"Hey, Mom," Pj and Missy found Nikita on another floor of the loft, staring out a window. After both teams came up with plans and talked about the last ten years, they decided to rest for the day. It had been hell, and they needed to catch up on their sleep. They also needed a moment to breathe and settle. They could spend time with one another before rushing off towards home; they could be that great, big, crazy family for just a second. It was nice, despite the uncertainty of their future looming over them. And despite one of their members missing from their team.
"Hey, Bug. What's up?" Nikita pulled her daughter into a tight hug. Everyone had embraced each other several times since they had reunited. The family had the freedom to hold tight and never let go again. It helped to dispel harsh feelings, and ensured that they could have that happily ever after promised to them. Pj found it a little sappy, but she loved it anyway. She felt safe and secure. Her smiles and laughter were definitely brighter.
"Nothing. Just wanted to hear you say 'Bug'," It was a stupid, silly nickname- some broken down form of 'stinker'. Yet Pj didn't care. Hearing her mother call her that again made her grin brilliantly. Nikita copied the smile, and squeezed even tighter. Just like her owner, Missy loved all of the hugs being passed around. She sat patiently for the attention to be turned to her, and she received the best pets and praises. She was becoming increasingly spoiled with all of the people around. No dog would have ever complained about that.
"How're you feeling?" The whole group decided to push serious topics to a later date. Instead, the stories they told were light and playful. Nikita was aware her daughter was consumed by certain thoughts, however. It was hard not to be with all of the things they had done, and abandoning Owen/Sam in the junkyard. There were also anxieties about merging their teams together as they moved forward against the Shop. Those anxieties were mostly shared by Nikita and her team. They knew what their children were capable of (the kids and Ryan had assured them), but they continued to be frightful of the danger. That was a feeling that was probably never going to go away.
"Tired," Pj admitted, slumping against the wall and sitting. Missy joined her, as did her mom. Nikita nodded in agreement, reaching to scratch the dog's fur. Although there was an attempt to catch up on sleep, not many actually did. They were either over excited about being reunited, or hesitant about the nightmares they knew were going to come. Either way, the family spent the majority of their time talking rather than doing anything else.
"Let's talk about something else then. I like that you kids are so close. Especially you and your brother," Nikita always loved how close the children were. They grew up together, treating each other like best friends and family. It made her heart swell, knowing the family she had built around herself continued to be strong and powerful. And the fact that Max and Pj were able to come together was a miracle. They two actually got to be siblings.
"Yeah. It was strange with Max at first. I'm glad he and Cassandra joined, but finding out about them was weird," Cassandra's and Michael's wars had kept them apart for most of their lives. Pj and Max didn't even know about one another until their parents had to leave to keep them safe. Them being a secret from one another was also to keep them safe. However, the two were stronger together- even if they annoyed each other to no end.
"Tell me about it. But we made it work," Two undercover agents sleeping together for information and producing a child was beyond weird. Yet Max was so loved and adored, that it didn't matter how he came to be. Besides, all of the other kids were complete accidents as well; none of them were planned. They were happy accidents, though- completely wonderful and loved more than they'd ever know. Thinking about the others, Nikita decided to fish for information about the budding relationships she noticed. It was shameless, but when did she ever have any shame, "Kara and Max seem to make a lot of things work."
"Ugh. Don't make me think about it. They're so gross now that they're together. Nerdette and Ollie aren't much better with their intense flirting," Pj knew her mom was looking for information, yet she gave it anyway. Why would she hide that from her. There didn't need to be secrets between any of the family members. Bad decisions had already caused enough hurt. Not keeping anyone in the loop would only add to that.
"What about you and Jamie?" Nudging Pj, Nikita smirked. Those two were definitely not dating, not if those concealed blushes were any indication. She couldn't help but think of herself and Michael and Alex and Sean at the start of their relationships. Flirty teases, heated looks, and uncertainty were obviously present. It was only a matter of time before they admitted their feelings.
"Oh. Uh. We're just… we've interacted with other people from school and our adventures outside the safehouse. So it's not like he's the only romantic interest I've ever had. And it's not some strange never experienced anything else kinda thing," The explanation was awkward. Pj knew she felt something for James- something she didn't have a name for. Yet she wasn't sure if the feeling was returned. She also didn't want to be one of those people who fell in love with their teammate. Not that anything was wrong with that. Just with everyone else in her family doing that exact thing, she didn't want to fall into the pattern, "I don't know. Is it weird that I want something more normal?"
"I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you," Nikita tried to cover up her laughter. It spilled out of her anyway. Pj glanced at her mother incredulously. She knew normal was a far reach for her, yet so was going home after everything they had done. If they could do that, she could have normal. Her mom wasn't laughing at that, though. It was easy to forget how life liked to repeat itself, "Do you know anything about Daniel?"
"Was he some Division agent?" Pj didn't know much about her parents' past. She knew the essentials, but details were lost on her. The same went for the rest of her family. Of course their children weren't going to know every little thing; they didn't need to be aware of the struggles their parents had overcome. Except, it was nice hearing stories of the past. They got to appreciate just how remarkable their parents had become.
