The words on the yellow stained book turned into an endless streak of nothing, as the hands shook to steady the pages. It could have been the third day of pain or it could have been the grieving heart of a mother longing to be with her daughter. All of that meant nothing as the door opened from the left-hand side of the room.

“Morning, lover.” Nikita said sweetly as the tall blonde man walked closer to her. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck, and pinched the tender flesh tightly between his fingernails. He leaned down and kissed Nikita fully and smirked.

“You have finally healed. You will be on the schedule tonight.” Lancing said and Nikita smiled broadly as she started to twirl her hair on her finger. Lancing moved forward and slapped Nikita’s hand away from the hair and then used the hair to yank her down to the bed. Nikita choked back a sob, and smiled at Lancing. He stood up, shaking his head.

“I am so lucky you didn’t get fed to the local boys. You are to good for me.” Lancing said and Nikita sat up slowly, opening her legs slightly, trying to entice Lancing in for more. Nikita had found out in the past two months that the morning Lancing was much gentler in comparison to the one with a few drinks and probably some drugs of the night Lancing.

“Nikita, not now. Tonight.” Lancing said and quickly left the room. Nikita looked to the door as she heard the bolt slam shut, locking her in the room again. She had not been outside this room for a month. At first, Nikita was sure her cover was broken, and then she soon realized that Lancing was keeping her for himself.

Nikita moved to the small bag that she had been able to procure during this mission, and checks the materials. She still had the eight disks of Intel that was needed. Now, she had to escape. Nikita stood up and saw the mirror glaring the image of her battered body back. Nikita closed her eyes and moved away. There was no time to get emotional. Somehow she needed to get out, they weren’t going to come in for her.

*

The jar sat on the countertop as Michael turned his head back from the mess of the sandwich he had made, to the mess that had suddenly appeared on Mia’s face. She smiled broadly at her father and tried to lick some more jelly off of her fingers. Michael shook his head as the peanut butter and jelly appeared to be all over Mia, and not in her.

The cell phone in Michael’s pocket started to ring. He pushed the jar away and pulled the black cell phone up to his ear in one smooth movement. He stared at Mia, and then shook his head. He was going to have to give her a bath to clean her up.

“Come in.” Madeline said and Michael felt every muscle in his back tense up. In the past two months, Madeline had tended to remember that Michael couldn’t just leave immediately, but these orders were different, and now Michael was on the very of trembling.

“I am feeding Mia.” Michael replied firmly as he placed the phone between his ear and shoulder. He started to replace the items that made Mia’s sandwich away as he waited for the next words from Madeline. There was a long pause, like Madeline was thinking of what to say. It was uncharacteristic for Madeline to wait such a pregnant pause before responding.

“You are going in for Nikita.” Madeline said and hung up quickly. The phone almost fell from Michael’s shoulder as his entire body snapped. It was the first time that Nikita’s name had been spoken of to him since he was briefed on the mission that she left on. He would periodically check for Intel, but never muttered her name. Mia only asked for her mother, who abstractly wasn’t the same as Nikita.

“We have to go.” Michael said as he moved to Mia and started to pick her peanut butter and grape jellied smeared face and hands up from the chair. Mia immediately started to squirm. She looked down and then started to cry. Crying was something that Michael learned he couldn’t take from Mia. It was the times that she looked the most like Nikita. Her bottom lip would tremble slowly and her eyes would roll the tears over in big fat drops.

“I am hungry!” Mia protested. Michael looked around, ready to run out the door. He looked down and saw half of Mia’s unfinished sandwich sitting on the table. Michael hurriedly grabbed the sandwich and placed it in Mia’s hands. He looked around, and grabbed his keys and headed to the door. Mia started to circle her hands around Michael’s neck and he leaned back from the sticky mess.

“Mia, remember what I said. No sticky hands in your Daddy’s hair.” Michael said as he opened the door up and stepped into the hallway. Mia moved her hands away guiltily and smiled at Michael. Michael shook his head as he slammed the door and hurried down the hallway, wishing to be in Section One already.

*

“Mia, you sit here… and finish your sandwich.” Michael demanded as he placed Mia down on a chair that hovered near Birkoff’s computers. Birkoff turned his head and saw the sticky mixture on Mia’s face and immediately started to shake his head. He pushed the computer towards the other end of the table as Michael sat some toys on the table in front of Mia.

