"We need to talk," Michael, Nikita, Sean, and Alex blurted once they ran into each other in Division. Although the four chuckled at the idea that they had the same thought in mind, it was a serious conversation they had to have. They could see that expressed all over one another's faces. The latest mission with terrorists and nearly fatal injuries had left them scared, and they needed to rectify that. Talking was the best solution they had.
However, the four didn't want to have that conversation with the team just yet. With Ryan constantly locked in his office, and Birkhoff always on his computer, it was alright to exclude them for just a moment. After all, Nikita, Michael, Alex, and Sean had to discuss the secret that continued to be kept from the majority. The pregnancy was what concerned them the most. It was like the manifestation of all the things they were fighting for. It was their freedom and home. All those things had been threatened lately, and it had to be fixed. Things needed to change.
Deciding to meet outside of Division, Sean, Alex, Michael, and Nikita sat down for dinner at a restaurant in the city. The excuse to their team was that they were finally celebrating Michael's and Nikita's wedding. And since Birkhoff and Ryan were on duty that night, they couldn't join. It wasn't the best cover they could've come up with, but it worked. The four were able to sneak off and get right down to business (once the waiter received their drink order of all water), "We need to do things differently."
"Definitely. Which is why I'm stepping out, and you're stepping up," Nodding to Sean's statement, Nikita added. She probably could've made herself more clear. Informing Sean and Alex that they were going to completely take over for her in the field required more explanation. However, Nikita was somewhat nervous to voice the idea. She knew no one would argue with her. That wasn't the issue. It was the thought that so much was changing so fast. She was a little more than nine weeks pregnant, yet her life was not what it was two months prior. She had to accept the fact soon, even if it was utterly intimidating and frightening.
"You're leaving the field?" Bewildered, Alex searched Nikita and Michael for any answers. She could understand the decision fairly easily. There had been a lot of scares recently, Nikita's morning sickness and cramps were really bad at times, and the further her pregnancy progressed, the less she'd be able to do as a secret agent. It was smart to make changes and prepare for their new life then; the married couple wouldn't have to frantically scramble later. But Alex was still shocked that Nikita would remove herself from all the action. She had been at the forefront of it for so long. It was difficult to imagine her anywhere else.
"It's too dangerous, and it causes too much stress," After pausing for the waiter to hand them their glasses of water, Michael explained. The danger had always been a problem. Even for a non-pregnant agent, the dangers of the field were off the charts. Except it was different with a baby; it always was. Nikita could take care of herself and her unborn child. The stakes were just too high to risk. If their enemies discovered she was pregnant, there was no question things would turn horrific. None of that helped with the stress, which could also cause harm. The married couple just had to gain as much control of the situation as possible.
Whereas the field offered too many unknown variables and dramatic occurrences of drama, Operations wasn't as severe. Nikita shared with Sean and Alex her idea to lead teams from inside Division. She could continue to help bring in the Dirty Thirties and shut down the hellhole. She'd simply take a more administrative than active position. It was hard to believe she was doing that, but it was for the best, "More things can be controlled inside Division than out."
"You don't have to worry. We'll help no problem," Taking Nikita's hand in hers, Alex promised. There was no doubt that Sean and Alex would take more responsibility in the field. Once her arm was healed, she'd be more than ready to lead charges against the Dirty Thirty. And until Sean was called back to the Navy, he'd willingly be Michael's partner; the two had worked well together previously, so it should've been a good match. With their team by their side, Michael and Nikita didn't have to be so concerned. They weren't alone in all of that.
"We just need to communicate better. Actually listen to one another. And have procedures in place instead of running by the seat of our pants," Although Sean agreed, he laid out stipulations the team had to follow in order for their changes to be actually effective. Michael, Nikita, and Alex didn't have any arguments. Sean made great points. So much so, that Michael already had ideas about new Division procedures. Some were based around his time in the Navy and CIA. Others came from his time as a rogue. But mostly, it was things he hoped would make Division the better place the team wanted it to be.
Sean also provided ideas he had had with his time as a Seal. Alex made comments about things she had noticed around the bunker and with other agents. And Nikita supplied information from her years trapped inside the hellhole. The four were working on great plans for Division and their situation as they ordered their dinner and settled in for a long night. Unfortunately, after a while, Michael received a text from Birkhoff asking him to come in. The former analyst sighed. He and the others would just have to continue their discussion later- hopefully that would be soon, "We can at least test our ideas out with whatever Birkhoff wants."
"You guys go. We got this," Nikita waved Sean and Michael off. She didn't seem all too comfortable with the thought of staying behind while they rushed off into the fray. However, someone had to take care of the check. She was also hungry, and she knew she had to eat; she needed to take care of herself. That moment was the perfect time to put all the changes they had settled on into effect. She just wished she was a bit more emotionally prepared for it.
