These characters belong to the imagination of LFN USA. In our own private world of make-believe, we use them for the purpose of creating Fanfics. I have done that and have allowed my imagination to take wind, so no don’t sue me cause infringement is intended. This episode takes place after "Relational Duty" (See the Arc) This story takes place exactly a year after the birth of Nicholas Adam. Nikita knows Michael is content but in order for him to truly be complete he needs one thing and she won’t rest until she achieves her secret mission. Caution: Tear Jerker, read with hanky in hand. Like always, I love comments, please send them to Elise

Elena replaced the phone back on its cradle. She turned toward the window. It was beginning to rain outside. She wiped the tears that ran across her cheeks and traced the outline of the raindrops on the glass.

What Nikita had asked her to do was impossible. How could she explain to her son that his father was alive? How could she expect Adam to understand that his father was forced to fake his death for their benefit? He had grown up fatherless, crying himself to sleep and awaking to the nightmares. Now she was just suppose to tell him it was all a lie? And what about herself, was she ready to see him? Was she ready to be in the same room with the man that had vowed to love her "till death do us part?" The irony in the whole situation was there had been no death to keep them apart. There was something more painfully real, Nikita was now his wife!.

She walked over to the large, wooden chest in front of her bed and opened it. Delicately, she pushed back the fine fabric of her wedding gown and took out the gold embossed scrapbook. She opened the to the first page. A picture of Michael and her on their first date smiled back at her. As she flipped through the pages memories of their moments together engulfed her, threatening her sanity like a powerful tidal wave. She gasped for air, tears blinding her, as she looked their wedding photo. How could he have lied to her year after year? Maybe all the information she had read on her father was true, maybe the man was a terrorist, but why did she have to pay the price for his sins? Why did Adam?

Michael had been her life. When she met him there had been a thoughtfulness and gentleness about him, she had not seen in anyone she had ever known. Surely that all could not have been a lie? But it was!

Angrily she hurled the scrapbook across the room. The binding became loose as it crashed against the wall, sending the pages of their photographic history flying everywhere.

She fell on her knees; covering her shocked face with the palms of her hands and sobbed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxTHE SAMUELLE HOUSHOLDxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two very inquisitive large green eyes peeked from under the yellow blanket.

"I got ya!" Nikita laughed playfully removing her mischievous toddler from his hiding place. She swung him around the air, dancing with him to the tune of Barney’s "I Love You."

She tickled his stomach and he broke into peals of laughter.

"You are so much like your Papa, you know that?" She teased, laying him down on the changing table.

As she changed his diapers she recalled the unpleasant conversation she had with Elena just a week ago. She had given her copies of some low level classified surveillance files in hopes she would understand the turmoil and the despair Michael had undergone when he had lost Adam.

Nikita could sympathize with the pain of betrayal that Elena was suffering. She had lost count of the times when Michael had betrayed her for the purpose of doing his job. Yet, she was sure the only reason she had forgiven him was because some part of her knew all along that his love for her was real. Enduring the emotional torture of his constant lies and manipulations, she had learned the valuable lesson of looking beyond the facade. In the depth of his icy green eyes, was the hidden truth. No matter what he had told her or did to push her away, his eyes always told a different story. It was worth the pain because in the end the fairy tale had come true for her.

She picked up her son and placed him in his crib. He snuggled up against his teddy bear and drifted off to sleep. Nikita kissed his petal soft cheek and tipped toed out of the room, leaving him to nap peacefully.

She picked up a magazine in the basket near her bed and flipped through it. She noticed the familiar blink of the red light on the ceiling and waved.

"Hey Mr. I just put down Niki, and I am going to take a shower, care to join me?" She said referring to the camera.

Her cell phone rang. She picked it up discarding her flowery romper on the bed.

"Oui Je suis Josephine at your service." She teased unclasping the sunflower clip from her hair.

"I would love to join you Mrs. Samuelle, but as you already know, I have to save the world from corruption, is a tough job but someone has to do it... Perhaps tonight, good things come to all who wait." He replied; his voice filled with seductive promises.

"Is that a reminder of 'be patient,' I think I have heard that line before." She said making surethe camera was able to catch her exaggerated pout.

