Set between 2x18 "Power" and 2x19 "Wrath". Sean and Alex are enamored with one another on a mission.
"You know, most bodyguards don't spend the night thinking of ways to kill all the other men in the room," Sean snickered as he caught Michael scowling at the group of leering men surrounding Nikita. She was only doing her job, flirting with and teasing different senators and congressmen. But she was starting to attract attention that her boyfriend did not appreciate. Michael was ready to rip out the eyes of every man staring at his girl like she was a piece of meat. It honestly cracked Sean up.
"Do they just stare hopelessly at girls, then?" Shaking his head clear, Michael managed to smirk at Sean. He hadn't been the only one staring at people all night. The Seal's eyes had never left Alex. Throughout the fundraising gala, and even when they were at the safehouse, Sean couldn't stop himself from looking at the young woman. Neither Michael's tease nor the mission was enough to break his gaze for long. He was locked in on Alex. And it all started when he was asked to meet the team at the beach house that afternoon.
Sean was barely able to close and lock the backdoor behind him before Nikita spotted him. She quickly waved him over to Birkhoff's computer station and tried to catch him up to speed, "Sean! Great. We can start outfitting you for the mission."
"What mission?" Sean stood in the doorway, hopelessly confused. When Alex had texted him to meet her at the safehouse, he thought they were going to discuss their relationship moving forward- the team's relationship. Division, Gogol, Oversight, and Zetrov had all been dealt with. Pardons were on the horizon for the rogues, and sanctioned government missions were in the Seal's future. He thought then that they were going to talk about what that all meant for them. Instead, he was brought in for another mission- almost like the fight had never ended.
"The one at the fundraising gala. It's the reason your mom invited you," Just as confused as the Seal, Alex attempted to remind him. It didn't work. He only became more confused.
"You roped my mother into a mission?" Soon, anger caught up with Sean's puzzlement. He couldn't believe the team would involve his mother in their mission. She had to stay out of it; her life had been in enough danger. Of all the people, Alex should've understood that. Sean had just come back from protecting her mother in Greece, after all. The young woman should've been protecting his mother in return. Madeline Pierce had to stay out of their war.
"She roped us in actually," Michael clarified, calming some of Sean's nerves. After their success in recovering the replicator and taking down Amanda, Ari, Gogol, and Zetrov, Madeline wanted the rogues for another mission. She knew of a fellow senator's illegal practice that led to horrific deaths. However, she couldn't prove his involvement. Although it had nothing to do with Division, she wanted the rogues to gather evidence that would take the senator down. They quickly agreed. How could they say 'no' to ending corruption and serving justice.
"You're not just her bodyguard. You're providing surveillance and backup for us," Alex explained further, hoping to completely soothe Sean. Senator Pierce would not be in any danger that night. Not only would her son and countless other bodyguards be there to protect her, but the team wouldn't allow anything to happen to her (she was in charge of their pardons, after all). Madeline Pierce was safe that night, as were the other fundraising gala guests. The only one who had to worry was the target.
"You're also getting us into places we probably shouldn't be in," Shrugging, Nikita added to Sean's list of duties. Although she and Alex were doing most of the work by providing distractions and stealing evidence, Sean still had to be on high alert. Anything could happen, especially with the team's luck.
Finally joining the others at Birkhoff's computer, Sean believed he was beginning to understand what they were doing. He needed clarification on what the mission was and what he had to look out for. Yet he was sure he'd receive that in time. At the moment, he wanted clarification on which rogue agents actually managed to get invited to a political fundraising gala, "You're all going?"
"Not me," Birkhoff chimed in sullenly. Although he was used to not actually going to the events the team crashed, he had sort of hoped to go to that one. He wanted to watch Alex slip into the party girl cover the team wanted to test out. There was no doubt that it would create lots of ways for the hacker to mess with her. He couldn't wait for all the jokes.
"B's hacking from the safehouse. He doesn't get to join the fun," Alex rubbed it in. She was glad he was staying home while she became the socialite Alexandra Udinov. Nikita already had jokes ready for the sight she was about to see. Alex didn't want Birkhoff to join in on that.
"Get me an invitation, and I will," Birkhoff dared. Alex rolled her eyes. Her money and influence had gotten her an invitation easily. The hacker had none of those. He was helpless.
"I got one through hacking. Though, I don't think you can pull that off," Smirking, Nikita nudged Birkhoff. He simply accepted the taunt.
