Disclaimer: I own nothing. Which is bummer for me, right?

A/N: Hey guys. First of all, I'm sorry about the delay on this chapter. I know I usually update Wednesdays, but I'm out of town for Easter and only today I had access to a decent internet connection. I'm really sorry.

Ohh again, thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate each one of them.

So, I got it...

Per your request, I'll finish this story after chapter 1x19.

Then I'll write and epilogue with the Mikita baby girl :) I'm already taking baby name suggestions, by the way ;)

So, you know all the drill with grammar mistake, so I'll leave you to the story.

This chapter is a little "bipolar". It starts with a little more deep meaning, then finishes with a more silly story line

Hope you like it, though. Let me know.

Enjoy!

"I let her live" Nikita said with a hint of a smile, snuggling into Michael's neck "I let her live" she repeated, her voice hoarse with unshed tears that never actually got to surface.

Michael kissed the top of her head gently, inhaling the intoxicating smell of her shampoo mixed with her own sweet, personal scent.

She exhaled a sigh and nestled in his arms, closing her eyes for a moment.

"What's on your mind?" he asked gently.

She didn't open her eyes when she answered him

"I'm not sure. Seeing Amanda, her hesitation to kill me, that look on her eyes... It just stirred some feelings I don't really get"

Michael gently stroked her hair

"We know how she works. Amanda has a way of getting into people's head. Don't think about it" he advised.

She chuckled

"It's not about that either. I can't exactly put my finger on it" she sighed again "It was almost like…if for a split second she…"

"She cared?" he supplied for her.

"Yeah" she agreed "Pretty stupid of me to think that, huh?"

He loosened his grip on her a little so he could look into her deep chocolate eyes

"No, it's not stupid" smiled Michael "I know it's hard to believe but Amanda is still human"

"Is she?" Nikita mocked.

"Well, I admit that every so often I think she's a robot" he played along with her, but soon became serious again "Sometimes people have a lapse or humanity. Maybe that's what you saw in Amanda's eyes"

"Maybe…If I didn't knew better, I'd say she actually cared about me. In a sick, disturbing way; in a Amanda way; but still" she shrugged.

"Maybe she did" he agreed.

"I think in some level, I cared about her too. When I couldn't pull the trigger on her…" Nikita evaded softly.

"It's because you're a good person, Nikita. Unlike her, you have a good heart" he stated simply.

"Good people don't kill other people, Michael" she agonized.

He shook his head, a little frustrated.

"You know, I wish you could see yourself the way I see you" he said "You have that image that you're evil, or that you're not worthwhile, or that you can't redeem yourself from your past. But you can, Nikita. You're already doing that. And that alone just shows how amazing you are. And how different from Amanda you are. Can't you see that?"

Nikita smiled at him, touched by his words.

"I won't give up, you know" he added in a humorous tone "I'll make sure you know just how incredible you are"

She kissed him softly on the lips nuzzled against his neck again, her hand grasping a fistful of his shirt, an action Michael didn't miss.

"Something else bothering you?" he asked, covering her hand with his.

"This whole thing…It just got me thinking about more than one aspect of my life" she let go of him and focused on the young girl watching TV on the other room.

Michael followed her gaze and realized she was looking at Alex. He looked back at Nikita and gave her a look indicating he wanted her elaborate.

Nikita sighed again.

"It's just… When I first got in Division, I trusted Amanda. It took a while, and many, many sessions but I did. And look at us now. She nearly killed me, I nearly killed her…" she looked down at her hands "I don't want that to happen to Alex and me"

Michael gave her a comforting smile.

"That's never going to happen with you and Alex" he assured her.

"It already happened once" she remembered him.

"Alex was confused. She was upset at you, she was angry and Amanda used that vulnerability to get into her head. But Alex is a smart girl" he looked into her eyes and smiled at her "that's why she came back to you. Because she trusts you"

"I trusted Amanda" she retorted bitterly.

"Nikita…" he put a loose strand of her hair behind her ear "You are not Amanda. You're compassionate, you're kind, and loving… you're nothing like Amanda. You are so much better than her."

