Disclaimer: By now I believe you guys already know I own nothing. Except for maybe a sweet, hazel-eyed little girl.
A/N: Ohh yes, I did split the epilogue in two parts. Sorry guys but I still couldn't click the "Complete" thingy. It's just too sentimental.
Next one will definitely be the final.
A/N2: Again, thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews; not only the ones for the last chapter, but for them amazing 157 reviews I got on this story that started up as a one-shot.
You guys are truly amazing.
Grammar, coherence mistakes, you guys already know what to do.
Enjoy!
Michael couldn't help the big smile that spread on his face as he entered the hospital room. He felt his heart swelling with love and pride as he watched Nikita peacefully sleeping, a ghost of a smile on her lips.
It surprised Michael that after all the physical pain she'd been through her life; from withdraw crisis to torture; childbirth seemed to have been the most difficult for her.
She'd been so scared.
.-
"Michael, I don't think I can do this" Nikita breathed, pain cursing through her once more
"Yes, you can" he whispered gently on her ear "You're almost there, one more time and she'll be here"
Nikita whined and buried her face on her husband's neck.
"I can't, I'm too tired" she complained.
"Just try breathing" Alex's soft voice advised her "she's almost here" the young girl smiled and brushed Nikita's hair off her face.
"You can do it, Nikita" Michael kissed her temple "I know you can. You're strong, and you are amazing, and I love you. Now focus on our baby girl."
Nikita gave him a tired smile and gripped his hand, a little too strongly.
"Come on, you can do it" Alex said supportively.
She and Michael helped Nikita up to a sitting position.
"One more time, big push and you'll finally meet your daughter" her doctor smiled at her "You ready?"
Nikita took in a shaky breath and nodded, focusing all her strength in bringing her baby to this world.
Her hands closed on a death grip around both Michael and Alex's hands.
"Just a little bit more" Michael whispered "she's almost here"
Nikita let out a loud cry as the pain tore through her body, but quickly her agony turned into a warm sense of relief.
Nikita laid back down in total bliss when she heard the amazing sound of her daughter's cries echoing through the room.
.-
Michael smiled at the recent memory, and gently kissed her forehead, marveling at his beautiful, strong girl and how happy she made him.
He almost couldn't believe how much their lives had changed in only two years.
It seemed it was just not long ago when their lives consisted solely on the angst of hunting down Division, and now he was sitting in a hospital room with his wife as he welcomed their new daughter.
To Michael, life couldn't get any better than that.
He noticed Nikita stirring and sat by her side, gently stroking her hair. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately smiled at him.
"Hey" she whispered, her voice still a little sleepy.
"Hi" he leaned and softly kissed her lips "How are you feeling?"
"Tired" she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly "But happy. Very happy" When she opened her eyes again Michael was smiling back at her
"Good" he kissed her forehead "You should go back to sleep, though. It's a privilege we won't have again for a long time" he chuckled.
Nikita smiled widely.
"I'm up for the challenge" she looked around "Where is she, by the way?" she asked, slightly alarmed by not seeing their daughter.
"They just took her for a few standard exams. She should be back briefly" Michael calmed her down
Nikita sighed in relief.
"I don't like when she's away" she admitted "I know it's silly, but it's kind of hard not having her around. It doesn't make any sense, does it? I mean, she's been with us for only a few hours but it's like…"
"Like she's been a part of us for much longer than that" Michael supplied for her "I get the feeling. It was long nine months, you know"
Nikita laughed, reaching for his hand.
"I did drive you insane, didn't I?" she smirked.
Michael nodded
"You really did" he agreed a "with all the mood swings, the cravings, the crying. You were a handful"
Nikita leaned into his embrace
"You wouldn't want it any other way" she said knowingly, nudging his arm.
"Indeed, I wouldn't" he kissed the top of her head.
Nikita laced her fingers with his.
"Can you believe she's actually here?" she questioned, looking into his beautiful hazel eyes.
"No" he admitted "to me, it was just yesterday we found out you were pregnant"
.-
Michael held Nikita's hand as they sat on the bed.
