written by Tammy
Chapter 5
"And you didn't enjoy the fun it provided? It did let you
know what he was capable of though. Mad cause he's better at
playing to win than you are?" CC pulled her fingers through
her hair and shook it out. She leaned her head back as she did so
she couldn't see Madeline's face. They had been talking civilly
for about an hour but on subjects that were mundane and weren't
juicy enough to fight over. Boredom had set in followed by
temptation and that was something CC never resisted.
Madeline frowned slightly as she watched the girl. She knew it had been too good to be true. The civil business-like CC never stayed around long. The attitude and ego were just too strong for that. "No, just annoyed that things have been allowed to go farther than they should have, and the interference from both of them in a matter that did not involve them."
A self satisfied smile spread across CC's face. She had sensed trouble as soon as the request copy had hit her desk. Mac's note had said to simply watch the situation. Then the phone call to stay out of it. She had already been more than simply watching. The contents of the envelope she had put at Madeline's door had been to liven things up. She had been hoping for something by now. "Did you give the tape to Nikita?"
Arching an eyebrow in response, Madeline leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers across her stomach. Suspicion confirmed that CC had left the envelope. She was looking for news of the outcome. Let her look even, I'm not sure. Nikita and Michael had not yet returned and the whereabouts of her two hirelings were classified beyond even her level. "And why do you want to know? Is it necessary information for one of your files?"
"No, just wanted to know what the fireworks were like. How big was the explosion?" CC narrowed her eyes as Madeline continued to sit in silence. "I know you gave her the tape. You couldn't resist not doing that. I know you couldn't. It was too good to hold on to."
"And how do you think your friend Martina would have felt about what you did?"
"Martina understood paybacks, Madeline. She was good at them. Knew just when to use and when to hold back till she could get the optimal effect. Speaking of which, talk to Claude lately? He name-dropping yet? I have to tell you my jaw hit the floor when she told me. And to think you were busting Nikita's butt for the same thing. Spiteful, aren't we? Guess the blonde one has a hell of a lot more life than you ever did. Really does understand that love stuff. Must be what made Michael defrost his heart and old Uncle Oscar find his again."
"CC, I suggest you drop the subject before you even start it." The warning was sharp and clear in her tone of voice. Michael had done enough with his well placed hints. She didn't need CC interfering in it also. If the can and its contents were completely exposed....
CC leaned forward, propping her elbows on the edge of the desk and resting her chin in her hands. "So Claude hasn't said anything? Boy what you got on him, chick?"
"I said drop it."
The grin appeared on her face again. She loved to make Madeline squirm. Actually she loved to just do that to people naturally but with Madeline it was practically fun. "How much longer do you think till the secret sits down on Oscar's lap all grown up? You know if you had never gone to Martina, nobody would have ever known."
"Martina was suppose to be trustworthy. As a woman, she should have understood."
"Maddie, sweetheart, they were lovers. Until you popped up. You may have driven the last nail in the coffin of that but the lid wasn't on tight. See, lookee here, open space, free air.... taught you a lesson, didn't it? You don't leave holes anymore, at least not very big ones, most of the time. You've got to tell me something......"
"Get out of my office, CC."
"Aww...come on we were just getting to the fun stuff. You're a stick in the mud."
"Mud is good for the complexion. Maybe you should try it."
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"...and I couldn't find him. It was so black out and there
was this smell. It was so incredibly silent. I knew we should
have dimmed the lights before we jumped. So I'm on my hands and
knees looking for the night goggles when this light comes on. 3
inches from my nose is a wooden fence. Suddenly I hear pigs. I
look over my shoulder and here is this little hunched over man
with an AK in his hands. Kita, he can barely hold it up. He
doesn't speak a word of English and he was yelling at me in
Kurdish I think. I thought I was dead. I swear. Me and every
green horn I had."
Michael stood up from the floor. "So I get to my feet trying to explain in lousy Russian about what I was doing there armed to the teeth. When this guy's eyes get huge and I hear Simon going ....." Michael started laughing. The memory was still hilarious after all the time that had passed. He had never let poor Simon forget it either. "... 'Pig shit.' The old man points over my shoulder with the gun, screams and runs. The AK hits the ground along with the lantern. I grab the light and spin around. Here stands Simon covered from head to toe in pig wallow. It's dripping off him in chunks. He had landed face first in it and knowing him, his mouth was probably open. I lost it! I couldn't stop laughing. He looked so foul. I think the poor old guy thought some monster was coming for him."
Nikita was laughing so hard that tears were trickling out of the corners of her eyes. "I... I never hea....heard that be..fore! Ohmigod...he....you laughed...oh lord." One thing Simon hated was being laughed at. She started wiping the corners of her eyes still giggling. "He must have smelled real..." She started to cough as laughter broke out of her again. "I gotta ask 'im...."
He dropped back down onto the floor with her. "Off limits..mine."
"Please just one little comment. I can't leave this alone. It's too good. I got to tell Chris. She'll love this."
His laughter stopped but the twinkle didn't leave his eye. "It's bad enough I told you. He'll kill me if she finds out. Are those two still..." Nikita nodded and he sighed, some more of his animation dissipating. "It's going to cause a problem. I can't..." Reaching out, she glided a finger across his lower lip, then outlining an eye and down his cheek to his lip again.
"She's not an active field op. They've let it slide so far. Besides it is their decision and you shouldn't get in the middle of it.... Where did that light in your eyes go? I want it back." Michael grabbed her hand and played with her fingers for a few seconds before he looked back into her eyes.
Michael told himself he wasn't going to worry about Simon and Christine. They were adults and had to handle their own lives. He had enough to worry about with protecting Nikita, Reese and Katie. Right now he was going to concentrate on the woman in front of him. He replied in a soft voice, "I dare you to put it back." He kept his face straight as a sly smile formed on Nikita's face. Pulling her hand away from his, she put it up on his shoulder and then did the same with her other hand.
Getting to her knees, she leaned into him. "I thought you..." Pushing him, they tumbled together unto the floor, "...knew better than to dare me."
With a deep chuckle, he slide his hands into her hair and pulled her mouth towards his. "Can't resist the way you react to one." They kissed hungrily. Nikita moaned as he broke the kiss to slide his mouth along her throat and curve of her shoulder. One hand moved to the back of her head tilting it further back, the other to pull the dress down from the line of her shoulder. Suddenly he stopped, inhaling deeply against her throat. "What are you wearing?" he asked, his voice husky.
"Hopefully not much soon..."she sighed. Nikita tried to kiss him but he moved his mouth away. He smiled at her groan of frustration.
"You smell and taste like a strawberry. Kinda like Reese's....wait a minute you used his bubble bath."
