Michael got Nikita home and in bed, but she didn't stay there. When her fiancé eventually fell into a deep sleep, she slipped out of the apartment and returned to Division. She couldn't stop thinking about her brother. Her guilt and anger ate away at her, leading her back to Medical. She had to finally see Sean; she had to make things right. He was fast asleep when she arrived, and so was Alex- curled uncomfortably against his side on the small bed. Gently, Nikita woke her. Only one of them needed to watch over deserved to really rest after all she had done, "Hey. Go home, take care of yourself. I can watch him for now."

"Okay," Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Alex sighed. She didn't want to leave Sean's side- then or ever. But Nikita was right. She wouldn't be able to help Sean if she didn't help herself as well. Besides, it wasn't as though she was leaving him all alone. His sister could watch over him in the meantime. As Alex stumbled out of bed, stretching her tight muscles and yawning, she reached to pull Nikita into another embrace. She was far more receptive to the hug that time. She squeezed her best friend as tightly as possible. Neither let go for a long while. They simply squeezed each other, providing as much comfort as they could.

Alex soon went home, promising she'd be back early in the morning. Nikita nodded and sat in a chair beside Sean's bed. He had stayed asleep. Between his injury and the drug cocktail, that wasn't surprising. He needed to rest, to build back up his strength. Taking her brother's hand in hers, though, Nikita wished he'd wake. It was selfish of her. Needing him to wake just so she could talk to him was more about her guilt than him. But she just wanted his eyes to open. She had to hear his voice. After an hour or so, she finally got her wish. Sean stirred and clutched her hand tightly. He slowly peeled his eyes open and looked at her curiously, "Alex…"

"It's Nikita," Softly, Nikita corrected. Sean let go of her hand. She told herself that it was because he wanted to rub his eyes and push himself upright. But she couldn't fight the pang of guilt in her chest. She had suspected that he'd hate her for what had happened. How could he not. She had taken him away from his family. She had ripped him away from those he loved. She hated herself for that. So of course he did too. Yet she was going to make it up to him. She was going to apologize and set things right, "I'm so sorry, Sean. I tried. I tried to find evidence to exonerate you. I tried to stop Amanda. I tried to not get you recruited. I fought so hard. But…"

"Was Amanda going to kill me?" Groggily, Sean asked. Nikita helped him comfortably sit up against the pillows, and she handed him a glass of water. Alex had probably told Sean as much as she could before exhaustion washed over him. However, he still had so many questions. Nikita swore she would answer them all. Although he was recruited, he wasn't going to be scared or confused or heartbroken. He also wasn't going to be isolated; the team would never leave his side. Sean's recruitment wasn't going to be like Nikita's. He wasn't going to be like her.

"Yes. But this is only temporary, I swear. We're going to clear your name. You're going to get a pardon and an identity just like the rest of us. And I'm going to bring you back home. I promise, Sean. I'm not leaving you in Division," Gripping Sean's hand in hers, Nikita promised. She wouldn't be like their mother. She wouldn't sweep him under a rug, forget all about him, leave him to some undetermined fate. He was her family. She had to stay by his side no matter what. Especially since she was the reason he was in that situation.

"You saved my life," Sean clutched Nikita's hand in return. Even in the dim light of Medical, she could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to be positive. He wanted to cling to the promises she had given him (and the hope Nikita knew Alex had given him as well). He wanted to be strong and accept what was occurring. However, he was so hurt and scared and angry. None of those emotions were directed at Nikita. He couldn't be mad at her, or anyone in Division. For what had happened. Amanda, and only Amanda, deserved all his rage.

"And I'm going to make sure it's not ruined forever," Nikita continued to swear. She didn't know how she was going to keep all those promises to Sean. She didn't know how to clear his name, how to bring him back home, or how to make sure his life wasn't ruined forever. A part of her wholeheartedly believed that it wouldn't be possible. But if Michael could promise Nikita that, then she could promise Sean. She wasn't going to give up. She had to fight for her brother as fiercely as she fought for everything else. Just because they were in a shitty situation didn't mean it was time to quit. She was going to double-down and ensure her brother could live.

"I trust you. I know you'll always keep me safe," Softly, Sean smiled. Nikita choked back the tears prickling in her eyes and nodded vehemently. Her brother extended his arms as best he could for an embrace. She accepted it immediately. She took over Alex's cramped spot on the small hospital bed, hugging her little brother tightly. He managed to hug her tightly as well. They didn't say anything else. They could wait until morning to answer more questions and make more promises. There wasn't anything the siblings could do that night besides provide comfort anyway. So that was all they did.


In the middle of the night, Michael reached out to his fiancée and felt nothing; her side of the mattress was cold. With a sigh, Michael pushed himself out of bed. He knew where Nikita had gone. She had never left his side for days after the accident. He had no doubt that she was doing the same with her brother. By the time Michael reached Medical, both Pierce siblings were asleep on the cot. He smiled. Gently, he woke Nikita and soothed her instant panic. It was alright. There was no need to worry anymore, "Hey. It's just me. Why don't you let him rest. We can sleep across the hall with the doors open. Then we can see or hear anything that might happen."

Mostly because she was exhausted, and because she didn't want to bother her brother more than she had that night, Nikita agreed with Michael. She let him guide her to a room across the hall. She ensured the doors were open and she could still see her brother before she settled on a cot. Her fiancé curled behind her, reminding her of how they used to sleep together in her small bed in the loft. The memory helped her relax a little. Despite the constant hell and pain, there could still be those little comforts. It wasn't all bad.

Whereas Michael fell back asleep, Nikita only dozed. Everytime she drifted off, she'd snap back awake to stare at her brother. He never stirred. He slept like a rock. Though, she doubted it was peaceful. There were too many thoughts, too many emotions, and too many memories sprinting around for any true rest. Even Michael occasionally tightened his grip on her as if fighting off a nightmare. It was always going to be an ongoing battle. They could find their comforts, look to the bright side of things, have hope. But there was always a war going on.

