CHAPTER FOUR - THE HAND

The idea came to her out of a whim. Ever since she saw how Michael is struggling about his hand, she wanted nothing more than to give him back what was lost. She will do anything to give him back his hand and then, that got her thinking. What if she can really make that happen? With all the technology she'd seen in Division, perhaps someone out there has finally managed to defy the impossible.

She made Birkhoff swore to never tell a soul of what she's up to. She explained to him that telling Michael about it without any concrete proof will only shatter what's left of his self-esteem and she does not want to cause him more pain. Fortunately, Birkhoff understood that though he was not short on warnings regarding the line she's threading.

The Shop, as Nerd dubbed them, is a group of dangerous and crazy scientists, he said.

Dangerous…she'd faced many dangerous people in her short life and if they are truly as smart as Birkhoff made them to be, they should be smart enough to give her what she wants. She can be as dangerous as all of them combined when she wants to be— especially when they got something that she wants.

It might have been an impulsive decision to go to Kosovo on her own. She should have taken Owen with her. He will give her one hell of a pep talk but she knows he will help her still in the end. It's too late now. If she calls for backup, they will take too long to arrive. She needs to make a move fast.

Getting to the Deputy Minister was a piece of cake. Seeing his new leg was a splash of hope she never knew she would feel. It's for Michael, she said to herself. If she needs to kill the Minister's entire household for Michael's new hand, she does not care. She would not even blink. She would do anything for Michael, even sell what's left of her soul.

It's a scary thought, how much she's willing to give up for him. Back in the day, she wouldn't let anyone get so much power over her like that but Michael is different. He never asked that from her. He never asked anything from her. Despite all of her flaws, and god knows she has many, Michael still accepted her and loves her. He's the only person who knows her through and through. She can put façade in front of the others but not with him. She can try but it will never work.

Yes, she is willing to give up everything for the man that she loves. She will even do it with a smile on her face if it means to make him whole again, to make him happy.

When Mr. Heidecker came into play, she knows it's time for her to make her move. Kosta is going to kill him because simply the man is crazy. She needs to move and save the mad scientist and forced him to grow Michael a hand.

"Birkhoff, I am in position. I have Heidecker on sight. He's with Kosta and he's about to shoot him. Can you get me a visual inside the house? How many men are there?" she asked through her comms.

'Nikita',

Her heart almost stopped upon hearing his voice. He had found out about what she's up to.

"Michael…I can't talk right now. I need Birkhoff to get me a visual inside the house", she set aside her feelings to focus on her mission.

It's what she does. She's an agent. The mission must come first and this mission is the most important mission she has right now.

'Nikita, turn back now. You don't have to do this. It's too dangerous. We cannot send a team there in time. Come back here to Division', he barked.

She shook her head.

"I can't turn back now, Michael. I am so close. Birkhoff, I need that visual now or I am going in blind", she insisted.

She heard a few hissing and comments on the end of the line. They're probably discussing her stubbornness but it's a now or never moment. If she lets this one go, she will not get another chance with Heidecker. The moment she saw Kosta pointing his gun at the scientist, she knew she couldn't wait any longer.

"I'm going in", she decided.

'Nikita',

"He's going to kill him. I can't let him do that—" she sprinted from the bush towards Kosta's residence.

'Eight! There are eight guards, Nikki!' Birkhoff shouted.

"Thanks, Nerd", she muttered while panting before blasting through the glass door with her body weight.

It was a mess, to simply put it, a bloody mess. There's no plan, no strategy. She just went in and decided to take on eight armed guards on her own. She fired her gun left and right. She punched and kicked men along the way before grabbing Heidecker and knocking out Kosta as they made their exit.

Heidecker did his best to keep up. As soon as she managed to steal a car, he told her to drive straight into the airport. Apparently, the mad scientist has a private plane of his own. Of course, he does. People would pay millions for brilliant minds. She would pay millions for Michael's new hand.

"You're Division", he concluded.

"How do you figure?" she asked while driving.

"The way you fight and that attitude", she glared at him. "Yes, that attitude. Percy made fine agents but not well-mannered once. You must admit. You're not really people persons in Division", Heidecker answered.

Well…when he puts it like that…

"We're trained to be killers. Being a people person is not part of the training", she deadpanned.

She caught sight of the man and noticed how comfortable he is with her. He really does trust Division. He did not hesitate coming with her back there.