"Did you read it?" he asked her gently, squeezing her hand supportively.
She shook her head negatively.
"Not yet. I wanted you to be with me" she said with a sigh.
"What's wrong? I thought you were excited about this" he asked, brushing a few strands of her hair comfortingly.
"I am…but what if it's negative, Michael?" she voiced her fears "I don't want to disappoint you. Or disappoint myself"
Michael gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I get it, okay. But look, if it's negative, we'll keep trying" he reasoned "we are having a lot of fun aren't we?" he joked, and she slapped him on the arm playfully.
Nikita held the envelope in her hands and looked at him nervously.
"Go ahead" he encouraged.
Taking a deep breath, Nikita ripped the envelope open and pulled her test results out.
Michael watched her anxiously as she scanned the piece of paper.
"So?" he pressed gently.
Nikita looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
Michael's heart skipped a beat as he couldn't tell if they were happiness tears or not.
"We are having a baby" Nikita said, a smile finally splaying oh her lips "We are having a baby!" she squealed in delight, throwing herself over Michael, who pulled her into a bear hug and they fell down on the bed.
"We are having a baby" he repeated his words, savoring how sweet they sounded.
Nikita nodded and smiled at him.
"I love you so much" she said in between her tears.
He kissed her lips softly.
"I love you too" his eyes fell to her still flat stomach "Both of you"
.-
"And now she's here. She's real" Michael smiled.
Nikita chuckled
"I always knew how real she was. I carried her for 9 months, endured morning sickness, swollen feet, weight gain and don't even get me started on labor" Nikita teased playfully.
"It's the joys of motherhood" Michael smirked.
"I'll do it all again in a heartbeat" she said, looking at the empty hospital crib on the side of her bed "I miss her" she complained.
"Me too" he kissed her cheek "They'll bring her soon" he played with a strand of her hair
"They better, or I'll ask Sean and Owen to kick their asses" Nikita mused "Are they still out there?"
Michael nodded.
"And Birkhoff and Sonya and Ryan too. They stayed through it all and said they are not leaving until they get to see you and the baby" he said.
Nikita smiled warmly.
"Really?" she asked, a few tears forming in her eyes. She mentally cursed her still messed up hormones.
"Really" Michael stroked her cheek.
"We do have awesome friends, don't we?" she asked proudly.
"We do" he agreed "We are very lucky"
"Where's Alex?" Nikita suddenly remembered the young girl.
"She went to pick up Max. She's bringing him here"
"Ohh… I see" Nikita nodded "I'm proud of Alex. I didn't think she'd make it until the end on the delivery room. She seemed like she was about to throw up or burst into tears"
Michael laughed
"She did all those things" he said matter-of-factly "But don't tell her I told you. She panicked when you started screaming. She left the room several times to calm herself down. I told her she could leave but she insisted on being by your side during the whole time. Except when she had to throw up"
Nikita laughed.
"Poor Alex" she shook her head "I'm glad she was there, though"
"That's what we thought" he conceded.
The sight of a little velvet box on the front pocket of her suitcase caught his eye
"I have a gift for you, by the way"
"You do?" she smiled at his kindness.
Michael got up the bed and retrieved the blue velvet box from one of the suitcases. Nikita wondered how she had missed him putting it there.
"You already know this one" he said showing her the little Tiffany's box "I did make a few changes, though"
He opened the box revealing her old bracelet he'd given to her years ago.
The heart shaped charm was still there, on the exact same place Michael had set it all those years ago. Next to it, they had added a charm with two little bells, representing their wedding. Following the wedding bells, there was a delicate butterfly, representing Alex. A small little soccer ball was given to Nikita on the occasion of Max's first visit to their new home, demonstrating how the boy had become a part of their lives.
Nikita cherished each one of them.
A new charm she hadn't seen yet had been added. She touched it lightly and new tears formed in her eyes.
"Dou you like it?" he asked her hopefully.
Nikita took the bracelet and looked more closely at the pink baby carriage that represented their youngest daughter.
"It's beautiful" she smiled at him "I loved it" she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him softly.