"I ran out of what I had. It was there. I used it." She started to get to her feet. "If you don't like
it...."
Michael scrambled to his feet as she turned away. Getting an arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly against him. "You forget I like to cook." He kissed the side of her neck as he pushed her hair out of the way. "Not much of a baker but... I wasn't complaining, you know."
"But you were going to tease me..."
"Not verbally," he whispered as he gently kissed the outer edge of her ear. He slipped his hands up her back and pulled the zipper of the dress down. With exaggerated slowness, he pushed the shoulders of the dress down to her upper arms. With a quick nibble on her ear lobe he pulled away and went over to the bed. He looked at her with a smile. "Well?"
Dropping the dress the rest of the way off, she saunter over to him. He smiled in response to the one that appeared on her face. He couldn't help it when she smiled that way. The shimmery midnight blue teddy that she wore was new. Standing as her legs brushed his knees, he slipped a finger into one of the thin spaghetti straps, moving it along inside the material edge from shoulder to shoulder. "This is new."
Nikita smiled as she lightly tugged his turtleneck free from his waistband. "Needed something sleek to wear under that dress. Do you approve?" Nodding his head, Michael didn't resist her pulling his shirt the rest of the way off. She kissed him hungrily and then moved her mouth along his jawline to his neck. Her fingers slowly stroked down his chest to his belt and begin to work at unbuckling it. With a noise of protest, she let him pull her hands away and put them up around his neck. "Why are you making me stop?"
"Pushy tonight, aren't you?" A smile that Nikita could only call intensely sexy formed on his mouth. The desire to kiss him again was too strong to ignore. Tangling fingers in the hair at the back of his head, she pulled his mouth back down to hers. Michael turned and toppled her down onto the bed. One hand caressed the leg that curved around his back as the other moved the strap off her shoulder. He followed the path his finger had traveled earlier along the top of the silky material with his mouth.
Getting to her other shoulder, he lifted his head to look into dark hungry eyes. "What is the best way to remove this?" he asked as he twisted the strap on his finger.
"Guess you'll have to do some reconnaissance to find out. I'm not telling. My lips are sealed."
"Reconnaissance, there's an idea. As for sealed lips, I can solve that......" Releasing the strap, he snaked his hand downwards and stifled her noise of surprise with his mouth.
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"And how is Nikita's little puppy dog doing? Do you miss
your mistress?" Darcie's head wasn't the only one to come up
at CC's muted words. Doyle and Birkoff both heard the comment and
shot each other a quick look. The words made Doyle recall
Darcie's statement about guard dog remarks that had been made to
her. Now he knew who the person was that Darcie had meant.
"Get out of my face, I'm working." She pulled a CD out of its tray and handed it over to Birkoff. "That's the last one of the bunch."
"Thanks, Ace", he replied with a quick lifted eyebrow. Darcie got his meaning right away. He would step in and get right of the bother if she wanted him too. She gave a minute shake of her head. It wasn't worth getting the woman on his back too.
There was a snicker out of CC . "Ace sounds like the name for a Dalmatian. What kind of scraps is Nikita giving you? Probably not many, she really hasn't been around much. Wait till she finds out you were bumped out of the program. Though I guess you were too cute of a pup to put to sleep, so they dumped you here."
"Unless you have a real purpose here other than flapping your big hairy lips, move your face out from under my nose." Darcie just wanted her leave. She had enough on her mind.
"It yips, can it bark?"
Doyle got up. The redhead was working her way through the whole crew. He didn't know quite what her problem was but he was getting close to telling her to take it elsewhere. Madeline and Operations might have the immunity to shrug her off but the rest of them didn't. Her newest target was Darcie and he didn't feel it was fair. The kid had been more than pulling her weight. Not to mention she had seemed pretty upset when he had returned without Christine or Simon. She had looked down right scared. "CC, we have a lot..."
"Was I talking to you, Doyle? No, I was joshing around with Darcie. If I want to include you in the fun, I will. Darcie and I are pals. Right, buddy?" She gave Darcie a playful bop to the chin. Darcie gave her a sneer and got up from her chair to go to another seat. With a self satisfied smile, she straightened up and crossed behind Darcie's new seat to leave. Ducking to her ear level as she went by, CC said, "Arf, arf. We'll play ball later, Ace. Be a good girl." She gave Darcie a pat on the head and stepped off the platform.
Birkoff looked at the back of Darcie's head and then to Doyle who rolled his eyes in response. He preferred to stay out of it. When two women got into it, it was his experience that it got real nasty. Especially for anybody, man or woman, who interfered. The shrug from Birkoff signaled agreement so Doyle went back to what he was doing. JJ's next move was still a mystery to him. He was actually looking forward to Michael's return, nobody knew the guy better. Raymond, Operations and CC had some ideas but Michael from what they told him had grown up with the guy.
And from what he had gotten from a talk with Pollins, the brat they had been protecting was JJ's. But he still didn't understand how Christine and Simon fit into this. Why grab them? Yeah, Simon was friends with Michael. They worked closely together but Doyle figured there was more going on for Michael than just protecting the kid. It didn't make sense to him. Not even after he had overheard Raymond and Operations talking just the other day about Reese's fair resemblance to the son Michael had lost. He knew if he could just find the missing piece he could get this figured out. In some way he wasn't getting the whole story.
But Doyle knew how he would have felt if he was in Michael's shoes. It was a strange thing to agree again with something the iceman felt. As he started to wonder how things that gone with that guy Taylor, he heard a chair hit the floor. Darcie was already off the platform and launching a kick at CC's back. It connected and reeled her flat out. In a blink of an eye she was up, directly into a hard right from Darcie that was followed by two violent punishing kidneys punches. They rocked CC and she fell to a knee, sucking in air. The little one had a punch and knew vulnerable spots.
"I warned you last time you started your crap, that I'd teach you a lesson. Time for school." A vicious slap to the face knocked Darcie to the floor but she staggered back up. There was no way she was going to go down with the first shot.
"Watch carefully and learn you little bitch." CC growled as she went at Darcie full throttle
Doyle grabbed Erik's collar just as he started passed him.. "Just get between 'em so I can get Darcie out of this before CC hurts her too much." At first he was annoyed at the command in Doyle's voice. What the hell did Doyle think he already was doing? Then he heard Darcie hit the floor hard as CC caught her with a swift kick to the jaw . This had to stop, Darcie wasn't strong enough or trained enough to fight off CC.
