They blindfolded Alexandra at least. They had her text some excuse to whoever could be waiting for her, removed the battery from her phone, slipped some kind of covering over her eyes, and snuck her into the new beach house. Michael was surprised by the sudden visitor, to say the least. While Birkhoff zip tied her to a chair and made certain she was far from any windows, Nikita assured her fiancé. Talking to Alexandra would be a great thing for them. She knew Senator Pierce; she knew her well if her expressions when speaking of her boss were any indication. Michael was still hesitant over the idea. But Nikita comforted him with a soothing hold, and by slipping Alexandra's phone into his hand to use for intel. He sighed, but he went to run the lead; Birkhoff followed after him.

"Is this really necessary?" When she and Nikita were the only two left in the room, Alexandra bitterly asked. She was referring to her zip ties, testing the limits of her bonds. Yet Nikita had caught her spying on her interaction with Michael. The young woman was intrigued by their relationship. She seemed to be intrigued by a lot of the different ways the team interacted with one another. They definitely weren't what she was expecting.

"I don't trust you. And I doubt you trust me," Nikita sat on the makeshift coffee table (they really needed to organize their new space) in front of her captive- though that was a terrible name for what was occurring. She twisted her engagement ring to comfort herself and ease some of her anxieties. Talking to Alexandra might reveal vital information, but it could also backfire massively. The team needed a win at the moment. That had to be it.

"But we both want answers," Alexandra appeared to settle. It was almost as if seeing evidence of Nikita's engagement put her at ease. She always took the ring off for missions, never wanting to lose or damage it. And she was quick to put it back on once she was at the safehouse. Of all the things that interested the young woman, the rogue's engagement ring was the most riveting. She decided to use that to her advantage. She shifted forward, resting her forearms on her thighs and keeping her ring in sight. She also smiled softly. Her relaxed and casual position helped her 'captive' ease- she really needed to find a better word.

"Right. So, first off. What do you remember about your parents' death?" There was no easy way to dive into the question. It was one of those tear the bandaid off quickly sort of things. Nikita hoped to give it a gentler touch; Alexandra had to remain calm if they were going to get through the situation.

Yet the young woman stiffened in her chair. It was the same response she had when she heard her full name in the alley. She didn't want to delve into her past. She had more or less put it all behind her, and there it was going to stay, "What's that gotta do with anything?"

"It's a building off point. Nikolai and Katya Udinov's deaths are far more important than you think," Nikita kept her voice steady. She continued to not know much about Operation Pale Fire, despite the black box available to her. The mission wasn't something to dig into. However if the entire family was on the hit list, she knew how drastic it was. And she knew how dangerous it was to save Alexandra. Those things were not to be played with lightly. Although the women were walking around in a minefield, it was the only way to reach the happily ever after they both appeared to want.

"You don't get to say their names," Alexandra bit. She even surged forward in her chair as emphasis. Nikita knew instantly she hadn't healed from that night, not that she could blame her. She didn't have all the information to process everything. She was going to help with that. She deserved that much.

Holding up placating hands, Nikita softened her gaze. She'd follow what Alexandra wanted. After all, she wasn't her prisoner. They were simply having a discussion while she was tied to a chair, "Okay. Your mom and dad."

"There were gunshots. And fire. And my papa was murdered in front of me," Alexandra continued to be bitter. Her acidity rose the more she spoke, nearly shouting as she shared what she knew. There was a fiery need for revenge within her; Nikita could recognize it immediately. She just hoped it wouldn't burn her alive, "And even though you saved me, I was still sold into sex slavery."

Nikita had assumed that much. It explained how Alexandra got to America and continued to use the fake ID she had purchased as a teenager. She never meant for that to happen. She thought she had brought her to somebody trustworthy. The fact that she hadn't and Alexandra suffered so much broke her heart. The rogue vowed to ensure she wouldn't have to suffer so much pain again. She was going to make certain that saving her stuck, "But you escaped. Probably got clean too, if I know anything about Russian trafficking. That takes a lot of strength."

Once again, Alexandra seemed to settle. She probably sensed Nikita's apology. Or she recognized the tone of her voice. She knew what she was talking about when it came to getting clean. It required so much strength. The young woman regarded the rogue, quietly sharing her former drug of choice, "Smack."

"K all the way."

The confession had Alexandra relax in her chair and stop tugging at the zip ties. Nikita was so much more real to her then. She was someone who had overcome the same adversities and was fighting for a future with her fiancé. Even if that fight meant some impossible things, "How'd you end up saving me?"

"I used to work for Division, a secret black ops unit of the government that has now gone rogue. They were ordered to kill your family by the corrupt organization that runs it- Oversight. I saw a thirteen year old girl on the kill list, and decided to defy my orders," Nikita ripped the bandaid off again. She thought she was getting better at it. However, Alexandra proceeded to freak out once more.

"What the fuck?"

