A/N – Wow. I'm so glad that Nikita's back on TV. I can't wait!

When I wrote my last chapter, I had no idea that Birkhoff would find the shell script in "All The Way". Talk about a lucky guess.

And why the heck did they kill off Thom? What were they thinking? For those of you that like Thom: don't worry. He's not dead in this story.

I do apologize that it's taken so long to get a new chapter out. So, I appreciate your patience. Unfortunately, life threw me a curve ball just before Christmas, so my updates may be further apart than I'd like. All I ask is you please be patient with me.

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing…


All Alex knew was that she was in one of the darkened halls of Division and she was fighting somebody. She couldn't see who it was – all she knew is that her life depended on escaping. Whoever it was moved with brutal efficiency. Every blow she countered or dodge held lethal force.

Each of them moved in a deadly dance of blows, blocks and counter strikes. Somehow, her attacker pulled her into a sleeper hold. Fighting the loss of oxygen, Alex elbowed her attacker in the face, knocking her free. Her assailant charged at her again, but Alex was able to block the punches and land a blow against her attacker.

That's when they both saw a gun lying on the floor.

Her attacker must have thought the same thing she did as they both reached for the weapon. Suddenly, it became a struggle to control the weapon.

Then a gunshot went off. Her attacker fell beside her.

Then she saw his face gasping for air: Thom's face.

"No…"


When it's almost midnight, and you're traveling down the highway for a half hour in complete silence, it gives one time to think. For Jaden, her thoughts focused on her life. She was a hard kid, growing up in the streets of Washington DC, being the plaything for this gang member or that gang member, and doing whatever it took to survive. Wherever she was, she made it home...not that it mattered anyway. Home was wherever she could eat or sleep.

It's not like she had a home to miss anyway. Her dad left not long after she was born, and her mom died of a drug overdose when she was about seven years old. From there, she went from one foster home to another. Eventually, she figured she'd do a better job of surviving on the streets than having to deal with some drunken foster father who wanted a cheap screw.

How Jaden ended up Division she never really knew. Jaden just remembered waking up, lying on a bed, in a gray room with no windows. She remembered some guy with short hair and a goatee telling her that she had been given a "second chance at life".

Not that she could remember all of what he said anyway as the detox was hell. She spent the better part of a fortnight trying to eat, sleep, and get her strength up while the drugs left her body.

Then the training began. She started to learn how to fight – how to kill.

It gave her a feeling that she didn't have before – power.

Finally she had an assignment; a sense of purpose. Finally she could get a taste of freedom and be on her way to become a field agent. She could still see the dresses Amanda wanted her to try on. She had never seen so many beautiful dresses.

Percy told her that she had a very important mission and her role was critical. Of course, it somehow slipped out that the operation was called, "Stormshadow."

That piece of information led to her situation now. She couldn't believe that she was driving a stolen SUV down the highway with her most hated enemy.

Alex.

That bitch.

To say that Jaden hated Alex was an understatement. There was only one way she could think of to describe how she felt:

Loathing.

Unadulterated loathing.

Everything about this woman made her skin crawl.

And now, she was asleep on the passenger seat beside her.

Ironic, isn't it? she thought.

Jaden looked down at the shoulder bag that Alex held. She thought about the guns that they stashed there.

It would be really easy for me to just grab a gun and take her out right now...dump the SUV and get the hell out of here. She wouldn't even see it coming.

Yet, even in the midst of her plotting, something told Jaden there was more to Alex than what was on the surface. She also had a feeling Alex could help them deal with their trackers. On top of that, Jaden couldn't shake was a nagging feeling that Alex may hold a key to her getting back into Division.

So, loathing aside, she was stuck with her.

Suddenly, Alex awoke with a start yelling out Thom's name. It took Alex a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep and was having a nightmare.

Great, Jaden thought with disgust. That's the other reason she hated Alex: Thom. He was the only guy Jaden met that saw any potential in her – the only guy who she actually trusted…even loved.

There was no way Alex was taking that away from her too.

"Welcome back," Jaden spat out to her companion.

"How long have I been out?" Alex asked stretching and rubbing her eyes.

"Half an hour." The grouchiness was evident in her voice.

Alex looked over at her moody traveling companion. "What's your problem?"

"Nothin'," was the reply as Jaden buried her emotions for the time being. "We've been driving for thirty minutes now without incident. I don't know about you, but I don't think we should push our luck."

Alex nodded in agreement. She turned to look out the window and saw something in the distance. "Pull over at the next exit."

"Why?"

"We're going shopping."

The two women arrived at a Walmart parking lot. On Alex's suggestion, Jaden parked the vehicle as far away from the building as possible. Alex grabbed her bag and they made their way up to the store. As Jaden entered the store, Alex stopped at a pay phone to make a phone call.


"...and I am completely convinced that JFK's murder was a giant government conspiracy!"

