Nikita still stood at the door, her eyes haunted as she watched the nurses care for Michael. Behind her she could hear the demon breathing down her back, whispering for her to leave.

"Look what you have done to him." It whispered hatefully. "Look at the man you claim to love......"

She cried silently. It had been there since she had first watch the surgeon apply the scalpel to Michael’s skin.

"This is your fault you selfish little bitch........" he growled, and his breath against her neck caused pain to radiate over her body.

"Poor little Nikita........"it crooned hatefully. "All alone once again."

She shook her head as she watched Michael.

"He will live. He won't leave me alone."

"But who will trust you now ?" he asked her. "You have fought me, and now you have harmed the man you claim to love. In running from me, you have shown all just how crazy you are becoming. No one will trust you now......They will cancel you now."

"I know that." a sad little smile tipped her mouth as she watched as the nurses left Michael alone. "He will be alone again............"

"But you will be dead ?" fury lanced through the voice which she knew only she could hear. "Dead Nikita. You can't come back from Dead."

"I can save Michael..." The doctor says and Nikita's eyes light up.

"Do it now!" Nikita calls out and the doctor laughs broadly.

"I need something in return." The doctor says in a hiss.

"What?" Nikita asks carefully.

"You." The doctor replies and Nikita looks to the wall and shakes her head.

"Submit to me, Nikita... Submit..." The doctor says and every muscle in Nikita's body screams in fright, but somehow, she maintains her composure.

"Never." Nikita says and the doctor nods his head.

"Then he is dead in six hours.... Submit to me, Nikita..." The doctor says as he lowers his head and looks at Nikita.

"He dies... and you are alone... to face your death.. Submit to me, Nikita..." The doctor chants and Nikita looks to the room and the blood being fed back into Michael.

"Where?" Nikita asks and the doctor takes her arm.

***

"You have done this before...." The doctor says and Nikita stares at him. He touches her cheek and she closes her eyes.

"You were soooo easy before..." The doctor says and Nikita's eyes fly open.

"Yes... I had you before... Submit to me, Nikita..." The doctor says again as he starts to unbutton her shirt but then stops.

"Open your legs, Nikita... submit to me..." The doctor says and Nikita starts to tremble. The doctor.. had just been on of the many men that she had been with as a girl.

"Oh... you remember me... " The doctor says as Nikita starts to cry.

"NO.... please.. NO!" Nikita says as she shakes her head. With one movement of his hand, he has Nikita striped down to nothing.

"NO..." Nikita begs.

Nikita: STOP!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! YOU ARE NOT REAL!!

As she continued to speak, she didn't notice that Madeline and Michael’s doctor had walked up behind her. Suddenly, Nikita was jolted out of her nightmare, by the feeling of someone tapping her on the shoulder. As she turned around, she saw that it was Madeline. Madeline was looking back at her with a genuine look of concern. Then, as the moments ticked by, and it had seemed like forever, Michael’s doctor spoke.

Doctor: Nikita...I think that it would be best if...I mean...if you would like to make your peace with Michael...

Nikita, who had been looking at the floor, suddenly jerked her head up, and stared at the doctor. A single tear formed in her eye, then, with a anguished and shaky voice, she spoke.

Nikita: Make my peace? You talk as if...as if Michael is going to...

Before she could finish, Madeline closed the distance between them, and lightly placed her hand on Nikita’s shoulder. As soon as the contact was made, Nikita knew the full extent of what the doctor meant. And, with this new understanding, a tear rolled down Nikita’s cheek.

As the trio stood there, and time passed around them, a nurse exited the MedLab, and walked over to the doctor. Standing on her tiptoes, the nurse whispered something to the doctor, and as she spoke, the doctor's face took on a look of sadness. Then, after dismissing the nurse, the doctor turned his attention back to Madeline and Nikita.

Doctor: I am sorry. His wound was too severe. There was nothing that I...that anyone could have done.

Nikita looked from the doctor, to Madeline, then back to the doctor. Then, without even realizing she was doing it, she let out a gut wrenching, heart breaking scream, and fell to the floor.

*

After pulling herself back together, Nikita walked up to the door to the MedLab. Standing perfectly still, she waited as the door slide silently and smoothly open. She crossed over the threshold, and once through, the door closed behind her. Slowly crossing the room, Nikita never once took her eyes off of the form that was lying on the gurney, covered by the blood stained sheet.

As she drew up next to the gurney, Nikita timidly reached over, and pulled the sheet back from the upper portion of the form. When she did, she covered her mouth with her hand, and began to uncontrollably sob.

