A/N: Holy crap - does anyone know how it can be the end of May already? Wow 2012 is going fast. But anyway. In apology for taking so long to upload, I have a fairly fluffyish part of the chapter at the end(: Thank you for hanging on to this story. It's gonna keep going and luckily, I have the four month break to get up to date on the story. :D

DISCLAIMER: Noo, I don't own Nikita. Otherwise this hiatus wouldn't exist.

Alex hesitated, her eyes scanning the hallway before yanking Niall into her room and re-clicking her speed dial for Sean's number. Of course, he answered without an extra ring.

'Alex,' he began but Alex spoke right over him.

'Sean, I've got Aarun in front of me right now,' she stammered out, keeping a cautious eye on Niall, who was shaking by her bed.

'What?' Sean exclaimed. 'Alex! He tried to kill you! Twice!'

'I know that, I'm the one who was almost killed!' snapped Alex. 'He...he's saying that everything that he's done has been for Natalia. That makes perfect sense...he says he needs my help.'

'I'm sneaking in there,' announced Sean.

'No!' Alex insisted. 'Don't get yourself killed. Sean...should I hear him out?'

Sean didn't reply straight away. 'Yes,' he said after a while. 'Hear what the kid has to say. And call me.'

'Got it,' Alex promised, ending the call, slipping her phone back into her pocket. 'Talk,' she ordered in Russian. Niall nodded, rubbing his sweaty palms on his Division sweats. 'It was the morning after the fire at your house,' he began (in Russian), 'and we'd all woken up to see your house up in flames. We all rushed over...of course, Natalia, Erik, Henri, TJ and I were all faster than our parents so we got there first...and we hid behind a bunch of trees to see Sergai Semak standing at the remains of your house. From that moment, we realised that he was responsible for everything.'

Alex swallowed. She could only imagine how her friends had felt when they stumbled upon the Udinov house up in flames with the assumption being made that everyone inside was dead. It must've been horrible.

'We'd known that he wanted Zetrov for months,' Niall continued, 'and we pulled out parents aside, telling them. They believed us...they'd seen Semak's jealousy at your father's position. After your apparent funeral, Semak had offered all our parents their jobs at Zetrov. Of course...they all refused. They knew he'd been behind your deaths and were having no part in Semak's version of the company. He shot Erik's parents, permanently hospitalised Henri's parents, killed my father and me and Natalia's mother killed herself. Natalia wanted both of us to run away but I was too scared so she left. TJ, Erik and Henri had all gone into hiding with their parents' absence but Erik was still around. I think Natalia expected Erik to keep an eye on me. But the next morning, Semak grabbed me from my bed and made me a deal. He said that Natalia had been caught and that he had her fate at the tip of his fingers. At the moment, she had two choices. Death or becoming a sex worker. He told me that the only way she would get the latter was if I promised him something. I had to allow Semak to take me in and raise me to become an heir to Zetrov...and Natalia would stay alive. I agreed.'

Alex let out a small sigh, squeezing her old friends' shoulder. 'Aarun...' she whispered.

'Let me finish, Alexandra,' Niall interrupted, raising his hands. 'You've got to know everything.' He let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. 'When I was older, I gained information that Natalia had got out of trafficking and made it to America where Semak couldn't touch her. However, I knew he'd find a way for Gogol to get to her. So – I escaped Russia and made a break to the U.S. to find Natalia and warn her to go into hiding. I managed to find her in time for her to find TJ and Henri before Gogol found me. In self defence, I killed a man but Semak had done everything with a purpose and the man I killed was an American citizen. According to records...I was Russian and with no legal guardian, I was sentenced to go onto death row. Semak organise a ploy for me to go into Division but he threatened me, stating that he could still find Natalia and I had to follow orders otherwise he would kill TJ, Henri and Erik as well. I couldn't stand around and let my best friends get murdered...so I promised to do whatever he said.' His breath hitched and tears welled in his eyes. 'I had no idea that it would involve killing you. But I couldn't do anything to warn Natalia, not anymore so I followed Semak's instructions and made attempts to kill you without pain. However...I wasn't thinking straight and failed both times. As a punishment...Semak attacked Natalia. He told me to lie low and graduate to agent status in Division, first. I realised I had to get your help...so when I saw you'd returned to Division... well...here I am.' He finished and by now, he was crying, freckled face stained with tears.

'Why aren't you trying to kill me, then?' Alex asked softly.

'Because I want to stop working with Semak,' Niall answered immediately, both of them still speaking Russian. 'You are the only person I can think of who can really help me. You're working with Nikita and she's helping you bring down Semak to my knowledge. I have to find Natalia and...'

