Set pre-series during the year Alex trained with Nikita. The two discuss periods.

Alex felt wet. She was pulled out of her deep and sound sleep by the feeling that she had peed her pants. As she gained wakeful awareness, she really hoped that wasn't the case. She hadn't done that since she was a toddler. She couldn't start then. She had finally gotten clean, was eating well, and was staying healthy. A new problem couldn't arise. Her life was somewhat in order for once. Why did it have to be ruined by another catastrophe.

Quietly yet hurriedly, Alex scrambled out of bed and raced to the bathroom. Please, she didn't pee her pants. Please, she was just going insane and there was nothing wrong with her. Maybe she had still been dreaming when she thought she felt wet. It could all be nothing and she was overreacting. Please be nothing.

Unfortunately, when Alex dropped on the toilet, her underwear was absolutely soaked. But not with urine. Dark red blood coated her panties and left a few dots on her pajama bottoms. The curses flew out of her mouth right before the panic set in, "Дерьмо. Дерьмо. Дерьмо."

Although a part of her assumed Nikita had supplies to deal with the bleeding in the bathroom, Alex pulled her pants up and rushed back to the 'bedroom'. The crime scene in her underwear frightened her. The last time she had seen it she was thirteen years old. She had thought after five years of absence, it was gone forever; she'd never have to deal with the bleeding or cramps or headaches or breakouts ever again. But it had come back with a vengeance, and she had no idea how to deal with it.

Nikita would know what to do, however. Alex hurried to her bed and tried to wake her. The woman was slumped on the very edge of the mattress, limbs almost touching the ground as they hung off. For a second, Alex considered shaking her awake. But after remembering that Nikita was always in attack mode, she stepped back and whispered instead, "Nikita? Nikita."

Startling at the sound of her name, Nikita shot upwards and slipped off the mattress. She landed hard on her ass, dazed and confused. She looked helplessly up at an agitated Alex, not quite able to figure out what was wrong. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and slurring her words, she at least tried to get a grip on reality, "Alex? What is it?"

"I need, um… I need a… I don't… гигиеническая прокладка," Alex stuttered. She couldn't remember the English word for what she needed. She had never had to say it in another language. When she had talked to her mother about it, she had only spoken in Russian. And the bleeding had stopped by the time she had arrived in America. The topic hardly came up since. So, she had no idea how to communicate with Nikita about it. Alex just had to hope that her Russian was that good.

"What?" Shaking her head, Nikita continued to stare at Alex in utter confusion. She got to her feet and turned on a bedside lamp. However, being able to see the teenager clearly upset and clenching her legs tightly together didn't help Nikita. She still had no idea what was going on. She also couldn't decipher the Russian phrase, having never learned or encountered it before, "I'm sorry, Alex. I don't know that word."

"I'm on my… I started my, uhh… У меня сейчас месячные," Once again, Alex couldn't remember the English word. She just helplessly spoke Russian and prayed for the best.

"Are you on your period?" Finally, Nikita solved the problem. She was slightly more familiar with the wording Alex had used that time; though, she was mainly able to guess the situation by glancing over at the teenager's empty bed and seeing a red stain on the sheets. Alex nodded vehemently. Nikita couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she nodded towards the bathroom, "Oh. Well, come on. I got tons of stuff."

Before she followed Nikita across the abandoned loft doubling as a safehouse, Alex grabbed new underwear and pajama pants to change into. She'd have to deal with her sheets later. Stopping the bleeding was far more important.

As suspected, Nikita had tons of period supplies stashed under the sink in the bathroom. She had the cabinet open by the time Alex joined her, and was proudly showing off the contents. The teen would never be in need while she was with her, "So if it's heavy, I have pads. Light, I've got panty liners. And for regular flow, or you need to move around a lot, there are tampons."

"It just started. I don't know what it'll be," Alex admitted with a shrug. As a kid, she had only used a pad. It was easier, and it worked better with her irregular, pubescent flow. Yet as an adult (or close to it) she had no idea what she'd need. Her period could've drastically changed.

"Just go with a tampon then," Nikita grabbed one from the box and handed it over. She was then going to leave Alex to it, but the look on her face held her in place.

Alex stared at the tampon in her hand as though it was a deadly weapon. She didn't like it, and she certainly didn't trust it. The thing was just far too unfamiliar. And she didn't want to get acquainted with it while she was attempting to deal with her period again, "I… I've never worn one before."

"Did you start your period for the first time ever?" Nikita tried not to sound too surprised. She didn't want to make Alex panic more than she already was. However, Nikita seriously couldn't spend the rest of her night teaching the teen all about periods. She needed to sleep.

"No. I got it when I was thirteen. But then it stopped, until right now. I don't know why. I always thought something was wrong with me. But I guess I got over it? Or maybe I'm dying," Quickly, Alex clarified. Her panic was from unfamiliarity, not newness. She more or less knew what to expect. Except when it came to the tampon, and to why her period took a five year hiatus only to return in her most peaceful moment.

