Set after 2x21 "Dead Drop". The team adjusts to some changes.

After their last safehouse had blown up, Michael, Nikita, and Birkhoff kept extra weapons, clothes, bedding, toiletries, and food in a hidden and intensely secure storage container. It was incase anything happened to their new safehouse, so they wouldn't have to start all over again. Buying all those supplies again and again was a pain in the ass. Unfortunately, those extra supplies were miles and miles away from Ryan's safehouse. It was too late and they were too exhausted to grab them as they settled in for the night. They'd just have to make do until the morning when they were more willing to make that run.

Thankfully, Ryan had extra sleeping bags and bed rolls for the rogues to use that night. They could camp out in the livingroom until they had the beds to claim actual rooms. The beds in the storage container were nothing more than those cheap recruit beds, but that'd work for the time being (Michael and Nikita, though, were determined to push two together instead of sharing just one again). As rogues, they had quickly learned to make do with what they had. It made things more difficult at times, yet they were excellent at utilizing the full extent of their limited resources. Hopefully, with Kendrick as their ally, that wouldn't have to last for much longer.

Although Sean had his own apartment he could crash in for the night, his recent gunshot wound forced him to stay with the rogues. They wanted to keep him close and monitored incase something happened. Alex also technically had an apartment. But as that was still owned by Division, she hadn't been back since before the Zetrov coup. She had the money to post up in a hotel for a while, however, she didn't want to leave Sean's side. At least not while he was so hurt. She had to ensure that he was okay.

Normally, Sean and Alex staying with the rogues for the night wouldn't have been a big deal; they had done so at the beach house without problem. However, Ryan only had four extra sleeping bags and bed rolls. Birkhoff took one set immediately and settled on some rickety bunk away from the others. That only left three for Michael, Nikita, Sean, and Alex. There was also the couch to sleep on. And ideally, Sean should've done that. But he was too big to lay on it comfortably, especially with his injury.

The best solution Alex could come up with was that Sean take her bed roll and pillow and she'd sleep on the couch. Although there were pillows and cushions for her to comfortably sleep on, there were no blankets for her to use; she'd still need a sleeping bag. That was when Michael and Nikita tossed one of theirs over. They also gave Sean an extra pillow and bed roll so he could spread out and not get so stiff during the night. The couple was fine sharing. They were kind of used to it anyway. Besides, even if they had slept in their big bed in the beach house that night, they probably would've still curled tightly against each other.

With dirty mission clothes and no pajamas, the rogues simply stripped down to their underwear to sleep in. No team probably should've been as comfortable as they were to walk around nearly nude in front of each other. But, honestly, how could they really care. They had all faced so much worse than seeing their friends in only their underwear. They could survive a night like that. It wasn't as though that was going to kill them.

Before anyone could truly settle down, Nikita changed Sean's bandage and redressed his wound. She then gave him painkillers she had found in Ryan's medkit. With those in his system, he soon fell asleep and stayed asleep; nothing short of an explosion could wake him. The others weren't so lucky. They tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable and trying to shut off their thoughts. After the last few days they had had, the latter was nearly impossible. The rogues simply had to hope that exhaustion would wear them down and knock them out.

Alex merely dozed on the couch. Every so often, she'd open her eyes and stare at Sean across the room. The lights were out and the blinds were drawn closed, but she managed to strain her eyes enough to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest. Nikita had claimed that the worst part of Sean's injury was over. From then on, he'd mostly be dealing with the awful pain of recovery. However, Alex couldn't stop herself from fearing that she might lose him during the night. What if something happened. What if he was more hurt than they thought. She couldn't take that risk; she couldn't take her eyes off him for long.

After a few hours of rolling in and out of sleep, Alex realized she wasn't the only one awake anymore. She heard noises beside her and propped herself up on her elbows to check it out. In the darkness, she only managed to see the forms of Nikita's and Michael's bodies moving around in their sleeping bag. For a panicked moment, she wondered just what the fuck they were doing. Then, they settled down in a new position and stopped moving. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. The couple had only shifted around in their confined space to get more comfortable. They weren't going to do anything else that night- at least not with the others in the same room.

Silence filled the livingroom once more. Alex believed that meant the couple had fallen back asleep. She laid down on the couch to do the same. But then she heard Nikita's voice. It was quiet, barely above a whisper. However, in the stillness of the room, anyone awake could hear her whisper to her boyfriend, "Hey, Michael. I have a confession to make."

