Set in the latter half of season 2. A lazy Sunday discussing old cartoons with friends.
It was as lazy of a Sunday as the rogues could allow themselves. While they waited for any new moves made by their enemies, they cleaned, trained, talked, and relaxed. Michael and Nikita soon found themselves back in their bedroom, talking aimlessly as they remade their bed with freshly washed sheets. Once everything was nicely set in place, she ruined it by plopping down on the warm comforter. A hum of content vibrated her chest at the soothing feel of clean sheets. He rolled his eyes and nudged her. She nudged back. He tugged her foot. She glared. He moved his face next to hers, disturbing her peace and flashing his charming half-smile, "Hey."
"Hey," Nikita grinned warmly in response. Michael just had to kiss her. They weren't doing anything else that day. Who cared if they had to remake the bed again. Lying against the pillows, the couple kissed and caressed languidly. Eventually, he placed gentle kisses along her neck and slowly lifted the hem of her t-shirt. Her hips lifted slightly, causing him to chuckle against her skin. A quiet moan almost escaped her, but it was cut short by the door creaking open. Michael immediately stopped. He hurriedly pulled down her shirt, collapsed next to her as though nothing had occurred, and turned on the television in their room. Nikita bit back laughter.
Apparently, Michael was far more traumatized from people walking in on them than Nikita had thought. But maybe that was a good thing, as Alex was the one to enter their room. She had dealt with enough of their bullshit. The couple did their best to relax themselves as the young woman moved towards them. She didn't seem to have noticed what she almost walked in on. She just curled next to Nikita on the bed and asked, "Whatcha guys up to?"
"Just flipping through TV," Wrapping her arm around Alex, Nikita smirked at Michael. He sighed and rolled his eyes, but he took his cue to switch between television channels. The three silently watched the changing shows and movies, uninterested in anything. They simply laid together- Alex tucked into Nikita's side, and Nikita resting on Michael. Hiding soft smiles, the couple shared amused glances and eye rolls. They couldn't have their peace alone.
Somewhat watching TV together was nice, though. At least they could do something relaxing as friends; until Alex saw something she liked shooting across the screen. She scrambled over Nikita to wrestle the remote from Michael. Both were elbowed in the ribs, yet she didn't care, "Ooh. Saturday morning cartoons. I never actually got to watch these."
"It's Sunday afternoon," Michael grumbled, rubbing his sore side. Nikita moved to help soothe him, yet he just took her hand in his. He was fine, just more annoyed than before.
"Don't ruin this for me. My papa did enough as a kid," Alex was oblivious to the couple next to her. Eyes glued to the television screen, she couldn't care less about Michael and Nikita. That was alright with them; they could continue sharing expressive looks.
"Cause American cartoons are the devil," Settling back down into a comfortable position, Nikita teased Alex. Michael squeezed her hand as he laughed.
"Yes. All American entertainment is a distraction," Although Alex rolled her eyes, a smile pulled at her lips. She was alright joking about the things her father had said and done with her friends. Not only did they know when to draw the line, but they were also the only people who could understand the complexities of her life. Despite her dad being essentially a criminal and making her follow strict rules, she loved him with all her heart. And he loved her too.
The team was aware of all that, yet there were still missing gaps. Michael could've sworn Alex had seen the Disney princess movies. Whenever Birkhoff tried to compare her to one, she shot back with a well-referenced quip. How could that have been if her dad didn't let her watch them and she didn't have much access on the streets, "I thought you've seen Disney movies."
"Well, yeah. Mama would spoil me with a spa day and American movies after I did wilderness training with Papa," Alex explained slowly and completely zombified. She wasn't entirely sure what she was watching, but the cartoon had her captivated. It was the perfect mix of stupid, brainless, and distracting. No wonder her father had banned her from watching them.
Nikita couldn't help but laugh at Alex's statement. The two of them really had drastically different childhoods, "What's it like being an heiress?"
"It's alright," She didn't quite catch Nikita's question, but Alex shrugged anyway.
