Author´s note: There has been a problem while uploading, I´m sorry for
that. Actually, I had typed chapter three already and uploaded it, but due
to some problem, I don´t know what happenend, fanfiction.net uploaded
chapter two again, and as I had deleted it already, I had to type it again.
Along with a bit of stress in university, that´s why it took so long.
Sorry!
Chapter three
She shivered. And then slowly turned around.
He was leaning against a tree, watching her. She let out her breath and started to speak when he abruptly stepped two paces back and went deeper into the woods. Having no choice, she followed him silently through the bushes and past ancient trees until he finally stopped near a small stream. There he motioned her towards a bench where she sat down, tense with expectations.
"How is he?" Michael had turned around and glanced at her. The suddenness of his motions told her more than his words could have done, and without hesitation she told him about her meeting with Adam and the impression she had gotten of his nanny. Meanwhile she looked him up and down.
Michael was the worse to look at. His face was hollow and bearded, he looked tired and there were dark shadows under his eyes. She didn´t think that he had slept in several days. Nevertheless he stayed upright and kept on looking at her, his gaze as intent as ever, until she had finished her story. His remoteness usually didn´t trouble her for she had become used to it, but as he now turned to go, she thought she deserved better.
"Michael?" She stood up and went to face him, their faces were inches apart. "Surely there is something you wanted to tell me?"
He didn´t avoid her look nor did he react at her provocation. Not at once. For seconds he just stared at her, holding her gaze. Then he threw her to the ground.
Buried under his body she heard the echos of the shot in her mind and felt his heartbeat against hers before he moved again.
"Just a hunter", he said, taking her hand and pulling her upright.
"Thank you, Nikita", he whispered when she stood next to him, "for taking care of Adam."
Softly she stroked his cheek. He didn´t draw back. "It´s not only Adam I´m caring for."
* * *
Damn, she thought as she took a look at her sleeve.
She had left Michael in the small clearing after he very reluctantly had told her about his intentions. Elena had been kidnapped by people who thought her responsible for Vacek´s death. Those people were aware of Section´s existence, tooand in any kind of interference they would have killed her at once.
Nikita remembered the look on Michaels face when he told her, and she knew that telling Section would be Elena´s death sentence. Instead, he had taken it on himself to free her, taking the records as possible wares to change. But nothing had happened so far and he was forced to wait for further developments.
She had left the food with him and hugged him good-bye. And now she stared at the blood-stained sleeve of her jacket where it had touched Michael´s back and cursed him. And herself. She should have known that he only told her because this way it was easier to make her leave. Damn the man. Probably everything he had told her had been a lie. Angry because of her own stupidness she tossed away her nightshirt and went into the bathroom.
*
"I´ve seen him."
She watched Walter choke on her words and waited until he had overcome his surprise. Cautiously he looked around, then turned back to her. Stared at her.
"You´re sure, honey?"
She felt the impatience rise in herself.
"Listen. He is tired, starving and wounded and I don´t have the slightest idea how to help him. So please, concentrate on that what matters."
"Yeah sure, but don´t you think that is almost impossible? You don´t even know what this all is about."
Nikita sighed. Of course Walter was right. She recalled the few things she knew, that Elena had been kinapped and Michael stolen files that were most important, and found that it made no sense at all. Walter suddenly interupted her thoughts.
"Why did he call you?"
"What do you mean?" Her gaze made him look uneasy.
"I only mean, why should he phone you to come? He managed to escape all our inquiries for almost two months. Why should he risk to give up his incognito?"
She felt embarressed. "Well, he trusts me."
Walter shook his head.
"No, honey, he doesn´t trust anybody, not now. So why did he do it?"
"He asked me how Adam was.", she whispered, bending her head, "he asked only that."
"Yeah honey, he only asked that." Walter comfortingly stroked her arm. "He wanted someone to see that Adam isn´t alone and as he could show himself, he sent you.", his voice trailed off and he looked at her with a new intensity, mingled with pride. "You´re right! He trusts you!"
