It wasn't fair that she had to be the bigger person. She hated that she had to be the one to make things better. With anyone else she would've done it without problem. But in that situation, she wanted to put up a fight. She hadn't done anything wrong. She was only trying to save her friend. Why did betrayal keep happening to her. Not wanting to dwell on that then (or ever), Nikita swallowed her upset feelings. She just had to talk to Ms. Bennet about what had occurred. Hopefully, she'd understand and stop contradicting the team. They'd be able to have lightness again, enjoy their time together. There didn't have to be so much frustration and pain.

The talk hadn't been that bad. Ms. Bennet actually listened, and the women were able to come to an understanding. Nikita felt brighter as she spent the rest of the day with her team. Her former teacher continued to keep her distance, committed to taking walks along the beach. But that just gave the others space to taunt and tease as they worked. Shadownet hadn't chimed with any Division news, so they were left with only cleaning and planning to do. That was fine with them. Their jokes more than made up for any boredom, as did Alex's phone call.

She had to stay at the hotel for the sake of her cover. After her two press conferences, reporters were all over her. There was no doubt Alex could shake her tail, and join her team at the safehouse. Yet it was easier to keep an eye on Ari and Semak where she was. Besides, she was going to travel back to Russia with them; she had to ensure they didn't leave her behind. Her mother was waiting for her. She was going to rescue her from Semak, then she would finally be home. She was so lucky to have a team helping her with that mission. It kept calm, focused, and ready for anything.

A plan for Alex and Russia was loosely put into place before she jetted off in the morning. The team had to come up with something more solid over breakfast, giving them time to rest and reset. Although the young woman would run the majority of the op and handle the information, they had to be ready to help her at a moment's notice. Birkhoff and Michael were working on the logistics of that, while Sean and Nikita were thinking things over in the kitchen. She poured herself the remainder of the coffee, not noticing her brother was holding out his mug for some until she took a sip. He pouted at her. She remedied the situation by spitting the coffee she had in her mouth into his cup. A shriek burst out of him before he could stop it, "That's disgusting! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You have your own fucking place. Leave me alone," Nikita shrugged, walking back to the table Michael and Birkhoff had occupied. Sean hadn't stayed at his own place in weeks. He'd swing by his apartment here and there, but mostly for food, clothes, and toiletries. Otherwise, he was always annoying his sister. Or following around Alex. Nikita appreciated her brother's help; she loved that he was there with the team and back in her life. She just wished he would leave her the fuck alone.

"I would if you didn't have a dramatic episode every two seconds. You're stuck with me, until you can figure out another way to keep Alex safe," Abandoning his mug in the kitchen, Sean chased after Nikita. Honestly, it wasn't just the missions that kept him around. He preferred to stay at the safehouse rather than his empty apartment. The team was so lively that he couldn't help but be wrapped up in their antics. Spending time with his sister was beyond great as well. He was so glad to have her back. The ten years without her had to be made up for; he didn't care that he annoyed her as a result.

They weren't the only ones enjoying each other's company, anyway. Michael, Alex, and Birkhoff had just as much fun (and annoyance) with the Pierce siblings. That breakfast was no exception. Sean's last statement not only caused Nikita to glance at him all too knowingly, but also the other men in the room. The Seal was puzzled by their smirks and eye rolls. He was valid in poking fun of the team for their dramatics. But the joke wasn't why they stared at him, as Michael smugly pointed out, "Just keep Alex safe? Or the whole team?"

"Uh. The team. See. I can't think straight without coffee," Sean very quickly covered for his blunder. Birkhoff scoffed and Michael chuckled. Nikita, on the other hand, pointedly took a sip of coffee. He attempted to glare her into submission, but that only made her silent taunt grow. It would be best for him to ignore the whole thing, and force the conversation along. Yet his sister would never let him off the hook. She had already been making fun of him for having a crush (which he didn't, he and Alex were just friends), that simply added fuel to her fire. He was never going to hear the end of it.