"You don't believe me? Look around. Think," Making her understand for herself was easier than explaining it further. It appeared to do the trick. Alexandra considered everything for a long moment. Her brilliant blue eyes connected with Nikita's sincere brown; she saw nothing but the truth shining back at her. Division and Oversight was difficult to swallow, especially in regards to the death of one's parents. However, it made sense in some sort of twisted way.

Everything made a dark and scary amount of sense. Alexandra didn't want to accept any of it, yet she had to. All she wanted was the truth, and there it was as ugly as ever. Her breath was shaky, yet she squared her shoulders and pressed forward. Maybe she'd process better if she had more answers, "Who the hell are you people?"

"We're the people who are gonna burn Division and Oversight down. I'm Nikita, the leader. That nerd you followed is Birkhoff, the tech support. And the man you saw me talking to is Michael, the planner and boytoy," If the men heard Nikita, they'd roll their eyes and huff. Michael would probably also state how reckless sharing that info was. But what was the real harm there. The bad guys already knew who they were. Besides, Alexandra wasn't going to be a threat to them.

"And your fiancé," Alexandra indicated the engagement ring. The conclusion was easy for her to make. She noticed Nikita's and Michael's shared glances and tender holds. There was something powerful between the two.

And the fact that she solved that problem on her own made the rogue beam. Or maybe she was simply grinning as she thought about her fiancé. Either way, Nikita's smile coaxed a small one out of Alexandra. It even brightened a tad when she was praised, "Gold star."

It didn't take long for the reality of the situation to weigh down the women again. Alexandra continued to attempt to wrap her mind around it all. Nikita was giving her the space and time she needed. She wasn't in a rush to get everything the young woman knew. Michael and Birkhoff were digging through her cellphone; that should've been efficient enough. Her time spent with Alexandra was about correcting the sins on the black box. The people whose lives were ruined deserved to know the truth, "You're gonna take down a government organization with three people?"

"Five. Owen and Ryan are just off focusing on other things," That was something Nikita wasn't going to expand upon. Owen's search for the black boxes was a whole other story to unpack, and they needed to take some baby steps. Ryan, on the other hand, that story was still rough. It also involved an identity that had to remain a secret. Their enemies knowing her team was raising hell was one thing. But Max had to stay safe.

"Like killing people," Alexandra brought the topic back to why she had followed Birkhoff in the first place. She thought they were going to kill Senator Pierce. Nikita could understand how she had made that leap. Slipping a miniature tracker into someone's drink wasn't an innocent action. Neither was raging a war.

But the team was trying to do the right thing. As Michael pointed out, exposing Oversight would bring greater peace to the world than killing them. The truth would be revealed that way. And so many more families than their own would have the chance to know what became of their loved ones. Like Alexandra, "We've actually never killed a member of Oversight. We're more focused on exposing them. They're the ones killing each other to control narratives and information."

"So Senator Pierce…"

"She's a member. We were hoping to track her to an emergency meeting I forced to happen, so we could identify the remaining assholes," Nikita helped Alexandra connect the dots. She was almost there on her own, she simply gave her a gentle nudge into the right direction. The rogue thought the young woman was going to explode again. She would have every right to be angry. Instead, she slumped in her chair.

Alexandra was silent for a long time. She looked as though she were about to cry. Nikita left her to her thoughts until she was ready for more. There was no use in pushing her. She did her best to swallow down her tears and soldier on. Yet her chin still trembled, "I work for the woman who sanctioned a hit on my family."

"I'm so sorry, Alexandra. I hoped you would've stayed far away from this," Nikita was sincere. Alexandra shouldn't have been involved in that mess. However since she was, there was no going back to simpler times.

The young woman never had simpler times, though. That was her life, and she seemed to have accepted it. Not well, but Alexandra was moving forward and demanding answers. It was what she deserved after so much, "How'd you even know I was in the city?"

"I tracked you down. I wanted to know I did something right. That this fight was all worth it," Might as well tell the truth, Nikita hadn't lied to Alexandra yet. The young woman looked a little shocked by the response. It was as though she didn't believe she was someone that could inspire a war; she wasn't aware of the power she had. Maybe Nikita could help show her, once they all decided what was to come next. She'd continue to help her have better.

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"Nikita," Michael called for her, entering the room with Alexandra's cellphone in hand. He and Birkhoff had discovered something; it was time to continue their mission. Nikita nodded and began to leave. She had said all she wanted to, Michael could answer anything else Alexandra had to know. He might even look into the black box for her. He was always braver when it came to that damn thing. It was too many secrets for Nikita to handle. But, as always, her fiancé helped her through it.

"It's Alex. Call me Alex," Alex called Nikita back. That was her olive branch- her trust. Nikita had earned it, and it was about time she proved herself as well. The rogue smiled at the young woman. She loosened the zip ties binding her to the chair, before running off to do God knew what- probably save the world.

"I'm glad I met you, Alex."