CHAPTER 9

"Clear up" a few matters was an extreme understatement Michael soon realized as he listened to Lexa and Hawke's account of what had happened in the last week. Even with some hefty bribes and string pulling he wasn't sure he could make it all go away, yet Lexa talked like it was like they were a day late paying a bill or had simply stayed out a little after curfew. The calm she relayed several car thefts, high speed police chases, and a murder with was surreal he just couldn't believe it. But yet, somehow, he did.

Normal people didn't have these problems, even most of his agent didn't. But neither Hawke nor Lexa could ever be accused of settling with the problems of "normal" people. They both had a way of finding trouble, or maybe it was trouble who found them, but never of letting things get boring.

"I'm not sure you two understand exactly how much trouble you're in. Honestly, I'm not sure how you got in without security locking down the entire building."

"They don't know we're here," Lexa supplied.

Great, he though briefly, not only did he have fugitives in his office, but security was liable to barge in any minute and arrest him for aiding and abetting too. Not that he could truthfully say he wasn't...

"We realize the trouble we're in, that's why we're here. No one else knows we're back yet."

"And you should keep it that way."

"I have to tell Dom and-"

"No, you don't," Michael interrupted. "You don't have to tell Dom, Cait, your brother, Le, not even your dog. The fewer people that know the better, the less likely something is to get out."

"Are you saying you don't trust them now?"Hawke fumed.

"That's not at all what I"m saying, and they'll be the first to know once we have this sorted out, but every person that knows is a liability, and with the track record you tow have recently acquired you already have more than enough problems." He sighed, setting his cane down. There wasn't going to be any early evening for him tonight. "Why don't you two go to the safe-house and get cleaned up. I'll start with finding out what charges have been filed against you, then worry about coming up with alibis and excuses."

\A/

"I call the bed," Lexa claimed after they had taken only a single step into the building.

"You don't even know that there is one,"Hawke pointed out cynically, "and if there is one I should get it."

"I do know there is one, and why should you get it? Haven't you ever heard of giving the lady the choice, or you could act like you cared I haven't had a decent place to sleep in two weeks.

"I was the one who had to come pick you up and got dragged into this mess. You chose it of your own free will. Why are you so knowledgeable on the place anyway? I thought it was supposed to be a 'secret' and you might as well have left in the middle of Michael's directions."

"I used it for a while. I've known about it so long I don't even remember how I found out about it, but it's been useful a couple times."

"You haven't invited any other people over have you? Someone that could possibly pose a threat to either of us?"

"Stringfellow, you underestimate me. Despite your distrust in my ability, I actually am very good at my job."

"That's why we're hiding here, hoping Archangel can fix everything for us, right?"

"I'm a field agent. Politics aren't job."

"And obviously neither is following the law."

"Are you going to get a shower or just critique everything I do? Fine, if it will make you happy you can have the bed, you can have the whole damn place if you want! I don't care anymore. I'll just take Nikita and leave!" She stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

As much as he didn't want to, he followed her out. "Lexa, wait."

"What?" she demanded. "Did you have something else to critisize or did you just want to kick me out yourself?"

"Neither. I honestly can't tell you why, but I want to help. That's why I drove all the way to the border to pick you up."

"Well you've sure done a fine job. I think you've helped out about as much as I can stand now though, and I'd appreciate if you just let me leave now. I'll figure out a way out of the country where Nikita and I can have a fresh start, and stay out of your life for good."

"Don't, Lexa. It won't help anyone; it'll only cause more problems."

"I'm not sure there are a lot more problems for me to have," she retorted. "I'm already a fugitive in two countries, wanted for several grand theft autos, and to top it off a murderer if only they could prove it. I have no job history I can account for, and my job skills include assassination and bomb making. In other words, I have enough problems. If I just show up in some third world country somewhere no one will questions it and I can do whatever I please."

"And you're going to be happy with that?" Hawke asked skeptically. "You like to make a big splash, the underground thing isn't going to work for you. And what about Nikita? From what I've heard she's quite smart. It'd be a shame to let that go to waste with poor education and a lack of opportunity."

"What do you want me to do? You aren't exactly helping things." She sat on the porch railing, balancing on the edge. "If I stay I may never see her again and you won't agree to take her."

"I said I would think about it."

"Even if you agreed, it would be a lot harder now that you're a suspect in the same mess I am." She sighed, staying quiet for several minutes before continuing. "I really messed this one up for all of us. It's as simple as that."

"Now if only fixing it was that simple."

"It'd be nice," she agreed, sliding back down and returning inside. "Do you supposed there's any decent pain medicine here"

"What?"

"I had a broken arm before we had to write reports of everything, now I probably have carpal tunnel too and it's killing me."

Way to change the subject – that was Lexa for you.

\A/

"I can be back by tomorrow night and everything will be back to normal..."

So why wasn't he back and why weren't things back to normal? Dominic Santini wondered. He had figured on String returning the previous night, but it was a day later and still no news had him worried. In addition, Archangel had been calling him almost constantly throughout the day, hoping for some new tidbit of information. At least he had been. After about seven thirty the calls had abruptly ceased. At first he was happy he wasn't going to have to disconnect the phone in order to get a few hours sleep, but now he had to wonder if courtesy was the only thing involved. Maybe he had found something out, not that he would necessarily share if he had. Or perhaps he had simply gone home for the night hoping the next day would bring the answers they all sought.

It wouldn't hurt anything to call and find out, he decided, so he say down again at the desk and dialed the number that had recently become all too familiar.