Quickly taking the remote away, Michael changed the channel. He couldn't have Alex completely zonked out on cartoons. Besides, whatever they were watching was annoying. The young woman tried to fight for the remote back, but Nikita shoved her aside. The squabble ended up not lasting long. Once the commercial ended and another cartoon played, Alex was distracted. Nikita, on the other hand, began to laugh. She recognized the old show immediately. Grinning smugly, she turned towards Michael, "Oh look, Michael. It's your favorite."
"I made one joke…" Groaning, Michael attempted to cover his face with a pillow. She would torture him forever for the dorky things he said if she could. Ripping the pillow from his hands and nudging his side, Nikita did just that.
"I'm missing something aren't I?" As the couple poked one another, Alex glanced at them in confusion. It was also her turn to be annoyed. Nikita and Michael jostled the bed and disturbed her peace while they messed around. She just wanted to watch her shows undisturbed.
"I told you, remember? Peters, Heilbrun, and Chang. Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Settling on top of Michael as if that was a way to win their mock-argument, Nikita reminded Alex.
"Yeah, I never got that," It was still lost on her, however. Alex didn't understand the joke when she was in Division, and she didn't understand it then.
Michael hoped pushing Nikita off of him would stop her from teasing him. He already heard enough residual taunts from Birkhoff for the old joke. He didn't need Alex piling on. However, the determined mischief in Nikita's eyes was too much to shove away, "Michael used to give agents nicknames based on cartoons."
"Just those three. They acted just like them," Michael defended himself. Alex only shook her head and chuckled. He wound up laughing with her, especially when he slightly remembered his nickname for another group of agents, "Oh, and that one pair. They were partners and best friends. The dumbass and the smart one. Uh, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh."
"Charles and Robinson," Nikita found the names for him. Michael nodded in excitement, and the two laughed at the memory.
Once again, Alex was completely confused. Not over Charles and Robinson. She knew those two agents, and why they'd be considered stupid friends. What she didn't understand was the characters Michael referenced. She had only ever heard of Winnie the Pooh. How did the other factor in on that, "Who's Christopher Robin?"
"The little boy from Winnie the Pooh," Nikita shrugged as though it was obvious.
"What are you talking about? There's only animals," Except, it wasn't obvious to Alex.
"And Pooh's best friend," Sharing a look with Nikita, Michael added. He sat up and turned off the television. Neither woman complained as they sat upright as well. They were far more interested in their baffling conversation than kids' shows anyway.
"Piglet's his best friend. There are no humans in the hundred acre woods," Frim in her stance, Alex argued. She shifted on the mattress, needing to see the glances Michael and Nikita had been expressing to one another. Whatever it was they were thinking, she had to know.
Nikita and Michael weren't thinking much besides confusion, however. There was no way Alex could know about Winnie the Pooh but not one of the main characters. Either she hit her head, was misremembering something, or had possibly seen a completely different movie. Regardless, Nikita stared at her in bewilderment, "Are we talking about the same movie? Winnie the Pooh. The yellow bear with the red shirt."
Alex could feel herself becoming angry. She was absolutely positive she knew what she was talking about. She wasn't stupid. Michael and Nikita had to have been, though, if they thought Winnie the Pooh was yellow, "He's a brown bear. Piglet's the only one in clothes, and he's in pants. Oh, and Owl. But it's just glasses and a headscarf."
"Have I gone insane?" Unsure how to respond to that, Nikita turned sharply to Michael.
"Alex, type in what movie you're talking about," Handing over the tablet from his nightstand, Michael decided it was time to put the argument to rest. There was no need to keep fighting if they could simply use the internet.
Alex had to change the keyboard from English to Russian in order to find the movie she remembered, which honestly should've been her first sign that she wasn't as right as she believed. Soon, she found a picture of what she was talking about, and she showed it proudly to her friends, "See. He's brown."
"Ohmygod. There's a Soviet version of Winnie the Pooh," Ripping the tablet out of Alex's hands, Nikita squealed in excitement. She scrolled through the screen, needing more.
"There's a more popular American version, isn't there?" Alex wasn't sure if she should feel annoyed, stupid, or what. She settled on a whole mixture of emotions, as Nikita gleefully read about the Russian version of Winnie the Pooh and tried to find a video to watch of it.