Nikita smiled as Wilson started into another one of his wild conspiracy theories. All through dinner, he had discussed every wild cover-up he believed in – everything from the 'faked' Apollo 11 moon landing to Elvis' death. His tirade was, thankfully, cut short when Nikita's phone rang.

Nikita quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

Alex, from the phone booth at Walmart, replied. "It's me."

Nikita let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I thought I lost you."

"We're ok. It was pretty close but we're out."

Nikita raised her eyebrows. "We?"

Alex sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's a long story."

"You'll have to fill me in later. Where are you?"

"Just outside of Nowheresville, Virginia…"

As Alex talked on the phone, she watched as a police cruiser drove through the parking lot. It suddenly stopped behind the SUV. "Dammit."

Nikita heard Alex's swearing. "What's wrong?"

"We were followed. Our position's been compromised. Gotta go. I'll call you for pickup when we've reached a secure location."

"WAIT!" Nikita shouted, catching Alex's attention before she hung up. "Head to the hospital in Gainesville, Virginia and look for a 'Doctor Anita Redding'. She knows me can help you with the trackers. Tell her that her 'guardian angel needs to call in a favor'."

"Got it."

Nikita hung up the phone and turned to her dinner companion. Calmly, she asked him, "Wilson, have you ever heard of a government agency called, 'Division'?"


Alex hung up the phone and went inside to join Jaden in the store. She found her walking through the Women's Wear section looking at the various clothing.

Jaden was lost among the sea of clothing. Sure, it wasn't the fanciest or most stylish clothing, but after being stuck down in Division's training center and wearing nothing but grey and black, the colorful clothing on the racks were a welcome change.

"Certainly not Division colors, are they?" Alex asked as she walked up to her travelling companion.

Jaden just chuckled. "Even a $5 sweater looks better than Division's uniform."

"See anything you like?"

Jaden turned and looked at Alex with a wary eye. "What? We're going to be best shopping buds or something?"

Alex shook her head. "No, but we'd better find something to wear other than these clothes. SUV's been found. We've got about five minutes to get out of here."

With their limited resources, the two women decided keep their shopping to a minimum, only picking out shirts and hooded sweaters. Jaden's sweater was a dark forest green while Alex's was a yellow. Alex also grabbed a cheap map to help them find their new destination. They were on the way to the checkout when Alex mentioned, "We'll need a new ride."

Jaden just sneered. "No problem. I can jack any car in the lot."

"Sure you could. Can you do it with the cops watching?"

Jaden stopped and thought for a few moments before she saw a rather large man in his mid-forties perusing through the women's intimate section. "How about 'creepy guy' there?"

Alex saw the guy Jaden was referring to. "You think you can lift his keys?"

"Pay attention and you may learn something," came the reply as Jaden threw her clothing over to Alex.

Jaden slowly made her way through the various articles of clothing into the section before 'accidentally' bumping into the guy. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention…"

The man, looking Jaden over, changed his demeanor. "No worries, sweetheart. Say, you look kinda cute."

He reached out and started to stroke her arm. Jaden tried to hide her revulsion. "Uh, thanks." She quickly picked up a bra. "Oh look. I found what I was looking for. So, I'll be off…"

As Jaden started to walk by the guy, he stepped in her way. "I'll bet that'll look good on you. It'll look even better on my floor."

In that moment, every memory of every awful foster home came to Jaden. She could feel the need to end this guy's life right here and now build inside of her. Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice booming in their direction. "HEY! Back off of my girl!"

Jaden watched in surprise as Alex marched up in between the two of them and planted a huge kiss on Jaden's lips. Jaden hid her shock while she played along and returned the kiss. After a few seconds, they broke apart and Alex faced their voyeur with a look that could kill. "She's taken. Go find your own."

The guy, while amused, shook his head as he walked off. "I'll never understand women."

After making their purchases and walking outside the store, Jaden grabbed Alex's arm, turned her to face her and angrily held a finger in her face. "Don't ever do that again!"

"What were you going to do? Take him out?"

"Trust me; I'd be doing the world a favor."

Alex gave her a stern look. "Don't go thinking I enjoyed it. If I could have figured out any other way to break the two of you up, I would have. Now, as much as I share your desire to rid the world of those scumbags, right now we've got to go."

She nodded towards the SUV. Jaden turned and saw a number of cop cars surrounding the vehicle. A crime scene investigation unit was on hand combing over the vehicle.

Alex then asked, "You got the keys?"

Jaden held up the man's key ring. After a few minutes searching, they found the guy's pickup truck. Jaden threw the keys to Alex. "You drive this time. I'll sleep."

"Fine," she replied as they opened the door.

Alex started the truck and they pulled out of the parking lot, quietly leaving the scene behind them. As Jaden slept, Alex looked at the map to find her way towards Gainesville. She hoped that the doctor Nikita recommended could remove Division's leash on them.