Nikita had jumped at his sudden outburst and now shyly smiled at him.
"God, that I should have lived to witness something like this.", Walter grinned at her, feeling that at least he had cheered her up a bit.
*
They decided to try to find out as much as possible with Birkoff´s help. That proved to become a hard test for all of them, for firstly they had to concentrate on their current missions, secondly were closely watched. And thirdly Michael chose to play a more active role what made it by no means easier for them to follow their tasks.
He interfered in several missions caausing them to fail to eliminate four terrorist leaders. Operations rage was beyond everything Nikita had experienced so far, the more so because Michael always got away unharmed and disappeared again until "his" next "mission".
Nikita was near desperation, only Birkoff´s discovery that those band members all worked underground for the same people helped her tp believe in Michael´s innocence and goodwill. It was hard for her to keep her meeting with him secret, both Walter and Birkoff tried to make her change her mind and tell Madeline and it was only their friendship that silenced them.
But two weeks after she had seen him everything suddenly changed. With Michael´s absence it was Birkoff who called her to come to Section, and already on the phone she could sense that something very unusual had happened.
Indeed, it seemed that all hell had broken lose in Section when she arrived there. Walter immediately told her what had happened, and his face showed more excitement than she was used to.
"Operation´s still trying to understand it, and Madeline is smiling that knowing smile of hers.", he grinned and led her to his rooms for a few seconds of private talk.
Michael had obviously changed his mind about betraying Section and had sent back the disks, together with a minute description where to find the terrorists he had helped to escape before.
"Is it sure it was Michael who sent it?" She too coulndn´t make it out except that something had happened that had forced him to act.
"Yeah, without doubts. Birkoff was lucky to find and decode it, some minutes later it would have been gone. But you have to go now, there´s a meeting for your next mission." Walter seriously looked at her and helplessly shook his head before he let her go. "A wonder the boy isn´t driving you mad."
She laughed and kissed Walter´s cheek. "He is, Walter, he is." * As always, Michael had worked more than decently. All orders given were precise to the last point, all checkpoints correct. He couldn´t have made it better if he had been in Section all the time, Nikita thought.
They had just finished the last mission and she had arrived at her door when she noticed that something was wrong. All lights were turned off, the windows shut and the curtains drawn. It was quiet.
Slowly she went through her rooms, her gun ready in her hand, but nothing moved. Cautiously she stepped up the steps leading to her bedroom when she heard someone breathe. Careful not to make any sound that would betray her presence she moved closer to the bed and caught a glimpse of dark hair under the sheet when he suddenly started to speak from behind her.
"I drugged him. He won´t remember anything."
She let her hand fall down to her side. He was sitting on the ground with his back next to the wall. She didn´t want to imagine how long he had been sitting here, watching over his son´s sleep. Instead, she sat down next to him in the darkness, took his hand and caresssed the grazes on his skin.
"What happened?"
"They shot Mrs. Jenkins this morning." His voice sounded indifferent and she didn´t know whether it was because he didn´t care or because of sheer tiredness. With regret she thought of the nice housekeeper.
"They were in the house, breaking the bargain we had, so I got Adam and made sure that nobody would follow us."
For the first time he adressed her directly. "I´m sorry but I didn´t know where else to go."
Surprised she looked at him but he had already turned his head and watched Adam.
"Is it true", she asked softly, "what you told me about Elena?"
It took him a few minutes but he finally asnwered. "Yes. They wanted the files and promised not to tell her about me, about me being alive, in exchange for my knowledge."
"And Section would rather have killed her than agreed to this bargain", she added. Michael didn´t answer. He didn´t have to.
* "What will you do now?"
"I don´t know."
His hand was warm in hers, but the confession of his helplessness made her shiver. She had become used to the fact that Michael always knew what to do. She sighed.
"You should try and get some sleep." As he didn´t respond she shrugged and stood up. "I will get some coffee."
