several days later...
Alex's team was in Manhatan going after a senator who had abused Alex when she was a sex slave. He was the 20th person which Alex has comforted until now. She tried not to kill them if she could avoid it. They were in their safe house making the last arrangments before moving again and Tom was checking the video from the cameras that they had planted in the senator's house yuard.
" Alex! I think that we have a situation here." Tom shouted at Alex.
" What's wrong?" Alex asked worried.
" I think that you should see that" he replied softly
" Show me" Alex said
Tom put a video to play. Someone had entered senator's yard and he was caught by his guards. They had knocked him out and carried him into a storeroom. After awhile a man entered the same storeroom and he exitted covered with blood and ordered his men to continue the interrogation.
" Is that Nikita?" Alex asked in shock
" I think so" Tom replied
" What is she doing here?" Alex asked
" I don't know but I think that she is in big trouble" he said
" I have figured that out. I will go after her. I can't ask anyone to join me in that mission, but I will ask you to let me take care of her, here, until she recovers. Please" Alex said
" You can bring her, here, we will be ok. we understand. And I am not going to let you go outhere by yourself. I promised to Sean that I will have your back. I am coming with you." Tom said and went to take his equipment.
" Tom..I am going in...cover me from the outside...bring the car I will be out at 10 minutes. Don't do anything stupid. Stay covered. " Alex said and prepared herself for battle
" Go" Tom said calmly.
Alex quickly climbed the tall fench and entered into the senator's houseyard. She ran across it and hide behind the trees. She found the storeroom and she entered, she knocked out the two quards and she continued her way. She stoped when she heard a familiar voice.
" You are done, Nikita. There's nothing you can do. Just tell me where to find Alex" the voice said
Is that Amanda? Alex thought in shock. She kept her gun more tight and she walked foward. She then saw a woman being tied with large chains from the celling, covered with blood and someone behind her with a horsewrip hit her roughly in her back, opposite to the woman there was a screen with Amanda's face. Nikita screamed in pain and was ready to pass out when she heard gunshots from behind and his torturer fell down dead. She tried to understand what was happening when her vision went blure and she passed out.
Quickly, Alex approached the unconsious body and untied it. It fell down in her hug. With care she took it up, placed it in her shoulder in order that her bloody back was exposed to the air and she turned to the woman in the video.
" Let her out of this" Alex said coldly and she shot the screen.
" Tom, I have Nikita. She is unconsious and she is bleeding. Get the car, she needs medical attention" Alex informed her partner and ran out of the building carrying Nikita's body.
" She is going to be fine, Alex. She needs to rest. I will give you a medical ointment to put on her wounds every 3 hours so that it won't leave any scars. We, also, placed a knife under her pillow as you asked us to do. Be careful." the doctor who took care of Nikita said to Alex.
" I don't want anyone inside Nikita's room without my escort for now. We don't want to scare Nikita." Alex said firmly.
" Don't worry. You know that they don't actually like Nikita. They know some of the things that she did to you and they dislike her. Plus, I think that they are quite afraid of her, she is a legend after all. They won't go near to her without your permission" the doctor said and left the room.
Alex sighed loudly and went to take care of Nikita's wounds. After that she took a sit next to Nikita and stared at her for sometime.
" I am going to bring you something to eat when you wake up, Nikita. Please don't do anything stupid when I am gone" Alex said to an unconscious Nikita one hour later. She stood up and left the room.
" Hi, Alex. How is she?" Tom asked when she noticed that Alex has left Nikita's room and she was in the down floor with the others.
" She is still out" Alex said sadly.
" How are you?" Tom asked worried.
" I am fine, why?" Alex returned the question to Tom.
" Don't take it wrong but you don't seem fine to me. I know that something bothers you and Nikita doesn't understand why you stopped talking to her. I want to know if having Nikita around, might cause you some trouble. I am worried" Tom replied honestly.
" I don't want to talk about that Tom, but I am fine. Nikita needs medical attention and no matter what I care about her and I will be there when she needs me" Alex said firmly.
" Ok. I accept your answer. How can I help you?" Tom asked.
" Nikita is vegetarian. Can you please make a salad and a juice for her and have someone bring it up to us?" Alex pleaded.
" Of course, Alex" Tom replied softly and went to the kitchen.
Alex took a deep breath and headed back to Nikita. She opened the door to the room and she entered. Suddenly, she froze because she noticed that the bed was empty.
She was about to turn around, when Nikita attacked her and slammed her to the wall and she placed the knife on Alex's throat.
" Alex?" Nikita asked confused when she looked at the person on who she had taken a hold.