Looking down at Michael, Nikita couldn’t help but think how peaceful and at rest he seemed. It was almost as if he was only asleep, not... She could not bring herself to say it, not even in her own mind. She could not believe that he was gone. That he would no longer be there for her. She felt as if reality was crumbling around her, and no matter what she did, she could not stop it.

As she continued to stare at the lifeless form before her, she made her decision. She would join Michael. She would be with him once more. Once she had made this decision, a calming and lucid feeling swept through her body, and she was no longer afraid...afraid of the demon ...afraid of living without Michael.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Nikita bent over, and lightly placed a kiss on Michael’s lips. As she pulled back from him, she whispered.

Nikita: Soon...Michael...soon.

Walter was losing himself and his emotions in the dissecting of a new bomb at his table.

"Hello, Walter." Nikita said distantly.

"Hey, sugar." He looked up at her then with seriousness. "Has Michael improved?"

"You haven't heard? He's dead." She said dispassionately. Walter was shocked. He quickly covered up his pain, Nikita needed help.

He touched her shoulder and looked into her eyes. He pulled her into a hug and patted her back. "Go ahead, cry on me, we can sob together."

Nikita didn't react the way he expected. She shook her head and moved out of his arms. She kissed his cheek. "I'm okay Walter. I'll be fine." She bit off her last few words-- I'll be happy soon--if she told anyone they would try to stop her.

Nikita looked at him once more and gave a forced smile and turned around and towards comm center.

'There was something definitely wrong there', Walter thought a moment. She should be crying in his arms, sobbing how it was so unfair. Like she did a year back when Michael didn't make it out of a Russian chemical plant mission. She was too calm.

As she burst through the doors she ran to Michael's side and checked his pulse....thready but definitely there. She turned from the fallen operative and as the dawning realization washed over her she knew without a doubt what Nikita was up to.

Calling for the medical team to come back in and get Michael to the ICU she went in search of Nikita.

Nikita kept playing those final moments over and over in her tortured mind....the voice tormenting her....Walter trying to comfort and help her....taking the gun and placing it against her head...Michael...oh Michael.....trying to save her.....diving for the gun...then...then.....

Nikita cried out as the anguish overcame her. She stumbled along the path blindly and rubbing the barrel of the gun against her leg with rhythmic intensity, she was searching out a place to spend her final moments.... her final moments thinking of Michael and all she could have had...and had lost. With one split second in time...gone forever.

Madeline had searched throughout the extensive catacombs of Section and had not found Nikita on site anywhere.

She ran to the Comm Center and had Birkoff pull up Nikita's clock to try and locate her. As Birkoff set the program into search mode, Madeline made her way back to the ICU to check Michael's status. The technicians were monitoring his vitals and had his hooked to a respirator. The outlook was very grim but he was strong...and he was a fighter.

Madeline tried to rationalize to herself what could possibly be going on in Nikita's mind....

Nikita wandered down through the trees at the edge of the river and stopped suddenly. She felt a icy-cold chill at the back of her neck and heard the voice come at her from the shadows...... "N.I.K.I.T.A."....... "N.I.K.I.T.A.".....

"N.I.K.I.T.A.!!!" voices screamed at her. They sounded almost real. Nikita knew they weren't. She looked towards the trees in front of her. There stood many people. Some were calling for her.

"Nikita... come to me..." Jurgen said as he reached his hand out for her. Nikita looked as her fingers inched up towards the barrel. She felt a headache starting to pound away, starting from the point that the gun was pointed at. She wouldn't have another headache ever again.

"Nikita... Nikita..." Jurgen said as the others came in focus. Some that she had liked, even loved. Some that she didn't care about. Some that she never knew their names.

Her finger touched the thin trigger, and slide off. Nikita lifted her chin and stared at the leaves ahead of her. She was going to be with Michael. She was going to be with Michael.

*

"NIKITA!!!! N.I.K.I.T.A!!!!" Walter screams again as he runs through the woods. He sees her, and he feels so far away. He moves through the woods as branches smack back on his face.

"NIKITA! DON'T!!!" Walter screams but he sees no reaction from Nikita. He had known something was up. He didn't know why he left the tracking device on Nikita, he had just known.

"NIKITA!" Another voice calls out from just a bit ahead of her. Walter stares as he sees Madeline running full out towards Nikita too.

*

"Michael.... Michael... I killed you... I killed everyone...." Nikita cries out while maintaining a stillness. The pain in her head increases.

"AAAAAHHH!!!!" Nikita screams as her vision almost goes black.

