It had been a long mission that left a coat of sweat, dirt, and leaves on Nikita's coat as she opened her apartment door. She didn't even stay to change at Section, as all she wanted was the comforts of her own warm bed. The next time Section decided to have them run six miles in the forest with it being only 33 degrees out, she was taking a portable heating blanket.

Nikita steps into the blackened apartment and drops the gun on to the countertop near the sink. She pulls the rubberband out of her hair and pushes her head back. She starts to pull the wet and mud covered black leather coat off of her soaked body.

THE LIGHTS GO ON. Nikita stares in front of her and blinks her eyes.

"MOTHER!" Nikita exclaims and the old woman steps forward with a frown on her face.

"Nikita... I don't understand. When Fred said he saw you, I didn't believe him... and then I get the to apartment and find all these guns... and YOU... ALIVE!" Nikita's mother screams as she starts to circle Nikita.

"Mother! What are you doing here?" Nikita cries out as fear grips her body. Her mother, the one who used and abused her was circling her, like she use to do when Nikita lived with her. Fear also gripped her as Nikita knew the consequences for her mother finding her. Nikita was compromised.

"What am I doing here? YOU ARE DEAD!" Nikita's mother says as she steps forward and smacks Nikita.

Nikita stares at her unable to react. Instead of a mother happy to see her dead daughter alive... it just stayed the same.

"GET OUT, MOTHER!" Nikita says as she points to the door.

"NO.. why all these guns, Nikita! I didn't raise you that way!" Nikita's mother says loudly and punches Nikita in the stomach.

Nikita blinks and doesn't feel pain. Pain from her mother did not exist anymore, at least she thought. "I have permits for them all.. to keep people like you away. GET OUT!" Nikita screams as she starts to feel a rage from inside her. Nikita was ready to kill her mother, and it was the first time that Nikita knew she could get away with it.

"NO!" Her mother screams back.

Nikita grabs her jacket and walks out the door. It is once Nikita is in the hallway when the tears start to fall.

The park was dark as Michael moved in between trees. The coldness from the mission still stuck to his chest, and now being out in the cold again, started to freeze his body again.

Yet, he was warm with fear. The phone call was not normal. Nikita never called him, it had always been the opposite way around. The tone of her voice and the message only started the fear inside Michael.

Michael slides out onto the path and stares from a distance at the bench that Nikita graces. She was still in mission clothing. The mud still caked on her face and Michael looked behind him instinctively.

"Nikita." Michael says from about ten feet away, as she had not moved her head. Her gaze was far off and Michael slowly entered her space, afraid of what kind of reaction she would have.

"What is it, Nikita?" Michael asks as he looks down from his standing height.

"I've been compromised." Nikita says in haunting words and not looking up at Michael.

"By whom?" Michael asks as he looks over his shoulder.

"My mother." Nikita responds and Michael looks down at Nikita. Her bangs are hiding her face, and she is not looking up at him. Michael slowly squats and looks into her eyes. Once Nikita feels Michael's eyes hitting hers, she pulls her head away, not wanting him to see what she was embarassed about.

"Did she do anything?" Michael asks softly as he checks her body. Nikita was in a bad need of a shower, but the mud on her face showed evidence of tears.

"She found some of my guns." Nikita says without turning towards him. Michael lifts his hand and touches Nikita's chin.

"Did she do anything to you?" Michael asks and Nikita tries to drop her chin. Michael looks away as he holds Nikita's chin. Her mother had jumped back into her life, and was making the difficult life as it was, more unbearable.

"You are coming with me." Michael says as he stands up and takes Nikita's hand.

"Where? Don't we have to get rid of her?" Nikita asks and Michael pulls Nikita up with one tug of his arm.

"You need some rest." Michael says as he starts to lead Nikita through the dark woods and to his carefully parked car.

Michael guided Nikita into the apartment with a hand on her right shoulder. He moved past the light switch and headed directly to the back of the apartment.

He did not feel the need to expose Nikita to the apartment tonight. Michael entered the bathroom with Nikita in the lead and turned on a small light. The bathroom was all oak, and the light made the bathroom glow brightly with a warm hue. Nikita looked around and then saw the mirror.

"What did she do to you?" Michael asks as he starts to pull on the arm of the jacket. Nikita just stands there no even trying to get out of the jacket. Michael stops and touches her chin again.

"This time... or.. before?" Nikita asks and Michael stares into her blue eyes. The pain was painted across them and no matter how bravely Nikita held her chin still, Michael could see the insides of Nikita quaking with the appearance of her mother.

"Lets start with tonight." Michael says and Nikita starts to pull her arm out of the jacket. Michael shakes his head as he sees that the mud is not only on the jacket, but on the long spandex arms of her shirt. Undressing was going to be a chore.

"She slapped me." Nikita says as she turns her head away and tries to work onthe next arm. Michael steps around to the arm and looks at Nikita hard. The green eyes staring into her very soul, knowing, instinctively, that Nikita was lying and not doing a good job of it.

"What else?" Michael asks sternly and Nikita turns her entire body away.

"Why did I let her do it? Why? I just stood there. I could have punched her back. I could have snapped her neck. I could have shot her. But I let her... I let her." Nikita says as she stares at the wood flooring and Michael stands behind her.

Slowly, Michael places his hands on Nikita's shoulders and turns her around. There was something in her eyes. They were begging for understanding and control. Michael blinked and he looked up to the ceiling. Instinctivly, his arms pulled Nikita, in her muddy clothing, in towards his clean black shirt, hoping to heal some of the damage.

Michael made the decision slowly as he looked down at Nikita's body draped over his. He tried to pull her away, and found that his black shirt had gotten dried into hers with the mud. Michael moves Nikita slowly towards the glassed in shower. He turns on the water and helps Nikita into the water.

It was also the only way Michael could think of getting the clothing off of her body. The material had become plastered to her curves and muscles. The warm water hit both Michael and Nikita and slowly warmed both of them. Michael softly pulls the black mission shirt off of her body. Michael watches the mud wash off of Nikita's white skin as he picks up the bar of soap. He doesn't attempt the pants yet, as he starts to use the soap softly on her long arms.

Michael wraps his arms around Nikita's back and unhooks the wet bra and then touches her chin softly. He leans down and kisses her softly on her lips and can taste the numerous tears that had dropped there. He pulls off his shirt and huddles Nikita near his body. They stood there, in the hug till the warm water started to cool. Michael pulled at the large fluffy terry cloth towels and wraps one around Nikita's head and one around her body. Her pants and underwear come off and Michael hands her a white t-shirt.

Nikita looks at him and stands there in the towels as Michael pulls on the pajama bottoms and turns to her.

"You didn't mention it." Nikita says and Michael looks to the doorway to the bedroom. She needed sleep.

"I know what I saw Nikita. If you can't tell me, then I'm not going to push for it." Michael says and Nikita drops her towels. She stands naked in front of him and looks down at the red area at her stomach, that soon will be black and blue.

"She hit me... she punched me.. right there... she's done that before.... good way to end things." Nikita says and Michael steps forward and takes the t-shirt in his hands. He pulls it down around Nikita's body and turns her to the dark bedroom. There will be enough time for Nikita's stories later.