"What?" Michael muttered and nuzzled closer to Nikita. Alex propped herself up on her elbows again to spy on the couple. She should probably leave them to their somewhat private moment, but she was curious about what Nikita wanted to confess. If she was willing to have a conversation in the middle of the night, then it must've been serious. Or even detrimental.

"I don't know the difference between Shadownet and Shadowbot, and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask," Nikita admitted woefully. Michael instantly dissolved into laughter. From where Alex sat, it looked as though Nikita's back was to his chest, and Michael was using her hair to muffle his laughter. The noises they were making didn't stop her from continuing her joke, however. She kept speaking nonsense into the dead of night, "Nerd's just gonna talk to me like I'm an idiot, and I'm gonna have to give him a wedgie."

Alex muffled her own laughter with the palm of her hand. She could so easily imagine Nikita giving Birkhoff a wedgie. And so could Michael, judging by the giggles he buried in the crook of his girlfriend's neck. Once he was finally able to compose himself, he decided to add to the hacker's potential future torment with even more ways to bully him, "Why don't you just give him a swirly? Shut him up and take care of that greasy hair."

The couple fought so hard to smother their laughter. They used the sleeping bag, the pillow, and each other to muffle the sounds. Alex wasn't as lucky with stifling her giggles. A little sound squeaked out, alerting Michael and Nikita to the fact that they weren't the only ones awake. They immediately quieted back down. But they didn't stop talking. Their words became barely audible, as did their laughter. Though, Alex could still tell they were being silly and ridiculous. Once the couple had started laughing together, they didn't want to stop.

Alex's mother called that kind of unstoppable, nonsense laughter in the middle of the night 'маленькие ночные смешки'. At some point, you get so tired that everything becomes the funniest thing in the whole entire world. Obviously, that was what had overcome Michael and Nikita. They wouldn't stop giggling until exhaustion knocked them out again. It didn't matter what joke they said. They were going to laugh the same no matter what.

Lying back down on the couch, Alex wondered if Nikita and Michael would still be laughing like that during the day. The two could make each other smile like no other. So it was reasonable to assume that they could get each other to laugh at the stupidest things no matter what time it was. Honestly, that was so weird for Alex to think about. If someone had told her just a year and a half ago that Michael could show any other emotion besides brooding, she'd think they were insane. But there he was, smiling and laughing like an idiot- the happiest Alex had ever seen him.

Could she ever be like that. A decade ago, Michael had lost his family in a horrifically tragic way, and that loss had broken him. He had been shattered, destroyed, lost in the dark. There had been no possible way he could ever be happy again. Yet that all changed when he had found Nikita. He found someone to help bring him back into the light. He found someone to hold again in the middle of the night, laughing at nothing. He found someone to help fill his heart back up with love. Michael hadn't remained broken after the deaths of his wife and daughter. He pulled himself back together; he outlasted the pain. And he was happier than ever.

Could Alex ever be like that. Could she wake up one morning without feeling sad. Surely if Michael had, then she could. Escaping the brothel and the streets, learning the truth about Pale Fire, knowing her mother was really alive, leading to Semak's death, killing Vlad, and restoring Zetrov to what it was supposed to be all helped her heal. Yet it wasn't enough. Alex could still feel an ache in her chest that she didn't believe would ever be filled. Too much had been taken from her. How could things ever be alright again.

Eyes landing on Sean, Alex took a deep breath of air. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, and found herself matching the rhythm of his breathing. The act calmed her. Her thoughts quieted; the dread and despair she had begun to feel disappeared. She was strangely at peace as she breathed along with Sean. She could convince herself that it was alright. She could believe that it was all okay. As long as she kept her eyes on Sean.

"What, Love?" Nikita's quiet voice startled Alex awake. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep until she had heard her best friend whisper. The concerned words had her more curious than how she had fallen asleep, however. So, once again, she was up on her elbows and spying on the couple.

Nikita and Michael appeared to have changed positions again. That time, they seemed to face each other- their foreheads touching, and their hands caressing each other's cheeks. Although Alex couldn't see their expressions in the dark, she knew the look that had to have been on their faces. It was the adoring, tender, affectionate, warm, loving look they gave one another either when the other wasn't looking, or when they thought they were the only two people in the entire world. Whenever Alex saw the couple have that look on their faces, even her heart skipped a beat. It was so genuine and real. No one could ever think they weren't in love.