"N..I..K..I..T..A!!!!" Madeline screams and she is relieved as Nikita turns slightly. Madeline looks and sees Walter is not far.

Nikita: No...no...no!! I want to be with Michael! I want the pain to go away!!

Madeline, getting up and walking over, looked down at Nikita. Then, stooping down herself, she pulled Nikita to her gently, and smoothed her hair. As she whispered soothing words, she slowly rocked Nikita back and forth. After a few moments, Nikita's sobs lessened, but she still mumbled.

Nikita: Michael...I am so sorry...Michael...

Walter, having just walked up near the two woman, leaned down and picked up the gun that Nikita had been holding. As he started to put it into the waistband of his pants, he noticed that there wasn't even a clip in it. Thinking to himself at that moment how strange that seemed, his attention was diverted to the mumbling Nikita. Seeing Nikita like this threatened to totally break his heart. But, he knew he had to be strong for her.

After a few moments, Madeline motioned to Walter to help her get Nikita on her feet. As Madeline released Nikita, and started to stand, Nikita, with large tears in her eyes, looked up. The entire scene around Nikita seemed to shift and ripple. But, Nikita continued with her train of thought, and spoke.

Nikita: Are you going to leave me too, Madeline? Like Michael did?

Madeline, with a look of sorrow and grief on her face, only nodded her head.

Madeline: No, Nikita. I am not going to leave you. I am going to get you through this.

Nikita continued to look at Madeline.

Nikita: Promise?

Madeline nodded and smiled.

Madeline: Yes, promise.

As Walter walked up to Nikita, and Nikita turned to look at him, he smiled at her. Then, looking to Madeline, he spoke.

Walter: I think this has gone far enough. She can't stand much more of this. You are tearing her apart!!

Nikita, not understanding what was going on, or what Walter was talking about, looked at him with confusion. Again, the scene rippled and shifted, like the surface of a newly disturbed pond of water.

Madeline: She has to come out of it herself. It is beyond my control. She must chose.

Walter only shook his head in disbelief.

Walter: Did you know that this would happen before you put them under?

Madeline only continued to stare at Walter, but did not answer.

Walter: MY GAWD!! You knew that this could have happened!! You didn't tell them the risks?

Madeline: The machinery had to be tested. We needed two operatives with a romantic history, and strong psyches. They were the only choices.

As the two figures in front of her debated, Nikita suddenly got a cold chill, and a shiver ran up her spine. The shifting continued, and Nikita's stomach turned as if she had motion sickness. Then, clearing her throat, she spoke.

Nikita: Uh..Walter..what are you guys talking about?

Madeline and Walter turned to Nikita, and then Madeline, smiling, offered Nikita her hand.

Madeline: Nikita, I need you to trust me. I need you to take my hand. Everything will be made clear, if you will just do as I ask.

Nikita, hesitant at first, stood up and reached out for Madeline's hand. As their fingers touched, a light exploded from the connection, blinding Nikita completely.

As Nikita's eyes opened, and she regained consciousness, she appeared to be in MedLab, with a multitude of wires hooked to her head. As she blinked her eyes, trying to get them to adjust to the bright lights, she heard a familiar voice.

Walter: Welcome back to reality, Sugar.

Nikita turned her head, and saw Walter smiling at her. He was ragged, and tired looking, but a site to behold nonetheless. As she smiled back to him, and tried to sit up, she was gently held down. As she looked to her right, she saw Madeline.

Madeline: Oh no you don't. Not just yet. Let your mind adjust to the change, and your body will soon follow.

Nikita looked at Madeline, and wetting her lips, spoke.

Nikita: What happened? I was supposed to take part in a dream test. Then all of a sudden...

Madeline only smiled weakly.

Madeline: Don't worry about that now. We will go over all that later. Right now, all we are worried about is getting you to feeling better.

Nikita laid back down on the gurney, and raising her hand, placed it on her forehead.

Nikita: It was all a dream?

Madeline nodded.

Nikita: Thank gawd!! I mean, it was SO realistic! You were both there, and Michael, and...wait...I can understand why you two were there. That was superimposed on my memory before the test. But, why Michael?

Madeline glanced over to Walter, who only diverted his gaze to the floor.

Madeline: Nikita...you were having complications in the dream induced state.

Nikita: Complications?

Madeline: Yes. And these complications could have had lasting effects on your psyche. Because of this, we had to send in someone that you trusted. And, Michael was the only choice.

Nikita nodded in understanding.

Nikita: Oh. Well, where is Michael now?