"No. No. He was a normal, goofy guy. He was my fiancé," Nikita couldn't remember the last time she had talked about Daniel. It wasn't as though he was no longer important. She simply didn't need to talk about him. She was lying, though, if she said she hadn't thought of him lately. After Owen became Sam, she remembered how she had felt when she discovered he was the one to have killed her fiancé. Him betraying her that time felt far more painful.
"And he died? Like Hayley and Elizabeth?" Of all the figures of her mom and dad's past, Pj was most familiar with those two. She was told stories about them when she was little, asking for siblings like the Pierce triplets had. Although Max remained a secret at that time, Hayley didn't. Pj had a sister who had died way before she was even thought of, but one that would've loved her had they met. She was silly and stubborn, and giggled so easily. Pj thought she would've liked Hayley too. They would've been a dynamic duo.
"Yeah. Division killed him because we got too close. That's what made me escape. I already defied orders by saving Alex and falling in love. But by then, it was time to keep fighting back," That was a simplified version of events, yet it worked. Daniel was the catalyst for the war, but not the reason. Nikita had to burn Division and Oversight for so many other lives that were ruined and destroyed. It was why she continued to rage a war against Amanda and the Shop. She had to fight for those who couldn't.
"Is this you warning me not to do normal?" Pj scoffed. She and her mother laughed, petting Missy. Alright, she knew normal was overrated. She also knew what they were doing was the right course of action. She simply didn't want to be so hung up over her feelings for James. She wished she had a name for it, a reason for feeling those butterflies when he was near. She also wanted to know if he felt the same. If not, well, she didn't want to embarrass herself if it was only a crush.
"I'm telling you to really fight for what you want. Then we'll get that happily ever after," Nikita didn't make many promises. She'd make that one, however. She'd go home with her husband, daughter, their entire family, and Missy. Their war had been raging for far too long, and had caused far too much heartache. It was time to end it once and for all.
"Even after all this pain?" Voice soft, Pj expressed her anxiety. How could they go home after all of that. The decisions they had made, and the actions they had done might not have allowed them to have that peaceful life they all dreamed about. Nikita scooted closer to wrap her daughter in another embrace. She had thought the same. Yet it wasn't going to do either of them any good to dwell on what ifs.
"When I was your age, I didn't think I'd ever have a family that loved me. Or anything worth living for. I do now. I have your dad. And you. And everybody else. I made it all on my own. All that pain made me realize what was worth it. It taught me who to love and protect," It was the best answer Nikita could come up with. Pj readily accepted it, returning the tight squeeze. Maybe not everything was perfect, but they could make it so.
"To know love, we gotta know pain," Joining his wife and daughter on that floor of the loft, Michael smiled. He had been spending some more time with Max, getting to know his son. However, he knew Pj and Nikita needed cheering up and went to their aid. They rolled their eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. They also nudged at him when he sat next to them and stole Missy's attention.
"Wait, Dad," Pj shot to her feet as she remembered something. She wasn't gone out of the room for long; she hurriedly went to her things and returned to her parents. Her knife was in her hands. Once she sat between her mom and dad, she held it out to them. She was only supposed to hold onto it until they came back. And, well, there they were, "Here. Thanks for letting me borrow your knife."
"Keep it. It's your good luck charm," Michael didn't hesitate. He knew the knife had nothing to do with Pj being back in his arms. That was all her and her amazingness. However, he continued to believe it would keep her safe. It didn't matter how stupid it was, he'd do anything to ensure she was safe and sound. He held his daughter close to him, placing a kiss to the top of her head. She settled against his chest, and sighed happily. Michael and Nikita shared a glance, tears in their eyes. They had their little family back; it was still a shock to them. After a decade of heartbreak, they could be whole again.
"It did help me recognize you. I didn't kick your ass too hard," Nikita teased to lighten the tension. Pj glanced incredulously at her once again. Michael laughed at the two of them. There they went ruining a nice moment with the need to one up somebody. It was just like old times. No, it was better times. Times where they could be a family, and ensure their future. It was new times.
"Yeah right. I had that fight in the bag. I can take you out any day old lady," Full of sass and snark, Pj shot back. Michael's laughter boomed at the look on his wife's face. Nikita finally met her match in taunts. Sure, Birkhoff and Alex could give her a run for her money. But nothing was as powerful as their teenage daughter. If she wasn't so appalled at being called an 'old lady', she would've been impressed. Everything she had learned had been passed on to her legacy. Except, Pj was always destined to have better and to be better. It looked like she achieved that with her family right beside her.
"Old lady! Come here," Nikita attacked her daughter with tickles and kisses. Although she was a teenager then instead of a little girl, she wasn't annoyed. She shrieked and giggled, and fought her mom off of her. Michael wasn't of any assistance, teaming up with his wife to take Pj down. The Mears-Bishops teased and laughed, Missy jumping between them to play as well. The rest of the world melted away.