A/N: Heeey(: Thanks for the positive feedback on the last chapter...it means everything! So pretty much this chapter is Sean's "interrogation" my way. I will never be able to live up to and recreate the amazingness that was the actual interrogation in 2x12. That was Salex heaven. Siiiiigh(: Anyway, I decided that YES I am going to involve Clean Sweep because I had some Salex ideas for the actual saving of Division...that and I don't want Niall to get killed :) Okay, so I'm gonna stop rambling and let you read!

DISCLAIMER: uh...last time I checked...it was a NO. :'(

When Sean woke, he felt pain coursing through his wrists. His head was stinging and he felt shivery...

He opened one eye and noticed that he'd been rid of his wetsuit. Huh. His hands and legs were bound against a chair and his head was still pulsing uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut as a tremor of cold air whipped past his exposed arms.

'He's awake,' Birkhoff announced and immediately, Sean was surrounded.

'You lying, manipulative asshole,' Alex spat.

'Alex, it's not what you think...' Sean began but he was interrupted by a loud slap across his face. He winced. He supposed he did sort of deserve that.

'Where's your strike team?' Nikita demanded. 'Where's your backup?'

'There isn't any,' mumbled Sean, avoiding Alex's death glare. Michael furrowed his eyebrows. 'No backup. No tracker. No strike team. Why? Why would you take that risk?'

Sean didn't answer. He just shifted his gaze so that he was looking directly at Alex. Her features hardened. 'How did you find me, huh?' she said harshly. 'How did you even know I'd meet up with Nikita?'

'I didn't,' admitted Sean. 'But I saw you crush that phone out on the street. It was the same sort of phone you showed us that Nikita used. I figured you were still in touch with her and would run into her at some point.'

'How did you find me?' Alex hissed. Sean felt guilt swirl around in the pit of his stomach. This, he was not proud of. He nodded his head towards the watch, looking down at his feet. He heard Alex's breath tremble. 'No,' she whispered. She was practically begging. 'No.'

'I'm sorry,' he said quietly. Another, much harder, blow hit him across the face.

'My father's watch!' Alex shrieked. 'I can't believe you!'

'He's Oversight,' Birkhoff reminded. 'We told you so.' He suddenly stood up. 'H...hey, Alex, don't...Alex, just give the watch to me. You don't have to crush it. I can get the tracker out.'

Shaking, Alex nodded, tossing Birkhoff the watch which he easily caught. She took one, seething look at Sean before storming away to help Birkhoff with the watch and Sean's phone.

'You deserved that, you know,' Nikita said, sounding just as hating as Alex.

'Yeah...I know,' Sean murmured.

'Was she just your cover?' Michael asked tonelessly. 'Is that all she was to you?'

Sean saw out of the corner of his eye, Nikita's stance waver. Daniel Monroe. He was only ever supposed to be her cover. Sean knew the story. He stole a glance at Alex, who wasn't looking up but he could see that she was listening intently, almost fearing his answer.

'Well?' Michael demanded.

'No,' Sean shot back. 'She was never just my cover. She was never supposed to be part of the plan.'

'Great,' Alex said sarcastically. 'So now using me was a spontaneous decision. You could've at least told me about your mother, you know.'

'My mothe...' Sean wrinkled his nose in confusion. 'How the hell did you...?' His face turned impassive as he looked over at Nikita who was still pointing the gun at him. 'Of course. You told her.'

'And I'm glad as hell that she did!' Alex tried not to yell.

'Alex,' Nikita said, pulling her aside. 'We're not getting anywhere. You try 'n get something out of him.'

'No way,' Alex began to protest but Nikita shook her head. 'Alex, you're the only one he's going to talk to.'

Alex sighed. 'Yeah. Okay. I guess.'

Nikita gestured to Michael to join Birkhoff by the computers while Alex pulled up a chair, sitting opposite Sean.

'I never wanted to hurt you,' Sean said immediately.

'Good try,' Alex replied coolly. Sean slouched back into the chair. 'Alex,' he said softly, the same tone that it was when he'd spoken to her three days ago, his eyes gentle and warm. 'You were never supposed to get hurt. Dammit, I was never supposed to even become your friend.'

'So...what? When you do, you take that as an opportunity to sleep with me to get to Nikita?'

'No.'

Alex leaned forward. 'You realise I will never forgive you for this?'

Inside, Sean felt as if a sledge hammer had suddenly shattered something inside of him but he kept a straight face. 'Fine,' he said through grit teeth. 'At least tell me what happened in Russia.' He noticed her posture change suddenly. 'I followed your progress for a while, what happened?'

'Something came up,' Alex said, fiddling with the zip of her jacket. 'My mother. She's still alive...living with Semak. He keeps her locked up and stuffed with pills.'