Was that what Birkhoff had been talking about when he told Alex that everyone could see that she and Sean cared deeply for one another. Did she and Sean have that look on their faces whenever they glanced at each other. Could they have possibly been so in love with each other that the feeling was etched into their very souls- that it became so clearly apparent in their sparkling eyes when they looked at one another, like Michael and Nikita. Before their kiss in the back of the car, Alex would've doubted that. But afterwards…

"Don't get shot," Michael's heartbroken response to Nikita's question, stole Alex from her musings. A part of her was glad that it had. With all the other thoughts and emotions she had had that night, she didn't want any more complicated ones. But Michael's words and the way he had said them left Alex just as concerned as Nikita. What exactly was he thinking. What had the couple been talking about before then. Had he also fallen asleep, and then had woken up from a nightmare. Did what happened to Sean fray all their emotions.

"I'm faster than a speeding bullet, remember?" Softly, Nikita smiled. It wasn't her usual response to her boyfriend's concern about her safety. No 'I'm fine' or 'I can take care of myself'. She simply shared an old inside joke between them. It was something to make him smile or even chuckle. It was something gentle that assured she was there and wasn't going anywhere.

Michael didn't say anything for a long time. Alex assumed he was studying the new scar on Nikita's bicep from when she was shot not that long ago. She had healed from the injury just fine, yet it had still rattled Michael. Alex could clearly remember the desperate sound of his voice when he had called Nikita's name after it had happened. She wondered if she had sounded the same after Sean had been shot. Maybe that was why Birkhoff had claimed her affection for Sean was obvious. After all, Alex wanted to express the same sentiment to Sean that Michael did Nikita, "Just get faster, huh? For me."

"Done and done," Nikita kissed her boyfriend sweetly. He returned the affection with equal tenderness. The couple continued to lay facing each other for a couple more minutes. Until finally, Nikita nudged Michael to roll over. He did, and she pressed her chest against his back, spooning him for a change. They settled into comfort. Then went still.

Alex settled back down on the couch. She had no thoughts after spying on Nikita and Michael that time- besides the fact that she should stop spying on her friends. She simply laid on the couch and stared at Sean again. His gently rising and falling chest was almost hypnotic. It lulled her back into a sense of peace and back to sleep.

The next time Alex woke, it was morning. The blinds had been drawn open, and early morning light streamed through the windows into the safehouse. Stretching her stiff muscles, Alex groaned. She didn't want to get up yet, but she knew she had to. It was going to be a long day for the rogues as they officially moved into the new safehouse. The sooner they began gathering their things and moving them around, the better. Then they could delve into the intel Kendrick had given them and would continue to give them.

Michael appeared to have had the same idea as Alex. he was already up and in the kitchen (he was also probably the one who had opened the blinds). Nikita, on the other hand, was still asleep. She laid on her stomach, drooling, and the sleeping bag was kicked around her haphazardly. There was a chance that Michael had woken up so early because Nikita kept kicking him. The thought made Alex laugh. And the sound made Nikita snap awake.

She groaned as she pushed herself upright. Feeling the drool on her cheek and seeing the puddle she had left on the bed roll, she groaned again- that time in disgust. Alex continued to laugh at her. Nikita would've been annoyed, and probably would've said something, had Michael not re-entered the room with two mugs of coffee and a smile, "Morning."

"Morning," Alex replied with a sleep-addled voice. Nikita didn't say anything. She simply made grabby hands at Michael. Alex thought that was because she wanted her boyfriend back in her arms. But no. Alex couldn't have been more wrong. Nikita didn't want Michael; she wanted coffee and the paper towel he gave her for her drool.

Shaking her head, Alex just stared at the couple. From silly, sweet, lovey-dovey, and comforting the night before, to annoyed and grouchy in the morning, the couple really was something. And what was even more 'something' was the cranky, early-morning scowl Nikita threw at Alex for staring. Her scratchy, just-woke-up voice matched her glare perfectly, "What?"

"Where's my coffee?" Alex asked simply. She could've told the couple all her thoughts from when she was spying on them. But, one, she didn't want to share those with them; two, she didn't want to hear Nikita's jokes in response; and three, she didn't want to seem like a weirdo for staring at them during the night. So, she just kept to herself and complained about how it was too early to be awake.

"There's hot water for some tea," Sitting close to his girlfriend on the sleeping bag and bed roll, Michael explained. His proximity to Nikita calmed her grouchiness. She happily drank her coffee and ignored her best friend's real reason for staring.

"Oh. Awesome. Thank you," When she registered what Michael had said, Alex scrambled out of her sleeping bag and hopped off the couch. She tried not to drink too much caffeine, preferring tea to help wake her up in the morning. She was surprised Michael had noticed that. Then again, he had noticed whatever was budding between her and Sean. Maybe he paid more attention to her than she thought.

