Takes place sometime in season 2. Inspired by my quarantine rewatch of Nikita, and wondering about honeytraps and birth control.
She just had to make it to the end of the hallway. That was the only thing keeping her going, past the pain, past the blood rushing out of her body. The end of the hallway was her salvation. It led to relief, rest, and comfort. Her body wasn't following her orders, however. Her head swam, her skin burned, and her stomach churned. Breathing had become difficult. It felt like she couldn't fill her lungs with enough air.
Not even halfway through the hallway, she stumbled, resting against the cool wall. The contact soothed her seared cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. She could stay like this for a while; it was a reprieve. Her body seemed to stop screaming in pain and discomfort for a second. Maybe if she got off of her feet, slipped down to the ground, laid against the cold wall and floor, the horrible experience would all be over.
Her eyes shot open. She couldn't give up. She had to make it to the end of the hallway. With a sweaty palm, she shakily pushed off of her support. Her feet continued her shuffle, her body bent over as the pain resumed. It was slow going, but she could make it; she had to make it.
"Nikita?" A quiet, sleepy voice floated after her. She ignored it. She was almost there.
Footsteps quickly caught up to her, and strong hands gripped at her arms. The heat of his hands felt strangely cold to her scorched skin. But the touch made her dizzy. Her ears rang, and bile jumped up her throat.
"Nikita, what is it? Are you okay?" Michael's voice fought through the ringing, full of concern and fear.
Normally his presence soothed her, made her feel better despite everything. Yet Nikita was on autopilot. She simply nodded her head and pushed away from him. She managed to pick up her shuffling pace as she reached her destination. She was there, the end of the hallway. All Nikita had to do now was cross the open area between the living room and the kitchen. The pain would finally go away, and she could go back to sleep.
Michael wasn't one to go away easily though. He reached for Nikita again, following her slow trek. He was able to track the line of her determined sight; she was headed for the Advil left on the kitchen counter. He sighed, understanding, "Here."
Nikita thought she was falling for a moment. Her body had finally given up on her, as the pain and dizziness brought her down. It was Michael, however, picking her up and carrying her to the couch. He placed her gently on the cushions, lovingly brushing her wild dark hair out of her flushed and pale face, "Just lay down. I'll be right back."
Although she would prefer to lay on the wooden floor, knowing its chill would appease her fevered body, she couldn't bring herself to get back up. Nikita's eyes once more closed on their own, and she turned to her side. Her lower abdomen was appreciative as she curled tightly into herself. The cramps dulled in their intensity. Her breathing was still labored, but in the wide open living room the air seemed to finally reach her lungs.
The microwave hummed in the kitchen behind her, probably warming a heating pad. She could hear Michael fumbling around for a water bottle in the fridge. Soon after came the sound of the pain reliever rattling. If her head wasn't pounding, and if she wasn't so focused on evening her breathing, Nikita would've smiled at his kind actions.
"Oh no," Alex's voice filled the space. To Nikita she sounded wide awake, like she wasn't asleep when she had heard the noises drawing her there, "You're gonna need the strong stuff for her."
Alex's footsteps faded into the kitchen. The shaking bottle sound was replaced with pills being popped out of their packaging, "Midol's your best defense against these cramps. Trust me," Alex's voice was sure from experience.
Michael breathed a laugh, "Believe me, I do."
The microwave beeped, and its contents were removed. Michael and Alex crossed to Nikita, who had- against her will- emitted a slight moan of pain. Michael crouched in front of her, lightly skimming his thumb along her burning pale cheek. She managed to open her eyes to see worry in his, "Think you can sit up a bit?"
Nikita nodded, weakly pushing herself up. Michael was there to help, holding her steady. Handing over the Midol and an open water bottle, he sat next to her on the couch. Nikita took the medicine, and a couple more sips of water for good measure, then followed her body's order to lay back down. Her head now rested on Michael's lap, and she sighed in contentment.
Before Nikita's eyes closed again, Michael took her water and Alex pressed a heating pad to her lower abdomen. The young woman's hand soothingly ran up her friend's arm, squeezing her defined bicep, "You can't get cramps at a normal hour?"
Nikita's mind flashed back to a couple of years before, when Alex had woken from a nightmare in the middle of the night only to find her friend almost passed out on the floor from pain. Nikita smiled slightly, repeating her words from that night, "Mother Nature hates me."
Michael and Alex chuckled quietly. Alex moved to sit in the chair near the couch, while Michael got Nikita to drink more water. They settled into a comfortable silence, only broken by Nikita's harsh breaths she was slowly getting back under control. Michael absentmindedly played with his girlfriend's hair, while Alex stared at the two with a fond expression on her face.