" Would you mind remove that knife away from my throat?" Alex asked smiling.
" What?" Nikita asked.
" The knife Nikita. On my throat. Take it off. Now." Alex ordered calmly.
" What? Oh my god. Sorry" Nikita said when she realised what was going on and released Alex from her hold.
" What are you doing out of bed, Nikita?" Alex asked calmly and she walked foward to the chair that she had placed near to Nikita's bed.
" I woke up and freaked out, I guess" Nikita replied softly and went to sit on the bed.
" You don't freak out like that Nikita. So let me ask you again what aree you doing out of the bed." Alex replied patiently and stared at Nikita.
" I didn't know who rescued me and I was confused. I didn't run. I hide and waited. I attacked to the first person who entered the room. You know that I get violent when I am around strangers who haven't make clear their intentions." Nikita said defeated.
" If we wanted to hurt you, we wouldn't have let you untied, with a knife under your pillow" Alex said firmly and with a tone of disapproval.
" Why did you let yourself so exposed to me? I could have killed you. You gave me the knife?" Nikita said.
" You could, but you wouldn't. Not when you have unanswered questions and I gave you the knife because I know that when you are away from Michael, you sleep with one knife under your pillow, you feel safer that way, and I needed you to rest" Alex replied softly.
" How did you find me?" Nikita asked nerviously.
" By coincidence. We were monitoring the place." Alex replied calmly.
" Why did you come for me? why you didn't leave?" Nikita asked defeated.
" Excuse me?" Alex asked confused.
" You don't talk to me anymore. You avoid me. So why did you come for me?" Nikita asked firmly.
" I am sorry for not letting you die!" Alex replied angrily and sarcastically.
" Alex..." Nikita started.
" I came for you because no matter what, I will always come back for you. I am not going to let you die just because I have some unsolved issues" Alex cut her off.
" Alex. Sorry. I didn't mean that you don't care" Nikita apologized.
" No, Nikita. This is exactly what you meant" Alex replied firmly.
" I am sorry" Nikita said defeated and looked away.
" I am not used to let my friends suffer when I have issues with them. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you when I faked your death. I don't want you dead or hurt no matter what. I am not you. I don't shoot my friends when I am with them if I can avoid it." Alex said angrily.
" Is this about the gunshot to your leg? You know that I am sorry for that" Nikita asked sadly.
" No Nikita. This isn't about your shot. You made a choice that night. I am not happy that you made that choice but I can't do anything. You wanted me out of the field and you did what you thought that you had to do. I am okay with that" Alex replied and her tone softened.
" Then, what is wrong, Alex? Why you don't talk to me? Why you are avoiding me? What did I do to you, Alex?" Nikita pleaded.
" I need some time Nikita." Alex said and walked away from her mentor.
Suddenly the door opened.
" Can I come in?" a female asked from the door.
" Meredith?" Alex asked in surprise and relieved that she didn't have to continue that conversation with Nikita.
" I brought the salad that you asked for Nikita. Tom is preparing the juice right now." Meredith said and showed to Alex a dish full of vegetables.
" You didn't have to explain yourself, Meredith. I just didn't expect you to bring Nikita's salad" Alex replied softly.
" I wanted to make sure that you are okay" Meredith said to Alex and handed the dish to Nikita.
" Thanks" Nikita said automatically.
" You are welcome" Meredith replied with shaked voice avoiding eyes contact.
" For now I am worrying about your emotional state and not mine." Alex replied worried and watched carefully Meredith's reaction.
" Are you ok?" Alex asked firmly.
" I don't know" Meredith replied honestly and let a lonely tear to fall.
" Do you want to talk to Nikita?" Alex asked and wiped Meredith's tear.
" I am not strong enough to follow your example. I can't face my demons and not lose my temper. I can't talk to Nikita without letting my dark side shallow me. It is already difficult" Meredith whispered angrily.
" Meredith, look at me" Alex ordered.
" How can you do it Alex? How can you just forgive?" Meredith asked.
" I might forgive but I don't forget. I might move on but not forgive. You don't have to forgive her, you don't have to forget what she caused you but you must move on, Meredith. You have to face the past somehow. If you don't want to talk to Nikita, don't. But you must face the past." Alex said firmly.
" I can't do it now" Meredith said defeated.
" Nikita will stay with us for a couple of days. So if you want to talk to her, you know where you will find her" Alex replied.
" Alex? When the time comes, can you please be there?" Meredith asked hesitantly.
" Of course, Meredith. If this is what you want, I will be by your side. I will always be by your side, Meredith. You don't have to ask for this." Alex said and hugged Meredith.