When Alex returned to the livingroom after making herself a delicious, sweet, warm tea, Nikita and Michael were wrapped around each other. They sat so close together as they sipped their coffee, that it was difficult to tell whose limb was whose. Alex seriously began to wonder if exhaustion had something to do with the couple's PDA levels. It was almost as though the more tired they were, the more they leaned on one another for warmth, strength, and comfort. Alex considered asking them about it, or simply just teasing them. But before she could open her mouth to speak, Nikita asked her a question, "How is he?"

It took Alex a moment to realize that Nikita was nodding towards Sean. Instantly, she turned around to study him. He looked just like he had when she had left him. His breathing was steady- in and out- and he was deep asleep. In the pale morning light, though, his pale skin seemed a little flushed. Worried, Alex crouched down and felt his forehead. He was no warmer than normal, which was good. He was okay. He was perfectly fine- besides his wound, of course, "No fever. But I think his bandaid needs to be changed."

"Let's do it now while he's asleep. The less he moves, the better," Nikita sighed. She untangled herself from Michael, handed him her coffee mug, and grabbed the medkit again. Thankfully, there was no need to re-dress anything. Nikita only had to ensure everything was clean and that Sean was saved from infection. As she worked her medical magic, Alex's hand remained on Sean's forehead. She hardly even noticed it was there. She just watched over him, her fingers absentmindedly caressing his skin.

When Nikita began to clean up the medical supplies, Alex finally (and regretfully) pulled away. She should let Sean sleep until the painkillers wore off; he had to rest. However, before Alex could return to the couch, her best friend stopped her. She shot her a half-knowing, half-gentle expression and kept her in place, "No. Keep doing that. It's keeping him calm."

It was true that Sean seemed to relax even more in his sleep at the feel of Alex's fingers caressing his skin and playing in his hair. She could continue those motions if it'd help him rest. The bed rolls were comfortable enough for her to sit on as she drank her tea. There was no reason for her to leave Sean's side.

If Michael and Nikita shared a pointed glance, Alex ignored them. Her only focus was on Sean sleeping peacefully in her arms (somewhat). The only thing that had pulled her attention away was the sounds of Birkhoff stumbling out of his bunk. He grumbled a curse under his breath and staggered to the kitchen. His only sights were on the coffee pot and the blissful caffeine it was supposed to contain. Yet it was empty once he reached it. Low and cranky (almost as much as Nikita), he cursed at the others, "You bastards couldn't save me any coffee?"

"No," Michael and Nikita echoed one another. Alex remembered what the couple had said about Birkhoff the night before and struggled to hold back her laughter. Birkhoff just ignored them all and started brewing a new pot of coffee.

Nikita purposely brushed past him as she put the medkit away. He only grumbled at her, making her laugh. She thought of torturing him some more, but considering the hour, she didn't want to incur his wrath. So, she focused on scrounging up some breakfast instead.

There was a basket of apples on the counter that appeared appetizing. Nikita grabbed one for herself. Then, after thinking about it, held up another to see if Michael or Alex wanted one. Both raised their hands. Since she was closest, Alex was tossed one first. She, however, used that fact to gloat, "I'm the favorite."

Michael was too busy rolling his eyes to realize Nikita had tossed an apple at him. It almost hit him in the face before he managed to catch it. When Alex and Nikita laughed at him, he nearly chuckled good-naturedly with them. But then he noticed Birkhoff checking out his girlfriend. To his credit, the hacker did try not to. But with Nikita in her underwear, it was hard for him to look away. Michael fought the urge to get up and punch him in the face. That wouldn't fix the situation. Clothes would, "We seriously have to get our things this morning."

"I think I have some clothes in the trunk Nikita can borrow. But I don't think you guys would fit them," Alex smirked around a bite of apple. She had started keeping clothes and toiletries in the trunk of her car just incase (no pajamas, though, which was something she had to rectify). Although that'd help her and Nikita, the men were out of luck. Unless she stretched her clothes out a whole bunch.

"I don't know. I personally would love to see Michael in a crop top," Nikita racked her eyes over her boyfriend and smiled wickedly. Despite his eye roll, Michael started to laugh. Between the crop top and Robin Hood tights she wanted to dress him in, he was going to look more like a poorly designed nineties superhero than a secret agent. If it made her happy, though, then maybe he could suffer through it. At least, in theory.