She humorless chuckled, discarding his words.

"It's true" he insisted "And as much as it seems like sometimes… Alex is not you. And she knows everything you did for her. She was not your recruit like you were to Amanda. She became like your…"

"Please don't say daughter" Nikita exhaled a laugh "I'm too young to have a 20-year-old daughter"

Michael chuckled as well.

"Daughter figure, then. Or baby sister, call her as you wish" he conceded with a smile "What I'm trying to say is, you're never going to be like Amanda. And you are never going to hurt Alex the way Amanda hurt you. Because you're good, Nikita. You're good"

She gave him a teary smile.

"You really think so?" she asked, uncertain.

"I know so" he guaranteed. He looked at the half asleep Alex on the couch "And she knows it too. You have nothing to worry about."

When Nikita woke up later that night, it was 4:00 in the morning. A metallic sound clattered to the ground just outside her room, echoing loudly through the small apartment.

She instinctly reached for her gun, and when she realized Michael wasn't by her side on the bed, a chill ran down her spine.

Nikita slowly approached the door, already scheming an attack to whoever was outside. But as she reached for the doorknob, she could smell the sweet scent of something being baked.

Hesitantly lowering her gun, she recognized Alex's voice coming from the kitchen. Placing her gun on the dresser, she slowly opened the door, only enough so she could peek through it.

The girl was in the kitchen mixing something into a bowl.

"Finally!" the young Russian exclaimed when Brikhoff joined them in the kitchen.

"Finally? Do you know how hard it is to find a damn carton of Almond milk at freaking 3h30 in the morning?" the computer geek complained, way too loudly.

"Could you both keep it down, you'll end up waking her up" she heard Michael's voice, even though she couldn't see him from her position behind the door.

"But did you get it?" Alex asked, annoyed.

Birkhoff rolled his eyes

"Of course I got it. It's me" he bragged.

Nikita chuckled and she watched Alex roll her eyes.

She slowly moved to the small hallway that separated them bedrooms from the kitchen, and leaned against the doorway, knowing they were too entertained on their own conversation to notice her.

"Tell me again, why are we doing this at this time in the morning?" Michael questioned.

"Because…" Alex poured a cup of almond milk to the bowl "it's the only time we have"

Birkhoff looked into the bowl and furrowed hos brows.

"What the hell is this…gray thing?" he questioned.

"It's frosting" Alex chided angrily.

"Then why is it gray?" he retorted

Alex huffed.

"We didn't have any pastry colorant" she complained "I tried using blueberry juice, hoping it would turn into a violet or lavender tone but…"

Birkhoff laughed

"Nice call, pastry chef"

The girl grunted and gave him a death glare.

Nikita smiled at how they seemed like two siblings teasing each other.

"Stop it you two" Michael said seriously. He looked at Alex "I'm sure it will taste great, Alex"

Alex smiled and stuck her tongue out to Birkhoff, as a child would do.

"Poor Nikki" Birkhoff said, shaking his head.

Nikita felt tears shimmering on her eyes.

Was all of that for her?

"Why don't you make yourself useful and take the cake out of the oven, will you?" Alex said with a roll of her eyes.

Cake? - Nikita thought - They remembered?

Her musings were interrupted by Birkhoff's laugh

"You call this a cake?" he mocked her

"It is a cake" Alex defended herself.

She turned the cake pan down on a plate to unmold her cake.

Nikita had to hold back a laugh as the girl removed the pan revealing and uneven and slightly burned vanilla cake.

Michael scrunched his nose at the pastry.

"What?" Alex asked him "It was the best I could do" she said, angrily throwing a spoonful of gray frosting on top of her unsuccessful cake.

"If that's the best, imagine the worst" Birkhoff commented, poking it with a fork

"Well, I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture" Michael said apologetically.

Alex looked at him, crestfallen.

"Well, does any of you geniuses of baking wanna try and do it better?" she huffed, offended.

"I loved it, Alex" Nikita said gently as she walked in the kitchen.

The trio looked at her with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights face.