Sean's confusion only deepened. He continued to have no idea what the team was talking about, nor did he understand why Birkhoff didn't rise to Nikita's bait and start hacking. He should've been able to hack himself an invitation, so why wasn't he. Sean was missing something. Hopefully he'd be able to connect the dots once someone answered his questions, "Wait. How are you all going?"
"It's about time Alexandra Udinov bought some congressmen," Alex stated glibly. There was no way she'd actually bribe a government official. But if the public suspected that, she wouldn't sway them. It was like her party girl cover that the team was trying to establish. If she acted so extremely and on par with what others thought of an extremely rich heiress, then no one would take a close look at her actual actions.
"She should also test out her new bodyguard, one that can accompany her on more missions," Michael added how he had secured an invite. Since Sean would be acting as one of his mother's bodyguards, Michael would be Alex's for the night. That not only worked for the current mission, but also potential future ones. Alexandra Udinov had more access to more places than the team of rogues ever could. By acting as her bodyguards, they could hang around her and be in certain places without suspicion. The earlier they established the cover, the better.
"I know a couple sites senators and congressmen use to get dates. So I worked 'em until I got one. Didn't take long," Nikita's invitation to the gala wasn't nearly as convoluted or dubious as the others. She simply faked being an escort. Her explanation helped Sean understand why she had teased Birkhoff about hacking; he couldn't pretend to be a call girl for long. But that was the only thing the Seal could wrap his head around. Everything else the rogue said made no sense.
"Wait. People bring prostitutes to these things?" Glancing between the rogues, Sean questioned. He wasn't naïve enough to think senators and congressmen wouldn't hire prostitutes. But he didn't believe they'd be so public about it.
"Escorts," Nikita and Alex immediately corrected the term. They believed that was more important than correcting his confusion.
Helping Sean out, Michael explained how unashamed of corruption, debauchery, and vice some people were, "Call girls are called frequently for these events. How else did you think we managed to have so many Division agents at political functions- besides waitstaff?"
While Sean thought that fact over, Birkhoff realized he had his own question. In Division, when they'd set a female agent up as a call girl, they'd take the payment to use for operations. But as a rogue, Nikita would've kept all the money for herself. Birkhoff knew she definitely wasn't using it to buy food or gear. So what was she buying, "What do you do with the money?"
"Buy pretty dresses and sparkly accessories," Nikita smiled brilliantly at all the beautiful things she had bought by stealing gross men's money. As she thought about it, she realized she should start getting ready for the gala. She was going to look killer in all her new clothes.
"Does she mean jewelry or weapons?" Turning to Michael, Birkhoff wondered. The other man only shrugged. He didn't know what Nikita was talking about most of the time either.
"Hopefully both," Excitedly, Alex followed Nikita to her room. She couldn't wait to see what wonderful things the rogue had bought for the mission. She also hoped that she could borrow some of the weapons.
"Come on. I'll fill you in on the details. I already got your stuff for you," Michael led Sean to one of the guest rooms. His gear for the mission and a tux had already been picked out for him. It was the least the team could do after inviting him on the op last minute. Sean needed a crash course to completely catch up (not just jokes). So the team doing the preparation for him was only fair. It was one less thing he had to worry about.
The rest of the afternoon was spent getting ready for the gala and putting the finishing touches on the mission plan. Sean also called his mother to confirm what the team had told him. It didn't take Michael and Sean long to dress as bodyguards. They just threw on a tux and secured their weapons. Since they had to wait for Alex and Nikita, they joined Birkhoff in preparing the tech they would need. It wasn't anything special, just the basic com, phone, and flashdrive. But it had to be perfect nonetheless.
When the women eventually rejoined the men, they were absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Their makeup was done to perfection, and their dresses draped their bodies flawlessly. Nikita's gown showed off more skin than Alex's. Yet the young woman still managed the appearance of a party loving rich heiress. The only thing that seemed off was her hair, but Nikita, who had kept her own hair simple, was already fixing that.
As the women moved about, Sean couldn't help but stare. His eyes were glued to Alex, making him forget everything else he was doing. He just had to watch her.
Alex sat in a chair while Nikita stood on a stool behind her. The rogue fixed the young woman's hair, putting it in a fancy up-do and slipping in decorative hairpins. At first glance, Sean thought they were hairpins. But as Nikita very carefully put them in Alex's hair, he realized they were throwing knives. So those were some of the shiny accessories she had bought, "Alright. These are mostly plastic, so they should get you past security. If you need a gun, Michael and Sean will have theirs. Or you can just take one."
