Set between 2x21 "Dead Drop" and 2x22 "Crossbow". The team explores the woods outside their new safehouse, and Salex grow closer.
It was a beautiful day outside. The sun shone brightly, and the trees swayed gently in the breeze. After spending the majority of the morning and afternoon settling into their new safehouse and taking stock of their remaining supplies, Michael and Nikita decided to take a walk. There were a few paths that wound through the woods outside. The couple could simply pick one and explore their surroundings. It seemed like the perfect way to relax and escape.
The rest of the team came to the same conclusion as the couple left. They should try to rest and regroup by getting fresh air and stretching their legs. They didn't follow Michael and Nikita, though. Everyone went their own way, choosing their own path to explore. They could be alone with their thoughts, or not think at all. It was all up to them. How the rogues spent the rest of the day was left for them to decide.
Hand in hand, Nikita and Michael leisurely strolled along a winding path. They talked on and off, mostly about nothing. The two were more interested in spending a moment alone together. They were comfortable enough in their relationship to do so in silence. All they needed was a hand to hold and a quick adoring smile to share between them.
Eventually, the couple's path led to a small clearing in the woods. It was a beautiful place, bracketed by stunning trees and filled with stunning wildflowers. Nikita was mesmerized by the flowers, and Michael was mesmerized by her. The two excitedly explored the area for a while. They took in the wonders of nature and contemplated camping out there. It was perfect.
Until Alex suddenly hung upside down from a branch high in a tree and shouted, "Boo!"
"Jesus. Were you just waiting around to scare people?" Nikita tightened her grip on Michael's hand. Neither jumped back or gasped at the surprise. But the two rogue agents were definitely startled. Alex had actually managed to scare them.
"Yeah," Giggling, Alex shrugged. Once she had discovered that the different paths converged at a clearing, she decided to climb a tree and wait until someone passed by. She had wanted to enjoy herself while in the woods, and scaring her team was always fun. It was so satisfying to be able to startle trained spies and assassins. She had slipped right past the couple's guard. However, afterwards, her plan began to turn against her. She couldn't pull herself back up. Although Alex could curl herself upwards, she couldn't grab hold of the branch again. She was stuck upside down. There was no way she'd let the others know that, though, "Got ya."
"You can't get back up, can you?" Noticing Alex's struggle to pull herself back up, Michael smirked. Served her right for trying to scare them.
Ignoring Michael, Alex tried one more time to pull herself back up. She could do it. She just needed the right amount of core strength and the right momentum. Neither could be achieved in her current position, however. Her stubbornness, spite, and persistence couldn't see her through that time. She had to admit defeat, "Help."
"You got yourself up there, you can get yourself down," Michael smirked. Both Alex and Nikita groaned at the comment. Nikita also dropped his hand. He laughed.
"Sometimes I forget your a dad, then you say shit like that," Alex rolled her eyes and huffed. Michael just shrugged.
Taking pity on the young woman, Nikita sighed and climbed up the tree. She hopped off the trunk to quickly scurry up the branches until she reached where Alex was. Then, she gently perched on the sturdy limb, grabbed hold of it tightly, and reached out her hand. Alex should've been able to grab her arm and pull herself up. All she really needed to get unstuck was a lower handhold and the right leverage, "Come on. I got you. Give me your hand."
Working together, Nikita helped Alex sit back up on the branch. The young woman was soon fine, and could move around the branches by herself from then on. As soon as Nikita was satisfied with that, she began to climb back down the tree. Well, climb was a strong word. What she really did was swing and jump from branch to branch. She put a lot of trust in her sparse acrobatic skills and upper body strength. Fortunately, it all worked out for her. She reached the ground without a scratch or bruise.
Michael looked like he was going to have a heart attack the entire time Nikita flung herself down from the tree. He didn't relax until she was safely on the ground. Although she flashed a self-satisfied grin, he glared at her recklessness. He loved his girlfriend, but she constantly scared the crap out of him, "I'm gonna kill whoever taught you parkour."
