Chapter 9: Robert and Lynn

"I want to know about you, my mother and why you gave me up," Nikita told her father. He sighed.

"Well, I guess I will start with my name. I'm Robert Meers, I'm 54 years old and this is my wife Lynn. Your mother and I, we met in Vietnam. At the time, I was having trouble finding a job. I was fresh out of college. A friend of mine owned a company and he was trying to expand his business overseas. He chose Vietnam and wanted an American there to communicate and do business from overseas. I volunteered to go. When I got there I felt so alone. I knew no one, I could barely speak Vietnamese, the food was different, I had a hard time. There was a restaurant near my house and I became a regular every day after work. I'd always get the same waitress I guess it was because she could speak English. Her name was Ahn." Nikita noticed a smile on his face when he said her name. "We were together for months and then I found out she was pregnant. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't in my plans to have a child yet but she wanted to have you and I decided I'd bring the two of you to America and we could raise our family here. She was fine throughout her pregnancy. She was excited to see you and hold you. She told me that her life was hard before I came and that you would make it even better. After she had you, she got really sick and the doctors said she may not recover. When they knew she was going to pass away, they brought you in the room for her to see. She held you and decided that your name be Nikita, because she said you were strong. She gave you a kiss on the forehead and handed you to me and that was it."

Nikita had tears coming down her face. She could barely make herself speak.

"What happened next?"

"I asked the company to give my position to someone else and I returned home jobless and broke with a child in my arms. I knew I wasn't ready to raise children. I thought having Ahn there to help take care of you would make me stronger, but I couldn't do it alone. I figured adoption would be best. I knew you'd be given a good family that would take care of you better than I could."

Nikita wiped her tears away.

"I was never adopted. Actually, my life was hell growing up. But I got myself through it just barely and I grew up wondering why I never had parents."

"I'm sorry," he looked at her with sincere eyes. Nikita nodded but could not say anything.

"I just wish I could have met her."

"You look just like her." She could see him tearing up. She handed him the picture.

"Alyssa gave this to me." He stared at the picture for a long time. He quickly patted away the tears in his eyes and handed her the picture.

"You see her smile? That's what she was like every day. Even at her worst." Nikita smiled at the picture and put it back in her pocket.

"Thank you for sharing that with me. Can I ask you something else?" he nodded. "Why didn't you want Alyssa to know about me or find me?"

She saw him pause unsure of what to say. He looked over at his wife.

"W-Well..."

"Okay I think we have talked long enough don't you? We have our company in the other room." Lynn said while getting up.

"But I would like to talk..."

"We can finish this later okay Robby?" she gave him a stern look and then walked into the room where Alyssa and Anthony were sitting. Nikita frowned and looked at her father who sat with his head down avoiding eye contact.

"Can you answer my question Robert?"

"Please leave," he looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through and I'm sorry that you didn't meet your mother but I need you to leave." Nikita looked at him with confusion and shock.

"Well I see what kind of person you are."

"You don't understand Nikita. You aren't safe here." She thought about Anthony being in the other room and saw him walk in with Alyssa and Lynn. He still had a smirk on his face as he stood pointing a gun in her direction.

"I don't think you should be going anywhere. A Division team is on their way here." She looked at Alyssa.

"Alyssa, come with m,." Nikita said to her as she got ready to fight to defend herself and her little sister. Then she saw Alyssa shake her head in refusal.

"I'm sorry Nikita I didn't know, but I can't let my family get hurt I'm sorry," she said as she cried.

"If you do anything to try to escape I will have to hurt you." Lynn threatened while holding a gun to Nikita's head and forcing her to sit on the couch. Nikita looked at everyone terrified and confused. It looked as if no one was on her side.

"What is going on?" Nikita asked.

"I will be the one asking questions today Nikita." Lynn said with her gun still pointed at her.

"What do you want?"

"First you are going to tell me where the black box is."

"What do you know about the black box? Does Anthony have you up to this?" Lynn scoffed.

"No. Do you really think I'd be taking orders from a little punk like him?"

"Hey-" Anthony said.

"Tell me where it is." Lynn persisted. Nikita sat with her lips sealed.

"Unless you would rather deal with Amanda's interrogations which I learned from experience as very uncomfortable."

Nikita looked her in the eyes in revelation.

"You're Division?"

"Was. I got away from it, I escaped until you pulled that little stunt that made them realize you were going to come looking for your real parents. They found me, but they want you more," Lynn told her. "I can't sacrifice my family for you. You had your chance to get away for good but instead you went snooping around for trouble."

"I'm trying to stop them so that they can no longer do this to anybody. You left because you were unhappy right? I'm trying to save many just like you are trying to save your family." Lynn stared and contemplated lowering her gun, but she kept it pointed right at Nikita's temple.

"It'll all be over soon. Then you won't have to worry about saving anyone."

"Because I'll be dead."

"I'm just following orders what happens after that has nothing to do with me."

"Still following orders? I thought that was over once you were free."

"It's for the safety of my family."

"I guess you will always be tied to them. If you follow orders now what does that tell them for the future?"

"Lynn! You know this is wrong! That is my daughter and she deserves to live as much as we do. All this time I thought I had to protect all of you from her but that's not the case here is it?" Robert shouted to his wife.

"Your family and your life will always be in Division's palm unless you fight." Nikita said.

"Listen to her mom." Alyssa spoke softly from the other end of the room. Lynn looked at Alyssa unsure of what to believe, at Anthony knowing she had to finish her mission, at her husband who didn't want anything bad to happen to anyone, and then at Nikita.

"You're right." Lynn admitted through her teeth. She slowly put her gun down.

"Fine Lynn if you won't handle it, I will." Anthony pulled his gun out of his pocket and waved it at everyone. "If any of you do anything other than what I say before the team gets here I won't hesitate to shoot."