After they broke the kiss, Michael locked the bracelet around her wrist.
The couple looked down at the full charm bracelet, proud of what they had achieved.
"Looks like a pretty good bracelet to me" Nikita gushed "I wouldn't change anything"
Michael smirked
"We could add a few more of these" he said holding the pink baby carriage between his fingers.
Nikita rolled her eyes
"I just pushed one baby out, Michael" she complained "Say that again and I'll file for divorce"
They both laughed at her empty threats.
There was a knock on the door and to their delight, it was the nurse bringing their bundled up baby.
Nikita immediately reached for her daughter.
The nurse placed the baby on her arms, and the couple looked down at their daughter with loving eyes.
"I'll give you guys a minute" the nurse said "But I'll be back soon, so you can try feeding her, okay?"
Nikita nodded
"Thanks" she smiled, turning her attention back at the infant.
Michael brushed a few of the baby's curls.
"She's so beautiful" he stated, his eyes never leaving the baby "She looks so much like you"
Nikita laughed, kissing one of her little hands
"She's so perfect" she marveled.
"She is" Michael agreed "Thank you" he said looking at Nikita with so much love and devotion on his eyes "for making this possible"
Nikita smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Well, you have you fair share of credit" she laughed, but then looked deeply into his eyes "I love you. So, so much"
He kissed her lips "I love you too"
Nikita sighed happily and looked down at the sleeping baby, still overwhelmed by how much she could love her daughter.
She kissed the baby's forehead, taking in the sweet smell of baby soap.
She felt Michael's intent gaze on them, and smiled at the expectant look on his eyes; she knew he was aching to hold their baby.
"Would you like to hold her?" she asked, thought she knew his obvious answer.
His eyes lit up and he nodded
"Yeah" he said with a smile.
Nikita nodded over to her side of the bed
"Come here" she called him.
Michael got up from his chair and sat on the bed by her side.
Nikita carefully handed him the baby, and Michael nestled her on his arms, his eyes glistening with joy.
"She's amazing" he breathed, smiling at the baby girl.
"She truly is" Nikita agreed, pulling the pink blanket away so they could have a better look of their beautiful baby girl.
"Hey" Michael whispered to the baby "You have no idea how much we waited for you. Your mother and I wanted you so much. And you make us so happy"
Nikita stroked her soft cheeks
"And we love you very, very much, and we will always be here to protect you" she added.
Michael kissed Nikita's hair and she sighed.
"Are you tired?" he asked her.
"Yeah. But I don't want to sleep now, she'll be up soon" she said.
"Take some rest, I'll stay with her" he offered.
Nikita shook her head.
"I haven't seen her eyes yet" she explained "I wanna see her eyes"
"I did" he said looking from the baby to Nikita "They're hazel, just like mine"
A big, goofy smile splayed on her lips
"Really?" she breathed
"Yeah. Just like you wanted it" He said proudly looking at the baby.
They never got tired of looking at her, or smiling at her, or holding her. Having her gave both Michael and Nikita a rush of good feelings and emotions they just couldn't get enough of her.
"Look, I think she's waking up" Michael said.
The baby slowly opened her eyes and yawned.
"Such a lazy baby" Nikita giggled at her daughter's cuteness.
"Give her a break, it's not easy being born" he teased her.
"Yeah, tell me about it" she gave him a pointed look, but soon their attention was back at the baby, who had just taken a hold of Nikita's finger, and wasn't planning on letting go "She's strong" Nikita laughed.
"Just like her mother" Michael said with a warm smile.
"And her father" Nikita added gently.
"Ohh, she's going to be a handful when she grows up, won't she?" Michael shook his head in fake dissatisfaction.
"She surely will" she agreed "With this dashing eyes of hers…all the boys will line up to date her" she teased, anticipating just how much of a jealous father Michael would be.
He narrowed his eyes
"They won't dare" he looked down at their daughter's light brown eyes "You're not gonna date until you're twenty five" Michael said to the little girl "Even better, twenty eight"
Nikita laughed.
