Twenty-three Years Earlier
"Hey, Momma. How're you doing?" Knocking on the doorframe of the hospital room, Nikita smiled. Alex instantly rolled her eyes. Sluggishly, she shifted into an upright position against the pillows. The team was fortunate enough to have found a private hospital to rush her to. But they were spending a lot of their funds to keep everything on the downlow. It was worth it, however. They'd take as many precautions as necessary to ensure their safety.
"Better. But, God, am I exhausted," Alex admitted with a sigh. She definitely needed a few more hours of rest before even attempting to move out of bed. Nikita chuckled, settling into the chair next to her. After rushing around like crazy the entire day, the whole team was tired. But it didn't compare to the new mother in the slightest. She had given birth to triplets, after all. At least she got to relax for a moment, while the newborns slept in another room under the doctor's observation.
"Welcome to your new life," Nikita continued to chuckle. Alex couldn't help but laugh along with her. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, her life had been insane. The fact that she conceived triplets only made it worse. She and Sean had been frantic in trying to figure out what to do and how they could ever possibly plan for it all. She was lucky to have him with her every step of the way (though, at the moment, he had left to talk to the doctor). She didn't have to deal with the rapid changes on her own. In fact, neither of them did.
The team had willingly gone along for the ride with them. As Sean and Alex panicked, their friends stepped in to comfort them and help them prepare. And when it came down to it, when they had to make a detrimental decision, the team joined them. They didn't have to, but they couldn't leave the two to fend for themselves. Besides, the more people available to protect the triplets from the Shop, the better. The babies had to be safe no matter what. As grateful for her team as Alex was, she felt so guilty for dragging them along with her. It was all her fault. They sacrificed so much for her, "Nik, I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Her confusion was genuine. Nikita took hold of her friend's hand, glancing at her in concern. Alex couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes. She had a good excuse for suddenly being overcome with so much emotion. Her hormones were going to continue to be out of whack for a while. But she still hated the fact that she started to cry out of guilt, shame, gratefulness, and joy. There was a lot going on, and she couldn't quite get a handle on it.
"For this. For making us go on the run. For ruining our chances," Alex hiccupped through her tears. The team had been making advances against the Dirty Thirty, against the Shop, against Amanda. Yet all of that had to be put on hold because of the triplets. Who knew where they would've been had it not been for the shock of a lifetime. Instead of having to go on the run and hide, the war could've been over. Although she didn't regret getting pregnant- she would never regret having her three perfect babies- she just didn't want to ruin that chance for her friends.
"Hey. No. We promised we'd do anything to keep the babies safe. And we meant it. Only good is going to come from this," Moving to sit on the bed next to Alex, Nikita soothed. It was easy to get lost in all of the anxiety inducing things around them. Everything could go so horribly wrong in an instant, and their future was so uncertain. Yet there were blessings too. Three new bundles of joy were brought into the world. Kara, James, and Oliver Pierce were promises of all the love and happiness the team could have. That was something they needed to hold to.
"Even if Sean and I delayed our freedom?" Except Alex wouldn't let it go. She was glad her children would grow up safe and protected, but they should've had more. Everyone should've had more than a war clouding their life. She wasn't supposed to have kids with Sean until much later- later when the threat of her enemies wasn't looming overhead. Yes there would be joy in her life, but also more stress than she ever wanted for the people she loved.
"You two didn't do anything but give us more happiness," Nikita gently brushed Alex's tousled hair out of her face, playing with the ends of the soft curls. She needed her to believe in the positives- that it wasn't her fault and terrible things weren't going to happen. Not only did Alex and Sean need that, but also their sons and daughter. The triplets should be raised with hope, despite their circumstances. Nikita was more aware of that truth than anybody.
Alex suddenly really wanted her mother. Katya would know what to do. She would know how to raise, take care of, and protect a baby. But Alex wouldn't be able to talk to her mom anytime soon. She and Sean had Michael, at least. He had enough experience to help. She also had Nikita. The woman who had saved her time and time again, who pulled her out of darkness, who loved her when she didn't think it was possible. There was no doubt she could be a great mother with her as a role model, "Remember when you said I had been strong for you? Well you have been so much stronger than me. I wouldn't have survived without you."
"Trust me, you'll never have to. With triplets we're gonna be here every step of the way," Mixing playfulness and seriousness, Nikita gave the new mom a tight squeeze. Through her tears, she managed to laugh. The two talked for a little longer, before the pull of sleep started to tug at Alex. She'd wake later to Sean, Kara, James, and Oliver and she'd be swept away by joy. But for the moment, she worked on shoving aside her fear. There would be hope, she was going to make sure of it. Once she battled away her anxiety, that would be all that was left.
One Year Later
"I can't believe you and Nerd are parents," The smile Nikita gave Sonya more than made up for the quip. The hacker still rolled her eyes as she welcomed both the rogue and Alex into the hospital room. She was supposed to be resting while Seymour was with the doctor and their newborn daughter. Yet she couldn't quite sleep after the adventure of giving birth. Fortunately, she had her friends to keep her entertained.
"I'm just glad you guys can share in this happiness," Alex managed to shoot a look at Nikita while giving Sonya a comforting hug. The rogue rolled her eyes as she hugged her friend as well. Honestly, the whole team thought after the Pierce triplets that Michael and Nikita would have the next baby, not Sonya and Birkhoff. But Felicity Birkhoff was already a wonderful joy to have, despite the increased trials they had to go through to hide from Amanda and the Shop.
Sonya knew it was worth it, however. The team might have finally figured out how to balance kids and a war when she and Seymour threw another problem their way, yet no one saw that negatively. They welcomed the baby girl with open arms, just as they had her mother all those years ago. She was so grateful for that fact, she could barely hold herself together, "Thank you so much for everything. I don't know what I would've done without you."