But when she came back, carrying two mugs of steaming coffee in her hands she found that he had fallen asleep sitting where he was, relieved for one small moment of the burden of responsibility and watchfulness. For a second she just looked at him, then she put down the cups and lit a candle.
She knelt down in front of him, the shadows of the tiny light flickered around the walls and deepened the lines on his face. The long lashes lay still on the high cheeks but his lips were pressed tight together. Moved by tenderness she stroked the line of his jaw. He looked worse than ever, thin and worn out, his clothes were torn in several spots. Gently she opened the buttons of his shirt when he suddenly opened his eyes.
"Nikita.", he started, but she had seen how tired he was and when she didn´t know how to help him, she knew what he needed now most of all.
"Take off you r shirt and I will fetch you a blanket." She didn´t wait for him to answer but went and got it and when she came back she saw that he had done what she wanted. The candle still burned by his side and when he turned she saw the long dark-red line on his shoulder where the bullet had grazed him two weeks ago. She sat down by his side and wrapped him up, careful not to hurt him too much, wanting him to lie down and sleep.
He had seen the look on her face in the darknees and shrugged. "It doesn´t matter."
"Of course it does."
Sighing, he leant back against the wall and closed his eyes, ignoring her words.
"You have to tell Section. I will try to free Elena and maybe."
She didn´t want to hear what maybe could happen and interupted him. "Michael, please.let me help you."
"No." His words were soft, barely a whisper. "You have to take care of Adam for me when.", he broke off, sharply drawing in his breath when he scratched his shoulder at the wall moving slightly.
She didn´t wait for his rejection but gently took his hand and made him lie down until his head rested in her lap.
"Don´t worry. I´ll take care." Her hand stroke the curve of his back when she heard his voice again, covered by darkness.
"Thank you."
*
"Do you think that Elena is still alive?"
She asked that question the next morning when she noticed that he slowly woke from his dreams. He didn´t sat up at once nor did he pretend to be still asleep. Instead he just looked at her, still lying on the ground, then took her hand and kissed her palm. His eyes glanced sadly towards the bed where Adams head was visible under the sheets.
"I hope so."
Chapter three
She shivered. And then slowly turned around.
He was leaning against a tree, watching her. She let out her breath and started to speak when he abruptly stepped two paces back and went deeper into the woods. Having no choice, she followed him silently through the bushes and past ancient trees until he finally stopped near a small stream. There he motioned her towards a bench where she sat down, tense with expectations.
"How is he?" Michael had turned around and glanced at her. The suddenness of his motions told her more than his words could have done, and without hesitation she told him about her meeting with Adam and the impression she had gotten of his nanny. Meanwhile she looked him up and down.
Michael was the worse to look at. His face was hollow and bearded, he looked tired and there were dark shadows under his eyes. She didn´t think that he had slept in several days. Nevertheless he stayed upright and kept on looking at her, his gaze as intent as ever, until she had finished her story. His remoteness usually didn´t trouble her for she had become used to it, but as he now turned to go, she thought she deserved better.
"Michael?" She stood up and went to face him, their faces were inches apart. "Surely there is something you wanted to tell me?"
He didn´t avoid her look nor did he react at her provocation. Not at once. For seconds he just stared at her, holding her gaze. Then he threw her to the ground.
Buried under his body she heard the echos of the shot in her mind and felt his heartbeat against hers before he moved again.
"Just a hunter", he said, taking her hand and pulling her upright.
"Thank you, Nikita", he whispered when she stood next to him, "for taking care of Adam."
Softly she stroked his cheek. He didn´t draw back. "It´s not only Adam I´m caring for."
* * *
Damn, she thought as she took a look at her sleeve.
She had left Michael in the small clearing after he very reluctantly had told her about his intentions. Elena had been kidnapped by people who thought her responsible for Vacek´s death. Those people were aware of Section´s existence, tooand in any kind of interference they would have killed her at once.