Trying to stay as still as possible while the rogue did her hair, Alex nodded briefly. Nikita put the finishing touches on her up-do. She ensured it looked more stylish than trying to hide dangerous weapons. She did a great job of it. However, before she could step down from the stool, Michael came over with an accessory for her. He brushed aside the slit in her dress and attached a garter to her upper thigh. She arranged it so it couldn't be seen when her dress moved but she could still grab at it easily. When Michael moved away, Sean understood what the garter was all about. Nikita had her own mostly plastic hidden weapons.
"Does that garter hold throwing knives? Where'd you get it?" Alex excitedly asked once she noticed Nikita's new accessory. She had to get her own. It was too cool not to have.
"With my call girl money," Nikita winked. The two women laughed while they regrouped with the men. Sean was well aware that he was still staring, and he was going to get caught gawking. Yet there was no stopping it. He could hardly think about anything else.
"Here are your clutches. Encrypted phones and flashdrives all ready for you," Michael handed Alex and Nikita clutches that matched their dresses. The items inside were unassuming enough to get past security (like their hard plastic throwing knives) but they were vital parts of the mission. The tech had the power to tear a senator to pieces.
After inspecting the contents of her clutch, Alex's bright blue eyes met Sean's. She knew then that he had been staring at her. He had to say something to her. Maybe talk about the mission or make a comment about her cool disguised weapons. Instead, the words that had been constantly circulating around his head came spilling out. He was in complete awe as he blurted out, "Wow. You look gorgeous."
"Thanks," Alex ducked her head to hide her blush. Nikita, Michael, and Birkhoff caught it, however. As Sean continued to beam at Alex, the others threw each other knowing glances.
"You think I look like a prostitute?" Ripping away Sean's attention, Nikita quipped. His smile instantly dropped, and he began to stammer for an appropriate response. Alex's blush disappeared as she rolled her eyes. Birkhoff choked on laughter. And Michael glared at the Seal, daring him to just say one wrong thing.
"We should get going," Eventually, Sean muttered. The gala was about to start, and he had to meet with his mother's other bodyguards before they entered. Nikita also had to meet with her 'date'. They didn't have the time for more jokes or taunts. Sean thanked God for that.
"Steal me some champagne!" While the team filtered out of the safehouse, Birkhoff shouted. He was instantly met with grumbles, taunts, and the doubt that he'd get what he wanted.
"Gawking's not befitting a senator's son. You should work the crowd," Michael brought the Seal back to the present as he continued to taunt him. Sean wanted to roll his eyes and tell the agent to refocus, but- of course- he was distracted by Alex laughing at something she heard Nikita say. He really was hopeless. At least Michael took pity on him and tried to help him out, "The dancefloor is the perfect place to study our surroundings."
"He's right. Come on, Sean," Overhearing the conversation over the coms, Alex quickly went over to Sean and grabbed his hand. She should probably be dancing anyway as Alexandra Udinov. She simply didn't want to dance with any of the men at the gala. Sean was the only person she felt comfortable with holding her so close. Besides, he had been her bodyguard in Moscow for a while- even sharing a hotel suite with her (separate bedrooms). Rumors had probably already spread about them. She could play into them for a night. Again, it would disguise her real activities.
The orchestra had been mostly playing slow songs, and that didn't change when Sean and Alex reached the dancefloor. A part of them wished that it had. Something fast meant they didn't have to awkwardly slow dance like teenagers at prom. They started out like that with stiff limbs and hesitant sways. But after they laughed at their ridiculousness, their movements became gentler. The two held each other comfortably close and moved around the floor to the soft beat of the music. They followed Michael's instructions to study the room as they danced for a moment. However, once their eyes met, that plan changed.
Holding one another closer, Sean and Alex soon forgot about the mission. The other people on the dancefloor also disappeared from their minds. The only things the two could think about was the feel of their bodies so close, the steady rhythm of their hearts, their shallow breath mixed together, and the way their eyes locked. They weren't even sure if they were still dancing. They were so enamored with each other. There was nothing else in the world save them.
Abruptly, Sean and Alex were ripped from their orbit and forced to crash back down to Earth. The orchestra had stopped to take a break, and people were applauding their performance. Nikita was also calling for Alex on the coms. Their target had arrived. The team needed to grab the evidence. Slowly and a tad regretfully, the two separated from their hold. Sean and Alex couldn't remain in their bubble forever. It was time to rightfully ruin a corrupt man's life.
Sean's mother was looking at him oddly when he rejoined her. He didn't understand the smile she gave him or the glint in her eyes. The expression was similar to the one she had given him months ago when he had said he planned on seducing Alex for information. Except the current look seemed softer and more affectionate. He horrifically learned why that was as his mother said, "Your father and I used to look at each other like that when we would dance. It's like the whole world doesn't exist. Maybe the next time you and Alex dress up and dance like no one else is around will be at your wedding."