"Well why don't you get your own when you go to Russia to be with Alex," Nikita surprised her brother with an offer instead of a quip. Sean stared at her hard to ensure she was being serious. She rolled her brown eyes and sighed, "She's going into the heart of Zetrov territory. She needs a partner. Michael and I really shouldn't with Gogol and the press in the mix. Birkhoff can't do shit. But a Navy Seal on leave, and whose status has already been exposed is the perfect fit. Also. Ari still has a black box and we should probably deal with that."

No one could argue with her reasoning, though Birkhoff had a thing or two to say about his abilities. Gogol and the very active press didn't bode well for rogue agents like Michael and Nikita. And with the enemies Alex liked to accumulate, she needed someone trained in combat watching her back. Since Sean was still on leave from the Navy, and his covert Seal status had been blown after the Gates House coverage, what better use of his time than to be her partner. His cover was simple too- he'd just be her bodyguard. A bright smile bloomed on his full lips as he thought of it. He absolutely enjoyed the plan, "I'm really the best person to protect her?"

"God, you're so fucking stupid. Just go," His sister ruined it for him, however. Nikita shoved at him to go pack. As fun as it was to tease him for his obvious feelings, he had to leave if he was going to meet Alex. It was a long flight to Russia, and who knew what would happen between the different times they landed. Sean was aware of the urgency, and tried to hurry. But he just had to shove back at her. She was able to dodge his attempt, and he was left tripping and almost falling. Once again, the team chuckled at him. He seriously had to get out of there.

"Shut up," His closing remark made his sentiments clear. Sean prepared to leave and board Birkhoff's private jet. The nerd moved to his computer to set the flight up for him, while Michael and Nikita cleared the dishes. Her eyes rolled for the umpteenth time concerning her brother. However, she couldn't say much in regards to not acknowledging feelings. How many times has she pushed everything she felt into a deep dark corner, never to revisit it. Of course, more often than not, those feelings crept up on her and clawed her back into the deep. The best option for the whole team was to own up to their thoughts and emotions.

However, she wasn't willing to focus on that at the moment. There was more cleaning to do, and Alex's time in Russia to keep planning for. Along with her mission to save Katya, Ari continued to have the black box. The team had to find some way to dismantle it, or steal it back. Sean's idea was to get rid of it completely. That damn thing held way too many secrets regarding his mother and his sister. If they destroyed it, there was no chance of those secrets escaping and harming them. Bringing a briefcase of tools with him, he stumbled out the door to get to the airport in record time. Nikita stared after him, annoyed, "You see why I bully him?"

"He'll figure it out. Besides, Russia's a great place to come to romantic revelations," Michael flashed Nikita a crooked grin. A computer chimed with some kind of alert, drawing Birkhoff's attention away from the couple. They somewhat had a moment to themselves, and he was able to pull her gently into his side. Although she shook her head, she was smiling. The two had had their own adventures in Russia regarding their relationship; the isolation and tense situations they found themselves in really helped them realize just how strongly they felt for one another. That being said, it still took them a while to actually be together- more so because of him than her.

"If you don't cockblock yourself," Nikita teased Michael for his past actions, right as he placed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Mischief sparkling in her brown eyes, she slipped out of his arms. He had that comment coming. He chuckled to himself, and followed after her. Whereas they were finishing their cleanup of breakfast, Birkhoff was transfixed by his computer. He wasn't certain what he was reading. But the information was beyond important. The team needed to be roped in immediately.

"I'm going to need that story ASAP. After I tell you what I found," Calling Nikita and Michael over, Birkhoff was more serious than taunting. It didn't matter that he had overheard their conversation, something major was happening. The agents tried to dismiss it at first; unidentified dead bodies weren't a cause for concern. Yet after some digging, the bodies were revealed to be Division agents. They hadn't been killed on missions. Someone had broken into their homes and shot them. There were others out there raging war against that hellhole. In all honesty, who were they to stop them.