When Alex returned, Nikita decided it was time to finally wake. She woke Michael as she did. There were things they had to do and discuss in the aftermath of Sean's 'death'. While Alex answered Sean's remaining questions (once he woke) Nikita was called into Ryan's office. He started the meaning off easy by telling her that it'd be best if Sean hid in the bunker for the next couple of weeks or months- until he was out of the news. Then he explained how Kendrick's death left them in deeper shit with the blue files. Amanda definitely knew what she had done by going after the director of the CIA. The aftermath just kept screwing Division over.

After Nikita left the office, Ryan pulled Michael aside and expressed that the other Pierce should lay low as well. Some news stations were bringing up her tragic death as they reported on Sean's. It'd be safe if she didn't draw any unnecessary attention at the moment. Michael agreed that he'd at least try to rein her in. However, he wasn't having much luck. Since Sean was stuck in the bunker for a while, Alex and Nikita decided to gather some necessities and comforts for him from his apartment. Jill and Sandy wouldn't be able to go through his belongings until after the funeral, according to Alex. So the time to grab his stuff was then.

Sean gave them a list of a few things he needed/wanted. Alex and Nikita said they'd fill in the gaps, which made Michael tag along with them. His experience as a handler and as a man would be more useful in grabbing things. The three worked quickly together. In no time, they had some boxes full of books and games, toiletries and other necessities, and a suitcase full of clothes. Before they left, Nikita also decided to pack Sean snacks. She knew he'd appreciate it after eating Division's food. But as she moved towards the kitchen, there was commotion outside the door. Alex cursed, "Shit. They said they wouldn't be here until next week."

As the doorknob turned, Nikita frantically ducked behind the couch, Michael hurriedly positioned himself between her and the door, and Alex attempted to act normal. It wasn't the best three secret agents could do, but they panicked. Jill and Sandy had them completely surprised. Alex had them surprised as well when they entered the apartment. They hadn't expected her to be there. Trying not to draw attention to the boxes and suitcase, Alex tried to come up with an excuse. The best she could manage was a stammer, however, "Hey. Sorry. I thought I'd just go through a few things to just… um… I don't know…"

Fortunately, Jill and Sandy assumed Alex's awkward agitation was due to grief. They gave her sympathetic smiles as they moved further into the apartment. When they caught sight of Michael, however, their grins dropped. A strange man in their dead brother's apartment immediately set them on edge. Michael did his best to calm them with a gentle smile and soft words, "I'm Michael. I worked with Sean. I asked if I could grab a few things he had for work. I'm so sorry for your loss. Truly. I know how difficult it is to lose a loved one so suddenly. It is the worst kind of pain. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ever reach out to anybody."

"Thank you," Jill and Sandy shook his outstretched hand and introduced themselves. Alex shot a quick glance at where Nikita was hiding. Michael normally didn't talk that much. Even while undercover, he kept his words short and charming. He either said too much because he was nervous, because he wanted to make a good impression on his sisters-in-law, or because he really wanted to help them. Alex couldn't decide which. When she glanced at Nikita, and caught a quick glimpse of her brown eyes peering out, she figured she'd get her thoughts on the matter. Yet Nikita wasn't looking at Michael. She was staring at her sisters.

"Yeah. There's a lot to go through. We needed to grab some paperwork as well," Sandy and Jill snapped Alex's attention away from the couch as they explained their sudden visit. The two had a lot of things they had to take care of- like the funeral, the death certificate, and whatever other technical things that had to be done. The sooner they took care of it, the better. Although they didn't want to be confronted with all the emotions and memories found in their brother's apartment, that was where he kept his important documents. They had to brave the space in order to collect them.

"Come on. I know where he keeps that," Alex was only partially telling the truth. She knew in theory where Sean kept important documents, but she didn't think she could actually locate them. It didn't matter, however. The twins would find what they needed eventually. Alex's only concern at that moment was getting Nikita out of the apartment. With Amanda targeting her loved ones, and the President so pressed about keeping Division contained, Jill and Sandy couldn't even suspect that their long dead sister was really alive. They couldn't see her at all.

"It was nice to meet the sisters from Sean's stories, but I should get going. Again, I'm sorry," Michael grabbed the first thing he could and pretended that was all he came for. He then waved goodbye to Jill and Sandy. The women waved at him as well before Alex turned them away from the door. Hurriedly, Michael opened it and ushered Nikita out. She stole one final glance at her sisters before she sprinted into the hallway. The two would have to return for Alex and the boxes later. They had to do some shopping for Sean anyway, so that could preoccupy their time until they got the all-clear.

However, Michael didn't think they could go shopping. Nikita had a look in her eyes that worried him. He knew she had nearly compromised her position by staring at Jill and Sandy from behind the couch. She had been so close to her sisters that she could've touched them, yet she had never been as far away from them as then. Michael was really concerned that that might've shattered her. But he wasn't able to check in with her until they were in the stairwell. He wouldn't risk the other Pierces being able to hear them. After all, he knew very well that Nikita put her siblings' wellbeing far above her own, "Are you alright?"

"We're getting Sean home," Determination flashed brightly in Nikita's eyes. When she had stared at Jill and Sandy, she never thought about herself (or the fact that Michael had finally met her sisters). That was weird even for her to consider. She had always wanted to return home to them, and she still did. But as she watched them, she didn't think about jumping out from behind the couch and rushing to their arms. All she thought about was Sean. He should've been there. He should've been with Jill and Sandy, making them laugh and smile. One way or another, Nikita was going to bring him back there. He wasn't going to be as far gone from them as her.