While Nikita walked back into the livingroom, she decided to eat her apple in a different way. She had seen videos of people ripping an apple in half, and wondered if she could do the same. It didn't take her long to figure out how to do it. And once she did, she managed to split her apple in half with just her hands and her powerful muscles. She was incredibly impressed with her actions, and smiled in triumph. Alex, on the other hand (although also impressed) scoffed, "You think you're so cool."

"Are you saying I'm not?" Nikita smirked as she bit into one half of the apple. She rejoined Michael on the floor, who was very impressed and very amused by her actions. She just shrugged as though she wasn't surprised that she had actually ripped an apple in half.

"Your bra is twisted," As soon as she noticed that fact, Alex knew she had to take Nikita down a peg. Confused, Nikita twisted around to see what her best friend was talking about. It took her a moment, but finally, she noticed that one of the bands was horribly twisted. Somehow, Nikita had gone a whole day- and then some- without ever noticing the twist. She couldn't comprehend how that was possible. She must've been really distracted.

Unhooking her bra was the easy part. Yet untwisting the band without taking her bra completely off was a challenge. Fortunately, Michael reached over to help. Unfortunately, Birkhoff was finally getting caffeine into his system, and he was back to his normal self when he joined the others in the room, "Oh, come on, man. We're all in the room."

"Take it off," While Michael glared at Birkhoff's sarcasm, Alex jokingly called for Nikita to undress. That would've been a simple, funny joke if Nikita had any shame. But since she was always willing to go one step further, she actually began to slip out of her bra. Her knees had been pulled up to her chest, so no one would've really seen anything. However, Alex still frantically stopped her best friend before she went too far, "No. Wait. I don't want to see that."

"She's saving herself for Sean," Michael couldn't help but tease Alex. Nikita laughed as her bra was finally correct and re-hooked. Alex wanted to shoot back a tease or a quip or anything. But she was blushing too much to do anything but stammer. The fact that her fingers remained in Sean's hair didn't help.

"Won't have to save herself for long. Not after the kiss they shared yesterday," Birkhoff didn't help either. He hadn't had the chance to tell Michael and Nikita about the show in the backseat of the car the night before. He had wanted to; things had simply gotten in the way. But then, as they spent the morning relaxing, was as good a chance as any to finally start teasing the Princess and the Seal for their makeout session.

Nikita had been taking a drink of coffee when Birkhoff dropped the explosive fact. She instantly became so excited, she gasped. Coffee filled her lungs, and she was left coughing and spluttering. Alarmed, Michael rubbed and patted her back in an attempt to soothe her. She waved him off, though. She didn't care about herself. She could only ever possibly care that Alex and Sen had kissed- and had kissed in front of Birkhoff. She needed answers. She needed the story. So, while she was busy coughing, her boyfriend asked for her, "You guys kissed?"

"From when the beach house blew up to when you called, those two were making out in the backseat," Birkhoff answered for Alex. He had given Sean and Alex the night to discuss the kiss and figure out what happened next. But since it seemed as though nothing had happened between them, he had to bring in Michael and Nikita. They had to say something that'd push Alex forward, especially Nikita. However, the new information made her take in another sharp intake of breath, and she was coughing all over again.

"I'm honestly so glad you're choking right now," Alex muttered. She had no doubt that Nikita would've been throwing one quip after another at her for what had happened with Sean. But thanks to the sudden cough, Alex was saved. At least for the time being.

The instant Nikita got enough of a hold of her breathing, she was ready to tease Alex. A million thoughts had raced through her head upon hearing the news. But she figured a simple approach would be best. It'd definitely get her point across the clearest, "I knew it."

They had all known it, though. The whole team had known Sean and Alex really liked each other. Except, apparently, Alex. When she turned away from the others, Michael became concerned. There was more about the kiss than Alex was sharing. He was curious to know what that was, "So, are you guys a thing now?"

"I don't know. Nothing's certain," Alex focused on her apple, her tea, and Sean. What she was physically looking at and holding were certain things. She could count on them. But a relationship with Sean didn't seem so concrete. It wasn't as though they had talked about it. Yet maybe that was the problem. She and Sean should've been talking. And if not before, then certainly after the kiss. Things weren't going to magically happen between them. The two actually had to talk and work for it. Alex actually had to open herself up and talk.

"That kiss seemed pretty certain," Birkhoff mostly teased, but there was some sincerity in his tone. He didn't know why Alex was questioning anything. He had seen that kiss between her and Sean, and it had looked very real and genuine to him. Alex had to have felt something for Sean- something that'd make things easy and certain.