Madeline looked at Nikita for a few moments longer, then motioned to the gurney a few yards away. As Nikita turned to the gurney, she saw Michael lying there. He had wires and cable hooked to his head, just as she did. He was very pale, and breathing very slow and shallow. Turning to Madeline, with a look of terror on her face, Nikita spoke.

Nikita: Why is he like that? What's wrong with him?

Madeline: It seems that, by going into the dream with you, and then saving you, he suffered some kind of trauma. As a result, a portion of his brain has shut down.

Nikita, with her eyes wide and fearful, slowly asked her next question.

Nikita: Shut down?

Madeline looked at Nikita, then to Walter, then reluctantly back to Nikita.

Madeline and Walter just stare in resigned acceptance as Nikita does this. She swings her legs over the side of the bed and tries to stand.

Her knees buckle under her and she crumples to the floor, weakened from the testing and dreamscape. Walter rushes to her side:

Walter: Hey Sugar...you alright??

He reaches down to help her to her feet.

Nikita: Yeah Walter. I just feel a bit dizzy. Help me over to him.

As the older man reaches his arm around the slender young woman she leans into him and they shuffle over to where Michael is stretched out on the table, with various connections and wires running from him to the complicated machinery placed around him.

Madeline walks slowly over to them:

Madeline: He is not responding to any stimuli that we can sense Nikita. I have no idea what might have caused this coma. Do you have any idea?

As Madeline turned to the grief-stricken Nikita she saw the young woman shake visibly. Nikita was so weakened by the testing and exertion of the experiment that she looked to be slipping into shock herself. She spoke:

Nikita: I might know what triggered this. I was fighting the demon in my dream...and....and..Walter...you were there. I was trying to shoot him....or...maybe it was me..I can't really remember....

Walter was studying Nikita with a fatherly look of concern and worry in his eyes. Madeline crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Nikita to continue:

Nikita: It was then...then.....oh...NO!!!.....I...I...He.....I.. think I shot him!!

With a crazed and wild look in her eyes she turned to Madeline:

Nikita: Did you HEAR me?? I SHOT him!! In my Dream!!! Have you ever heard that saying!! If you DIE in your DREAM....you DIE!!! You never wake back UP!!!

Nikita swung back around towards Michael so quickly that she swooned and lost her balance. She fell across Michael and in the confusion some of the connections came loose.....and an alarm sounded, triggering a rush of medical personnel to flood into the room and surround them.

As they rushed in and shoved Madeline and Walter aside they tried to pull Nikita off of Michael and save the fallen operative.

FLATLINE!!!!!

Nikita crumpled to the floor crying hysterically as they wheeled Michael away from her so they could work on him.......

Paddles as the ready....they opened his shirt and stuck the things to his bare chest...

CLEAR!!!!

*In MED LAB*

Madeline watched the chaos enfold.

She saw Walter take Nikita out of Lab and silently applauded him. He was protecting her again. She realized as he must have that with Michael disabled Nikita had no protector nor mentor. Walter had already filled the former position she would fill the latter.

The technicians scurried around like rats trying to get everything back in order. One man checked the oxygen mask and reconnected the tube from Michael’s nose to the tank near the bedside. Another doctor rubbed the melted wax onto the electric clearing pads. A third man then pushed the pads onto the patients chest and cleared. Two other men held Michael down during this process. One more doctor came in carrying something in his hands. He held a 4-inch long needle and a small container of medicine. Madeline discerned the name of the medicine, Acetainol. She remembered that it was a latest drug on the market, only used for the worst of cases. The danger of it was that it would either help or harm the patient. If the patient didn't react in the first 30 seconds it meant that he would die a slow and painful death during the next 10 minutes . It was not the way she would want to die.

In their separate actions the doctors worked into a flow. Wax, Hold Clear. Wax. Hold. Clear. Michael’s chest jumped up and down after every try. The doctor on the side slowly put the needle in order. He looked up at the patient and unhurriedly walked over. The technicians who held Michael down saw him approach. They stepped back. Th1e others perceived this, stopped their actions and stepped back.

"We have a problem." Walter says and Madeline stares at him.

"What else could be wrong?" Madeline asks as she stares at Michael.

"Nikita has taken the test equipment and gone back." Walter says and Madeline stares at him.

"HER BRAIN CAN'T TAKE IT!" Madeline screams and runs out of the room and stares as she finds Nikita hooked up and deep within the dream state again.

"She said that she had to go back and make Michael live in her dream so that he could live in true life." Walter says and Madeline shakes her head.

"She won't survive this, Walter. Her psyche is fragile as it is to start with.. before this experiment." Madeline says and Walter presses his lips together.