“Here, you can play with these. I will be back, darling.” Michael said quickly as he stepped back and smiled at his daughter. Birkoff stood up, shaking his head at Michael, which caused Michael to stare at Birkoff intensely.

“She cannot stay here like that!” Birkoff said pointing to her sticky hands and face. Michael looked to Birkoff and then back to Mia. He wished he could clean her up, but the message was sent to Michael. There might not be time to waste in this situation. Michael looked at Birkoff and Birkoff sat down with a sigh.

“This is about Nikita.” Birkoff stated.

“MOMMIE!!! WHERE IS SHE!!! I WANT MY MOMMIE!!!!!” Mia screamed out with a new batch of tears rolling down her face. Michael turned his head from Mia, as these words hurt the most from her. She could scream that she hated him for five hours, but as soon as Mia started to scream for Nikita, Michael’s heart became paralyzed with a fear, a fear that Nikita would never return.

“Birkoff, clean her up. This is urgent.” Michael said as he stepped away, trying to rush away from Mia’s cries and screams. Michael knew that Birkoff was swearing at him now, but he was being torn in the worst way, between the mother of his daughter and the daughter. He could not value who was most important, because both depended on each other. In a flash, the voice of Mia’s was only an echoing memory as he entered Madeline’s office and looked at her drawn and white face. It did not bode well with Michael, as his stomach instantly flipped with the image of Madeline.

“We have to retrieve her now, tonight.” Madeline said as she pushed the panel to Michael. Michael looked down and saw the small army force that Madeline had set forth. Instantly, Michael realized that Madeline had yet to consult with Operations on this mission, and that he would probably not know until the mission went live. The members were the who’s who of Section One. They were operatives that Michael had the outmost respect for and he looked at Madeline.

“The last message that George received was that the information was retrieved, but that she was being held captive in a room. That was three weeks ago.” Madeline said and Michael looked to the wall. He knew what being held as a captive meant here. Lancing Ferris didn’t keep political prisoners and he didn’t keep terrorist prisoners. He kept sexual prisoners, and Madeline did not have to tell Michael that. It was part of the initial profile that Nikita went in with. It had changed significantly as Lancing Ferris took a good liking to Nikita, and took her to be his own.

Michael stood up with the panel and moved to the wall. There were questions that circled Michael’s mind, but he could not verbalize them. Madeline stood up and looked at Michael. They had never spoken about Nikita, and what she could be going through. Madeline realized, and she was sure that Michael did also, that Nikita never healed from the Sanchez mission. This was technically a worse mission, as she did not love the man she was to be with. Michael turned his head and looked at Madeline.

“I am working on the psychological implications of this mission, and the background of Nikita.” Madeline said slowly as Michael started to step towards the door. Madeline looked at Michael and saw the confusion of the situation. Mia might be very happy to see Nikita, but would Nikita be emotionally healthy to deal with a crying daughter that she had not seen in two months. Then there was the fact that Nikita just walked out, without a word to anyone. There had to be some sort of reasoning there, that Madeline was sure she had figured out. Michael opened the door and stepped out without another word.

There was always a humming sound in the room during the night. Some nights, after a long time with Lancing, the humming was louder, as if keeping Nikita awake on purpose. She would lay on the bed, with her head perfectly positioned on the pillow to hear the humming, as it reminded Nikita that she was still alive. This night, the humming left.

Nikita studied the silence and hear the pop of the lock on her door. Nikita did not move as she thought it was Lancing, coming back for more, as he was known to do. She felt the movement behind her and tensed up as the body was not that of Lancing’s.

“Nikita, get up.” Michael’s voice said firmly and Nikita moved as quickly as her battered body could to face the man she wasn’t yet ready to face. It was too soon, and Nikita’s body shriveled in it’s exposed state. The lights were still off as Nikita could see the whites of Michael’s gray-green eyes.

“Did anyone see you come in here?” Nikita asked as she knew what needed to be done. There were too many important things for Section to destroy her cover.

“Three guards, and a camera.” Michael stated as he moved to the wall and flicked the switch up. Nikita tried to pull at the sheet to cover what had occurred to her body, but Michael moved swiftly and swallowed back the impression of disgust from the abuse on Nikita’s body.

“You should have waited. The consequences of coming for me are too big!” Nikita cried out as Michael dragged the sheet further away from Nikita. For Michael, what had occurred to Nikita’s body was proof enough that he was already several weeks too late.