"I think now's the time to ask him out, Alex," Nikita urged. Obviously, she'd need her best friend to tell her the whole story before she could offer any real advice. But that seemed fairly basic, especially since it should've happened already.

"Really? Now?" Arching her eyebrow, Alex challenged. She understood. She had to talk to Sean. But when was she supposed to do that. He was grieving the violent loss of his mother. He was healing from a life threatening gunshot wound. And he was currently passed out on painkillers. There was no good time to talk to him. It'd be better if she just waited until their war with Division ended. At least then she'd have time to actually do what she wanted.

Glancing at an injured, sleeping Sean, Nikita had to admit that Alex couldn't talk to him then. But in the next few days or so, he'd be one hundred percent available to her. She simply had to not be closed off again by then, "Okay. Fair. But there's no point denying it anymore."

Alex opened then closed her mouth. She wanted to argue with Nikita; it seemed easier to argue with Nikita. But there was nothing she could say. Her best friend was right. Yet, thankfully, she didn't have to admit to that at the moment. Ryan soon came out of his room and stopped short in the livingroom.

Seeing all the rogue agents in their underwear sitting on the floor with coffee mugs and apples caused him to short circuit. It took Ryan a moment before he could speak, "Please tell me you guys are getting your stuff today. I don't want to keep waking up to an underwear ad."

"As soon as we wake up," Michael promised, holding up his almost empty cup of coffee. He would've already been heading to the storage locker if he hadn't shared a sleeping bag the night before. That typically didn't lend to the most restful night's sleep, especially when sleeping next to Nikita. He swore, there was never a moment where she could be still.

"And finish our conversation," Nikita said pointedly to Alex. She could let go of the jokes. However, she wouldn't let go of the topic. Nikita and Alex were going to talk about Sean and the kiss. Then she was going to have Alex talk to Sean.

Ryan had a feeling that the conversation Nikita was referring to was about Sean's and Alex's kiss the night before. He didn't want to get involved in it if it was. Witnessing the makeout session had been enough for him. That morning, he only wanted to focus on breakfast and the intel Kendrick had given them. Unfortunately, when he walked into the kitchen, Ryan noticed that his coffee grounds had already seriously been depleted. There wasn't enough food for all the rogues in the safehouse. That was going to become very disastrous very soon, "You're also going to get groceries, right?"

"Yeah, Princess. We can buy them as we talk about that kiss," Nikita was definitely beating the point to death. Yet, she felt like a lot of things lately had been getting in the way of any serious, lengthy conversation with her best friend. It was far past due that they had one. Going grocery shopping together should've given them the opportunity to talk in peace and without interruption.

"Why do I have to buy them? Birkhoff has money now," Alex whined. Although a part of her wanted to accept her best friend's invitation to shop and talk, she wanted to figure out her thoughts about Sean first. Maybe if she had a handle on them, she could clearly make a decision. And she could take Nikita's generally good advice without fighting her.

"I don't trust him to buy groceries," Nikita immediately shook her head at the idea. Birkhoff focused a lot more on snack foods than actual meals whenever he took care of the groceries. Nikita didn't not want to deal with that in the new safehouse, especially when there were so many more people living in one place. A real adult had to handle the food buying.

Before Birkhoff could quip that Nikita was also a bad grocery buyer- shopping more based on her stomach than on a list- Michael interrupted. They didn't have to worry about food for a while. There were some in the storage locker. Once they saw what they were missing, then he and Ryan could go on a grocery run, "There's some non-perishables with our stuff. That'll hold us over while we take stock. Then, I can make a grocery list."

"Busy day. Let's get going," Ryan urged the others to get up and follow him. Coffee and tea had been drunk, and apples had been eaten, so there weren't any excuses the rogues could fall back on. Grumbling and stretching, they cleaned up their sleeping bags and bed rolls and re-dressed in dirty clothes. Thankfully, the latter was only temporary. Once they had their things, they could shower and change. There was a chance that'd make them feel better as they went about their day. It wasn't going to be that bad; they just had to get moving.

Although Alex had moved away from Sean to help the team clean up, she returned to check in on him one last time. She wanted to ensure he was okay before she went with the others to the storage locker. She also wanted to leave him a note since he would more than likely wake up while they were gone, and she didn't want him to panic. However, as she lightly dusted her fingers across his forehead again, his hazel eyes opened. They blinked several times. But eventually, they landed on her. Once they did, they shone brightly and he beamed, "Hey."

"Hey," Alex smiled. And immediately, she felt at ease.