Head spinning and face on fire, Darcie struggled to her feet. CC wasn't going to win this. Darcie let out a blood curdling scream as Doyle grabbed her from behind and lifted her off her feet. "LET ME GO!!!" she demanded as clearly as she could. Her bottom lip was split and starting to swell. The kick CC had delivered to her jaw was showing as a large bright red welt not to mention the hand print from the slap above it.
"No we're going to Medlab." Struggling madly, Darcie couldn't get him grip loosened. He started to back away from CC.
Suddenly CC started laughing as she wiped the tickle of blood from her lip. "Just like her mistress, god damn sucker punch. Make sure you get a muzzle and a leash for the cur before the vet lets her go." Doyle had Darcie to the hallway by then but not far enough away to miss her final words. "And find out if I need a rabies shot.... get your hands me, I don't need your help."
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Raymond shook his head and turned from the glass. "This is
wrong. You've made a grave mistake, Oscar."
"How so?" Operations kept his eyes focused on the man secured in the chair in the center of the room. "He was a security risk to the Section and those under its protection."
"And what do you propose to do with Mr. Foller? Present him to Nikita? Or give him to Michael? We have no idea as to how she reacted to being confront with 'him'. You've heard nothing from Michael. The only thing you know is that your colleague says that they are safe and that everything is going well. If Michael was able to settle her after what must have been an agonizing experience for her, why do you want to take a chance of shattering her again?"
Operations turned around, anger strong on his face. "And what stops him on the outside from approaching her on the street? What happens if she's on a meet? What happens if he follows her home because someone in a misbegotten attempt to thicken her skin tells him where she is? I don't want that to happen."
"There is nothing that says he will do that."
"Then what about Michael? I don't want to imagine what would happen if they met on the street. You know what happened with Bauer. That was not pretty and it was not easy to fix either." He turned back to the window. Billie still stood stoically in the room by the door. With everything that had been going on, the quality of training that operatives under Michael's tutelage had proved to be their saving grace. With the exception of course of Mullin, he still didn't understand that one.
"At that time, how strong do you think Michael was?"
"Mentally or physically?"
"More importantly, emotionally."
"Not very."
"I agree from what I've been told. But he is more complete now. This may sound like a foolish thing but a family can do that to a man. And I think you understand me when I say that. We've discussed the bonds that have developed there. They will be even stronger now. He will understand that it will hurt more than help."
"But what about Katie?"
"Has Taylor shown any interest in her since then? No, he may well have wanted to forgot that time in his life too. Katie is concrete evidence of his mistake and lack of good judgement. I doubt I would be able to face the mother. Much less the child. Besides both Nikita and Katie according to public record are listed as deceased. Nikita in prison and Katie due to injuries from a car accident I believe Michael said."
"If she was my child, one that I had never seen, I'd have lots of interest. And I'd want to meet that child. Have a part in the child's life. Some day he'll want that, I know he will." There was a bitter edge to his voice. Raymond studied the way Operations held himself.
"That is you and the guilt you feel."
"In the ways that count, I haven't seen my son for a very long time."
"You still can not project your reaction onto this situation."
"I know how a fa....." The intercom crackled to life. Birkoff's hesitant but breathless voice filled the room.
"Ah, sir?"
"What?" Operations snapped in return.
"You better come up here. Ah....CC just went after Darcie. Doyle taking her to Medlab now."
"Where is CC?" Raymond raise an eyebrow at Operations' tone of voice.
"Going towards the briefing room."
Operations slammed out of the room. The banging door was not loud enough though to cover his loud, "That's it! I've had it with her!" as he strode angrily down the hall.
Operations barreled into the briefing room like a bull. He spun CC's chair around as if she was a top. "You ever go after one of my operatives again and I'll have you hauled up to the brass with assault charges. You got it, Constance?"
"She attacked me. Back off, madman!" CC shoved him and got out of the chair.
"I got an earful as to why she did. Doyle was ready to smack you himself. I'm had it with you, CC. You have 15 minutes to get yourself off the premises. And you can be damn sure I'm talking to Mac as soon as possible. I am done with your insubordination and belligerence. Your beef is with me, fine!! Then deal with me! Leave my operatives out of it, you spiteful little witch. And moreover you ever set foot in here again, you're on level 8 till I decide otherwise. Understood?"
"You don't have the authority!"
"Watch me get it real fast if you don't feel I do."
"Operations!" Birkoff's yell rang loudly in the room. "I got their signals back." With a final glare at CC, Operations spun on his heel and left the room. In a few brief seconds he was on the platform with Birkoff.
"Where are they?"
"At the garage entrance.... but I can't get an outside feed to confirm."
"Send some security up to meet them. I want a debrief as soon as they enter. I want to know what the hell has been going on."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Sir, Scotti just hit the distress signal. Something's wrong. Camera's coming up. Why is it running so slow? There...fuzzy but...Sir?"
Operations surveyed the small surveillance picture. "What the hell?" Scotti was slumped over his console and Simon was face down on the floor, three guns trained on him. "Birkoff...." Christine was held around the throat by a man whose face Operations could not see clearly. Two others were holding the elevator open. Still another was in the booth with Scotti and hammering away at the keyboard. "LOCK US DOWN!!!" He shouted, his head was hammering suddenly. No time for a stroke now, Oscar!!
"Doing it already. They got enviro, perimeter controls, communications... damn it! Bulkheads partial...they've got codes.... man, my head..... successful sequence for lock down on 5, 4..." Birkoff slumped forward as Operations went to his knees. Within another second, Section was as quiet as a tomb. Minutes ticked away in the silence.
Then it was punctuated by the sound of three pairs of footsteps, Jon emerged from a hallway. Christine was being dragged forward by Quasimodo. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. "That was almost too easy. So much for the great security measures of Section One." Jon looked over his shoulder to smile at Christine. "Did you know Caroline by any chance?"
"You didn't..." Christine felt her knees get weak. What she had been told they found had bothered her because she just couldn't figure out why Caroline would do that. The girl had been restless but that had been all. Unfortunately now it suddenly made all too much sense.
"No... she refused to finish the job. I threatened to kill her. She looks me square in the eye and says, 'I already am'. Produces this gun out of no where. Ruined my shirt but then I do hate loose ends, that was one I didn't have to worry about..... Oh Michael..." he called out. "Guess who's here to visit." He slowly turned in a circle. "Who runs your computers, Paige, I need to talk to him. No need to let the men in monkey suits know about this....after all it is a family problem."
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"I knew you wouldn't go to sleep." Nikita propped
herself up on an elbow to look down on him. His eyes were closed
and he was breathing slowly. She slapped him lightly on the
chest. "Stop faking!"
Michael opened one eye to look at her. "I might be able to if you would be quiet" Her lips forming a thin line, she flopped her head back down onto her own pillow, leaving an arm over him. Within seconds, she was back up, this time half laying on top of him. "Already?" he asked, his tone slightly mocking.