Michael was the one to notice the staring, and glanced at the young woman, "Did we wake you up?"
"Mhmm?" She was ripped out of her thoughts by the question, "Oh. No. I was already awake."
Michael nodded sympathetically in response. Ever since coming back from Russia, Alex's nightmares had violently resurfaced. Sometimes she could settle herself, and fall back to sleep on her own. Other times she'd come into Michael and Nikita's room, crying and shaking. Nikita would then immediately leap out of bed and comfort her.
"Well, since we're all up, we could talk about it," Michael suggested gently. Alex had to come to the decision herself, but Michael still extended the invitation. They were there for her, if and when she needed them.
There was a pause, as Alex thought it over. But she never got the chance to say whether she wanted to or not. Birkhoff rushed into the room, heading straight for his computer. He was on one of his many tablets, grinning flirtatiously, "I'm about to get on right now. Then we can see each other more clearly."
The lewd tone of his voice caused Nikita to internally roll her eyes, "Gross, Nerd."
Birkhoff stopped abruptly in his tracks. He glanced over, noticing Michael's and Alex's eyes on him. They were both annoyed, yet also kind of amused by his antics. He stammered in surprise, "What are you guys doing up?"
"Dying," Nikita responded flatly. She shifted her position, getting more comfortable. Her breathing had finally evened, but her eyes remained closed.
"What?" Birkhoff dropped the tablet and rushed to his friends, panic wild in his eyes. Alex couldn't help the laugh that erupted out of her.
Michael rolled his eyes, "She has cramps. Bad ones, yes. But not enough to kill her."
Birkhoff was confused. He stood in the living room, trying and failing to fully understand what was happening, "What kind of cramps?"
"Menstruation," Alex clarified, using the same 'how dumb are you' inflection Birkhoff usually had when he explained his tech.
"You've never had cramps before," Birkhoff's attention was on Nikita. She pressed the heating pad tighter to her abdomen.
"I always have them. They're just usually not this bad," Michael stroked Nikita's cooling cheek at the confession. He conveyed all his love and support through the soft caress of his fingers.
Birkhoff continued his interrogation, not satisfied with the answers given to him, "Even at Division?"
"Why are you so interested in my girlfriend's period, Birkhoff?" Though Michael's tone was serious, a smile pulled at his lips.
"Well it's just…" He attempted.
His smile growing, Michael cut him off, "What? You spend so much time ogling women online, you forgot what it's like talking to a real one?"
Nikita and Alex laughed as Birkhoff huffed, "I'm curious alright. I've never seen her like this before."
Alex took pity on the helpless man, and decided to help him out, "Division likes to keep their female recruits and agents full of birth control. No menstruation, no problem."
"And no honeytrap babies," Nikita's voice dripped with acid on the word 'honeytrap'. Michael squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
Birkhoff moved to sit in a chair, mulling over the new information, "I thought you were just given condoms in the mission packets."
"Well that too," Michael agreed.
The poor tech nerd kept asking after a moment of silence, "Then why don't you go out and get birth control now?"
It was Alex's turn to roll her eyes, "You need a prescription."
"Seriously, man, talk to a real woman," Michael wasn't joking as much anymore.
Nikita's soft laughter broke up whatever Birkhoff was about to throw back at Michael. She opened her eyes, looking at her friends mischievously, "Do you think Percy buys the condoms himself?"
There was a moment of hesitation as Michael, Alex, and Birkhoff caught up with Nikita's train of thought. But soon laughter filled the space as they pictured Percy in his perfect suit and stern expression pushing a cart, browsing for condoms. Nikita shifted to look at Michael. He gazed down at her smiling eyes, full of love and amusement. Nikita grinned brightly, "I've always wondered if they were bought for quality or comfort."
"Knowing Percy, they were bought for cheapness," Flashing his trademark smirk, he replied.
Alex fought for control over her bubble of giggles, "I bet he buys in bulk. He just pushes all of the condoms into his cart."
The room was filled once more with joyful laughter. The friends continued their jokes, starting with one subject then rapidly jumping to another. Eventually, Nikita was able to sit upright, and forgo the heating pad. She kept herself tucked into Michael though, who held her close. He even stole a sip from her water bottle, earning a playful punch and jokes at his expense- mostly from Birkhoff. They ended up staying awake far later than any of them had originally planned. Yet, it was worth it. Their spirits were lightened, nightmares were forgotten, and the tasks they knew they had to perform once the sun rose were put on the back burner. All that mattered was the joyous moment they had right then. Nikita, Michael, Alex, and Birkhoff had fun with one another, stress and worry free, despite how the night started. They deserved the peace.