A/N: Hello wonderful people! Thank you for the PMs and reviews. Updates at AO3 will occur over the weekend. Enjoy!


Rachel took in the breathtaking view of the skyline from the penthouse apartment terrace. She was amazed by the overall size and luxury of Alex's new place. How much square footage does one Russian heiress need, she wondered. It seemed a bit excessive, definitely built to the needs of the elite and powerful. It was not like Alex to care about living in the lap of luxury. She wondered what else had changed in the sixty five days she spent away.

She gave herself a tour of the place; a kitchen, dining room, an office, several bedrooms complete with fireplaces and private baths, an entertainment room, a living room, even a Jacuzzi of all things. She had to admit that she was dying to spend some time soaking in that, but Nikita warned her to stay focused on the mission at hand. And last but not least, there was a mysterious locked room at the end of the hall that could only be accessed by key-card. She had a good idea of what that room held based on the cryptic texts she had received from the brunette during the day. She couldn't understand why it was locked or who she might have used it with in her absence. She couldn't allow herself to go there in her mind. It hurt far too much. She was on a rescue mission after all. She could not afford to take anything Alex said to heart. It would be a difficult task to keep her own emotions in check, she thought.

Alex hands slid around her waist. She jumped, pulling the ear buds from her Ipod. "I didn't hear you come in...you scared me. How was your-" Alex cut her off in mid-sentence. Her body pressing her against the terrace railing; her lips and tongue moving frantically over her mouth. Grabbing her hand, Alex led her toward the bedroom. "I'm going to fuck you in every room of this place." Alex shoved her onto the bed and pressed her body into the younger woman. Her tongue working down her neck. "I missed you, Rachel."

"I missed you, too. I know we debriefed back at Division, but don't you wanna talk first?"

The cell phone ringing in her pocket was visibly frustrating the brunette. She growled as she sat up and hit the receive button. Rachel listened to the call unfolding. Alex paced back and forth, her fingers running through her hair. "I do not care Amanda... Cancel him then... recruits are a dime a dozen anyway... no...yes... fine...goodnight." She tossed the phone on the dresser; her fingers pulling a small glass vial from her pocket.

"Problems at Division?"

"Remember Darren?"

Rachel thought a moment, her brow knitting. "Darren...with the red hair?"

"That's the one."

"What about him?"

"He got caught with Trisha from operations."

"Oh?"

"Amanda is about to cancel him."

Rachel stood up. "Alex... I was a recruit when we hooked up. What's the big? Is it really necessary to off the guy?" She couldn't imagine Alex taking this line.

"Amanda thinks so."

"You didn't exactly discourage her on the phone."

She shrugged. Alex sat on the bed and pulled Rachel down beside her. "I can't seem to care. It's trivial."

"It's someone's life, Alex."

"We're in the business of taking lives...besides I don't want to talk about work. I just came from it... I much rather focus on you."

Alex sat on the bed beside her unscrewing the cap on the vial. She leaned in kissing her. "Here, its the only way you can keep up with me tonight." She held the micro-spoon to her nose.

Rachel tilted her head away. "No... I don't need that to keep up."

"You're really taking this sobriety thing seriously. Don't be a buzz-kill, Rachel."

"I thought you wanted me clean? I don't want it, Alex. I can't control myself," Rachel warned, standing to her feet.

"Suit yourself, buzz-kill." Alex snorted a few bumps of the white powder before screwing the top on and placing it back into her pocket.

Rachel chewed her lip. "So... when I was away getting clean...I thought a lot about your proposal. It got me through the rough patches...just thinking about being your wife. Do you still wanna run away with me?"

"Rachel, you know I want to be with you. You belong to me... I was stupid and irrational in Russia... but maybe we can take a trip somewhere. A short vacation?"

"What changed your mind?"

"You were gone for two months, Rachel. I had plenty of time to correct my weaknesses." You mean Amanda corrected your weaknesses. She thought bitterly, but didn't dare speak it.

"Am I your weakness? Is that what you're telling me, Alex?"

"Not anymore."

"What does that mean?"

"This conversation is over now, Rachel."

"I don't think you get to decide that, Alex."

"Rachel, look around you. I keep you in luxury. You will barely work for Division now. Most would be grateful for all of this, she smirked," gesturing with her hands." So...just smile and enjoy."

"Are you calling me a whore?"