She smacked him again, "I'm not interested in that right now but I'm not sleepy either." Nikita pulled the loose strap of her lingerie up for what she felt must have been the hundredth time since she put it back on. "What did you do to this strap?"
Pushing her off, Michael rolled over on his side. "I can tell you're not sleepy. Anyway you told me to figure it out."
"Figure not stretch, there's a difference." She paused, wrinkling her face in distaste. "Ohh, that was a whine just like one of Katie's."
"And you wondered where she got it from. Fancy that." This time she hit him in the shoulder.
"Don't be such a jerk."
With a sigh, he rolled unto his back again and adjusted the pillow under his head. It was plain she wasn't going to let him go to sleep. With a hint of reprimand in his voice he said, "We should try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long hard day."
"I know," she said softly as she laid her head on his chest. He grabbed a strand of hair and lazily played with it.
"We're probably not going to be able to do this again for a while. We can try and steal overnighters and short days. But a stay like this...."
"I know," her voice more distant than the first time.
"Kita, we talked about this."
"I can still feel sad about it. Can we talk about something else?"
"What?" he asked as he inhaled deeply.
"Tell me about your parents." She traced some faint scar lines that ran across his chest
"Nikita..." He sounded annoyed.
"Not the bad stuff but like how they met, what they were like as a couple, with you and your sister. That's what I mean."
Michael snagged her hand from his chest. "Is this you asking or Katie?" He played with her fingers again, this time concentrating on the ring on her finger.
"Both of us. She asked and I have to admit to being curious too."
"I guess my father would have to have been around 30 when he met my mother, she had just turned just 18. He was in Dunkerque with some acquaintances. They were married not long after they met and he brought her to the States. He was living near Washington and she hated it. Once she got pregnant with Paige, she made him move. He took her north. Paige born at the house.... He built it for her, did you know that? It was supposed to have looked like her great grand mother's home in Dijivet. That's in Belgium.... and so it sits...."
Gripping his fingers, she kissed his chest. "We can find a way...."
"No Philippe was in that house, he slept there. I won't have Reese and Katie there. I still felt him even though I knew he was really dead.........I wish I could make this real."
"Till tomorrow it is." She moved as he sat up and slid to the side of the bed. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her cheek on his shoulder.
"I didn't mean only these past two weeks. I asked you to wear the ring because I want that to be real too. I want it to mean it instead of just symbolizing what might happen in the future." He felt her move away and looked over his shoulder to see what she was doing. Nikita sat in the middle of the bed, playing with the ring herself. Her hair covered her face so he could see her eyes or expression. "What did I say wrong?" Michael moved over on the bed till he could reach her hair to move it back. "Kita?"
"You really want me like that? Like to really be married?" She shook her head. "That's a scary thought."
"Why? Don't you...." He stroked her cheek hesitantly.
"I'm unsure... that makes us real. Since the day I pulled that trigger to keep that creep from killing you, I've tried not to be real. I no longer had a life, a name, almost no identity. I burned that picture you tossed at me of my grave as if by doing that all the past burned away from me too. Now you're telling me you want me , the real person. You bring Katie back into my life, a dream I've dreaded even thinking because I was afraid it would break my heart again. Because I didn't have the power to make it real. You take on the responsibility of her was if she was your own. You willing take on the obligation of someone's child too. You are determined to find a way to make us into a family. Why? You were never like this before. You aren't the man I first fell for anymore."
Michael felt like he had been kicked in the chest. Automatically, he let his face go blank as he felt the rejection in the words. The black pit that for weeks had been getting smaller and smaller, its pull less powerful was suddenly gaping under him. He felt himself tittering on the edge. One touch and he would just slid down into it. He thought he had been going in the direction she wanted. Had he been following the wrong path? Finding it hard to breathe, he started to get out of bed. This was too much for him to even start to begin to figure out.
"Sorry to disappoint you so greatly." The words were hard and bitter. Nikita's expression went from reflective to bewilder. She grabbed his wrist.
"Wait a minute! What's that suppose to mean? Disappoint me?" He jerked hard on her hold but she didn't loosen her grip. "Michael, what is your problem all of a sudden?"
The mask fell and dark anger lashed out at her. "THEN WHAT KIND OF MAN DO YOU WANT?"
He was completely furious and Nikita was only half grasping why. He obviously hadn't understood her but why not? "How about listening to the words instead of just hearing them?"
"Don't throw my words back at me!" He pulled hard on his wrist again but Nikita grabbed on
with her other hand.
"Stop this! Where is this coming from? Stop pulling this psycho act on me!"
Michael clutch her chin hard with his free hand. Through clenched teeth he said, "At least I don't change colors at the drop of a hat. This is the second time I've mentioned the idea of marriage and you react the same way. You do have any idea how much that hurts me? If you don't want me, then tell me! Stop breaking what heart I have left!"
He pushed her away and she let go of his wrist to rub her chin. "If you had just waited until I finished my thoughts before you jump all over me and start throwing accusations around, you wouldn't be acting like such a god damn idiot!!! I was going to say that finally I'm seeing the Michael who would have been if life had turned out different. I see you sit and play with Reese for hours with those bricks of his. The two of you lost in your own little world, talking to each other. I don't know how much conscious understanding is going on but on the inside it's total. I watch you with Katie as you explain something to her and her rapt attention to you. How fast she took to you and decide she wanted you as her father. I see you joking with Claude like he really is a brother. I watch you treat Jerrod like the adult he is so trying to be and wants to be seen as. You patiently listen to Annie's lectures. You never lose the thread of those huge run-on sentences that Willie speaks in that I lose within 15 seconds of him talking. The way you understand Simon when most of the rest of us don't. Do you have any idea how proud of you that makes me?"
Sitting down heavily on the bed and facing her, Michael lowered his head. Nikita was right he had just heard the words. It made him feel a little ashamed. There had been no listening going on and he had reacted without thinking. "I'm sorry... I get..."
"You get scared. Whether you want to admit it or not. Me too, Michael. I'm scared to death of what we've got going here. Cause no matter how safe we feel right here and right now, we have no guarantees on anything. But I am willing to take what we have for as long as we have it. I love the man I'm discovering bit by bit. You were so cold and so hard when we first met. But there was somebody else inside, I knew it the first time I saw you. You know why I didn't go at you again the first time you put me on my butt?"
"Why?" he asked softly.