"No, Alex. You… your period stopped because you were malnourished, on drugs, extremely stressed, and going through some serious bodily harm. But now that you're okay, and eating right, and taking care of yourself, your period's back," Struggling to contain her laughter, Nikita explained what was occurring. It wasn't funny. The hell Alex went through was very serious. But her reaction to her returned period was a bit over the top. The teenager definitely wasn't dying. In fact, her period meant she was very much alive.

Taking a moment to contemplate what Nikita had told her, Alex started to relax. There wasn't anything wrong with her- not anymore. She was okay. She was normal again, "Oh. Well, I guess I should figure out how to use a tampon."

"Here. I'll go outside and walk you through it. A friend had to do that for me when I first started my period. Which, you're lucky. You already know what it's like. I didn't get my first period till I was eighteen," Nikita took Alex's change of clothes out of her hands and put it on the sink counter. She guided her to the toilet, then turned to leave the bathroom. Although Nikita didn't completely want to go through the awkward conversation of walking Alex through inserting a tampon, she knew that she should. Carla had done it for her as she freaked about starting her period for the very first time. She should pass on the good deed.

"Really?" Alex asked, intrigued. It was rare for Nikita to share so much of her life. The teenager had to cling to any small crumb that she got. And hope her questions were answered.

"Yeah. Same reasons. Then I went into Division and it stopped again. Though, that's mostly because of birth control. When I went rogue, it started up again, and it's been hell," Nikita decided to continue sharing. She could see how much it helped Alex relax. Also, discussing her terrible menstrual cramps then meant the teenager wouldn't be surprised when she saw her suffering from them later.

Alex wasn't shocked to hear that Division would give their agents birth control, especially after hearing other pieces of information she had managed to pry from Nikita, "Did they give you birth control because of those seduction missions?"

"They give it to all the female recruits. Birth control also helps regulate menstrual symptoms, and it can stop periods in high enough dosages. Can't have a hormonal agent free bleeding on a mission," Nikita actually smiled at the memory. She hated everything else about Division, yet she did appreciate the birth control. It was so nice not to cramp or worry about ruining pants, "I really miss birth control. Tragically, you need a prescription to get it."

"So, I'm stuck with this?" Alex sighed, holding up the tampon. She knew she had to get a move on stopping the bleeding in her underwear. But she didn't want to deal with the thing in her hand. Although it was probably better for the life she was leading than a pad, a part of her just wanted to use something she knew and was comfortable with.

"Yes. Now stop stalling," Grinning slyly, Nikita finally left the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, leaving Alex completely alone.

Taking a deep breath, Alex continued trying to tell herself that she was alright. She didn't need to lose her mind over a tampon. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk herself down. She turned towards the door with a terribly stupid question, "Do I have to sit on the toilet for this?"

"Yes, and with your pants down. You have to insert it," It took everything in Nikita to not sound patronizing. Alex had every right to be curious and ask ridiculous questions. She hadn't had a period in five years, and she had only been thirteen at the time. She was still just a kid. Her fears were rational.

"Insert? Where?" Clutching the tampon with a vice-like grip, Alex's voice cracked. She knew exactly where it had to go. She just didn't want to put it there.

"Alex, in your vagina, where you're bleeding from," Nikita focused on sounding more clear than condescending. No doubt Carla had heard worse questions from her when she had started her period. Being worried about menstruation was just as much of a right of passage as the horrible thing itself.

"Oh. Right. Is it gonna hurt?" Alex sat on the toilet and prepared herself for what she was about to do. She was alright with the idea of a tampon, as long as it didn't hurt. Enough painful things had been forced in her.

"Not if you put it in straight and carefully," Softly, Nikita told her. All of the teenager's fears made so much more sense then. But Alex didn't have to be afraid of getting hurt anymore. She was safe in the loft, and she'd always be safe.

Breathing deeply, Alex squared her shoulders. She was going to get through the simple task. She had it, "Okay."

"Okay. First, unwrap it. The tampon is in the plastic applicator," Nikita started off simple and kind of obvious. Honestly, the whole process was simple once you got used to it. Yet breaking it up into easy, manageable tasks would help Alex. She'd be able to do it all on her own from that moment on.

"Do I take it out?" As she examined the brightly colored applicator, Alex wondered. Since she was calmer, she was fairly certain she could figure out the rest of the process on her own. But she kind of preferred Nikita walking her through it. It made her feel better.

"No. Insert the applicator by the big end. Then, push in the plunger. The tampon should come out and be placed," Nikita hoped she made sense. The process was so natural and mundane to her by that point that she had to take a moment to think through the steps. Describing it to someone else was a bit of a challenge. Though, she did gain a whole new appreciation for everything Carla had done for her.

"Then what?" Alex soon voiced that she was ready for the next few steps. Again, she was certain she could figure it out on her own. Just talking to someone else helped soothe her.