'Natalia's safe, Aarun,' Alex assured, grabbing his arm. 'In a safe house of Nikita's.' She didn't miss Niall's face light up and his eyes shimmer with relief.

'Aarun...the safest and best thing you can do at the moment is do as Semak said,' Alex decided. 'Lie low in Division and graduate to agent status. From there...we can help you get out of this spiderweb.'

'Can you promise me that?' Niall demanded.

'I promise,' Alex nodded. 'Aarun – if Semak asks you to do anything, tell me straight away. I can find a way to work around it.'

Niall conjured up a smile. 'I'll get out of here before anyone notices I've been gone too long.' His young, handsome face beamed gratefully. 'Thank you, Alexandra. I'll never be able to repay you.'

'Yeah – I know, now shove off,' Alex smirked, pushing him lightly. He grinned, slipping out of the room. Alex exhaled a huge breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Niall's story and shaken her to the bone. She had no idea what had happened in Russia after her disappearance. No idea how bad things had gotten...and how many people had died because of their loyalty to the Udinovs...

Alex sucked in the tears. Oh God, no. Don't think about that. Don't dredge up the memories and don't start crying.

Okay – Nope. Not working. Tears trickled mercilessly down Alex's face and she folded her knees up onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. Nikita and Michael were busy with the Carla situation.

Sean.

She needed Sean.

–(*)–

It was still early so she found a way to get out of a blind spot in the Division silo after calling Sean. She met him on the edge of the forest, near the almost completely overgrown path by the trees. Her hair was in a low ponytail, scruffily tied and she'd only quickly thrown on a leather jacket and shoved a gun in her back pocket.

'Alex?' a low voice called quietly.

'Sean – thank God!' Alex breathed and hugged him tightly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head, just as the tears began to fall again.

'So many people's lives were torn apart because of my family,' Alex whispered, voice trembling. 'Sean...Niall is in Division, working for Semak all because of me and my parents.'

'He's in here because of your father, Alex,' Sean murmured into her hair, giving her an assuring squeeze. 'However bad it sounds...it's true. You were twelve years old and could do nothing about it. All you can do now is try and help him get out of Division.'

'What if I don't?' Alex cried. 'What if I let him down? Him and Natalia!'

'Shhh,' Sean interrupted, taking her face in his hands. 'It's okay. Just stop thinking about it for a minute.'

Alex swallowed with a sniff, burying her face in his chest. His arms tightened around her again. Alex didn't know how long they stood there, tears occasionally trickling down her face, Sean's hands tracing gentle circles on her lower back comfortingly.

'I just want to go back to the beach house,' Alex mumbled into his chest. 'Sleep in. Spar with Nikita. Tease Birkhoff about his nerdiness. Have a normal relationship with you.'

'I know,' Sean said softly, kissing the top of her head again. 'And trust me. You're going to get that. We all will. But we've gotta do all this crap first, okay? We've got to help people, end this fight, make sure than everything...all the wrongs Division has created are put right in order for us to stop running and live. You know that, don't you?'

'Of course I do,' Alex choked. 'I just hate the fact that it's true.' She shuffled closer, if it was even possible. 'I wish you could be in there with me. I hate the place. It terrifies me...'

'I'm a phone call away,' Sean promised. 'You should get back. Amanda will start getting suspicious.' He pulled away slightly, running his thumb over the outline of her right cheek. 'I love you,' he said quietly but sincerely. 'Be careful.'

'I will,' Alex replied shakily. 'Go to the beach house, check on Nikita.'

'I can't,' Sean said apologetically. 'I have to go to Washington. Visit my sisters...my mother's coming too. See if she can get away from all the press surrounding the Gates house incident. Just remember.' He cracked the boy-ish smile that Alex loved. 'You're Alexandra Udinov. You've made it through eight years of hell. You can handle the head bitch.'

'Head bitch being Amanda?' Alex guessed, biting back a grin.

'Bulls eye,' Sean smirked, ducking down and kissing her, lips lingering on hers just a bit longer to say I love you so much you'll never know.

–)**(–

A/N: First of all. WE GOT RENEWED! Second. HOMECOMING. CRAP ON CRACKER. Sean was so adorable. "So. You wanna go out?"

I actually have no idea how I'm gonna write in those scenes so if anyone has any ideas, feel free to let me know!

So please tell me what you thought of this chapter. The interesting stuff should be coming up soon. :) K guys, you know what to do. Read and review.