"Cause when I looked up at you, I saw somebody screaming 'help, let me out, this isn't me'. And I knew that maybe I'd found somebody who understood that crap I'd been through. That dark, hard cold unfeeling way you have is just a disguise. A wall to keep others out because you're scared of them finding the man that I've found. The man they tried to rip out of you. I know because of our world we have to be two different people. The Section and the real..... You know how I say there is the little girl and the woman inside me?"
Michael nodded. "There is also a reckless teenage girl who started to fall for that Section guy. Thought he was really sexy. It was a crush thing which petrified her because of the last crush she had. The little girl thought it would be best to run. But then the woman who saw the real man behind the Section guy was screaming to be heard. This was her show and she was going to have things her way no matter whose big mouth opens. I love you, Michael. It makes me feel so good that you want to make these rings symbolize their true meaning and not just a dress rehearsal for the future. Even with all your little quirks...."
Taking a deep breath, Michael rubbed the side of his face. He gave her a lopsided grin which she returned. "My quirks? This from someone slightly schizo herself? " She gave him a brief glower than dissolved into a smile.
"Yeah, like that olive loaf thing and the upside glasses.... and then there is the thing about the refrigerator arrangement and the bare feet...." She gave a little screech as he playfully knocked her down to the mattress.
Pinning her down by straddling her, he grinned at her. "Only because you deliberately stand on the damn tile floor in the bathroom to get them to freezer stage and then you expect me to warm them up."
She grinned back at him. "But I love how warm you feel when I get in. It feels so good."
Leaning closer he brushed her mouth with his. "Brat."
"So what you going to do about it, boy?" A huge smile spread across Michael's face at her cocky and insolent tone of voice.
"Make you beg for mercy," he retorted as he kissed her.
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Chapter 6
With a hangover telling him he had drunk a keg of stout by
himself but a head that told him he had been in the hallway
coming back from Darcie's room, Doyle clawed his way up the wall
he felt beneath his fingertips. Cautiously he opened an eye and
the world tilted at an impossible angle. He shut it and squeezed
the lids tightly closed. Knees buckling, he would have crashed
face first onto the floor if he hadn't been caught. He recognized
the voice but wasn't sure how real it was.
"I don't know what he used but wait till it wears off completely before you try and stand again." Simon checked Doyle's pulse and thought it felt ok, a little rapid but the guy probably had just seen the world do some weird things in front of his eyes. He shook his head when he saw how tight Doyle had his eyes squeezed shut. "Open your eyes, Doyle."
"Tell me who brought the keg I had and I might. Oh my head....." As he groaned Simon propped him sitting up against the wall.
In exaggerated slow motion, Doyle opened his eyes bit by bit. His hope was things wouldn't spin so badly this time. Once he had them open, he looked to his side. He reached out at one of the two images he saw of Simon but in reality missed him way to the right. Doyle felt his hand pushed down and knew the guy was real. "Man, you both look like crap. What the hell hit you? A semi?" Simon shrugged in response to the question. He knew he didn't look good and Doyle's comments only confirmed it.
"Not a what but a couple of whos. I put several out of my misery, don't worry." He stood and went over to the door. With a frown on his face, he grabbed two wires from the mass that hung down the doorframe and touched them together. Nothing happened. Muttering to himself, he tossed them against the metal door.
"Where are we?" Simon felt gratified that Doyle's voice was getting stronger. At least that meant he was not in this alone anymore. He hated being caged like an animal to begin with. Being alone only made it worse.
"Level 6... detention cells for interrogation guests among other things." They were both lucky they weren't in the cages one level up. Simon hated the vibes from that place. Only those they planned to terminate right away after they were questioned were put there. He didn't know if JJ knew that but ....
"What are the wires from?" Doyle broke into his thoughts and Simon was glad he did.
"Door lock controls. They're hidden underneath the housing of the door frame in the top portion. Everybody in here is always cuffed so they wouldn't be able to get to them anyway. I was lucky on this one, a rivet was missing. God damn worthless copper string though with a lockdown in place." He sighed, thinking about all the time, pain and effort he had spent protecting the three people he cared most about in the world.
And now he was powerless, he didn't even know where they had taken Chrissy. And he couldn't get rid of the image of her just falling to the grass in front of Jon. He kicked the door angrily. One thing Simon needed at the moment was to see and hear her, he had to know she was ok. His anger grew as he was forced to acknowledge the fact that right now he couldn't find that out even if he asked.
Doyle leaned his head back against the wall and swallowed. "Where you been?"
"Playing training equipment for Jon's thugs. It wasn't fun."
"He grab you at Christine's?"
"Yup." Simon paced around the room, his hand on his hips and eyes tracing the outline of the room. He knew the casings of the lights were useless. Main air vents were too high to reach for either of them even with one standing on the other shoulders. There were no observation windows at all. The wide angle zoom camera was high in the ceiling, 15 feet above his head. He growled in frustration. The feeling that he was trapped which he had been trying to ignore for the past two weeks was overwhelming him now.
"She ok?"
"She better be. I'll skin and dissect him with my bare hands if she isn't. Where are Michael and Nikita anyway? He was p o'd because he couldn't find them. With us missing I figured...."
"Nobody knows where they are. They're on some assignment for the Agency according to the official line."
"Unofficial says?"
"Resident know-it-all Darcie says they're with the kids. Whatever that means."
Simon actually chuckled. "I knew he wasn't going to put up with it much longer. Damn! He is good. Princess must be in heaven. I pity him though... peace must be a forgotten thing. He's probably looking forward to coming home by now."
"What makes you say that?" Doyle stood away from the support of the wall and swayed. He reached out for the smooth metal and took a deep breath
"Nikita is not the easiest woman to get along with, as I believe you found out. Katie is just like her, spitting image. Add Reese who is one very determined and head strong little tyke. Then you have poor Michael up against all three."
"Oh." Doyle remarked. Still didn't make much sense to him but then again his brain was still fuzzy. Muttering from Simon brought his focus back to the room.
"Little bastard, I'm gonna kill him. I swear. I'll knock Michael cold to get my hands on him first. No reason to treat her like that. Thinks himself so bad, he doesn't know what it is. If he thinks he can touch her like that..."
Doyle raised an eyebrow. Simon had it bad for Christine and he was sure after this his own chances with her were shot to proverbial hell. That was if they got out of this intact. "Why'd he grab you two?"
"He needed Chrissy to get to Michael and Reese. But beyond that I don't understand this whole vendetta thing he's got going about himself, Michael and Simone. Makes no sense to me." Doyle was still feeling unsteady but he needed to move around but Simon's pacing was making him nervous. He got the impression that Simon was getting ready to explode. "Why would Christine be any good to him?"