"How long have you been there?" Michael asked her

"Long enough" she smiled

"I was going to be a surprise" Alex pouted "You weren't supposed to see it before it was ready"

"Alex sweetie, it's not going to get any better than that" Birkhoff said, and Alex punched him on the arm

Ignoring the two childish adults, Michael pulled Nikita into a hug.

"Happy birthday" he whispered in her ear.

Nikita smiled at him, her eyes filled with tears

"You remembered" she breathed. She looked at Alex and Birkhoff who had stopped arguing and were now staring at her with a smile "You all remembered"

"Of course we did" Alex said warmly.

Nikita let go of Michael to give her a hug.

"Happy birthday" the young girl said cheerfully "Sorry about the cake fiasco"

Nikita laughed "I'm sure it tastes great" she assured, and Alex smiled brightly.

"I wouldn't count on that" Birkhoff said with a smirk.

He pulled her into a side hug and kissed her cheek "Happy birthday Nikki"

"Thanks, nerd" she smiled "Not much people would go out at 3:30 in the morning to get me almond milk" she looked at Alex "Or to make me a cake" she then looked at Michael "or to make sure these two didn't kill each other on a kitchen war" she smiled at them "Thank you so much for this. I don't know how you remembered it. I didn't remembered it"

"I can tell you how old you are, if you don't remember it" Michael teased

"You wouldn't dare" Nikita smirked.

Michael pulled her into his arms again and kissed her on the lips.

"I've got a gift for you" he announced.

They all had.

Alex gave her a new iPod and the new version of Jenga Extreme, making her smile at the personal meaning it had for them.

Birkhoff got her a new gun; the exact one she wanted. But he had it gold plated and her initials were engraved on the handle.

"Try not to lose this one too soon, okay?" he said with a smile.

She couldn't help but smile back at him.

Michael slid a small, blue box with a white bow on it.

Nikita's eyes widened and he chuckled at her terrified expression.

"Relax, it's not a ring" he reassured her.

Nikita sighed in relief and proceeded to untie the bow. She opened the small box, to find a simple silver link bracelet.

"I know, it doesn't have any charms on it" Michael admitted before she could even notice it "But I thought… we could add a few, each one meaning one important thing for us."

Nikita smiled brightly at him "I loved it"

He smiled back as he pulled a second box from his pocket.

"It's still not a ring" he assured her. He opened the second box, revealing a heart shaped charm "It seemed fitting" he smiled, attaching it to the bracelet.

He held it up to her.

"May I?" he questioned.

"Of course" she agreed, and he gently closed it around her wrist.

"It's perfect" she breathed "I loved it, Michael"

"Good" he kissed her forehead, pulling her against his chest

"It means you and me" she stated.

"Yes it does"he agreed

"Ohh, you guys…" Alex said "You guys are making use here really uncomfortable"

Michael and Nikita laughed.

"Come on, Nikki" Birkhoff interjected "Time to blow your candles"

"Candle" Alex corrected "We couldn't find a nicer one" she said placing a cupcake shaped candle on top of her makeshift cake.

"That wax cupcake seems more appealing than your cake, Alex" Birkhoff commented and Alex punched him on the arm again, with more force than before, causing him to whimper.

Alex smiled victoriously.

"Make a wish, Nikki" the young nerd said as he lit the candle.

"I don't need a wish" Nikita said simply.

"Why, you are to cool for birthday wishes?" the young nerd teased.

"No" she chuckled "It's because all I could wish for is right here"

They exchanged a warm look, the four of them silently proud of the non-traditional, but still amazing family they had created to themselves.

"Though…" Alex said, breaking the moment "You could ask for this whole Division thing to be over with soon. We need all help we can get"

They laughed at her innocent comment.

"You're right, Alex" Nikita commented "We do need all the help we can get" she blew the candle out "even if it is from a birthday wish" she smiled and winked at them.

N/A: Yeah, the second part is silly and a bit OOC... but when I saw Amanda giving a cake to Nikita on the flashback, I couldn't resist. Sorry about that.

Tell me your thoughts on it, though :)

~Rose.