'Hang on, your mother's alive?' Sean gaped, his eyes widening. 'She's his prisoner?'

'Not exactly,' Alex said heavily. Sean nearly smiled. 'Well. You can't judge family the way you judge other people.'

'Oh yeah, how's that working out for you?' Alex said with a raised eyebrow.

'So far so good,' Sean grinned. Alex rolled her eyes, a smile hinting in her features. 'Who were you trying to kill?' she asked suddenly. Sean chewed on his bottom lip, glancing at Nikita.

'Why?' Alex asked.

'She's trying to kill my mother.'

'What?' Nikita said in confusion. 'I've never killed an Oversight member! And what did you even think was going to happen when you killed me...and the rest of us?'

'You could go back to your Seal Unit?' Michael mocked.

'They know if they go after me, I'll go straight to the authorities,' Sean said flatly.

'You wouldn't even make it that far!' Michael said, in all seriousness this time. 'Not even your mother could help you. If she protested too much, she'd suffer the same fate as her son.'

Alex noticed Sean's eyes flicker with what seemed to be worry and apprehension.

'Oi, shipwreck!' Birkhoff called. 'Did you know you had a bug in your phone?'

'What?' Sean and Alex said in unison.

'Looks like an Oversight one,' said Nikita, leaning down to check out what Birkhoff had in the tweezers.

'They've been recording my calls?' Sean breathed.

'They've been tracking you whenever you have your phone on,' Birkhoff corrected. 'You didn't know?'

'Sure as hell, I didn't know!' Sean said indignantly. 'If I did, I wouldn't be using that phone!' He narrowed his eyes. 'I'm just wondering why you aren't celebrating already.'

'Celebrating?' Alex echoed with a scoff. 'Why would we be celebrating?'

'Because of Clean Sweep,' Sean said, looking confused. 'Surely you guys know about it?'

When the other four exchanged blank looks, Sean groaned, leaning back in the chair. 'Uh oh.'

'Sean,' Michael began threateningly.

'I'm telling you,' Sean said, 'don't worry. Look, when Division was built, they wired it up with gas cylinders under the building. There's a briefcase in Oversight's possession that if they activate, the gasses will be released into Division and every single person inside will be killed with nobody ever knowing what really happened. Oversight told Percy to ensure that Clean Sweep was a failsafe in case Division operations got too out of hand to control. Oversight's planning on executing Clean Sweep within the hour. My mother's trying to stop it but she's just one person.'

Alex swallowed in disbelief, bringing a hand up to her head to push back loose strands of hair. Michael collapsed onto the couch, looking faint. Birkhoff dropped the tracking chip, taking a long gulp of beer. Nikita just stood there, staring at Sean, shocked.

'We've got to help them,' she said finally.

'I thought you wanted to take down Division,' Sean scoffed.

'Yeah, Percy and Amanda and the other controlling sons of bitches who actually know and have control over what they're doing,' Birkhoff interjected.

'Those recruits and those agents were us once,' Michael agreed. 'They don't have a choice.'

'What do we do?' Alex asked, finally speaking.

'Call my mother,' Sean said, surprising them all. 'I'll be your leverage. Bargain against Clean Sweep to give me back to them. I have their identities and secrets. They won't want to risk that.'

Birkhoff glanced at Nikita for confirmation. She nodded, picking the phone up off the table and waiting for Sean to recite the number.

'Sean! Where the hell are you? The other members are about to initiate Clean Sweep...'

'Mom,' Sean said quietly. 'They got me.'

There was a long silence.

'What do they want?' Madeline asked.

'That depends what you have to offer,' Nikita said, pulling the phone away from Sean's mouth. 'We will...' Her words were drowned out by the sudden clatter of gunfire from a machine gun and yells and exclamations from another room.

'Mom!' Sean shouted, panicked. Then, the voices came out slightly muffled. Alex placed a hand on Sean's shoulder. 'Don't say anything, she's put her phone in her pocket,' she whispered. Sean, his eyes burning with worry, nodded.

'Now listen, Amanda,' came an unfamiliar voice, 'you're going to do as I say or I will execute operation Clean Sweep, immediately.'

'Amanda?' Michael mouthed with a frown.

'Probably on the phone with her,' Birkhoff said, listening intently.

'Wait...I recognise that voice!' Michael said, looking up. 'That was one of the guardians who got away!'

Understanding dawned on everyone's faces.

'Percy,' Nikita said, sounding oddly defeated. Alex exchanged an astonished look with Sean before turning back to her mentor. 'So. What do we do now?'

–)**(–

A/N: Hahaha, I'm evil, a bit of a cliffie. I hoped this wasn't too boring. I'll try and update as soon as possible but reviews just push me that little bit closer to my computer, y'know? ;P

Ya know what to do, read and review...reviews are looove.

-Chimi