"I'm self-taught. That mean you're gonna kill me?" Continuing to smirk, Nikita quipped. Michael sighed. He could've taunted her in return; instead, he simply turned and walked back down the path. Alex and Nikita were left laughing in the clearing. Soon, however, Nikita knew she should follow her boyfriend. Their little date shouldn't end on that comment; they deserved more fun than that. Nikita simply had to make sure she didn't have to help Alex again before she rejoined Michael, "You coming down?"
Alex considered joining Nikita and Michael on the ground, then she noticed Sean heading towards the clearing. Because of his recent injury, he was moving slowly. But his strength was returning with each new day. Taking a walk in the woods seemed to help him heal faster. He was gently moving around and breathing fresh air. Alex was glad the woods were so good for him; he could heal in every way he could. That being said, she still wanted to scare him like she had Michael and Nikita. Startling three highly skilled agents was far better than just startling two, "No. I see Sean coming this way. I'm gonna scare him too."
Nikita wished Alex luck, then chased after Michael. Before she caught up to her boyfriend, however, she picked a dandelion from the ground. Alex wondered what that was about, until she turned to watch the couple. Michael was expecting Nikita to run to him. Although he kept walking, he held out his hands behind him. She quickly jumped into them, clinging to his shoulders as he gave her a piggyback ride. The flower she had picked was placed behind his ear while she whispered something into it. Laughing brightly, the two disappeared down the path further into the woods.
Shaking her head and laughing to herself, Alex refocused on Sean. Maybe with practice she could do what Nikita had to drop out of the tree. Yet then wasn't the time to try. She just silently climbed down the branches until she reached one that was at a reasonable height. She could drop and swing down from there without injuring herself or Sean. All she had to wait for was the perfect moment to jump.
That time came sooner rather than later. Once Sean reached the clearing and didn't have to worry about tripping over sticks or stones and pulling his stitches, he walked faster. Alex didn't hesitate. She landed gently and easily, ensuring not to shock her feet and knees, and smirked proudly. She almost laughed at his gasp while she said, "Hello there."
"Where the hell did you come from?" Sean startled backwards. In his defense, he had been lost in thought when Alex had decided to scare him. He hadn't noticed any of his surroundings, let alone her. Honestly, though, how could he have ever missed her. She giggled as she answered his question by pointing up at a tree. When he had realized all she had done was drop out of a tree, he laughed as well. She had gotten him good. He'd have to find a way to pay her back. In the meantime, however, he could quiz her about her prank and gather information for his own, "Did Nikita teach you that?"
"She's shown me some stuff. But my dad actually taught me how to climb in and out of trees," Alex admitted. She knew some parkour tricks to move around easier, but most of her knowledge of climbing trees came from her father. He deserved all the credit.
"Really?" Sean was actually surprised. He would've never thought that an oligarch and his heir would've gone traipsing through the woods, roughing it, climbing trees, and getting dirty. Then again, he should know that affluent families weren't always what they seemed. There was always more going on.
"Yeah. He used to drag me out to the woods around our house all the time to teach me how to survive in the woods. Don't ask me why. I could never figure out his reasons. And Papa would just tell me it was important to know," Alex was actually surprised that she had never told Sean that before. She was sure it had come up as they found her mother at their old family cabin. Though, to be fair, she was completely distracted by Ari, Amanda, and Zetrov at the time. So maybe it had slipped her mind.
"Sounds a lot like boy scouts. You learn life lessons while starting fires and tying rope," Shrugging, Sean supplied what he thought. There were loads of things to learn in the woods. Life lessons just seemed to be the favorite of parents and scout leaders.
"Yeah!" Excitedly, Alex shouted. That was exactly what she had experienced with her dad. He had taught her about self-reliance as she started a fire by herself, and other examples like that. Everything he had shown her in the woods had a life lesson attached to it. Thinking about it like that finally put a lot of things into perspective. Alex couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. She was basically a boy scout, "Oh that explains so much."