"Your dad set you up for failure here," Although Michael felt sympathy for Alex's deficiency in pop culture knowledge, he had to laugh at the miscommunication. Before she could roll her eyes at him, he nodded for her to take the tablet off of Nikita's nightstand. When she looked up the Winnie the Pooh her friends had mentioned, realization struck her. She had seen toys and games of the American version of the character. She knew what they were talking about. She simply never put two and two together before.
"This is a masterpiece," In total awe, Nikita muttered. Michael and Alex glanced over to see what she was looking at on the tablet. Apparently, she had discovered a way to watch the old Soviet cartoon, and everything about it made her die in laughter. As Michael watched with her, he laughed uncontrollably as well. Alex simply recited the dialogue and songs she memorized long ago, making the two giggle even more.
The argument and ill feelings the friends had were instantly forgotten as they enjoyed a joyful and simple kids' show. Eventually, the three's fun and excitement drew Sean into the room. He had entered the safehouse, wondering what the team was up to that day. Seeing them laugh together was a great answer to receive, "Didn't know there was a party in here."
"I'd show you the video, but apparently your Russian isn't as good as a five year old's," Nikita glanced up from the cartoon to immediately taunt Sean. The Seal's inability to understand Russian was one of the first things Alex had told her when he was sent to be her bodyguard. There was no way Nikita would ever let that fact go.
Michael wouldn't either. Whereas Sean glared at the giggling trio in annoyance, the agent twisted the taunt deeper, "How'd you make it as a Seal without any Russian?"
"How'd you make it as head of agents while fucking her?" Sean attempted to fire back. He thought poking fun at Michael's and Nikita's relationship would do the trick. But the two just collapsed in laughter. He looked to Alex for answers, "I'm missing something aren't I?"
"You always are with these two," Chuckling, Alex shrugged. She wanted to help Sean, but there were times when even she couldn't wrap her head around the couple's relationship.
"That's what you get for listening to Amanda," Nikita somewhat explained to Sean why his assumption about her and Michael had been wrong. She also helped Alex understand why she never got a clear understanding of the couple's history. Amanda loved twisting facts and the past in order to further her own needs. But they didn't need to focus on the bitch's horrors at the moment. They could just keep smiling, "Or as Michael calls her, the Wicked Bitch of the West."
"I'm never telling you a joke ever again," Michael nudged Nikita. She nudged back.
"Thank God. You're not that funny," Before the two could escalate into another fake sparring match, Sean quipped. Alex instantly collapsed against the pillows in laughter.
"Well, no one can be as funny looking as you," Glaring at the Seal, Nikita snarked. Michael barely laughed as he rolled his eyes. And Sean and Alex shook their heads. The rogue didn't care, however. She laughed at her own joke and high fived herself.
Playfully smacking her with a pillow, Alex admonished her for her actions, "Don't hype yourself up over your own joke, weirdo."
Feigning regret, Nikita returned the pillow strike, "Did calling Sean ugly strike a nerve?"
"Yes," Michael answered immediately for Alex.
"I'm gonna go watch cartoons in peace. Come on, Sean," Unable to stand the knowing looks Nikita and Michael sent her way, Alex leapt off the bed with a tablet in hand and marched out of the bedroom. Sean stared after for a confused second before following.
"Can you close the door behind you? That way you won't walk in on us again," Nikita called after the two. Alex's answering disgusted groan made the admission more than worth it.
"EW!"
"If you went home, then that wouldn't happen," Shouting in reply, Michael reminded Alex of her own apartment. Nikita added onto it, yet the only thing they heard in response was Sean expressing his unresolved confusion.
Shaking his head, Michael climbed out of bed and closed and locked the door. Once their privacy was secured, he turned back to Nikita with a crooked grin, "Now. Where were we?"
Pulling Michael into her awaiting arms, Nikita kissed him tenderly and lovingly. The kiss was an extension of how the rest of the team's Sunday went- restfully, lazy, joyful, and fun.
P.S. There really is a Soviet produced Winnie the Pooh. It is free to watch on Youtube with English subtitles. It is so cute and weird. I love it.