"Could she survive without Michael?" Walter asks and Madeline looks to the wall.

"Maybe!" Madeline says and then turns back to Walter.

"You are probably right... she wouldn't live without Michael. She would either self-destruct or walk straight into a bullet." Madeline says and drops her head.

"Hook Michael back up. If he has use of his brain... we might as well allow Nikita the access." Madeline says as she moves to Nikita's side. She turns on the screen that shows the viewer what Nikita was dreaming. It wasn't used during the initial test, but Madeline was interested in what Nikita had to offer Michael to make him live.

She continued to move forward, not really walking, more like gliding, and gazing around. When she turned to look ahead of her, she smiled. Coming towards her was Michael. He was smiling as well, and there was a bright light outlining him. When he was within a few feet of her, he simply raised his arm, and reached out his hand. He never spoke, he only continued to look at her, and smiled.

Nikita: Michael...I am so glad to see you. You are in danger of death. You must listen to me.

Just then, Nikita heard the chimera's voice. The sound surrounded her, and came at her from all directions.

"Submit, Nikita, you will submit."

Nikita, with a frantic and frightened tone in her voice, spoke to Michael.

Nikita: Michael, we must leave here...NOW!!

Michael stopped smiling, and his hand dropped to his side. He then gazed all around them, as if seeing their surroundings for the first time. He then turned to Nikita. When his gaze locked on Nikita's, she saw only fear reflected back.

Michael: Nikita...please...just take my hand. Come to me Nikita...trust me.

Nikita walked towards Michael, and raised her hand to him. Just as she started to touch his hand, the chimera spoke.

"NO!! You are mine...you will submit to only me!!"

Nikita only smiled, smugly, and took Michael’s hand. As their fingers touched, a bright light engulfed them. As the whole started to fade away, Nikita's last feeling was that of being pulled up against Michael's body, and his arm enveloping her protectively. Then, suddenly, everything went black.

Nikita's eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright on the gurney. She looked to the side, and saw Michael, lying on his side, propped up on his elbow. He had his blank stare securely in place, but his eyes showed his relief in seeing her. She smiled back at him, as the MedTechs entered the room and began to disconnect the wires from both of them.

The door to Madeline's office silently slid open, and Operations walked through. As he descended the steps, Madeline moved from her bonsai trees, and took her seat behind her desk. As Operations came to a stop in front of her, he spoke.

Operations: Well...I heard that the test results were just as we expected.

Madeline looked up at him, smiling slightly, then turned and pulled up Nikita's psychological profile on her computer terminal.

Madeline: Yes...and no.

Operations, who had been grinning slyly, suddenly shifted in place, and his grin faded.

Operations: Yes and no?

Madeline typed a few commands on her keyboard, then continued.

Madeline: As we suspected, Nikita's psyche is very powerful. She did not submit to the "chimera"...no matter how much it tried to control her. The more I pushed, and no matter how many fears that I tried to create, she would not submit. She was powerful, and strong willed, just as we expected.

Operations' sly smile returned again.

Operations: So...we were right. She has no REAL weaknesses, outside of that of compassion for others. Her nature instinct for self preservation kicks in, at the appropriate moment, just like we knew it would.

Madeline looked up at Operations, and shook her head no.

Madeline: Well...she does appear to have on weakness. And this weakness overrides everything else in her. She is willing to die for this weakness...and in the future, she may very well do that.

Operations, with a puzzled look on his face, posed his next question.

Operations: And this weakness is what?

Madeline: Not what...who. It seems that Nikita can not see living in a world without the presence of Michael. She has become so dependent on him for her continued well being that she is unable to even contemplate existing without him.

Operations, placing his hands in his pants pockets, let out a long sigh. Then, pacing back and forth in front of Madeline's desk, he was silent. Stopping, and taking off his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Operations: Well...that does change things. As you know...we had intended on placing Michael with another substation.

Madeline: Yes...I remember.

Operations: And now, we risk the life of one of our best operatives by this planned action.

Madeline: Yes.

Operations placed his glasses back on his head, and walking across the room, ascended the stairs. As the door smoothly slid open, and he started through, Madeline spoke.

Madeline: So, what are we going to do?

Operations stopped in the doorway, and turned to look over his shoulder.

Operations: I am going to cancel the transfer order.

With that, he walked through the door, and it slid silently closed behind him. After a few moments, Madeline typed on her keyboard, then turned her terminal off. She then stood, and picking up her pruning shears, she walked over to her bonsai trees. As she started to tend to her "children", a smiled slowly formed on her lips, and her eyes twinkled.