Nikita remembered the look on Michaels face when he told her, and she knew that telling Section would be Elena´s death sentence. Instead, he had taken it on himself to free her, taking the records as possible wares to change. But nothing had happened so far and he was forced to wait for further developments.
She had left the food with him and hugged him good-bye. And now she stared at the blood-stained sleeve of her jacket where it had touched Michael´s back and cursed him. And herself. She should have known that he only told her because this way it was easier to make her leave. Damn the man. Probably everything he had told her had been a lie. Angry because of her own stupidness she tossed away her nightshirt and went into the bathroom.
*
"I´ve seen him."
She watched Walter choke on her words and waited until he had overcome his surprise. Cautiously he looked around, then turned back to her. Stared at her.
"You´re sure, honey?"
She felt the impatience rise in herself.
"Listen. He is tired, starving and wounded and I don´t have the slightest idea how to help him. So please, concentrate on that what matters."
"Yeah sure, but don´t you think that is almost impossible? You don´t even know what this all is about."
Nikita sighed. Of course Walter was right. She recalled the few things she knew, that Elena had been kinapped and Michael stolen files that were most important, and found that it made no sense at all. Walter suddenly interupted her thoughts.
"Why did he call you?"
"What do you mean?" Her gaze made him look uneasy.
"I only mean, why should he phone you to come? He managed to escape all our inquiries for almost two months. Why should he risk to give up his incognito?"
She felt embarressed. "Well, he trusts me."
Walter shook his head.
"No, honey, he doesn´t trust anybody, not now. So why did he do it?"
"He asked me how Adam was.", she whispered, bending her head, "he asked only that."
"Yeah honey, he only asked that." Walter comfortingly stroked her arm. "He wanted someone to see that Adam isn´t alone and as he could show himself, he sent you.", his voice trailed off and he looked at her with a new intensity, mingled with pride. "You´re right! He trusts you!"
Nikita had jumped at his sudden outburst and now shyly smiled at him.
"God, that I should have lived to witness something like this.", Walter grinned at her, feeling that at least he had cheered her up a bit.
*
They decided to try to find out as much as possible with Birkoff´s help. That proved to become a hard test for all of them, for firstly they had to concentrate on their current missions, secondly were closely watched. And thirdly Michael chose to play a more active role what made it by no means easier for them to follow their tasks.
He interfered in several missions caausing them to fail to eliminate four terrorist leaders. Operations rage was beyond everything Nikita had experienced so far, the more so because Michael always got away unharmed and disappeared again until "his" next "mission".
Nikita was near desperation, only Birkoff´s discovery that those band members all worked underground for the same people helped her tp believe in Michael´s innocence and goodwill. It was hard for her to keep her meeting with him secret, both Walter and Birkoff tried to make her change her mind and tell Madeline and it was only their friendship that silenced them.
But two weeks after she had seen him everything suddenly changed. With Michael´s absence it was Birkoff who called her to come to Section, and already on the phone she could sense that something very unusual had happened.
Indeed, it seemed that all hell had broken lose in Section when she arrived there. Walter immediately told her what had happened, and his face showed more excitement than she was used to.
"Operation´s still trying to understand it, and Madeline is smiling that knowing smile of hers.", he grinned and led her to his rooms for a few seconds of private talk.
Michael had obviously changed his mind about betraying Section and had sent back the disks, together with a minute description where to find the terrorists he had helped to escape before.
"Is it sure it was Michael who sent it?" She too coulndn´t make it out except that something had happened that had forced him to act.
"Yeah, without doubts. Birkoff was lucky to find and decode it, some minutes later it would have been gone. But you have to go now, there´s a meeting for your next mission." Walter seriously looked at her and helplessly shook his head before he let her go. "A wonder the boy isn´t driving you mad."
She laughed and kissed Walter´s cheek. "He is, Walter, he is." * As always, Michael had worked more than decently. All orders given were precise to the last point, all checkpoints correct. He couldn´t have made it better if he had been in Section all the time, Nikita thought.