“Where are the disks?” Michael mechanically asked as he looked at the bare room. Nikita looked to the book and then tried to pull at the sheet. Michael crossed the room and dropped a gun down on the bed at Nikita’s side and pulled the disks out. In a way, Nikita’s anger boiled as Michael showed that he did not care of what she was saying, just caring about what he thought was important.

“You don’t even understand what you have done?” Nikita screamed out, as she saw the reasons for this mission. It was purely personal on everyone’s behalf. George wanted Nikita back. Madeline wanted Nikita back. Michael wanted Nikita back. Nikita was sure that Michael didn’t even look at simulations about what could occur after this attack.

“Get dressed.” Michael hissed as he checked the door. Nikita turned her head to the side and started to cry. It was an automatic situation that just occurred. She had lived in fear of Lancing, and now Michael had seen her battered body, with a half-torn bra and a dirty pair of underwear. Fear was starting to turn her stomach in circles, and Nikita turned her head away even further as she didn’t want to admit what the last two months had been for her.

“I don’t have clothes in here. Lancing lays them out for me in the morning.” Nikita said strongly as she worked past her tears. She did not have a choice in the manner. She had been exposed and staying was no longer an option. The option was to get back to Section One and to tell them how badly they had messed up. Nikita stood up carefully as she avoided looking into the mirror to see the bruises and blood that she knew where there. She never wanted to see her face again, let alone her body.

“Put this on.” Michael hissed as he pulled a black shirt from his pocket. It didn’t have buttons, and would only provide a slight covering of Nikita’s body. Nikita slid it onto her arms, feeling the stinging of the material on the rug burns that covered her arms and back. She checked the gun and pulled up next to Michael.

Running out of the house of torture was easy and Nikita looked around at the settings that she last saw two months ago when she entered the house of Lancing Ferris. Nikita looked ahead and saw the opened van. Nikita ducked in, not worrying about her appearance and pushed her way to the computer.

“Sugar… let me get…” Walter said quickly as he viewed Nikita, and than the smell that Michael had tried to block out, but couldn’t. Everyone in the van knew what Nikita had been through from the site and the odor. Nikita pushed at Birkoff. Birkoff stood up and turned his head, not able to deal with the image of Nikita.

“Let me use the computer.” Nikita hissed. Michael shook his head. He did not worry about Nikita’s mentioning of consequences, and he didn’t think about what else Nikita had spoken. Nikita quickly set to work on the computer. There were things that needed to be done, before Nikita could know for sure if her worries would become true.

*

“Don’t you know what you did!” Nikita screamed as she ran down the hallway of the van access to stop Michael’s body. He continued to move in the robotic ways and tried to block out the battered body that was trying to pull his body. Michael could tell by the strength of Nikita’s pulls that she was weak and needed the medical attention that Walter had tried to talk Nikita into. Instead, she sat at the computer, checking and rechecking information and then she slammed it shut as the van pulled in.

Nikita had fallen when she stepped out of the van, and the operatives who were waiting for the incoming van to use for the next mission, stared at the blunt nakedness of Nikita’s body, but also the bruises, the cuts, and the bite marks that marred her perfect skin. Yet, it was not like Nikita was aware of that, as she angrily stood up to continue after Michael.

“Go to medical.” Michael said firmly and Nikita pulled her hand back from Michael as if he was hot coal. Nikita stared at him and fought the impending tears from falling down her face. Michael had done this in the past, ordering her around like she was a little pond in his personal game of chest, but Nikita was determined that it would stop.

“You don’t control me, Michael. I am level five! And you are going to hear what the mistake was that you made!” Nikita demanded in a deep and loud voice that opened Michael’s eyes briefly, and shocked him deeply inside, but he was determined to walk down the hallway. He was not going to allow Madeline and Operations to see him emotionally respond to Nikita, as she was obviously emotionally distraught about what had occurred.

“DAMN! Are you going to walk away like you did the last time? You knocked me up last time and ran off to Hong Kong! Is that what you plan on doing again!” Nikita screamed loudly as they both turned the corner, where operatives from all types of Section One, had stopped to listen.

“No.” Michael cried out before he saw Madeline and Operations staring at the display from the office. Operations leaned forward and almost smiled. This is what he wanted to occur. If there were a total falling out between the two, he would easily be able to control the two operatives in ways that he couldn’t even verbalize. Madeline looked on as she saw the physical condition of Nikita and was in awe of the raw strength that made Nikita continue on.