Michael laughed softly on the other side of the line. That’s my Kita, he thought to himself blowing her a kiss through the receiver.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxELENA'S HOUSEHOLDxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elena tried to concentrate on fixing supper. She stirred the rice pilaff and glanced over to the lettuce and tomato sitting on the cutting board. She went over and picked up the knife and began slicing through the head of lettuce. It had always been Michael’s job to do the salad. She remembered his strong hands on top of her own as he guided the knife, shredding away the carefully cut pieces of salad. How could a man make something so simplistic as cutting vegetables an art form? He had cut each piece of lettuce precisely the same length and width as the other. Her Michael had been gifted with the "Midas touch," that’s what she foolishly had believed back then.

She placed the cutlery down and wiped away a stray tear from her eye. For all she knew, even the way he had made dinner was a premeditated tactic. The way he looked at her, the way he held her. She shudder at the thought, that even the way he had been intimate with her was pre-orchestrated by an obscure organization that had kept him under strict guidelines.

"Hey mom, mom are you okay?" Adam asked as he noticed the sad expression registered on his mom’s watery eyes.

"My darling, I’m fine, It is just these onions they make my eyes water. Go on and wash up, dinner will be ready soon." She answered painting on a sunny smile.

Adam raised his eyebrow and cocked his head slightly, "Are you sure?"

Elena dismissed her skeptical nine-year old son and returned to her kitchen duties. As she continued with the dinner preparations she rehearsed in her mind all the coincidental accidents and problems that had surfaced after Michael’s tragic death. The speeding truck that tried to deliberately run her over as she crossed the street hand in hand with her five year old son. Thankfully, from across the way another car intercepted and she was able to pick up Adam and run to the nearest building. The time she received an anonymous phone call telling her she needed to pick up Adam earlier from school, then two hours after she picked him up the school had been blown by a pipe bomb hidden under the boy’s bathroom sink.

She stood idly in front of the over boiling pot, as cold chill ran down her spine. In total horror, she recalled the nightmarish few hours when her precious little boy had been missing. Even after a extensive counseling from a child psychology, Adam had remained silent refusing to divulge any information to the police on the events that led up to his kidnapping and his safe return. The police did not comprehend why no ransom had been asked for. After all she was independently wealthy due to her father’s large inheritance. All the bizarre circumstances surrounding her son’s disappearance had been a mystery until now. Elena wiped up the mess from her kitchen range as she perused over the possibility her son had already seen his father.

The dark hair boy sat across from his mother. He placed the fork in his mouth and chewed quickly.

He was visibly uncomfortable by his mother’s constant stare.

"What is it mom? Have I done something wrong?" He asked sipping on his milk glass.

Elena sighed, "I want to talk about the time you disappeared, and I don’t want you to run away this time."

Adam shifted his thin frame on the chair, he pushed back his straight black hair and balked, "Aw, mom, not that again. I am fine. Don’t worry so much. I promise you it can’t happen again"

Elena placed palms on the table and stood up, "Why do you think it can’t happen again Adam, because you know Karate or is it because can run faster than most kids your age? Or is it because someone told you they would protect you?" She questioned exasperated by her son’s unwillingness to cooperate.

The delicate featured woman sat back on her seat with dreaded anticipation.

Across the young boy’s face flashed a look of guilt. He got up and ran to his room slamming the door behind him.

Elena sat on the corner of his bed silently stroking his hair. Her heart ached to hold him and tell him there was no need for him to relive those terrible moments. But she couldn’t, regardless how hard it would be for her son, she had to know for sure if Michael had been involved in any way with the kidnapping.

“Adam, I want you to know no matter what you tell me Mommy will not be angry. Honey you have done nothing wrong, even if you have kept a secret from me, I will understand.” She said trying a different approach to work past the fragile state her son was in.

Adam turned over, his large, almond shape eyes filled with shame. He reached out to touch the face of his mother, and noticed she too had been crying.“He said someday it would be okay for me to tell you. But how do I know if this is the right time?” He babbled pouring out his confusion.

Elena walked around and opened his night drawer. She took out the Bible she had given him. She went to the index and took out the picture he had hidden there and handed it to him.

Adam took his father’s picture. He began to sob again.

The young mother held him rocking him back and forth until his crying had subsided to only slight sniffles.

She wiped his eyes with a tissue and spoke gently but firmly to her guilt- ridden son.