"She and Michael share some history." Simon wasn't about to give the whole ball of wax to him. He knew it was going to be well known by everybody in Section before this was over and done. But for now he could hold her secret. He grimaced as he heard Billie's voice in his head. He could hear him as if he really said the words, You bagged Michael's sister... oh man, I am sure glad I'm not in your shoes! Simon was pretty sure that was going to be the general sentiment all the way around. He hoped this didn't make her push him away. There was no way he was going to allow it to happen if she tried. They were in this for the long haul now.
"So?" Doyle wasn't happy with that version of the story. "You know I get thrown into this mess without a whole story. I've gotten my rear chewed out by both Operations and that redheaded hell cat..."
Simon whipped his head around to look at Doyle. "CC is here?"
"Yeah, don't tell me. You don't like her either."
"Only one who does is Walter." He shook his head as he looked towards the ceiling. "And they come back tomorrow.... no way to warn them... no way to stop them... Aaargghhh!!!!" Simon's foot hit the metal with a tremendous bang. He danced back into the center of the room and slammed into it again. "We're screwed. Right to the freaking wall!" He launched another kick at the door that reverberated through the room and Doyle's still throbbing head. Maybe he should sit back down until the explosion blew itself out.
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"Easy, just keep your head down for a few seconds. I promise
the spinning will stop. If you don't look, you won't get
sick." Christine gently stroked Birkoff's head as he moaned
miserably against her shoulder. "I know your head hurts like
hell. The light sedative will help in just a bit."
"You treat all your patients to such tender loving care? I didn't see you do that for my employee."
"Do you have any idea the headache that shit causes? Find a new toy!" Christine looked away from Jon in disgust.
"Paige, I think you complain too much. You'll have to learn not to do that."
With a sneer on her face, she looked at him. "I save all that just for you, bumpkins."
"I'm gonna be sick...." Birkoff moaned. Christine grabbed a bucket that sat beside her as she pushed Birkoff to the side. With a deep breath, she got to her feet.
"We have to let it wear off by itself. Speeding their systems up with the antidote and then the blocking agent in the sedative is going to make them all sick as dogs. And it will last almost as long as letting it wear off. He's gonna be shaky for a while. Besides I've got a few patients among this bunch that can't handle a one two punch of drugs like that." It was a lousy lie but she had to think of something. 75 vomiting people was not her idea of fun.
"Your care and compassion move me. Let them sleep it off. But I want him functional in 10 minutes. Do you understand me?" Christine just glared at him as she helped Birkoff off the floor who now just mumbled about how much he hated life. Spinning on his heel, Jon stormed off the dais. Three guards moved in closer with guns at ready.
Settling Birkoff into his seat, Christine kneeled beside him. He rested his forehead on the keyboard, not moaning so often now. "How you feeling?"
"Worse than dead," he answered softly.
"Don't say that word. Where is Michael and Nikita? He couldn't find them here. Are they at Michael's?"
"No."
"At Nikita's?"
"No."
"A mis...."
"Nobody knows where they are except the guy Operations knows from the Agency. And he's not telling. They're due back tomorrow."
"What are they doing for the Agency?"
"No, what is the Agency doing for them." He lifted his head up to look at her. "They've kinda been on vacation."
"Vacation?"
"Something to do with that little boy Reese they were protecting and.... this is between you and me... Michael wants her kept a secret..." Birkoff dropped his voice even lower. "Nikita's little girl... but I think Section knows about her. They're with them." Christine lowered her head to her hand. Darcie had been right. Michael knew right where Reese was. And Jon was gambling on the fact that Michael would care more about her life than Reese's.
He had no idea the under-currents between her and Michael. He had no idea how Michael felt about Reese and what he was trying to make happen for Nikita, Katie, Reese and himself. Nikita had said in her office as they had talked about whether or not to reveal the secret about that too. That Michael was determined to have a future for the four of them together, however he could.
"And if I have to die to make it happen," she muttered under her breath, "....I will!"
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"Can you promise me you will not get all willy like before?
That really scared me when Michael told me how upset you
were." Nikita sat cross-legged on end of the bed in their
room with Katie in her lap. She had her arms wrapped around the
girl. Her heart hammered wildly every time she thought about how
long it would be before she could feel like this again. Michael
laid across the bed in front of them, helping Reese draw on paper
with crayons. Even though they were the big ones, he was having
trouble using them. Reese patiently tried to imitate Michael
using one.
Katie looked over at Michael. "Dad, did you have to tell her I was acting like a baby?"
"I don't recall using the word 'baby' or 'willy' for that matter. I said you were very upset and scared. That's what got your mom started."
"But Mom it wasn't your fault it was the wi..."
"Katie, we talked about referring to her like that. Don't even think about her, OK?" Nikita said quickly, cutting off Katie who let out a dramatic sigh. Reese looked up from the paper at the noise and held out a green crayon to Katie,
"Kay, make me cow?" She frowned at him.
"That's not the right color for a cow. They're brown not green. Get the right color." With a frown to match Katie's, Reese studied the crayon in his hand and looked over at Michael.
"Da, wrong un." He screwed up his face as if thinking really hard. "Brown 'tick?"
Michael picked up the brown crayon and handed it to him. "Brown crayon, Reese." The little boy watched him intently for a minute again with wide eyes. Then he held the crayon out to Katie.
"Kay, brown yeayon. Cow pease?" Katie took the paper and made a quick stick figure and handed it back to Reese. He made a face, obviously not happy with Katie's work. He gave the paper to Michael.
"Da, nice cow for 'eese?" All three of them watched him start the drawing but their interest made him look up.
"What?" He gave a quick look to Nikita before he shifted his eyes to Katie.
"Just watching. How did you learn to draw, Dad?" Katie asked, as she fended off Reese's hands at her sneaker laces.
"When I was around 4, my grandmother came from France to spend the summer with us. She brought pencils, paints and brushes. She felt that either my sister or I should learn to draw. Paige didn't like it, I did."
"Your grand mother was an artist?" Nikita asked softly. Michael smiled in memory.
"She didn't think so. She would have said that she was merely an art teacher who knew how to make others draw beautiful things." He looked up at Nikita, sadness growing in his eyes. "She wanted me to go home with her because she thought I had the ability to be a great artist with the proper training. My father said no, maybe that had been the wrong thing to do." Michael looked back down to the paper and then sat up.
Katie tried to look up at her mother but Nikita had her chin resting on top of her head. Dad didn't look particularly happy talking about being a little kid. But at least he had told her something. And now she had the name of the sister Mom had mentioned last night. Maybe he would say something about her too. "How come you haven't seen or talked to your sister in so long? I thought that brothers and sisters are suppose to be around to take care of each other. Like I do with Pieces. Don't you like your sister?"