"Don't look so upset."

"If that is all I am to you...why the hell should I stay?"

"I have a tracker in the back of your neck. Do you really think you will get far?"

"Am I your prisoner now?"

"I know you're in love with me. So love me... worship me...obey me. Just, never ever try to control me. I will do what I want..with whomever I want...whenever I want."

"I thought you loved me?"

Alex smiled slowly. "Oh, I do. I love my Prada, too. I love all of my property. If I didn't...I wouldn't keep it. I would discard it like trash."

"So, that is all I am to you now? Someone to play with when you're bored?" Rachel bit her tongue literally. Tears pooling in her eyes. Her hands balled into tight fists as she studied the brunette.

Alex stretched and leaned back on her elbows and watched the other woman. "Something like that, Rachel. If you want to test me tonight... go right ahead. I will gladly teach you your place. You just returned...I figured some training would be in order."

Rachel wanted to snap, but she remembered what Nikita told her. Whatever Amanda did...remember Alex is not herself. You must keep your cover. Do not let your emotions blow this! We'll only get one shot. You've glimpsed the real Alex...be strong and hold on to the that. We will get her out and undo the damage.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Alex. I'm grateful for all that you do for me. Forgive me?"

"You know better than to ask me to forgive you when you're standing over me. Beg me properly."

Rachel knelt on the carpeted floor and tilted her head up slightly. Her eyes darting between the floor and Alex. "I'm sorry."

"I can't hear you."

"I said... please forgive me."

"Why should I forgive you?"

"I shouldn't have...I mean...let me make it up to you."

"How?"

"Let me please you. You can do whatever you want."

Alex's brow rose. "Are you giving me permission?"

"I didn't mean it that way."

"How did you mean it?"

"I mean...I'm just gonna shut up now. I can't seem to say anything right. I'm sorry." Rachel shook her head.

"I'm going to use you...and when I'm finished...I want you to get your ass out of my room. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes." This was going to kill her, playing the game to get Alex back.

"The room down the hall is yours. I bought you some new things. Clothes and such... We will not be sharing a bedroom anymore."

"May I ask why?"

"I dislike questions from you, but this once...I will answer. You are not my partner...not my girlfriend. I hate weakness, and I loath you for making me that way in Russia," Alex glared at her. "Our time in Russia was a complete fucking disaster. There will be no repeats. Your purpose has always been to please me, Rachel. Nothing more or less. If I want to call you a whore, I will. Get used to it, Ms. Kochenko. I don't need to keep you in my bed for what we do. Do you understand me?"

"I understand." I understand that Amanda mind fucked you. Her mind was swimming with even more questions, but she knew better than to irritate Alex with them.

"I'm very angry at you, Rachel. For so many...many...things. You almost destroyed me in Russia...but you will make it up to me...won't you?"

"Yes." She resigned herself to nodding and smiling, giving her opinion when asked, and keeping quiet otherwise.

"You deserve to be punished, don't you?"

"Yes."

"and.. you will be...until I'm sated."


Rachel slid down the wall. The overlay program was running, that meant time was running out. The program would do the same as the old photo over the camera thing in the ancient spy movies, but would affect the myriad of monitoring devices in the server room. It wouldn't buy a lot of time, but hopefully enough. Rachel pulled the three charges out of the hip pouch. One for Alex, that went into the cooling system for the cores. The one for her, that went into the second row, halfway up. The third? That was a bitch for The Bitch and it went near floor level all the way back. The assassin leaned back into the rows. She heard voices nearing. People. If they came in before the routine ran, it would raise big red flags. She sighed in relief as they moved away.

The charges are set...now, one last stop.

She slid through the hall to Amanda's office. Rachel jacked in to try to siphon off the information that lay richly and black in the fields of Amanda's personal computer. Her eye caught Amanda's vintage black leather briefcase sitting in the corner. Her gloved fingers slid over each item until she came to a large thick journal. She scanned the pages quickly before sliding it into her jacket. A noise from the hall startled her. Rachel froze then dropped under the desk. She looked up. Damn memory stick. Amanda's voice in the hall was as loud as a shot to the woman under her desk.

"Fine," she heard. "I will get the maps and then we will meet back here in two minutes. One second late and I will make reproduction impossible for you."

Rachel frowned. Not enough time to draw the information, but enough to get away. She slid out and snagged the stick, preparing to run.