“Adam I am going to ask you a question that may sound kind of strange. Please don’t think I am trying to hurt you by bringing up the death of your father, but I need you to answer me honestly.”

“I want to know if you have seen your father after he died.” She asked cupping his small nervous face.

“You mean in a dream or something?” He tried beating around the bush his eyes shifting to the left.

“NO, Adam.”

There was silence for a few minutes. Elena bit her lip trying to control the overwhelming desire to shake her son.

“Mommy when they took me…..” Adam began his voice fading until it was inaudible.

“Darling, you can tell me anything, I promise I will not be angry …we can work through whatever happened.”

“They did not hurt me, they locked me in a room but someone helped me escape.” He said pacing around his room.

Elena took a deep breath, she knew in her gut the answer to the question she was about to ask him. It was his answer that would be the greatest influence on her difficult decision.

“Who helped you, was it your father? “

The boy’s face turned ashen, he gulped. For a split second he had considered running away from his mother, but as he saw her melancholic expression, all he could do was run to her.

“It was Papa, but he told me I couldn’t tell anyone. The bad men would come and take us away if I told. He said he was sorry he could not be with us, but if the bad men knew he was alive they would come after us. I am sorry Mommy.” He pleaded holding his mother’s soft gaze with his own contrite brown eyes.

Elena encouraged her son to tell her more. Her anger turned into bittersweet pain as he told her the exciting tale of his father’s heroic rescue mission.

“Papa is a good man, he has a really dangerous job, he’s like a undercover CIA agent that fights against the bad guys, he is way cool huh Ma?” He said proudly.

“Yes Adam your Papa is way cool.” She replied holding her tears at bay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning Adam awoke extra early. He went inside the closet and turned on his laptop computer. He used his flashlight to light the keyboard as he typed in the cryptic symbols that would open the doorway into his own private mailbox. Like every morning after the kidnapping blinking in green fluorescent letters was an anonymous E-mail from his father.

He quickly read it, and then hacked his way into Michael’s private telecom channel. He waited, anxiously awaiting the appearance of his father’s face on the screen. But instead he got an instant message telling him Papa was not in the office.

He was disappointed but understood his father’s work schedule was not the typical schedule most normal father’s kept. He remembered in the past when his father would be gone for months at a time to his so called “business trips.” Adam finally understood that those times when he had seen his father leave them with a briefcase and travel bag in hand, he had not left to a boring board meeting on software. Instead he had fled to a hidden place where all Super Heroes met to rid the world of crime.

He had grown up into a kind, thoughtful boy. He watched over his mother making sure she was always happy and safe. He tolerated his Papa’s absence fairly well looking forward to the day they could be reunited.

A year ago Michael had prepared his son for the fact that if they ever where reunited he could not move back in with them. He explained to his grieving young child how he would always love Elena in a special way because she was his mother, but how he did not love her like a husband loves a wife. It tore Michael’s heart to watch through the screen his son slamming his fist against the monitor and yelling at him “It’s not fair, why don’t you love mom anymore?”

It took days for Michael to return with an answer that was simple enough for a child to understand. He gave him an illustration of his beloved toy train. Michael told him he knew how much he loved the red train he had given him. He told him it was okay for him to put the train in his toy chest and to want to play with the new silver train his mother had given him for Christmas. He explained how Adam would never want to forget the memories that were attached to that wooden train. The memories of the vacation in Paris he shared with his parents would forever be etched on that train, just like the memories of his mother would always have a place in Michael;s heart. With time the young boy learned to accept his father’s decision to stay with his “new train.”

xxxxxxHEADQUARTERSxxx

"How is the situation in China?” Michael asked sipping his warm coffee.

“It is coming along nicely, we should have the supplier under our control very soon.” Madeline smiled, “Oversight agrees we should green list him once he has completed the assignment.” She picked up a buttered croissant and delicately bit into it.

“Has Nikita found someone trustworthy to care for Nicholas? You know her maternity leave ended a month ago. The Agency will look the other way for the time being because she is your wife, but they have made it very clear they expect her to return to carry out her duties as “Second in Command.”

Michael grinned, “Yes Mady and you would love nothing more than to relinquish most of your duties and go rub elbows with the crème de le creme at Oversight….Don’t worry soon Nikita will be back and you will be able to leave for your new position in the higher echelon.”