“Lancing doesn’t believe than an anti-terrorist group raided him!” Nikita said firmly and Michael tilted his head to the side, suddenly interested in what Nikita was going to say. As he tilted his head, the blood from the cut from above Nikita’s eye started to bleed again. Michael moved his eyes away from the growing stream of blood.

“He thinks that I was a FED! He thinks that the President of the United States did this too him!” Nikita screamed out and Michael nodded his head.

“That is possible. The intelligence that you gathered was about the numerous affairs that the president was having.” Michael said in a tone that expressed to Nikita, that Michael still thought himself to be superior. Nikita shook her head and pulled off the shirt. She wanted no connection to Michael anymore. Michael watched the shirt float down to the floor and turned his eyes upward to see the blue and green bite marks on Nikita’s stomach before looking at her enraged face.

“And now he is planning on releasing that information and going after the President of the United States at the White House. He is going to take the president down, Michael!” Nikita explained loudly as she moved around in a circle. Each tiny movement brought more of the raw realization of what Lancing had done to Nikita, and Michael started to get scared from the inside. How could Nikita get past Lancing and be a mother again?

“We were going to use it to control the president, Nikita.” Michael said firmly and some of the operatives turned their heads with that statement. The tone was purely condensing and some could see Nikita leaping across and digging her nails into Michael’s face. Nikita instead slammed the wall with her hand and now tears fell down her face.

“We were going to use it to make sure that the PEACE ACCORDS continue as planned! What happens when Lancing releases this information about the president and what if he succeeds in killing the president, Michael? What happens!” Nikita cried out and Michael straightened up. The implications of what Nikita was saying were more than plausible. It was going to be a huge problem in the next few days for Section One. That was what Nikita was trying to say to Michael when he saw her in the room.

Michael saw immediately at what had drove Michael in this mission. In essence, he just proved to Madeline and Operations were his feelings laid. His only reason for continuing with this profile, as it was written was because it was a way to retrieve Nikita. Michael didn’t want to admit it, but he never even went over the specifics of the mission. He knew he was to find Nikita, and bring her out. That was all that mattered to Michael, while Section was always stuck on what was the ultimate outcome of the mission. Michael and the mission just created a bigger mess than they wanted at all.

“The Peace Accords die.” Michael finally stated and Nikita briefly nodded her head with tears rolling down her cheek, and stinging the cut on the bottom of her chin. Nikita turned her head and shook her head, as she pushed through the thick crowd of operatives, who all knew what the next few days would hold. Michael turned and looked up to the office and then dropped his head. It was never so plainly written on Michael’s face and actions, who he was. It scared Michael.

*

Nikita carefully walked her way through the crowd, as most of the operatives just stepped back three steps to give her walking room. Most of them talked to each other, as they discussed why Nikita wasn’t walking to medical. Soon, her destination was clearly seen, as Walter’s area was seen. Nikita blinked her eyes and moved into the doorway.

“Sugar…” Walter said as he pulled the bars of metal up and moved towards her. He had heard the argument as he checked the weapons back into the inventory. He looked at Nikita, wishing he could step forward and tend to her cuts and bruises.

Nikita leaned to the side and held onto the countertop. Walter moved forward, as suddenly, Nikita looked entirely too weak to hold her own proud battered body up. It was the weakness that Michael had felt when Nikita pulled him. It was the weakness that now made it's way to the physical surface of Nikita’s body. Her blue eyes glassed over and Walter moved closer. He wasn’t ready to grab her, as Nikita showed that she would fight that until she asked for help.

“You should clean up before you see Mia.” Walter said slowly and Nikita slowly took a footstep forward and slightly stumbled. Nikita looked up at Walter with her red-rimmed eyes and bruised cheeks.

“Can I lay down back there?” Nikita asked in a meek voice that drove Walter to step forward and protectively wrap his hands around Nikita’s waist. Walter felt Nikita’s body melt against his arms with the exhaustion of the past two months and the argument with Michael.

“Let me take you down to medical, Nikita.” Walter said slowly and Nikita shook her head back and forth. Walter swallowed and shook his head lightly. This would be different from all the other times that he had taken care of her. A bullet from the shoulder or leg was never that difficult. This was horrible. He could barely look at Nikita without feeling the need to get his hands on Lancing himself.

“Help me, Walter.” Nikita simply said and Walter stepped back, half-dragging Nikita’s body with him, to take her back. She needed rest, and Walter would never turn away a request from Nikita.