They had just finished the last mission and she had arrived at her door when she noticed that something was wrong. All lights were turned off, the windows shut and the curtains drawn. It was quiet.
Slowly she went through her rooms, her gun ready in her hand, but nothing moved. Cautiously she stepped up the steps leading to her bedroom when she heard someone breathe. Careful not to make any sound that would betray her presence she moved closer to the bed and caught a glimpse of dark hair under the sheet when he suddenly started to speak from behind her.
"I drugged him. He won´t remember anything."
She let her hand fall down to her side. He was sitting on the ground with his back next to the wall. She didn´t want to imagine how long he had been sitting here, watching over his son´s sleep. Instead, she sat down next to him in the darkness, took his hand and caresssed the grazes on his skin.
"What happened?"
"They shot Mrs. Jenkins this morning." His voice sounded indifferent and she didn´t know whether it was because he didn´t care or because of sheer tiredness. With regret she thought of the nice housekeeper.
"They were in the house, breaking the bargain we had, so I got Adam and made sure that nobody would follow us."
For the first time he adressed her directly. "I´m sorry but I didn´t know where else to go."
Surprised she looked at him but he had already turned his head and watched Adam.
"Is it true", she asked softly, "what you told me about Elena?"
It took him a few minutes but he finally asnwered. "Yes. They wanted the files and promised not to tell her about me, about me being alive, in exchange for my knowledge."
"And Section would rather have killed her than agreed to this bargain", she added. Michael didn´t answer. He didn´t have to.
* "What will you do now?"
"I don´t know."
His hand was warm in hers, but the confession of his helplessness made her shiver. She had become used to the fact that Michael always knew what to do. She sighed.
"You should try and get some sleep." As he didn´t respond she shrugged and stood up. "I will get some coffee."
But when she came back, carrying two mugs of steaming coffee in her hands she found that he had fallen asleep sitting where he was, relieved for one small moment of the burden of responsibility and watchfulness. For a second she just looked at him, then she put down the cups and lit a candle.
She knelt down in front of him, the shadows of the tiny light flickered around the walls and deepened the lines on his face. The long lashes lay still on the high cheeks but his lips were pressed tight together. Moved by tenderness she stroked the line of his jaw. He looked worse than ever, thin and worn out, his clothes were torn in several spots. Gently she opened the buttons of his shirt when he suddenly opened his eyes.
"Nikita.", he started, but she had seen how tired he was and when she didn´t know how to help him, she knew what he needed now most of all.
"Take off you r shirt and I will fetch you a blanket." She didn´t wait for him to answer but went and got it and when she came back she saw that he had done what she wanted. The candle still burned by his side and when he turned she saw the long dark-red line on his shoulder where the bullet had grazed him two weeks ago. She sat down by his side and wrapped him up, careful not to hurt him too much, wanting him to lie down and sleep.
He had seen the look on her face in the darknees and shrugged. "It doesn´t matter."
"Of course it does."
Sighing, he leant back against the wall and closed his eyes, ignoring her words.
"You have to tell Section. I will try to free Elena and maybe."
She didn´t want to hear what maybe could happen and interupted him. "Michael, please.let me help you."
"No." His words were soft, barely a whisper. "You have to take care of Adam for me when.", he broke off, sharply drawing in his breath when he scratched his shoulder at the wall moving slightly.
She didn´t wait for his rejection but gently took his hand and made him lie down until his head rested in her lap.
"Don´t worry. I´ll take care." Her hand stroke the curve of his back when she heard his voice again, covered by darkness.
"Thank you."
*
"Do you think that Elena is still alive?"
She asked that question the next morning when she noticed that he slowly woke from his dreams. He didn´t sat up at once nor did he pretend to be still asleep. Instead he just looked at her, still lying on the ground, then took her hand and kissed her palm. His eyes glanced sadly towards the bed where Adams head was visible under the sheets.
"I hope so."