“Michael you seem almost glad to see me go, have I been so horrible to you?” Madeline asked with a sly grin.

“Madame it has been a pleasure working with you, however I am sure that your talents will be put to better use outside Section One. Most of the new rules Nikita has implemented have done wonders for the troops’ moral. As a result we have had less reasons to cancel insubordinate operatives. The abeyance pool is almost empty, and even the detainees are talking without the need for modification. I say as a whole, Nikita’s soft touch has benefited Section tremendously.”

“If you think my opinion is biased, check the monthly report’s categories by percentage, we are doing better than ever.” Michael replied nonchalantly crunching on his apple.

Madeline crossed her arms, “Perhaps her theory of “you can get more bees with honey than with vinegar” has been a momentary triumph but do you really think it will last forever? Michael you have to agree that the moral compass of our time is broken, and the terrorist we deal with are more corrupt than ever before.”

She walked over and tilted his chin upward until his eyes met her challenge.

Michael recognized the familiar pattern of exertion she was using. It was the iron maiden’s signature label she frequently used for intimidation, especially in dealing with her subordinates. But she would be greatly surprised this time if she expected her superior would not respond to her blatant disrespect.

You need to be less predictable Madeline.

He reached over and grabbed her wrist with his iron grip until she had no choice but to shift her viper like stare in another direction or involuntarily wince from the pain.

Once her brown eyes unlocked his, he let her go abruptly. Slowly he picked up the napkin from his lap and wiped his mouth clean.

Madeline controlled her irate composure and resumed spinning her web around him. “Nikita ‘s soft touch will only serve as amusing entertainment for the terrorists that are truly mentally deranged.” She said flatly, driving her point straight home.

“If we find that is the case, I will handle it myself…if not there is always you Madeline, your charms as Section’s warden are legendary. We can always ship uncooperative guests to your new location, I am sure you can show them hospitality beyond their wildest dreams.” He said unmoved by her attempt to emotionally cripple him.

“Touche Michael, like always you have been a worthy opponent….Shall we consider this match a tie?”

Michael laughed, “On the contrary my dear, I won this round fair and square.”

Madeline nodded her head slightly and walked out. Next time I will be better prepared.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAT A PARK NEARBY SECTION HEADQUARTERSxxxxxx

“Wheeeee! Isn’t fun Niki?”

Nikita pushed her son on the baby swing higher and higher. He smiled up at her his emerald eyes focused on the trees above him.

From the opposite corner a woman in dark glasses wearing a blue jacket and matching pants walked toward her.

“Hi.” Nikita outstretched her hand to greet her.

There was a hint of a friendly smile curving at the corner of the refined woman’s lips, but she refused to acknowledge the sign of friendship.Nikita stuffed her hand back in her pocket picked up her son and walked over to the sandbox. She sat him down and placed some toys to occupy him while they would have their tete to tete.

“Thank you for meeting me.” She directed herself to the woman adjoining her.“I been thinking about what you asked me….I don’t…” Elena spoke softly still battling with the turmoil of emotions that haunted her.

“It is Michael’s birthday tomorrow…I thought….” Nikita explained.

The conversation had turned into a puzzle. Each woman guarding herself, only putting forth a piece that she could emotionally ripped herself away from.

“Oh this is insane, if we don’t get this over with we will never be able to get past this point…Tomorrow is Michael’s birthday, it’s the perfect time for him to see Adam.”

Elena pushed back her dark straight hair and removed her glasses. She looked over Nikita’s ragged attire. The blonde was quite a few inches taller than she was. Her blonde straight hair was parted in the middle. Two. school-girl like ponytails extended past to the shoulder’s of her large white t shirt. Below she was covered with a pair of faded jeans that sported unseemly holes on the knees. She stood up her dirty unlaced large tennis shoes covered by the sand. What did Michael see in her anyway?

Elena knelt in front of the small blonde boy with expressive green eyes. She reached over and touched him lightly on his cheek.

“His name is Nicholas and he is Adam’s step brother.” Nikita said running her hand through her son’s wavy locks.

