Chapter 16

8th September, Thursday

Michael had succeeded in organizing a family call. It wasn't easy since he couldn't exactly say why it was so urgent. Alex freaked out that the couple was announcing their pregnancy early in that call and bombarded Michael with text messages. After he reassured her it wasn't that he had to get through Sam and Ryan. The analyst was easy. He instantly agreed to fit it into his schedule before flying in for the surprise dinner. Sam on the other hand was harder to track down. Michael didn't even know where he was in the world right now. He called and called, sent text messages and nothing.

Eventually, he gave up and went to Nikita for help. Maybe she knew more than he did. Even though years had passed Michael and Sam still hadn't quite warmed up to each other. It was fine at the family gatherings. The guys would get up to some mischief together. But you would never catch Sam and Michael talking one-on-one or checking in on each other the rest of the time. Nikita was the one who kept in touch with him.

She found it odd when Michael said that he couldn't get a hold of Sam. It worried her. She tried calling him herself. The phone rang for a couple of seconds before Sam answered. Michael rolled his eyes and muttered as he walked out of the room "Of course"

Nikita tried not to laugh. She wanted to believe there was a reasonable explanation but she knew Sam probably did it on purpose. "Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Sam answered nonchalantly. As if there was no reason for Nikita to ask that. It confirmed her suspicion.

"Michael has been calling and texting you since yesterday with no answer." She was curious to see what excuse he would come up with now. Last time he said that he had fallen asleep and just so happened to be awake a few minutes later when Nikita called him.

"Oh, I…I was busy yesterday and haven't received any calls today"

"Sam" Nikita knew that was a lie. "What if something happens to me? Are you still going to ignore his calls?" Nikita was annoyed that they were being literal children about the whole thing. The two guys didn't even see each other that often. Sam attended half the family dinners he was invited to so there weren't supposed to be any hard feelings left.

"I will be the last person on Earth he'll call if something happens to you" Michael was going to tear down the whole world and Sam was the last person he would ever think about.

Nikita rolled her eyes. It was true but she didn't want it to be true. "Look, I have something that I want to discuss with everyone this afternoon. Read Michael's messages and get back to me"

"Well can't you just tell me now what I need to do I-"

"Read them. Bye" That was his punishment. He was going to have to read the messages and respond.

She then went and found her husband in the kitchen making some tea. "What did he say this time?" Michael was all too familiar with Sam's excuses for ignoring him. Nikita didn't say anything. She leaned on the counter, crossed her arms and stared at Michael.

"What? I have been nothing but nice to him" Nikita had to give him that. He had tried for her. Sam was the one Nikita was worried about. He has been too distant lately. "I'm worried about him"

"Why? What did he say?" Every time Nikita had an off feeling about Sam she was usually right so Michael was all ears. Out of all of them, he was the one most likely to stir some trouble for the team after all those years.

"It's not about what he said. He's been weird lately" Nikita couldn't put her finger on it. It was little things that just kept on piling up.

"When has he not been? I think you are just noticing now" Nikita seemed too in her head about it so he tried to lighten her mood. Sam has always been unpredictable and unreliable to him.

Nikita rolled her eyes and stole his cup of tea to retaliate. Michael grinned after her but sadly that smile was short-lived when he saw that Nikita had barely touched her breakfast. He quickly took the plate and went after her. "What's wrong with this?"

"What? Nothing is wrong with it. I'm just not that hungry" She kind of hoped he wouldn't notice. She wasn't in the mood to be lectured again.

Michael looked down at her plate. She had only had two bites at most. "It's your favourite" Nikita always had room for her favourite. Even when she didn't have an appetite.

"Just leave it in the fridge. I'll have it later" Nikita settled on the couch and grabbed her laptop which signified the end of that discussion. Michael had a feeling why she seemed off today and he had an idea how to fix it.

"Should we go on a walk? It's not raining anymore. I haven't taken Archie out yet"

He needed to get Nikita out of the house.