Michael looked up to Nikita, trying to gage from her how much to tell Katie. There was no answer in her eyes except encouragement. She wanted him to keep talking. Katie leaned her head to the side to look at Nikita as she saw how he looked over her head. There was definitely something going on between them. And it told her that not only was she not going to find out everything, but whatever was the real thing, it made Dad really unhappy.
One thing Katie had noticed about the two of them was that they looked at each other a lot. Sometimes they made a face or moved their bodies, but usually it was just a look. It was kinda creepy and made her really curious. It was like they were talking without words. "Do you two have esp?"
"What?" Nikita asked in a surprised voice. That had come out of the proverbial left field. Reese gave a sigh and grabbed another crayon and started scribbling on other paper. He seemed content just to be near them. The hyper little boy that had lived with Greg was now usually calm and happy. Maybe his behavior then had been to get attention. Now that he had it, he didn't need the temper tantrums, just an occasional quick fit . The only tantrum he had thrown had been the night they had tried to put him back in his bed when he wanted to sleep with them. That had been a loud disaster.
"Cause you two look at each other all the time and don't say anything but it's still like you're still talking. It's like weird."
Nikita opened her mouth to answer but Michael beat her. A movement out of the corner her eye caught her attention. Reese laid his head down on Michael's lap. The talk was boring him. There was something that she admired in Reese. If he got bored, he went to sleep. It was an almost envious ability. She could just see it if she did that during a briefing. She looked quickly over to the clock on the nightstand. It was way past his bed-time and he hadn't had a nap either.
"No, we don't but everything I need to hear sometimes is in her eyes. She says a lot with them. Besides they are a very beautiful shade of blue." Nikita looked down with a smile as he said that. She knew if she looked at him, not only was she going to start to cry but he would have that look in his own eyes that went right through her. "Like yours are."
Katie blushed and shrugged. When Dad got mushy, she felt grossed out. Even though it did sound very pretty. "I guess.... where does your sister live, Dad? Far away?"
Michael shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen her since I was six. But it can't be helped."
"Why did she get lost or something?"
"No, I did." He picked up a now asleep Reese. "I'm going to put him to bed." And then left the room quickly.
"Dad looked like he was going to cry. He didn't like being a kid, did he?"
Nikita smoothed down some of Katie's hair, thinking of the ghosts she was sure Michael would never rid himself of completely. "No, he didn't. It was not really good at all for him. That's why he has tried so hard for you and Reese. He wants the two of you to be as happy as possible, regardless of how crazy our lives are. I want that too. Leaving tomorrow is going to be very hard. There is nothing in the world we want more than to stay here. But to get this Michael had to make a lot of promises. One was that we would go back. For now until we can work something else out, we have to do that."
"I know," Katie whispered softly. She didn't want to think about tomorrow. It made her want to cry but she was going to show Mom how grown up she could be.
"I need you to really try and be happy. To like it here. That's the only way I can keep going, Katie. It is an awful big thing to put on your shoulders but I don't want to lie to you. Mich... Your dad..." Nikita couldn't help the smile or the tears that sprung to her eyes. She reached out and grabbed Katie's hand, pulling it to her lips for a kiss. "...and I need to keep our thoughts there on work as much as possible. That doesn't mean I won't be....."
"I remember. He told me you have a dangerous job with a lot of bad people running around. You guys help get the bad guys that cops can't. And sometimes you have to be meaner than they are to do it. He said you helped Reese's other mommy keep him safe from those type of guys. She can't ever take care of Reese cause she's dead, right? Dad didn't say that but I kinda figured it out."
Sadly, Nikita nodded. "That's right. How did you get so smart?" Katie shrugged and sniffed. The tears she didn't want to cry were making her nose run. She ran her hand under her nose. Softly Nikita said, "Grab a Kleenex and get me one too. Can I ask you a big favor?"
"Sure what?" Katie felt excited. Mom wanted her to do something important. She watched as Nikita reached up and took off the necklace she wore. Carefully Nikita placed it around Katie's. "Why'd you do that?"
"This is the favor. Will you take care of this necklace for me?"
Katie looked it over. " 'Nikita... To a good friend. With admiration and respect...Martina'.....Who's Martina?"
"Reese's mommy. She worked with us. Uncle Claude has a bunch of papers and a videotape from Reese's mommy to him. We have some things with it for you from us and for Reese too. If anything happens...." Nikita watched as Katie's eyes grew hug and the tears she had seen glimmering in those eyes finally spilled over. Katie shook her head vigorously.
"NO! Nothing is going to happen. It can't !! I won't let it!!! I say it can't!!!"
Nikita grabbed both of Katie's hands in a tight grip. Her own eyes filling with tears. "Honey please, I need you to be a big girl about this. This is an awful thing to make you think about. I hate doing it. It is not fair to you at all. But it is how we live and I can't lie to you about it. Those papers if anything happens will tell..." Katie tried to pull away, tears falling down her face. Nikita refused to let go. "...you everything you need to know. Everything we can't tell you right now. There is so much you deserve to know...."
Tears of her own falling to match Katie's, she pulled Katie into a fierce hug. "I promise to try as hard as I can to make sure nothing ever happens. I want to see the both of you grow up. I want to be here for it so much. I just want to hold you forever. I love you so much." Katie clutched her in a hard embrace of her own. Slowly Nikita started rocking her, trying to comfort them both of them at once.
Outside the door, Michael took a deep breath. It had been haunting to hear almost the same things come out of Nikita's mouth that he had been thinking as he put Reese to bed. He played it over in his head again. There were two ways to get to stay here but he refused to do either.... yet. He could use Jerrod and the love Claude and Annie had for boy in such a cruel way. He had opened the door enough for Operations. The rest of it was up to him and Madeline.
The other was Mac and his questions about Section One. But he didn't want that option right now. Soundlessly he slipped into the room and back to the bed. Still without a word, he wrapped his arms around them; resting his cheek against Nikita's tilted head. "I love you both, I promise, someday it will be just the four of us." Michael wasn't sure if they heard him through the tears but he had to say it. If only to make it seems possible to himself.....
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The silence in the room was heavy enough to make Operations bow
his head over the table. Never had he hurt like this before, not
even with any torture he had ever received. Taking a steady
breath, he sat up and looked over at Madeline. Her eyes were
closed as she sat ramrod stiff in her chair. Her breathing was
deep and slow, hands laid limp in her lap. Hesitantly he reached
out to one. It was cold and not as relaxed as he thought.
"Madeline?" he whispered
"Quiet," she said in a whisper herself. As long as she sat still, not thinking or speaking, the pain was just a throb.