Michael did point out that the dead agents belonged to a Gogol taskforce he had put together years ago. And Birkhoff added that the ballistics matched known Gogol weapons. That didn't make sense to Nikita. Although the two organizations were enemies, there was no use in killing agents. Not with Ari and Amanda literally in bed together. Her thoughts couldn't stop themselves from wandering to Percy. He had proved with Clean Sweep that if he couldn't have Division, then no one could. He'd rather burn that place to the ground then have someone else have power. It seemed pretty on par for him to kill agents to get his way.

But why blame it on Gogol. Sure they were his enemies. Yet that shouldn't have been something Percy was focused on. Besides, he didn't know the connection between Ari and Amanda. The team only knew because of Ms. Bennet. A dark thought overcame Nikita, making her freeze. Her former teacher entered the safehouse after another walk along the beach, and pocketed what appeared to have been a burner phone. That could've been nothing. Except, she didn't have any possessions when the team brought her in. And the only time she had been out of anyone's sight long enough to get a phone was when she was with Percy.

Nikita didn't want to consider it. She didn't want to think about that possibility. But Carla had remained so loyal to Percy and Division. She wanted nothing more than to destroy Amanda and reclaim the program for something 'good'. The rogue had thought their talk had changed that. But she was wrong. Her former teacher was as stubborn and determined as ever to take over Division. Even after seeing what that place had done to a student she had once cared for, even after knowing the amount of pain the team had experienced, she was going to fight for that hellhole. Nikita was going to be sick.

Telling herself it was only speculation didn't help. She might've seen a cellphone in Carla's hands, and Percy might've learned about Ari and Amanda from her. None of those were facts, however. It was all an idea she had, based off of her anxiety's worst case scenario. Nikita wouldn't go to her team with those thoughts. She couldn't condemn Ms. Bennet on conjecture. She would need evidence before involving the others. Another loved one wasn't going to hurt her again; she was going to make sure of it. Something else had to have been occurring.

Fortunately, there were tasks left to do for Nikita to focus on instead. She could clean out the mission bag she had dropped into a corner and ignored. When she dug through it, however, she realized she had grabbed Michael's by mistake. Their duffels were mostly similar, but there was one huge difference at that moment- he had a picture of Max in his bag. Despite how sweet and endearing she found the sentiment, she had to confront him about it. If their enemies discovered he had a son, there would be no way to protect him. His safety had to remain a priority.

There had been enough family tragedy in that war. Max needed to stay as far away from it as possible. Nikita wouldn't let anyone else fall victim to their parents' mistakes. She, Alex, and Sean were enough. Michael understood her point, but he believed they were safe for the moment. He still hoped he could have both worlds. She didn't mention her thoughts about Carla or possible dangers that could be lurking too close for comfort. She simply reiterated the issue. He seemed to have read her mind then, attempting to pry into her thoughts as he always did. Luckily, Birkhoff interrupted them. A call was coming in on one of his computers, "It's Amanda."

"Don't answer. It could be a trap," Immediately, Carla instructed. She burst out of the kitchen to join the team. Nikita wouldn't make eye contact with her. Her argument was just another reason not to trust her. She had once turned to her to deal with her family. But then, she was suspecting her or murder and betrayal. Only her emotions were arguing against the things she had seen. Normally, she'd shove them away. So why was she listening to them at that moment. There was nothing she could've done to stop from getting hurt. The rogue had to accept what was happening and turn to her team.

"Relax. She can't trace it," For the moment, however, there was Amanda to deal with. Birkhoff assured that the bitch couldn't trace them, yet he still glanced at Nikita and Michael to see if they were actually going to speak to her. The agents nodded tersely. They couldn't ignore her or anything else that was going on. They had to face things head on.

"Let's see what the bitch wants. It must be good if she's calling us."