"That's what family's for," Replying simply, Nikita's bright grin didn't falter. Alex echoed her sentiment, taking hold of Sonya's hand. The hacker could only beam at her friends. The team didn't have to take her in, but they did. They didn't have to reassure her fears about having a baby, but they did. She was going to have them in her life for as long as she lived. It was something she never really had before. Yet since she did, she would never let it go.
Three Years Later
It was unknown what had finally woken her, but all Nikita could feel was a heavy weight on her arm. For the past couple of days, she had been barely conscious enough to open her eyes or shift positions. Except that day she managed to peel her eyes open and spot Alex curled up in a ball next to her. That snapped her into focus and allowed her to shake the fog from her head. She still wasn't completely aware of her surroundings, yet it was slowly coming back to her. She tried her best to hold onto that and pull herself into cognizance, "Alex… you're on my arm."
"Hey! You're up," Alex scrambled out of the hospital bed. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. It was just that sitting in the chair was uncomfortable, and she wanted to be as close to Nikita as possible. Since she was finally awake, however, she could attend to her and call for the doctor- anything to solidify her full recovery. The terror of almost losing her hadn't lessoned its grip, even if she managed to joke about it, "Why does everything you do have to be so dramatic? You couldn't have a normal birth like the rest of us?"
"Is Piper okay?" Instantly, Nikita wondered. Her speech continued to be muttered, but she forced her point across anyway. That was the first clear thought in her head. Although she knew for certain that she wasn't okay and she probably wouldn't be for a while, she needed to know if her daughter was safe. She had expected to find her in Michael's arms the instant she woke up. Seeing only Alex greatly confused her. Something horrible must've happened between then and the last time she was fully conscious. She was terrified of what that could've been.
"She's perfect. Michael's feeding her right now. They can't wait to see you," Sitting back down in the chair, Alex gently reassured Nikita. Michael only left his wife's side to take care of their daughter. She was his one reason to cling to hope and not be overwhelmed by all the drama (for lack of a better word) that had occurred. However, when he wasn't in the hospital room watching Nikita like a hawk, someone else took his place. It was as though the whole team was afraid she'd slip away the second they took their eyes off of her.
"Do you ever get over being this tired?" Slowly, Nikita somewhat sat herself upright. Her whole body was stiff and her mind didn't want to cooperate with her. She was beginning to remember just what exactly was going on. Everything simply remained kind of fuzzy. She'd rather joke about her exhaustion than dive into it. Alex seemed to appreciate that approach as well. She scooted her chair closer, and tightly clasped her friend's hand in hers.
"No. But I have three toddlers, so I can't really say anything," With a soft chuckle, Alex warned Nikita of the crazy yet wonderful life ahead of her. She sighed, collapsing back against the pillows. Her eyes began to fall closed again, but she fought to keep them open. Alex helped by brushing back her wild hair. Concern settled across her features again, something Nikita didn't like. It wasn't making her feel any better. In fact, it made her feel substantially worse.
"And you call me dramatic," It was meant to be a joke. She flashed an exhausted, crooked smile at Alex, trying to get her to laugh again. But Nikita's recollection of recent events wasn't quite up to speed yet. She knew her daughter had started to arrive early. And she knew she had managed to give birth to her. It was just the parts in between that were uncertain. The expression on her friend's face helped her fill in some of the gaps, however. Whatever had happened wasn't just dramatic, it was life threatening.
Nikita's fears of having complications like her birth mother had disastrously come true. By the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had to have an emergency C-section. Since Michael had been the one to talk at length with the doctor, Alex was confused about the details too. But she knew the fact that Piper Mears-Bishop was perfectly fine was a miracle. It was almost as though Nikita did everything in her power to have her daughter live, even if she had to sacrifice herself to do so. It had been a rough couple of days, "You really scared us. Michael thought he lost you… and I… I can't lose my sister too. You promised happiness, remember?"
Fighting the pull back to unconsciousness, Nikita squeezed Alex's hand as tightly as she could. She noticed tears pooling in her friend's eyes, making her start to cry as well. With all the worry of continuing to fight and hide from Amanda, finding a private hospital where they could pay to keep themselves secret, and just having kids, the team didn't need the threat of almost losing someone they loved. They needed one another more than anything, especially then, "I'm too stubborn to go anywhere."
"I know. Just don't be scary, okay?" Despite her attempt at humor, Alex was pleading. Nikita didn't dare make any sort of sarcastic comment back. She nodded through some tears (damn hormones) and reached out to her friend for a tight embrace. The two held onto one another for a long while. They didn't say anything; words wouldn't have been enough to convey everything in their hearts. The women were content simply hugging until the doctor arrived. It didn't fix everything, yet it was a start.
"Okay. Now can I please see my daughter?" Nikita was sincere with her promise. Her family was stuck with her forever. But as much as she wanted to prove that to Alex, she really needed to hold her daughter and see her husband. Once the doctor finished his examination, she got her wish. Michael burst into the hospital room as he securely held a tiny bundle of joy in his arms, looking at his wife like she was the sun. Nikita ignored how weary her limbs were to reach out to him. He immediately pressed a kiss to her forehead and carefully passed over Piper. She was finally able to hold their baby for the first time. A brilliant smile broke through her tears. She melted into the embrace Michael wrapped around her, and stared at her family in awe.
Present
Kara and Pj caught their mothers staring at them. They hadn't even been aware that Alex and Nikita were there, until they gasped when Pj attempted a flying scissor kick and trapped Kara's right arm in a break hold. The two young agents stopped their sparring to glance in confusion at the older rogues. Their expressions were concerning, and it freaked them out a little. Whatever the women were thinking, it couldn't have been good.