"Uhmm, I'm fine. Not really in the mood to go outside in the cold" She wanted to stay warm in the house and get on with whatever project was waiting for her.

"Yeah, no" Michael took her laptop and hid it behind his back. "You can come on a walk with me and Arch or you can stay here and rest. You're not working until Monday" There was no way Michael was going to let her continue as normal. Just because she was feeling a bit better didn't mean she recovered.

"What? You can't decide that for me" Nikita was so done with this. She was a full-grown adult and knew how to take care of herself. She also had the right to do whatever the fuck she wanted.

"I am not working as well so it's only fair, I think. Some quality time" Michael had been through this with her many times so he knew what to do and say. Nikita couldn't retaliate if Michael was also going to be taking time off.

"You and I both know it's not a matter of quality time" The two got enough quality time as it was. Nikita wouldn't mind having some more. That wasn't the issue. It was the fact that her husband was trying to use it against her.

"For me it is. I don't know how you see it so please do share" Michael wasn't giving up. He could be as stubborn as she is no problem. He knew where and how to push after being together for so many years.

Nikita groaned "I don't like you today. I'm staying here"

"Okay" Michael had no problem with that. He took the tablet off the coffee table with her phone and exited the room.

"Heyy!" Nikita should have seen that one coming. Michael took all the electronics he could find with him and stuffed them in a bag. He was probably going to take them with him on the walk or hide them somewhere she wouldn't find them. Nikita sighed defeated but remained on the couch. Why did Michael have to do this to her?

"I'm going to go get ready. You still have time to consider my offer" He knew she probably wouldn't. She already said she wasn't coming to spite him so it would be hard to change her mind. He still tried and gave her the space to do so.

Nikita was still just as annoyed as ever. To show how much she reached for the blanket at the end of the couch, wrapped herself in it and turned the other way.

Michael fought hard to hold in his laughter. He didn't really care which option she chose as long as it was one of the two. He wanted her to get better and take the time to truly take the last couple of days in. It was Nikita though. Her default setting was to close off and shove everything inside. Pretend she was fine and keep going. She didn't have to do that anymore.

To her credit, she hadn't done that in a while. She had been pretty good with talking to him and sharing whatever was on her mind. When it came to big things that hurt her deeply she was finding it difficult to open up or even show that she was struggling. Michael was going to help her through it whether she liked it or not. He won't allow her to hurt in silence.

Nikita sat on the couch for a while. Archie came in and laid by her while he waited to be taken out on a walk. Nikita pet him gently and the dog was quick to snuggle into its owner. Nikita chuckled "I don't think you want to go out either" Archie licked her and stuck his face into her blanket. Nikita laughed even more.

Her irritable mood seemed to be going away as quickly as it came.

By the time Michael was downstairs, Nikita had her jacket on and was putting Archie's leash on. He was happy to see this turn of events. Nikita looked at his all smug smile "Don't you dare say anything"

"I love you" Michael snuck in a kiss on her cheek and grabbed his jacket as well.

"I love you too but I still don't like you" Nikita teased. She had to in some way since she was going on a walk with him now.

"That's the beauty of it all" Michael had apparently decided that today he wasn't going to be bothered by anything. Nikita threw her cap at him and muttered "Always knows what to say" She wanted him to fight back in a way. At least then she could argue his point. She didn't feel like admitting he was right quite yet.

She did like the idea of having a break just for them.

"Yes, yes I do" Michael flashed his crooked smile and opened the front door for his wife and dog. As Nikita passed him she stopped, turned around and stole a quick kiss from his lips. Michael didn't expect it so he had no time to react. Nikita was by the car in seconds, he was left laughing and following after her. Oh, how much he loved this woman.

"What are you thinking about?" Sonya was concerned for her husband. His mood had been off since yesterday. She understood why but everything was going to be okay.

