff didn't imagine he would be the best person to procreate. Besides his prowess with computers, he didn't have much to offer a child.
Birkhoff was so lost in the thoughts that he never heard the door open as Michael came in carrying Avianna. "How is it going Birkhoff?" Michael asked.
"I'm still working on it. It is going slowly." Birkhoff turned around to see Michael coming in.
"Well, while you are monitoring everything, it is your turn to watch Avianna." Michael told him while playing with the baby's feet.
"Ah, Mikey, I don't think so." Birkhoff replied, punching some buttons on his computer.
"I think so Birkhoff." Michael replied, walking closer to the tech. "We are all taking turns and it is your turn. She could be yours, you have to get use to her."
"Michael, I have no idea what to do with a baby."
"It's not that hard." Michael smiled.
"For me Mikey. She's not a computer." Birkhoff replied.
"Here." Michael walked over to Birkhoff and gently laid the baby girl into his arms.
"Mikey, what are you doing?" Birkhoff protested.
"See." Michael pointed out when Birkhoff was successfully holding Avianna.
Birkhoff looked down at the little girl. She gurgled a little, then reached up and grabbed Birkhoff's nose. "See, she likes you." Michael protested.
Holding the baby in his arms, Birkhoff was still uncomfortable. He had never been around someone so small. She seemed so fragile it startled him. Looking at the baby, he studied her bright blue eyes, staring directly at him. "Michael, I have no idea what to do with her."
"She likes to be held. " Michael teased him.
Birkhoff watched as Avi's little face scrunched up and she began to cry. "See," Birkhoff told Michael, "I told you."
"Here." Michael walked over and moved the baby so she was against Birkhoff's chest.
The baby's tiny head on his chest was a little strange to Birkhoff, but Avi stopped crying. His hand gently rubbed the back of Avi's head. "You're a natural." Michael told him.
"Don't even Michael." Birkhoff replied, "There's no way I can care for a baby."
"You'll get used to it." Michael tried to reassure Birkhoff.
"Please don't leave me alone with her." Birkhoff tried to convince Michael to stay with her.
"Birkhoff, I got things I need to do." Michael told him, starting to leave the room.
"Michael, I get the point. I need to get used to her- fine. But you can't leave me with her alone." Birkhoff began to panic.
"You'll be fine Birkhoff. In an hour I'll have Sean come get her." Michael left with a smile.
Birkhoff just starred at the door where Michael had left, then glanced at the little baby in his arms. She yawned and her eyes slowly blinked shut. Looking around the room Birkhoff tried to figure out something to do with the baby. Division wasn't set up at all for a baby- there wasn't even somewhere for him to safely put her down. "I'm sorry you got stuck with me." He apologized to the sleeping baby. "I really haven't a clue what I am doing." He sat down on his couch, the equipment doing the work on its own for the moment. Feeling the little girl's skin was a little cool he grabbed a blanket and gently laid it over Avianna. "I'm really sorry you're in this mess." Birkhoff decided to talk to the baby, "No one deserves us as parents we're definitely a messed up bunch." Birkhoff put his hand on Avianna's back. "I'm a mess, I definitely should not be trying to raise someone. My parents didn't really do a good job with me- I have no idea how to act with other people. Then we've got Mr. ex-military and the heiress. At least they have a stable relationship so you would have mommy and daddy. Sean knows what family is- that would probably bode well for you. Even though Alex lost her family I think. She would be a good mother if we could get her out of the field. Owen- if he's your father, heaven help us. Sometimes I wonder if that guy even has a soul. Mikey- you know Mikey he's had kids before and he would do anything for them. Nikita doesn't want kids, but I think with Mikey they would be good parents."
Looking down, Birkhoff realized Avianna was asleep. He watched her, admiring her innocence for a couple minutes before a beep from his computer got his attention. Being careful for the baby on his chest, he got up and walked over to the computer. Studying the report on the computer, he replied to himself, "Well, that is part one done on person number one. Time for part two."