Adam’s step brother. The words sunk in making a dent in her already shattered heart. Michael and her had discussed giving Adam a sibling to play with, but he had always cut the conversation short, telling her they had plenty of time for that in the future. The irony of life, here she was in the park not with Adam’s blood brother but with the child Michael and Nikita had conceived. There was so much pain Michael had caused her. There was so much to erase, there was so much to forgive; she doubted she ever could honestly accomplish either one.

“Michael has already seen our son. Adam told me he was the one who rescued him from the kidnappers. He told Adam not to tell me because they would try to kill us.” Elena blurted out angrily.

Nikita jaw dropped. She had been certain Michael had learned to be honest with her, yet he had kept the rescue mission of his son under wraps. How much more had he kept from her? Her blood boiled. How could he come full circle only to pull away from her? They had established a life together; they had brought a child into the world, all in the name of love. But, Michael the machine had surfaced his ugly head and had made him fall into the cold op mode where not even the warmth of her love could thaw him out. At that moment Nikita came face to face with the truth that when it came to Michael’s first born, he was willing to sacrifice even his very life.

Now she was ready to do the unthinkable.

“I am aware of that.” She lied, “Adam had no choice. Are you willing to deny your son his father’s love, because you want revenge for the pain Michael caused you?” Nikita asked using the manipulating skills that her mentor had trained her with.

Elena stood up; she placed her hands on her hips. She seethed, if she had been a violent person she would wrap her small hands on the tall blonde’s neck and squeeze until she was breathing no longer. But she was not a killer; she was not like them. Maybe they did deserve each other. A woman like herself would not have ever been truly satisfied being the wife of a man that was trained to kill in cold blood. Perhaps her father had been a monster but she did not inherit the traits of a murderer. The Michael she knew was dead and the man who existed in his place was a stranger. Oh, but that posed another more serious problem. That stranger was Adam’s biological father and she could not be cruel enough to squash the love they shared. If she gave in to her desire for vengeance, she could count herself among the brood of despicable killers she now had to call “family.”

“Okay Nikita, Adam will be there. But I want to make very clear I am not doing this for you or “him”….It’s for the sake of our innocent children, why should they pay for their parent’s ….” With that she turned and walked away leaving Nikita to wrestle with her conscience.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTHE SAMUELLE HAVEN

The sunlight seeped through the soft gauze like curtain filling the room with a golden glow. It touched upon the earthen colored vases lined up against backdrop of the delicate blue and yellow pin stripped wallpaper. It had been after the birth of Nicholas that the young parents had opted to move from Nikita’s eclectic apartment into a more traditional looking home in the suburb.

The French country décor with it’s soft pastel colors and rich undertones had turned their four room estate into a cozy haven away from the coldness of the metallic tables and black leather chairs that were a prevalent fixture in Section One. Simple architectual lines on light wood furniture surrounded by lush foliage from nearby plants gave the room a touch of the fresh outdoors.

“Happy Birthday honey.” Nikita whispered in her husband’s ear.

He shifted throwing a careless arm over his beloved. He squinted, looking at the beautiful image of his angel smiling down at him.

“Mon Cour.” He said kissing her softly.

Nikita got up pulling him till he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“It’s a beautiful day, what do you want to do?” She said twirling around the room like an overly wound toy ballerina.

“We could go and see a movie, or take a walk down to the river, I don’t know, but you are NOT GOING TO WORK!” She said wagging her finger down to his face.

“Kita, you know the drill, I have to go in and check on a few things, then I will be all yours.”

Nikita frowned but didn’t answer instead she threw on her bathrobe and walked out the door.

Michael showered and dressed. He padded his way into the kitchen and found his wife setting the breakfast table. He looked at the plates of fresh straberries, cheese and home made waffles. The little French and American addition to his usual orange juice and dry toast breakfast was a welcomed surprise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxSECTION ONExxxxxxxxxx

At Section a steady flow of people entered into his office to wish their quiet boss a very happy birthday. After the fanfare had stopped Madeline walked in and planted a gift-wrapped box on his desk.

"I know you dislike people making a fuss over your birthday, but I thought you would not mind a token from an old friend.”

“Merci.” He answered opening the box. He peeled away the layers of tissue paper and found a blown up recent photo of Adam taken from the surveillance video used to monitor him through out his school day.

“It’s all I can do for you. He looks like his mother, but there is twinkle in his eyes that is all yours.” Madeline added leaving him to relish the stolen moments with his son.

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