Sean couldn't help but laugh. Alex's revelation was just so cute. And he was glad he could be a part of it, "Guess that makes you a girl scout."
"Do I get boxes and boxes of cookies?" Alex matched Sean's bright smile. She didn't care what kind of scout she was as long as snacks were involved. And, if there were snacks, she'd definitely take a girl scout cookie.
"We can make some," Wanting to keep Alex's smile bright, Sean suggested. He wasn't sure if the safehouse had all the things they needed to make cookies, but they could always go on a grocery run. Shopping and baking together could be fun.
"You know how to bake?" Moving closer to Sean, Alex somehow smiled wider. With her lack of culinary skills, she loved anyone that would cook or bake for her. The fact that it was Sean made it all the more sweeter.
"I know how to follow directions. And that vanilla and chocolate chips are measured with the heart- my grandma taught me that," Sean wasn't nearly the baker his grandmother and sisters were, but he could follow a recipe fairly easily. It helped that he remembered some tips passed down by his grandma- if you put love into it, you can do no wrong.
"You're definitely making me some," Alex decided. She'd buy anything they needed to bake chocolate chip cookies. As long as Sean made them for her, she'd love every bit of it.
Whereas Sean was all for the idea, he'd rather continue enjoying the woods for a while longer; they could start baking before dinner. Alex was okay with that. It was too nice of a day to go inside just yet. The two sat against a tree on the edge of the clearing and just talked. Sean continued telling Alex about the baking advice his grandma gave him, then the two swapped their 'scouting' stories. They were only interrupted by laughter and the need to squirm because of bugs. It was a great moment spent together; it was practically perfect.
Eventually, Alex and Sean began to hear more animal sounds throughout the woods. It was almost night time, so the trees and shrubs were coming alive. At one point, Sean could've sworn he heard a distant howl. It didn't belong to a dog. At least not a domesticated one. Instantly, he thought of danger and the need to hurry back inside, "Is that a wolf?"
"No. The pitch is too high. It's just a coyote. There are no wolves out here. Kind of wish there were, though," A bit disappointed, Alex informed Sean. There were far more coyotes in America than wolves. Chances were, if you think you heard or saw a wolf, it was actually a coyote. Which was still cool. Alex liked to see the coyotes run in the woods. But it wasn't the same as staring at a wolf from her bedroom window.
"If you want to see a wolf, you could always go to a zoo," Relaxing, Sean chuckled. Sure, the team didn't really have the free time to plan a whole visit to a zoo. But surely, if Alex really wanted to see a wolf, she could swing by for an hour or so. The world wouldn't end if she took some time to do whatever she wanted. She was allowed some freedoms.
"Yeah. But it's so much better to see them in the wild. You know, when they're free and can be themselves. I've always loved that about them. There are no expectations. A wolf can just be a wolf," Although Alex did like the zoo, and she loved the work conservations did, it had nothing on the wild. Animals living their lives as free as they could, unbothered by humans, was always the best. She'd much rather watch a wolf run in the distance than watch it sleep up close.
"And being the daughter of an oligarch didn't offer you the same freedoms. I understand that," Sean really did. It was different since he was an adult, but there were still pressures that came with a parent in a position of power. And that wasn't even considering the media coverage that could come along with it. Sometimes, it really would've been better to be a wild animal.
"Yeah. But that's why I always liked school. No one knew who I was. I could truly be myself," The last statement wasn't exactly true. She couldn't be Alexandra Udinov at any of her schools. However, she was allowed to express her true personality. There were no pressures placed on her to act a certain way, nor were there expectations she was forced to conform to. She was just a regular student. She could be herself without repercussions (unless, of course, she talked during class, which she often did).
Although Sean wanted the cute smile on Alex's lips to remain, he was absolutely confused about what she just said. How did no one at her school know who she was. Even if the kids were oblivious, teachers would've known she was an Udinov. So what exactly was she talking about, "What do you mean no one knew who you were?"