"Yeah, right" she patted his shoulder lightly "You keep thinking that"
"I'm serious" he said.
She chuckled
"I'm sure you are" Nikita tickled the baby's stomach, smiling brightly when the baby girl reacted with a smile "She needs a name" Nikita softly.
"Are we going with the one we had in mind?" Michael asked.
Nikita looked at the baby again, trying to take in all her features.
"I think it would fit her" Nikita said with a smile.
Michael smiled as well.
"Good, me too" he looked at the baby again, like if checking to see if the name would suit her "Yeah, it definitely fits her"
"So it's settled then" Nikita said, kissing her little hands again "Do you like your name, "
There was another knocking on the door, and they looked away from the baby to the door.
"Can we come in?" Alex's voice questioned from outside.
"Yeah, come on in" Michael called her in.
"Hi!" Alex said excitedly and she walked into the room with an eight-year-old Max right behind her. Alex was about to approach Nikita and the baby when Max pulled on her hand. Alex looked up at Michael.
I think his jealous - she mouthed.
"Max, come here, buddy" Michael said handing the baby back to Nikita "Come sit with us"
But the young boy just clutched Alex's hand tighter.
"Max, sweetie, come here" Nikita called him with a gentle smile.
But Max only looked up at Alex and shook his head negatively.
Alex lowered herself so they were at the same eye level.
"What's wrong?" she questioned in Russian, so the boy would feel more at ease talking to her "don't you wanna see the baby?"
"There's no space" he said quietly looking at the bed.
Alex ran a hand through his hair comfortingly
"There's plenty of space there" she looked at Michael and Nikita, who quickly moved in the bed opening a space between them for Max to sit "See?"
Max looked hesitant.
Alex hugged the boy close, whispering in his ear "You can sit with daddy" she giggled.
"Of course he can" Michael said getting up and reaching his and out to the little boy "Come on, champ" he smiled at his son.
Max smiled back at his father and took his hand.
Michael sat back in the bed next to Nikita, pulling Max up to sit on his lap.
Max's eyes were immediately on the little baby girl on Nikita's arms.
"Nobody is ever going to take you place on my heart" Michael whispered so only Max could hear him "B
The blonde little boy smiled brightly at his father.
"What do you think your little sister?" Michael asked him then.
Max pondered it for a while
"She's cute" he said cautiously touching the pink blanket. Surprising the three adults, Max leaned in carefully and kissed the baby's forehead.
Michael and Nikita felt their heart swelling with joy.
"Can I?" Alex asked excitedly
Nikita smiled at her protégée
"Of course, Alex. Why wouldn't I let you hold your goddaughter?" Nikita smirked, handing the baby carefully to Alex.
"Me?" the young girl asked, her eyes gleaming with tears.
"If you want, of course" Michael winked at her.
"Ohh…she's so precious" Alex said smiling at the baby and gently swaying her.
Max got out of his father's lap and moved to snuggle next to Nikita, who gave him an eskimo kiss. Nikita pulled the young boy into a hug and he laughed, jealousy all but forgotten.
"So, what's my goddaughter's name, may I ask?" Alex questioned still holding the little girl.
Michael nodded to his wife.
"Melinda" Nikita announced proudly.
"Melinda" Alex repeated, as if testing how it would sound "I liked it" she kissed the top of the baby's head "Why Melinda?"
"It means 'gentle'" Michael said with a smile.
"That's what his baby book says" Nikita countered "I have a totally different reason for liking this name"
Michael arched an eyebrow
"Is that so? Can I ask why?" he challenged her playfully.
"It means 'honey'" She looked at him with a smile "Which is the color of your eyes" she then looked at the baby in Alex's arms "And apparently, hers"
A/N3: There, now that I formally introduced you to little Mel, next chapter I'll give you the beach scene, and with that, my goodbyes to this story.
Leave me a review with your thoughts, especially regarding the baby (did you guys liked her name?)
The second part of the epilogue should be up tomorrow (May 3rd) or on Friday (May 4th), tops.
And again, thank you so much to all of you for the support.
~Rose.