“Lancing Ferris has been gathering various kinds of Intel about the President of the United State’s numerous affairs. This is the intelligence that Nikita had gathered over two months while in deep cover in Lancing Ferris’ compound.” Operations explained as a picture of Lancing Ferris was shown on the screen. Nikita turned her head away, and Michael only noticed the motion.

“We are in position.” Nikita stated into the communications unit as she sat down on the bench. Michael was leaning against a telephone pole with the latest Washington Post. The Intel that Nikita had gathered during her “deep cover”, as Operations liked to say it was, even gave the plans of attack on the president. Nikita leaned back on the bench, looking for Lancing, ready to give her thanks for her “deep cover” experience.

“The Intel includes videotapes, audiotapes, of women and men in the Oval Office with the president. It was intelligence that we planned to use before Lancing Ferris could. Unfortunately, as the intelligence states, Lancing Ferris doesn’t believe that an anti-terrorist group took the Intel. He believes that the raid on his compound was from direct orders from the president.” Operations said as the screen showed some edited versions of the Intel that Nikita had gathered. Nikita licked her lips and turned back to the screen.

“The advance team of Ferris’ has moved.” Birkoff reported. Nikita dropped her head slightly and repositioned the hat on her head. She glanced up and saw Michael looking over his newspaper. He was to be looking out of Lancing, but he looked right at Nikita. Their eyes connected and Nikita looked away. She couldn’t wait for all of this to be over.

“Lancing will be sending a team of his men to the White House. We will have team there to intercept them.” Operations said as the panels were being handed out. He pushed the panel towards Nikita and she looked away. It had been tense since she had returned to Section One three days ago. Nikita had disappeared for a good twelve hours, before Madeline or Operations saw her first. Operations was pleased with the fact that she had not run to Michael. It was a good mark in his book.

“Do we have location on Lancing, yet?” Michael questioned Birkoff as he folded the Washington Post up and moved to the corner to throw it away. He looked up and down the street, and pulled out a free Automobile Guide. Michael stepped back to the pole and looked down the side street before glancing briefly to Nikita.

“No. He has not been spotted.” Birkoff reported and Nikita swallowed. She looked down at her hands and licked her lips. Waiting was the worst aspect of this immediately profile and mission. Nikita had argued that she should have been on the team that protected the White House, but Operations would not hear of it.

“Our operatives at the White House will be working hand in hand with the Secret Service. I want not a word mentioned of Section One. The business at hand is to stop Lancing Ferris’ team, and eliminate them all.” Operations ordered and Nikita looked down to see that her name as not included on that team. Deep in her mind, Nikita knew what task she had been set up for. It might have been Madeline’s own plan; it might have been Operations thoughts that Nikita needed revenge. It did not matter; Nikita didn’t want that task.

“White House team as stopped attack.” Birkoff reported in a harsh voice. Nikita could tell that Section One must have lost some men. They were trying to do everything without alerting the media that something had occurred. Nikita felt the wig pushing at her head; almost feeling like the circulation to her head had been cut. Nikita turned her head to the side and stopped.

There was Lancing Ferris, strolling down the road. He smiled at some women and continued on down the road. He stopped and helped an older woman out of a car and laughed as she thanked him. Nikita’s stare intensified as her body tensed.

“Lancing Ferris has plans to walk into the White House sometime afterwards, showing that he has the power. He will have his copy of the Intel on his possession. I have several teams scattered across Washington DC to stop Lancing. The team at the White House will stay in position until the elimination of Lancing Ferris has been confirmed by two operatives.” Operations ordered and everyone nodded. This mission would be important for more than the main reason. If the Peace Accords fall through, Section One would be working day and night, and still not stopping enough.

“Spotted Lancing.” Nikita stated as she stood up from the bench after Lancing passed her. Michael dropped the guide he was reading and Nikita shook her head no, as she slowly started to follow behind Lancing. Michael looked away, and when he turned back, Nikita had shed the wig and the hat.

“Nikita is physically exposed. Following behind.” Michael reported as he hurried to catch up with the fast moving Lancing and the stalking Nikita. Michael licked his lips as his fingers grazed across the gun. Nothing was going to hurt Mia’s mother. He could not allow anything to happen to Nikita for that reason.

“We want Ferris followed and then dealt with, with whatever means needed. As soon as we have confirmation on the movement of operatives behind Ferris, we will dispatch two teams, to deal with the innocents and the exit routes. If all works, the innocents will be told that it was part of a movie.” Operations explained to the listening operatives.

