Chapter 2: A Trip to D.C
Nikita watched Birkhoff dig for more information about Alyssa Meers. She wanted to know everything just in case something bad happened. It could be another Division trap to capture her, retrieve the black box, or kill her. As much as she didn't want to think in this way with matters relating to her family, she had to.
"She lives in D.C. in an apartment about four blocks from her job."
"Write the address down for me." Birkhoff stopped and looked at her.
"You're serious?"
"Birkhoff I have to do this. This is my family."
"You said that last time and oh look where we are living: in an office space instead of my beautiful home that was fine until…" He stopped himself once he saw her giving him the evil eye. "Nevermind. Point is you don't need to get mixed up with this. It could be Division don't you think? I mean how would she have known about you?"
"I thought about it being Division, but maybe my…father told her about me. Maybe she was curious and decided to find out about me and found that I…am dead." She let out a sigh and turned her back to him. "I don't know…a part of me wants to believe that there is someone out there who cares about me, you know. I…that's all I want is to know that…"
"Niki stop. You know that…I care and so does…Mikey. Alright?" He struggled to get the words out. He knew how touchy the situation was for her. She turned to him and nudged him in the shoulder.
"So you do care?" She teased and smiled. That is what she loved about him, he always knew how to bring a smile to her face.
"Anyway let's be honest. You do this and you're setting yourself up for either Division or disappointment. Both are actually synonymous. Probably less likely for this to end well considering that if this girl was really looking for a sister, she just traveled to see a tombstone that signifies a deceased person. In your case, you are very much alive and plan to walk up to her and tell her that your death is fake which comes with an explanation that she may not be ready to hear. It's risky telling someone. You have to consider the facts."
"You're right. I'll deal with that once I get there and introduce myself." She assured him. Birkhoff rubbed his face and looked back at his computer. She put her hands on his shoulders.
"Birkhoff I'll be fine. Like you said this could be what I have been waiting for and you wouldn't have shown me this if you thought I couldn't handle it. I'll be smart about it. This could be my younger sister and I could find my father too. So, I'm packing a bag and heading out today." She began to walk towards the bathroom, but stopped. "Thanks."
Birkhoff heard the bathroom door close and brought the picture of the girl back onto the screen. He tried to find some resemblance but he just shook his head. He was worried and not just about her getting physically hurt but also emotionally hurt. He knew when Michael left she would feel abandoned even though she lived on her own without depending on anyone for quite a while. He knew she wanted more out of life, but she had to complete her own personal mission first.
Nikita got dressed, packed her bag, and drove to D.C. On the way there, she played different scenarios in her head: she would knock on Alyssa's door after she got off work, introduce herself, and explain her life story. They'd talk all night. She thought about her staged father and pictured Alyssa being the same way. She did not want to go through that again, and this time she did not have Michael by her side.
She made it to D.C and parked across the street from Alyssa's apartment. It was a nice place and it looked expensive. She examined the area so she would know her surroundings just in case. She checked her watch and it was twelve in the afternoon. She knew that the average person was at work right now and she knew that she would have to wait for her to get back. Knowing that, Nikita sat and waited. She watched people walk by and noticed a couple with their young child. She could not help but think about Michael and no matter how many times she tried to alleviate herself from loneliness, the feeling would creep up on her again. She watched them until they were out of her sight and then she closed her eyes and decided that meeting this girl whether she was truly her sister or not would be the best thing for her to do. She did not want to give up trying to find her family.