"This is going to be fun to watch," Alex chuckled as Nikita stared at Michael and Sean leaving the restaurant. It was a good thing that stepping out of the field was her idea. She was the one to put herself in that position; she wasn't forced there. That meant she wouldn't complain, nor would she try to scheme her way back into danger. Nikita knew she had to remain on the sidelines. She'd just look on in envy- she might even feel useless. The jealousy part, though, was the hilarious part to Alex. It would be fun torturing her best friend with that while she paced around, dying to be apart of the action.
By the time Alex and Nikita returned to Division, chaos was in full swing. Even on the sidelines there was still action to be a part of. Owen had popped back up on their radar. He tripped an alarm at a bank and sparked instant news coverage. Division had to go collect him before the bad press landed on them. That was how Ryan saw it; the agents had one more rogue Dirty Thirty to take care of. Nikita, however, knew that something else was occurring. Owen set off the alarm at the bank he used to keep his black box at. That wasn't a coincidence. He was trying to send the team a message. He probably didn't know Division was in their hands.
"We need to get to Owen before he does something stupider," Nikita sighed, searching on a computer to see where Owen might've gone. She was considering the abandoned school they had first met at. That seemed like a reasonable place, even if he wasn't a reasonable guy. Yet he had to have had an explanation for why he never answered the team's calls after they split up, and he had to have had a reason for causing havoc then. Either he was in trouble, or he was up to more stupid bullshit. Nikita didn't know which one she'd rather prefer.
It ultimately didn't matter what she thought, however. As Nikita glanced at Michael, she remembered that she wasn't going to be the one out in the field. She could help the others find Owen, but she wasn't going to be the one to do it. That had been her choice, and she had to stick with it. Owen would understand- if he was thinking clearly. Who knew for sure, "I'll stay and direct from Ops while Michael and Sean lead the Alpha team."
"You're staying?" Ryan was skeptical of the decision. Birkhoff shot Nikita a confused glance as well. She should've had that conversation with them before that moment. It wasn't something she should spring on them. She also should've told them about the pregnancy. The longer she lied about it the worse it would become. Yet she couldn't bring herself to admit the truth- especially when all of Ops was staring at her. All she could actually do was shrug and twist her ring around her finger.
"Besides you, I have the most experience with Division. And on both sides of the war. We need someone leading Operations while you direct," Nikita quickly explained. Her time as an agent and as a rogue would make her a great leader in Ops. Michael, Sean, and Alex nodded in agreement behind her. Despite the idea being a cover, they did need someone running Operations while Ryan focused on running the facility. It would ensure many more agents' safety. After a moment of thought, Ryan agreed to it. He wanted to talk to Nikita about it later. Yet for the moment, Sean and Michael could roll out with Alpha team.
The worst part about being in Ops as the others left was the lack of control. Maybe Nikita could use it as a learning opportunity- take the chance to learn to not be so controlling. Parenthood had its moment of no control, after all. However, running a mission was drastically different than raising a kid. For starters, her partner wasn't with her. And secondly, she was in charge of many, not just one. If anything happened to the Alpha team, it was all on her. She had to lead them to Owen quietly, and she had to get them out alive. It wasn't that dangerous of a mission, yet she was still concerned. How she performed then set a precedent for later.
Nikita had to lead perfectly. She had to be decisive, smart, helpful, and beyond capable. She also had to trust her agents besides just Michael and Sean. If she gave them a command, she had to know they'd follow it. If they believed something in the field would work better than what she suggested, she had to believe their instincts. Leading a full team from Operations was so different than leading a small pack of rogues in the field. It took a lot more out of Nikita. Yet, at least it wasn't as stressful as being in the middle of the danger. She could have a bird's eye view of everything instead of just whatever gun was in her face.
Having a bird's eye view of the situation definitely helped in locating Owen. He was at the abandoned highschool in Montreal like Nikita had thought, and he didn't know the team had taken over Division as she had believed. He attempted to attack the Alpha team trying to bring him in safely. Nikita was able to have Michael to talk to him with her words, soothe him and assure that it would be alright. Although that helped in protecting the agents, Owen wouldn't believe it was all okay until he saw it with his own eyes. He wasn't going to trust Michael.
So, Michael tased him and brought him back to Division. Nikita wasn't thrilled about that decision (he and Owen weren't the best of friends), yet it did make it easier to direct the Alpha team on the return trip; they didn't have to worry about a rogue Owen. It felt like a fairly successful mission in regards to bringing home an agent. But there continued to be countless questions about what was occurring. Namely, where the hell had Owen been all that time.
Ryan had Alex interrogate him once he woke. The director believed someone who didn't know Owen could draw more information out of him; he wouldn't be so concerned with other things. It was a good idea in theory, but that wasn't exactly how it worked out. Owen was in a panic as soon as he gained consciousness. Nothing Alex said to him really sunk in. He asked his own questions about the situation, each one more confusing than the next. No one could figure out what he was saying until he shouted, "Where's Nikita? I need to talk to her about Amanda."