"I went to a private school under a false name. You know, to keep me safe," Alex said so matter of factly, that it confused Sean more. She couldn't understand why. Wasn't it normal for children of powerful people to be hidden for their protection. It wasn't like they could have armed guards at school. Anonymity was the safer and smarter option, "You didn't have to do that? Your mom was a senator."
"Yeah, which meant security and private schools. I never had to do anything under a fake name," Sean remained bewildered. He had known tons of kids who were the children of influential politicians and wealthy businessmen, and none of them had to do anything under a false name. Sure, they populated private schools, and some had their own security. But no one had to go to the extreme measures Alexandra Udinov had to go through. Either her father was super paranoid, or that was just the danger of being an oligarch.
"Now I know how Nikita feels after she talks about her fucked up childhood like it's normal and we just stare at her," Alex sighed. She knew she had grown up differently than the rogues- especially Nikita. But she had assumed that Sean would've had some of the same experiences. He had grown up well off like she had (well, almost like she had). And he had a powerful yet corrupt parent, who loved and protected him fiercely despite the crimes they had committed. However, when it came to extremes, Alex was still alone. Apparently, having your identity hidden wasn't as normal for affluent families as she had thought.
"Definitely not normal," Sean chuckled lightly. He wasn't making fun of Alex. In fact, he loved that she was so different than anyone else he had ever met. It made her special.
Although Alex rolled her eyes, she found herself laughing too. It was mostly because Sean was. Looking back, she could admit that her childhood was ridiculous. But at least she was surrounded by love and care. She never had a boring moment, especially when she got to be herself, "Whatever. I still had friends. We even made a club where we studied wolves."
"Oh, man. Were you a wolf kid?" Breaking Sean's and Alex's peace in the clearing, Birkhoff interrupted. He had been aware that Alex liked wolves. But as he came across the two in the woods, he couldn't help but overhear how extreme her fondness was. He hadn't known it was that bad; she must've been so annoying when she was younger- more so than she was then.
"Weren't you a bug kid? That's way worse," Sean shot back. Based on comments made by the hacker, and just his personality, the Seal was able to guess that he had been obsessed with bugs as a kid. Birkhoff owned up to it though. He just shrugged and claimed that was better than being a horse girl. Sean, whose sister had been one of those girls, couldn't argue.
While the two men discussed the different weird kids they had encountered in elementary and middle school, Alex stared in bewilderment. She couldn't understand anything they were saying. How did a favorite animal affect how weird or not a person was. It wasn't like your entire personality revolved around that. At least not at Alex's school, "Why are you guys classifying kids by the kind of animals they liked?"
"That's just how the American education system works. You divide up in groups, then mercilessly bully each other," Offering an explanation to the question he had overheard, Ryan joined the others. Alex could accept that answer; after all, Sean and Birkhoff agreed to it.
Once that was settled, Ryan suggested that it was time they went back inside. The sun was beginning to set, and there were still things they had to do that day. Although they grumbled, Alex, Sean, and Birkhoff agreed. The only ones missing from the discussion were Michael and Nikita. They hadn't returned to the clearing, even as everyone else had gathered there. Ryan sighed. Of course the couple was doing their own thing, "Where are the other two?"
"Kissing in a tree somewhere," Birkhoff guessed. It was the only explanation he could think of for Nikita's and Michael's long absence. Rolling his eyes, Ryan urged the hacker to follow him. They should bring the couple inside before it got too dark. Even highly skilled agents shouldn't be in the woods at night.
Sighing, Alex hopped to her feet and helped Sean stand as well. With their team, the two were lucky that they got the amount of peaceful time alone that they did. They shouldn't take it for granted. It was a great few hours. Yet it was time to go back to their war. Once they reached the safehouse, that was. Before then, Sean and Alex could keep sharing things with each other; they could keep expressing their passions, "I still like wolves."
"I'm glad. Now come on. If we want to make cookies, we should do it before the others take over the kitchen," Smiling, Sean held out his arm. With a soft chuckle, Alex took it. And arm in arm, they made their way back to the safehouse.
Thank you so much for reading and enjoying!