" Thanks" Meredith whispered.
" You are welcome" Alex replied softly and smiled.
Meredith started walking out of the room. Suddenly, she paused to the door, she turned around and looked at Alex.
" Alex, you are a great leader. You are a great partner. But the most important, you are a great friend. You are a great person Alex. And I am lucky that I had the chance to work with you, talk to you, be adviced by you and be your friend. Thanks" Meredith said.
" Meredith..." Alex started with watery eyes.
" I don't want you to tell anything. I don't want you to start beating yourself again. No matter what you think of yourself, we think that you are great and we are lucky that we are with you in this journey." Meredith said and closed the door before Alex could reply to any of these.
" They admire you" Nikita stated smiling.
" They shouldn't" Alex finally found her speech.
" I admire you" Nikita confessed.
" You shouldn't." Alex repeated her answer.
" Alex, don't do that to yourself. You are a great person" Nikita replied.
" Whatever. I can't change their minds anyway. They are too stubborn" Alex said.
After some minutes of silence...
" Alex? What did I do to Meredith?" Nikita asked sadly. She knew that she had a dark past and she had hurt a lot of people.
" I can't tell you. She is the one who can answer this question. I am sorry, Nikita" Alex replied sadly.
" Eat your salad" Alex added.
" I am not hungry" Nikita whispered.
" Nikita don't be a child. Eat your salad and after that I will take care of your wounds. You need your power to help with your recovery" Alex said.
Suddenly, Alex heard a knock on the door.
" Come in" Alex ordered.
" Hi, Alex. Hi, Nikita. It is good to see you safe and sound again. How are you?" a man said
" Hi Tom. I am fine. Thanks for rescuing me" Nikita said and smiled.
" I didn't do anything. Alex rescued you. I was instructed to stay in the car out of trouble" Tom replied smiling.
" Don't look at me like that Alex. She has the right to know who her savior was" Tom said when he noticed Alex's murderous gaze.
" I see that you brought her juice. Thanks." Alex said and gestured to Tom to hand the juice to Nikita.
" Don't change the subject Alex!'' Tom shouted.
" Tom." Alex said with a warning tone.
" Fine. I won't say anything more." Tom gave up his effort to make Alex speak to Nikita about what was going on.
" Good choice" Alex said in relief.
" What am I missing here?" Nikita asked confused.
" Nothing" Alex replied and stared at Tom.
" Alex are you bleeding?" Tom asked in shock and ran towards Alex.
Alex looked down to her arm and sighed loudly.
" Not again" Alex said in frustation.
" I though that you were cured!" Tom yelled at her.
" Hey, don't yell at me! I don't enjoy bleeding. We have some complications with the virus." Alex shouted back.
" Virus? Complications? What the hell is going on?" Nikita asked in confusion.
" Tom can you stay with Nikita please? I want to speak with Meredith and I think that I have to change the bandage on my arm. It won't take a long. 10 minutes top. I have to take care of Nikita's wounds in 15 minutes anyway." Alex asked politely.
" Yes, of course" Tom said.
" I need that information, Tom. I don't want any unexpected events to compromise our mission." Alex said and looked at Tom.
" Ok. I will talk to her" Tom replied.
" And..." Alex said letting Tom continue her sentence.
" And I won't answer any questions about our mission, our agents, our targets" Tom replied sadly.
" And..." Alex repeated.
" And you are an out of limits topic in general" Tom answered defeated.
" Great!" Alex replied and smiled at Tom.
Then she turned to face Nikita.
" Nikita, I want to believve that you will cooperate with Tom. I want to think of you as my guest but if you endanger the lifes of my partners or our mission, I have no problem to consider you as my prisoner and trust me it won't be a pleasant experience for you." Alex said and left the room before Nikita could reply.
" Did she just threaten me?" Nikita asked Tom in complete shock and confusion.
" She takes our safety very seriously." Tom tried to explain Alex's behaviour.
" And I am the threat?" Nikita asked angrily being unable to understand Alex's behaviour.
" You are a potentional threat and she warned you not to become a real one. Don't take it in a wrong way. She has given you the opportunity to prove yourself as an ally. She rescued you, she took care of your wounds, she let you in our safehouse, she didn't handcuff you and she didn't torture the information out of you yet. She has given you the chance to cooperate, but if you back-stab her or you become a real threat, she will take actions. She gave you the chance, don't let her down. She is not going to give you another one" Tom said softly.
" I feel so much better now" Nikita said sarcastically with sadness in her voice.
" You should." Tom replied firmly