About an hour later, Sean walked into Birkhoff's office for his shift with the baby. Surveying the room, he was surprised when he didn't see Birkhoff. He scratched his head when his eyes caught Birkhoff asleep on his couch, Avianna lying peacefully on his chest, Birkhoff's hand gently on her back. Quietly Sean pulled his phone out and snapped a picture before walking over to Birkhoff and commented, "Birkhoff, don't you have work you are supposed to be doing?"
Birkhoff startled awake, both hands supporting the baby on his chest. "Sean?" he asked, his eyes blinking open.
"Yeah." Sean replied, "I'm here to relieve you from baby duty."
"Okay." Birkhoff sat up, then handed the baby to Sean, who cradled Avianna in his arms.
"How is the testing going?" Sean asked, adjusting the blanket over Avianna.
"Good, it's going. I'll let you know." Birkhoff stretched, then got up heading back to his computer and equipment.
"See you later." Sean headed out, leaving Birkhoff to his work.
Only part way down the hall, Sean heard excited chatting coming closer. At the corner Sean ran into Alex and the medical tech from before- Ella?- carrying a ton of bags from a baby store. "Did you buy the store out?" he teasingly asked them. "Surely something this small doesn't need that much crap."
"You'd be surprised." Ella replied, "We only bought the essentials from the list."
"I know." Sean smiled, "I was only teasing. I have a couple nieces."
"I didn't know that." Ella smiled in reply, "How's the little one doing?"
Shrugging, Sean replied, "I don't know. I just picked her up from Birkhoff. They were napping."
Pulling the phone from his pocket, he held it up for Ella and Alex to see. Ella smiled and Alex said, "Aww."
"So is there more stuff in the SUV?" Sean questioned.
Both girls laughed. "Ah, where do you think the crib, changing table, stroller and all that are?" Alex finally laughed.
"I'll get Michael, Owen, and Ryan." Sean replied, keying his earpiece Sean called, "Michael, Owen, Ryan, can you guys come down to the vehicle bay.. There's some baby furniture that needs to be moved."
"So where are we putting everything" Ella asked.
"We have decided to use Alex's old recruit room because it is central to all of us." Sean replied.
"Let's go get her room set up." Alex headed towards her old room.
When they got to the room, Alex and Ella put the bags down. Sean looked in amazement as the girls began to unpack diapers and clothes and formula for the baby. "Wow." He said aloud.
About an hour later everyone was in the room except Birkhoff who was still in the lab working on the DNA testing. Michael and Sean had gotten her crib and changing table put together, Alex was feeding the baby who had finally began to cry a few minutes before. As the baby had her bottle in Alex's arms, Alex looked around the room. While the baby things cheered up the rom a bit, the concert walls would need paint and decorations to be a suitable room for the baby. Walking over to Owen, who looked ridiculous putting together a dresser for the baby. "Owen, you know it is your turn with the baby after you are done." Alex teased him.
"You know that's not going to happen, right?" Owen looked at Alex over his shoulder.
"We are all taking turns Owen. You could be her dad just as much as the rest of us, so you need to watch her." Alex reminded him.
"I really don't think that's a good idea." Owen told her, standing up.
"Here," Alex handed the baby to Owen who held her like a football out away from his body.
"Owen! Support her head." Michael moved the baby in his arms.
"Seriously guys? You're going to leave me, the ex-cleaner with a baby?" Owen complained.
"Didn't you and Emily ever talk about kids?" Nikita asked.
Awkwardly rocking Avianna in his arms, Owen replied, "No. We never quite got to that point. I couldn't tell her, about my past, but obviously I'm not exactly dad material."
"Well, you'd better get used to her. She's going to be around." Michael teased.
"So when is Birkhoff going to find out who her parent is?" Owen asked, still rocking the baby awkwardly.
"In a few days he said." Sean replied.
"This is going to be a wild few days." Michael replied.