"I should get going," Sean mumbled. He hoped to drown out the responses from the team at overhearing his mother on the coms, but they were way too loud. Both Nikita and Birkhoff burst into uproarious laughter (Nikita had to cover hers with some flirt to a senator). Michael choked on his own laughter, fighting hard to be a stoic bodyguard. And Alex turned beet red. It was one thing for the team to taunt Sean and Alex for their flirting (was that what it was). But it was a completely separate and mortifying ordeal for his mother to do it. He desperately needed to get out of that room. And the team really had to refocus on the mission.
Thankfully, the rogues returned to the task at hand without further problem. While Michael and Sean stood watch, and Birkhoff surveyed the cameras, Alex and Nikita went to work. They followed their mission plan exactly. They caused their distractions, and stole the evidence they needed. It all went fairly smoothly, which was a surprise for the team. Until their target caught onto their actions and attacked, then it was on par with their other missions.
The team of rogues tried to contain their fighting to the areas away from the gala. Alex and Nikita used, and subsequently lost, their new throwing knives. Yet they couldn't control people's reactions to gunfire. Guards swarmed in on the fight, and it was time to scatter. Michael and Sean used their covers to accurately take out the assailants. Meanwhile, Nikita and Alex hurriedly ensured Birkhoff received the evidence on his computer, so if they got caught they could dispose of their tech-filled clutches.
It was chaotic for a bit, but it soon worked out. The mission was, despite the gunfight, a total success. The rogues could evacuate the building with the guests, completely unnoticed. And Birkhoff would leak the evidence they stole once they were safely back home.
When Sean joined the rest of the team outside, Nikita stared at him with a shiteating grin. He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking. Her burst of laughter after his mother's comment said it all. She was going to taunt him to death. He had to stop the rogue before Alex caught on. He didn't want her to be embarrassed.
"Shut up," Sean snapped at Nikita. She was too busy chuckling to actually reply. He wasn't sure why, but her just giving him a knowing look was worse than any quip she could've said. At least he could defend himself from a joke. Nikita's looks just held more power. Sean had to find a way to divert her. Luckily, he noticed her 'date' exit the building and search the crowd for her. That would get her off his back, "Your john's looking for you."
"Seriously?" Nikita ducked her head and bolted. She couldn't believe after all that mess her 'date' still wanted to bring her home. She could've confronted him about it, or had Michael do it. But that might have caused more problems, or lead to more danger. It was better to cut and run. Hopefully, he'd give up the chase.
"We should probably be her getaway car," Michael moved to get the car for him and Alex. He'd have Nikita meet them in a nearby alley. That should help her clear the scene and get a creepy man off her back.
Sean and Alex were left on the street with the panicked crowd. He should've probably checked on his mother, but she was safe with her other bodyguards. He wanted to stay by Alex's side. She could take care of herself incase anything were to happen. Yet that wasn't why he remained with her. He simply liked her company too much to leave. Her soft smile expressed the same thought. Drifting closer to Sean, Alex seemed comforted despite the anxious crowd. His own smile grew, especially as she said, "I had fun tonight. Besides the fight that broke out. But, you know, dressing up, espionage, dancing, it was all fun."
"Yeah. Dancing was great," Sean beamed, moving closer to Alex as well. Regardless of what his mother had said and how the team had reacted, he had had a great time with Alex. He would love to have more dances with her, or simply sit and talk when there was no one else around. He felt as though he could have fun with her no matter what. Just the way he felt when she smiled at him seemed proof enough of that.
Someone stumbled into Alex as they moved through the crowd, forcing her to stumble into Sean. He caught her easily and held her tightly. Her blue eyes snapped to his hazel. Breathlessly, the two stared at one another. It was like they were dancing again. It was only them, in each other's arms, lips tingling to meet. Before they could, however, Birkhoff called for them over the coms. It was time to flee the scene, "Hey Dancing With the Stars, you should probably get a move on. All these cops and security guards aren't good for us."
"See you back at the safehouse," Hiding her blush once more, Alex pulled away from Sean. She did so slowly, almost as though she wasn't ready to leave him. But she slipped out of his arms regardless, and got into the car Michael had pulled up in.
"Yeah. Yeah," Sean watched the two drive away to collect Nikita then go home. Once the car was finally out of sight, he left to find his mother. His thoughts remained on Alex, though. He couldn't contain his bright smile.