"Oh, just say it already. I know what has become of Division. I certainly know your reputation, Nikita. You did not just come here to rescue me", he said.

The guy is really smart.

"You're right. I need you to do something for me. One of our agents was injured on a mission. He lost his…hand. I need you to give him a new one like you gave Kosta a new leg", she explained.

She almost cringed at how she sounded. Getting a new limb is not like ordering something at McDonald's. She sounded so transactional, so emotionally detached. Is that what she has become now?

"How did he lose it?" the scientist asked. She glared at him once more. "Listen, I need to know how so I can determine if the arm is still viable for such operation",

Nikita sighed, not really wanting to go back to that night. She's been having nightmares about it every single night. The sight of Michael pinned under that car, his hand under the metal, the knife, the look on his face and the sound of his scream when she cut his hand off…it's all too much.

"I cut it with a knife…before I cauterized the wound to prevent further bleeding", she responded.

Heidecker hummed in contemplation.

"Clean cut then. No infection. That's good. I will just need a sample of his DNA so we can grow a new hand that his body will not reject outright—"

"Just like that? You're agreeing to helping me just like that?" she asked.

There has to be a catch. He is a businessman. That technology must cost a fortune and he's agreeing to her without naming a price? It does not sound real to her ears.

"Well, you did save my life back there. I guess I owe you. Besides, we're almost like family. Think of it as my way of saying thanks for saving my life", Heidecker answered.

Her rational brain says it's a trap but she's so desperate to give Michael his hand back that she found herself not caring what the scientist has planned for her. She can pay the price. She will…as long as Michael gets his hand back.

"Thank you", she responded.


Ryan was in fury when she returned to Division. She understood where he's coming from. Her actions could have ruined their chances at getting their pardons from the president but it's for Michael. That reason is enough for her to defy everything…even the president of the United States.

"Man, give her a break", Owen cut in.

She gave him a smile of thanks. To be frank, she is beyond tired. As usual, she came back with cuts and bruises, but it's nothing. She got what she came there for.

"Nikita…" is the first thing Michael said when he saw her at Birkhoff's lair.

"I got you a little something", she muttered before handing over the case.

She saw the way his eyes lit up, the hope flaring up. He is holding his breath and she bit the smile from forming on her lips. When he opened the case and saw the new hand, he beamed. She's done something right, she said to herself. She made him happy.

"Nikita…I don't know what to say", he blurted out.

"How about let's try it on?" she suggested and he laughed.

"Now, we need to be in Medical for this work. Mikey, you'll be out for three hours. I just the read the manual and this thing…" Birkhoff pointed to another case. "…will do the surgery itself. I already checked it. It's safe", he explained.

Michael only managed to nod. He's way too excited.

They went to the Medical and Birkhoff set it up for Michael while she stood by the door watching the whole thing. He smiled at her and muttered thank you before he fell asleep. She watched as the machine attached the new hand on his arm. She saw him becomes whole again.

"Nikita, it's amazing", Alex breathed out when they saw the finished product.

She can only nod.

"Mikey will still need the anti-rejection drug for a few months. Other than that, he will be fine", Birkhoff said.

"I already got that covered", she muttered.

"Oh yeah? How?" Owen suddenly asked.

She didn't see him standing there, carefully studying her.

"It's part of the deal. I saved his life. He helps me. The anti-rejection drug comes with the new hand", she responded.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, daring one another to back down. It took Michael waking up to break the staring contest and she immediately went to his side.

"Hey",

"Hey…" he greeted with a groggy smile.

"Want to see something interesting?" he frowned. She then slowly held his new hand with hers. "Can you feel that, Michael?"

Tears formed fast in his eyes as he nodded. He glanced down and saw their intertwined hands and he sobbed in delight.

"Yes! I can feel it…I can feel you again", she felt a sting in her chest. "Thank you! Thank you…" he replied and pulled her close to press his lips over hers.

The kiss is very much welcomed. She is happy to see him happy again. She has no doubt in her mind that Michael would have been able to work around the mechanical hand in time but having a real hand trump that. He can live his life again, be out on the field again. That's his life and she had almost taken it away from him.

"You're going to be fine now, Michael. You're going to be alright", she muttered.

"We are going to be alright", he corrected.

She gave him a smile and let him pull her close to him. Meanwhile, Owen stood by the door watching Nikita closely, seeing something that no one else in the room could see: Nikita is hiding something.