"Remove the applicator, wrap it up, and throw it away. When you need to take the tampon out later, just pull on the white string hanging down," Wrapping it all up, Nikita leaned against the doorway and waited for Alex to emerge. It took a little longer than she thought. And the teenager had grown completely silent. Nikita quickly became concerned. She hoped she hadn't led her astray and accidently hurt her, "Got it?"

"Got it," Alex beamed. She finished what she was doing, changed her pants and underwear, washed her hands, and burst out of the bathroom triumphantly. Feeling ecstatic about putting a tampon in for the first time was probably ridiculous. Yet she was relieved that she had crossed that threshold. It was just so normal and basic. Having that in her life again was amazing.

Nikita cheered Alex on. She was proud of her accomplishments, especially since it meant she could go back to bed. But, again, the look on the teen's face kept her from walking away. Something wasn't quite right, "Is it okay? Does it hurt or feel uncomfortable?"

"No. Just weird to think about," Alex admitted. She felt absolutely fine. She simply had to get used to the idea of a tampon. Since she was already getting used to the idea of having a period again, it shouldn't have been a huge adjustment, "How long do I keep it in?"

"Depends on your period. Since you just started again, I'd change it every few hours or so. But once you get more regular, you should know how your period works and all that," Shrugging, Nikita continued to teach Alex about tampons. Although she was ready to go back to bed, she wouldn't deny her answers. She deserved to know everything about periods and what her body was going through. Lack of information might actually hurt her.

"And I can do anything with it in?" Alex could probably guess the answer to that. A tampon was supposed to help people remain active on their periods. She could run around and do anything. Though, she still wanted to make sure it was okay.

"Pretty much," With a small chuckle, Nikita answered. There was no need for her to explain further than that. Alex could figure it out. What she might not soon realize, however, was some of the cautions of using a tampon. They were rare consequences, yet still very real and scary, "But, two things to always keep in mind. Do not reinsert a tampon. Once it's out, it's out. And don't leave it in for too long. That's how you get toxic shock syndrome."

Alex blinked. She had had at least some vague knowledge about everything else they talked about. Yet Nikita lost her there, "Toxic what?"

"It's a bacterial infection. You get high fevers, seizures, vomiting, stuff like that. You'd have to go to the doctor. Keeping a tampon in all day can cause that. So change it frequently," That wasn't the best description of toxic shock syndrome. But Nikita didn't feel like looking up all the information on the internet. Her answer should suffice as it was.

"I thought getting my period back would be a good thing," Alex sighed. When her period had first disappeared, she thought getting it back would solve all her problems. Yet five years later, it only introduced more things for her to worry about. At least she was in a stable enough place to handle it.

"It is. It means you're healthy," Nikita beamed. While Alex rolled her eyes, she started walking back to her bed. It was time they went to sleep. The longer she stayed awake, the less Nikita believed she'd be able to ever fall back asleep.

Following the other woman back to the 'bedroom', Alex couldn't help but beam as well. Having her period again was great. She was healthy. She was relatively normal. And a future she had once thought for herself seemed plausible, "Also means I can have kids someday."

Nikita stopped dead in her tracks. Of all the things Alex had said that night, she certainly wasn't expecting that, "You want kids?"

"Not now or in the immediate future. But the option's nice," At that moment precisely, Alex didn't think she wanted kids. But she had wanted them when she was preteen. And she liked the idea of maybe having them when she had a real life. It just felt great that she had the option. That hadn't been completely stolen from her like everything else. Although Alex was excited by the thought, Nikita seemed puzzled and a little weirded out. She didn't appear to like the idea of kids- at least in the same way. Alex wanted to explore that, "What about you?"

"I think I just had my fill of parenthood," Nikita deflected with a smirk, nudging Alex towards her bed. The teen laughed. Yet only for a second. The sight of her blood stained sheets ruined her mood; it was one more thing she had to take care of before they could go to sleep. Nikita continued to take it all in stride, however. She had Alex drop her soiled clothes on the bed and started to yank off the sheets, "Alright. Now it's time to teach you how to get blood out."

Nikita had Alex carry all the blood stained objects to where the washing machine was. She stifled a yawn while they moved, inadvertently making Alex feel awful for all the trouble she had caused that night. She didn't want to be a burden, "Sorry."

"No. It's good that you're learning. Though, now I gotta start buying more supplies," Nikita muttered the last bit. Having Alex live with her had doubled her budget for everything. She wasn't too concerned about it then. But the money she had could only stretch so far. Eventually, she'd have to find a way to earn (or steal) more.

"Is it true that menstrual cycles can sync up?" Cracking a small smirk, Alex pulled Nikita from her thoughts. She rolled her eyes and nudged the teenager again. Both laughed.

"God, I hope not," While Nikita groaned, Alex continued to giggle. The two joked and teased their way through the next lesson. Thankfully, getting blood out of clothes and sheets was a far easier discussion than dealing with tampons. Alex and Nikita were able to return to their beds (Alex with a fresh set of sheets) quickly. Though, they didn't go right to sleep. They stayed up a little longer, laughing, talking, and growing even closer.