Operations moved his hand. She was effectively closing him out. CC still sat on the floor in the corner, her head still on her folded arms. There had not been a word or even a hint of movement out of her. Approaching footsteps caught his attention and he cared turned his head around to see who owned them.
The smile Jon gave him turned his stomach. "I see we are all awake. Let me see if I have the names correct. You, sir, would be Operations, the head of Section One. Your female companion there I believe is Madeline. She looks familiar and I do believe you helped spirit Michael away that night. Now the lady with the gorgeous red hair I am unacquainted with." He walked to CC who sluggishly brought up her head.
Jon's smile faded quickly as he locked eyes with CC. Operations watched as she formed a face of utter disgust and contempt on her face. "You don't remember me?" CC rasped through clenched teeth.
"How's Pietro?"
"You returned him. You ought to know." The voice she answered him in was so full of hatred and bitterness that even Madeline opened her eyes to look towards CC. Operations was puzzled about what they were talking about. Slowly CC rose to her feet to which Jon gave a lazy smile.
"You're still a little slow.....Margeaux was stupid to send him after me." Jon pronounced as he pulled out a chair and sat calmly in it. CC went at him so rapidly no one caught her before she had Jon and the chair spilled to the floor.
"Her name was Martina, you pig!" She slammed her fist into his face. "Pietro was just there to pick up the package!" Jon returned the blow with a fist to the back of her neck but she didn't stop. Her ferocity surprised everyone in the room. Both Oscar and Walter moved at the same time, seeing the opportunity she was buying them. Two armed guards brought them up short.
Madeline looked away as she saw a rifle swung at CC. The first hit brought a cry of pain. The second hit from the butt end of it sent her sprawling to the floor. "WHY?" came her strangled cry from the floor. Operations tried to move closer, he could already see the dark stain on the shoulder of her turtleneck. Madeline caught his forearm in a hard grip as the gun was swung up to his face this time.
Standing and wiping his bloody lip and nose on the back of his hand, Jon gave a laugh and snapped his fingers. Two guards lifted CC to her feet. He lifted her chin so that he could look in her eyes. Operations was surprised to see tears on CC's face, he hadn't seen her cry in years. He looked to Madeline who had puzzled look on her face. She was trying to understand the dynamics of the situation as well. "Because Connie, he was fresh meat."
The scream that came out of CC turned Madeline white. "He mentioned you several times as he died." Suddenly CC sagged and Jon let her chin go. "I enjoyed watching. He was entertaining." They dropped her into the corner she had sprung from as Jon turned around to look at Operations.
"You look surprised, Operations. Why?"
"Can she get some medical attention? She is bleeding from being hit." Madeline 's voice was calm and matter of fact. She could see Operations' expression out of the corner of her eye. CC's reaction had surprised her as well but she was not going to let Jon see it. It occurred to her that whoever this Pietro was, he had been very important to CC. That in itself made Madeline want to kick herself for not having delved more into who Martina had been and who CC was becoming. It might prove to be useful right now.
"Let her bleed. Shows her what stupidity does to a person. After I sent that bag back to Margeaux, Martina, whatever her name was, along with the pieces of her letter expressing her sorrow over our incompatibility. Which was just as much a lie as when she slunk to me with ideas of weapons, destruction and money. However I do not consider their ignorance a problem for me to bother myself with. So where is the two faced mother? Cowering in fear somewhere?"
"She's dead." Operations said blandly and sat back down, his face once again composed.
"Will wonders never cease? This is so good to hear, Operations. You've helped to make my day somewhat." Coming around the table, he placed his hands on the polished wood and stared at Operations' profile. "Now finish the job. Tell me where they are."
"I don't know."
"You should probably think of the consequences to yourself and those under your authority before you continue to lie to me."
"You don't work for me....why would I need to lie to you?" Operations turned his head so that his eyes were focused on Jon. "I do not know where they are. I can offer you no more than that. You want a better answer? Look elsewhere, I haven't got one. And you won't get one from anyone else here either. Otherwise bring on your worse. My people are ready for it. I keep them trained well."
Jon stood, folding his arms across his chest, eyes still on Operations. There was no way Operations was going to break the eye contact either. "You do train them well. I am willing to admit that to your face. But..." he said as he made a show of looking around the room. "...not well enough. We wait for them then. Then Michael and I will redraw the lines. Once it is settled I'll decide if I'll let the rest of you live."
"What are you looking for, Jon?" Madeline's voice was still calm but with a slight cajoling tone.
Walking over to her, he pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he clasped his hands together and studied the floor for a long while. Then he looked up at her. "Payment for the blood that has slowly been leeched from me for the past 14 years. He took mine. I intend to do the same to him." With a quick smile, Jon was on his feet and out the door after a whispered word to the guard at the door leading to Ops.
Operations leaned closer to Madeline. Under his breath, he said, "Do you understand this?"
"No," she replied and then got up. Weapons were immediately trained on her. Holding up both hands in a calming gesture, she motioned towards CC. "I only want to check on her. She is hurt." Slowly the guns returned to their original position and she was able to approach CC. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, Madeline softly said her name. "CC?"
Taking a longer look at her, Operations was shocked at how pale she was. Her eyes stared straight ahead and looked blackened with the dark circles that now stood out under them. The tears which had taken him by surprise earlier were gone. But he could still see the tracks of them. Her hands were on the floor on either side of her but the fingers were curled as if they were trying to dig into the tile. The bleeding from the side of her head had stopped and what has trickled to the side of her face had started to dry. It served only to accentuate the whiteness of her skin.
Madeline got no response from CC so she crouched down, ignoring the pain stabbing through her own head. Carefully, she brought CC's hands up into her lap but the fingers stayed gnarled. Madeline clasped one of them in her own, the other hand touched the girl's cheek.. The hands reminded her of claws or of a person desperately trying to hang on to a ledge to keep from falling. Her skin felt cold and tight.
"CC, I can listen."
Eyes that showed pain intensifying as the memory played through her head. "Just pieces in a bag. Dumped in front of us....not even everything. He said they threw parts in an alley. The bag might have ripped......" Her voice trailed off and she started to shake.
"CC, was he one of Martina's people?"
"Used him as a messenger. Just that one time...." The hands in her lap suddenly clenched into fists and the cold anger that CC usually had in her eyes returned as she looked at directly into Madeline's eyes. Only this time it seemed more powerful than anything Madeline had seen before in her. "Get away from me." Her voice was almost a growl, threatening and harsh. Madeline stood and slowly backed away as CC turned her gaze to the door. "And stay away unless you want to die like he and I are going to."
End of part three...
written by Tammy
Continue on to Fait Accompli, part four
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