“Ferris!” Nikita called out and he turned around. He looked at Nikita and stopped. Her face was almost healed and he could feel his heart stop as Nikita slowly pulled the gun out and aimed it at him.

“Nikita, I gather that this means you didn’t like the way I treated you?” Ferris asked and Nikita snarled as Michael rounded the corner and saw the scene. There weren’t many people watching, and Ferris slowly moved towards Nikita.

“I’ve been trained to live through punishments worst than that. In fact, you were a disappointment in bed. You would think that with your size you would know how to use it.” Nikita commented severely and Michael swallowed at the action.

“We want this done neatly and quickly. Deviations are not wanted, but the whole emphasis on this mission is the elimination of Lancing Ferris before he can contact the president.” Operations said firmly as he stared at Nikita.

“Who are you? You don’t work for the president, do you?” Lancing asked and Nikita slowly smiled. She tilted the gun slightly, taking a better aim. She opened her legs in a firm stance and steadied her aim of the gun with her other hand.

“You’re right, I don’t work of the president. I work for people who are much more deadlier.” Nikita commented as she raised her head to smile at Lancing. Michael stood off to the side. His hand fully wrapped around the gun. He could not allow this much longer, but in a way, knew that Nikita needed this.

“What kind of life can you have? You screw me for two months, and they take you back. Will you screw the president tonight?” Lancing asked and Nikita swallowed.

“I’ll be going back to see my daughter.” Nikita said as she pulled the trigger finger. The bullet threw Lancing back a few steps before he started to fall. He was dead before he hit the pavement.

“CUT!” Michael yelled as operatives started to swarm the area. Some of the people walking the streets looked at the film crew and clapped at the swiftness to clean up the realistic scene.

“Nothing less is expected. Lancing Ferris must be eliminated. Understand?” Operations asked and Nikita stood up and left. Michael turned his head slightly, wondering what was occurring in Nikita’s mind. Operations smiled and then turned back to the rest of the operatives to dismiss them.

“Nikita.” Michael whispered at Nikita slowly dropped her hands with the gun barely dangling in her fingers. Michael gently cupped the gun out of her hand and dropped his head. He rubbed her shoulder softly and looked to the side. An operative ran over with a coat and smiled at Michael in the role of the film crew tending to the actress. Michael started to lead Nikita to the van.

“Mission Over. The Bastard is dead.” Nikita reported firmly as she looked back at the now clean sidewalk, without a mark of their stand off left. Nikita swallowed and stepped into the van and watched the door closed, not sure when she could be sure that her mind would be clear of the being known as Lancing Ferris.

“Michael, I do not want Nikita to take matters in her own hands. If she appears emotionally attached to the situation, disengaged and call in back up.” Operations ordered Michael as he rose from the chair.

“If Nikita is emotionally engaged, I don’t think we will have a problem with attaining the elimination of Ferris, Sir.” Michael replied and exited the room.

*

Nikita was determined from the time that she pulled the trigger to kill Lancing, that it was time that she saw her daughter. She knew that she still had not healed totally from the beatings that Lancing had dealt to her, but Nikita had the fundamental need to reach out for her daughter and hug her. Mia had always been the best medicine for Nikita’s emotional healing.

Nikita moved down the hallway quickly, passing operatives as they looked at her. Michael was not far behind, but had gotten called to the side to deal with minor issues. Some operatives wanted to go home, and wanted to know if a debrief was going to be called. Michael looked to the side and Nikita was instantly gone from his vision. Relief and concern washed Michael’s body, as the entire situation with Nikita was more than difficult to handle. There had been no communication since she was pulled from Lancing’s house, and now was the first time that Nikita wanted to see her daughter. Michael was sure that Mia would be happy to see her mother.

The code was punched into the door. Nikita watched the door slide back to reveal the room that Mia had often stayed in while Nikita was out on a mission with Walter and Birkoff. Many of the operatives had found that spending time watching Mia was beneficial to their emotionally well being, and sometimes Nikita found about the dealings of who got to watch Mia. It was a support system that Nikita was determined that would never exist in Section One, but it had.

The room was barely lit, and Nikita walked to the switch. The harsh light flooded the empty room. It was striped of the toys that numerous operatives, including Madeline, had bought for Mia. Gone were the matted floor and the playpen in the corner. Nikita started to tremble as she moved to the center of the room. Tears ran down her face, as she came across the manilla folder.

..........to be continued