He was staring at his laptop, hands crossed, mind lost somewhere else. When Sonya approached him the hacker sighed "I have been running some more background checks on the Carters"

"Why? You already did that." There was also no point since Nikita wanted to stay as far away as possible from those people. Plus she was sure he had already run background checks a dozen times.

"Well, I did that with Richard and we almost burned alive so" To Birkhoff the background checks weren't good enough anymore. He needs more verifications. He needed more to be certain.

"That was different. It was Division that orchestrated the whole thing. There is no way this could be something from Division again"

Birkhoff stayed silent.

"Right?" Sonya didn't like that. There was no way.

"I don't know. I really don't. Those traps for Nikita were set up by Percy himself. Whoever he used was good enough that passed my radar with no flags raised." Birkhoff had to figure out how.

"Yeah, but you can't really set up two parent traps. It's stupid. She would see it coming" Sonya's gut feeling was telling her that the Carters were really Nikita's parents.

"Yeah, but Richard was supposed to be discovered by Nikita years before he actually was. Percy wanted Nikita to look for her real parents when she was rogue on her own. That way she was more vulnerable and his plan would work. What if he set up something new or I don't know to-"

"Stop, babe, stop" Her husband was getting himself into a rabbit hole of theories.

"I think something else is going on here"

"What?"

"You blame yourself for not realizing Richard was planted by Division. You are overanalyzing this situation now to make sure you don't make the same mistake. That wasn't your fault" Something Sonya had learnt through the years of being together with Seymor was that he carried a lot of guilt inside himself and he hid it very well. Because he wasn't skilled in hand-to-hand combat or shooting he had to protect his family the only way he knew how - through his hacker skills. He couldn't fail. All it took was one mistake for everything to fall apart.

"Yeah, but it is the reason Nikita doesn't want to look for her parents now. Because of that bastard Richard, which I didn't see coming, she doesn't want to hear about anything regarding her parents. Even if they are standing right in front of her"

Sonya was surprised. She didn't think he shared the same opinion. Maybe they were on the right path"You think-"

"Yeah, I do. Everything lines up. It makes sense. They have actual proof not just some story and a fake birth certificate. The records about everything are real. I can't be 100% sure but I just know it. She is making a mistake. I want to find a way to prove it."

"Do you think Michael thinks so too?" If the three of them thought the Carters were Nikita's real parents they had a better chance of convincing Nikita to see it as well.

"Michael was too busy worrying about her reaction but yes. He heard and saw what I did too. I know he will agree that there is a big possibility that they are her real parents"

"Yeah but wouldn't he try to reason with her about it? At least to do a DNA test." Sonya found it hard to believe that Michael wouldn't try to talk to Nikita more and make her at least think about it. He had a strong influence on her. More than anyone from the family.

"Definitely not after the way she found out. Even if they say they are okay I know in the back of his mind he still blames himself. Therefore he wouldn't say anything against her decision." There was no way Michael would disagree with Nikita on the topic.

"Yeah but still. If he really thought they were her parents…If I were him I wouldn't give up. Maybe you should talk to him about it." Her husband had some good points but Michael was still strong-minded. Maybe he was working up something in his mind too about what to do.

"Do you think he'll actually listen? Nikita made herself clear that she didn't want to ever talk about it after today." Birkhoff knew his best friend. If something hurt Nikita he eliminated it in whatever way he could.

"It's worth the try. Talk to him and then the two of you could talk to Nikita. I can talk to her as well. She made that decision pretty quickly after she found out. Maybe it was the shock and all the emotions that overwhelmed her."

It was a possibility. "Okay. Let's see what happens today and I'll go from there"

Nikita and Michael's walk was going great. Nikita's mood lifted very quickly and she was glad that she went with Michael. If she had stayed alone at home she was probably going to go insane from all the thoughts inside her brain.

As they were walking hand in hand, he gathered up the courage to finally ask her "What happened this morning?"

"Do we have to, Michael?" Nikita signed. They were having a great time and she wanted it to stay that way. She wasn't irritated or sad anymore. Why bother talking about it and bringing all those feelings back.

"I mean we don't have to but I would like to know what's in that head of yours. Something in there is bothering you. Please talk to me." And there it was. Why did he always have to do that to her. She couldn't dismiss his plea and his worry and he knew that. She had to talk about it whether she liked it or not.

"I…I was having nightmares all night. I don't want to talk about them but that's why I am tense today and also this phone call…"

Michael had guessed the family phone call was what was heavy on her mind. He expected it. The nightmares though were surprising. She usually woke him after having a terrible dream. They both did that. He should have at least felt her tossing and turning.

"Did you wake me up?" Michael didn't remember. He hoped he didn't just turn the other way and go back to sleep.

"No I…I just…I don't know" She didn't know why she didn't wake up Michael. It was always better when they comforted one another. Sometimes they talked about what was in the dream, sometimes they didn't. It didn't really matter. They were just there for each other and that always eased the grip that the nightmare had on their mind. Maybe if Nikita had woken Michael up she wouldn't be thinking about the nightmares still.

Michael guided her to the nearby field so that they could have some privacy. He let Archie off his leash to run around in the open empty area and then turned his full attention to his wife.

"Hey, come here" He pulled her in his arms and just held her. She wasn't in a talkative mood so he wouldn't force her. He was there to comfort her in any way she let him. Nikita snuggled into him, closed her eyes and just breathed. Everything was too much all of a sudden. Like everything from the last few days was all piled up on top of her chest right now. Heaving her down and making every moment of today harder.

Michael rocked her gently, holding her tighter. He laid kisses to her temple, wishing he could just take everything off her shoulders and carry it himself. She didn't deserve this.

Nikita felt tears starting to stream down her face. She needed to find some distraction from fully sobbing into Michael's chest. She didn't want to feel all these emotions right now. "Please talk about something. Anything"

Michael heard the pain in her voice and it broke his heart. He squeezed her to him and tried to find anything that would distract him as well. "You know I have been thinking about which room we are going to be turning into a nursery" He saw a couple pushing a stroller with a baby and instantly thought about theirs. They hadn't had the chance to truly enjoy this special time. He was too preoccupied with worrying about her and she was going through it.

Nikita approved the topic by laying a kiss on his neck. Michael felt a slight smile there so he continued. "It has to be close to ours but the closest one is quite big for a baby's room. A nursery has to be small and cozy in my opinion. It's more calming that way." He continued.

"What about the one across from ours to the right? It's small, right next to the main bathroom, and it's quiet too" Nikita supplied her opinion on the matter. They were using that room for storage right now because they had no idea what to do with it. They had enough guest bedrooms for their family so that one was left without a purpose.

"Yeah, that one is perfect actually. We should paint it and decorate it to have it ready. That way you can rest and relax more at the end." Michael was very pleased with her answer. It got him excited to experience the joy of having a baby with her.

"I saw a photo the other day of someone drawing animals or different characters on a wall for their child. I want to do something like that. It looked beautiful"

"That sounds fun. We have to do it. Well, you are going to do it. I don't want to scare the baby with my drawings but I can help some other way" He was sure going to be useful in building and moving furniture around.

That got a laugh out of Nikita. The image of Michael showing their baby his drawing on the wall and the baby crying afterwards was pure gold.

"Okay, don't make fun of me that much. I have feelings you know" Her laugh was joy to his ears.

"God, I love you." She didn't know how he always managed to erase all the dark clouds over her head and make her laugh like that.

"I love you and I can't wait to start this chapter with you."

Nikita leaned back and kissed him sweetly. With him by her side, everything was going to be okay.

I haven't abandoned this story I promise! Life has just been crazy between uni and work. I am not the fastest writer so it takes me ages to finish one chapter and also be happy with it.

Thank you for your continued support! I appreciate you so much and you are the reason I keep on writing xx

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