Recovery 2(The End)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTHE SAMUELLE HOMExxxxxxxx

It was past six o’clock when Michael turned the key. It was unusually quiet and dark inside. He drew out his pistol, and took silent steps into the living room. He could hear his heart beating erratically under his shirt; it had been a while he had been on a mission and he felt the old adage “Use it or loose it” coming true. He heard a subtle “pssss” and turned aiming his gun forward.

The lights came on. The room was filled with colorful balloons and streamers. On the wall was a black sign with red lettering that read

“Over the Hill, not on your life!” He laughed, instinctively knowing who had come up with that one. He put away his gun and kissed his wife and child.

Walter, Birkoff, Gail and O’Brian greeted him warmly. He recognized a few of the other Operatives mingling among the crowd. He said a quick hello before he was whisked away into the other room.

“Where are we going?” He asked as she blind folded him and led him out the back door to the patio.

“Be patient is a surprise.” She taunted guiding him to a chair.

“Sit and just wait till the count of three.”

“Kita, I hope you are not thinking of doing anything naughty right where the neighbors can see us.”

“Congratulations, Michael you haven’t lost your sense of direction. But you will not be able to predict in a million years what is going to happen next.”

Michael began to feel the anticipation rising, he wanted to rip off the scarf from his eyes, but he resisted knowing Nikita would be crushed.

"Ready, One….Two… Three….Take off the blindfold!.”

Michael slowly untied the print scarf and opened his eyes. His focused fell on the small dark hair boy wearing a mud-stained baseball uniform.

“Adam.” He gasped. Before Michael could say another word, Adam was running to him as fast as his thin legs could carry him. He jumped on his father, wrapping his small arms around his neck.

“Happy Birthday Papa!” He cried molding his small body against his father’s protective frame.

“Let me look at you, you have grown so much my petite infant.”

A mixture of raw emotions enveloped Michael like tight straight jacket. Anger, Confusion, Pain, and remorse, but the one feeling that he was able hold on to after the tears had rolled down his cheek, was love. A love so pure and rare that when Nikita placed Nicholas beside his step-brother on his lap, the usually quiet and serene operative was so mesmerized by the feeling of wholeness that he lost all composure and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Merci Mon Deu!”

“Adam this is your little brother Nicholas.” Nikita whispered introducing the boys to each other. Michael’s heart was encapsulated by the magic of that moment that all he could do was let out a labored “thank you” to his wife.

In that ethereal moment when he was able to hold all those he that had ever really cared for in his arms Michael’s soul became intact again. The darkness dissipated and for one second he felt the weight of his guilt grew lighter…until he saw the ageless beauty of his former wife standing at a distance.

“Elena!” He called out to her, his voice hoarse with regret.

Elena walked up to him. Sitting there holding his son, he looked just like the man she had known. But as she saw the tip of the silver pistol poking out from the bottom of his overcoat, she knew he belonged to the tall blonde standing beside him and to a world she could never belong.

“Enjoy your son Michael, if that is your real name. Tomorrow he will go back home with me.” She said her eyes icier than his could ever be.

She had never believed the old myth that love and hate eventually met at one point, but it was true. She hated him but at the moment her eyes caught a glimpse of his smile, part of her longed to take the place of Nikita. Oh, she just wanted to kick herself, how could the harshness of his betrayal not eradicate all together the feelings of love that where threatening to pour out of every inch of her tattered heart?

“Thank you….Elena, for whatever it is worth I am sorry.” He said watching Nicholas giggling as Adam made faces at him.

“This is not going to be easy …we will work out some kind of a visiting schedule for Adam.” She interjected her voice free from inflection.

Michael studied her tired, irritated eyes. Her words were cold and distant but her body language told him her heart was quickly sinking into the quicksand of their past memories.

“I never wanted to hurt you.” Michael said clearing his throat.

Her velvet eyes softened. She fought back the tears and with the low wounded voice she accepted his apology.

“I know Michael, maybe we can …. I have to go.”

Elena turned and walked away. Her heart ached for him. The pain of seeing him alive was more than she had expected. That same flesh and blood that had made her pulse quicken at the mere brush of his lips, now made her hate every ounce of his being. It would be so easy to deny the instant attraction she had felt once his green eyes fell upon her, but she was not very good at convincing herself. No, it was best to concentrate on the truth. She could never be the other woman. The bond she witnessed between the two lovers was something beyond anything her and Michael had ever shared.

Her trembling hands turned on the ignition of her Mercedes. As she pulled away from the circular driveway, she shot one last look at the joyful couple.

I have to forget him.

“Nice Recovery Mission Nikita.” Michael whispered caressing his wife’s cheek with the back of his hand.

Nikita placed her head on his shoulders, “Elena is a very special woman, I could never have given you up.” She said moving the conversation into a different direction before he would subject her to a long lecture on the perils of disobeying Section protocol.

“You will never have to.” Michael answered.

Michael looked at the two boys playing in the yard. The perfect scenerio made him think twice about giving Nikita hell for her crazy scheme. The only times he could remember his young bride running an unauthorized wild mission was when his life had been in danger, or when she had been compelled to preserve the lives of innocents. Like always her angelic compassion floored him.

He wrapped his arms around his wife and nuzzled her cheek. “Thank you.”

Inside a cake fight was underway. Birkoff had Gail cornered to a wall. The computer genius painted her hair with blobs of white frosting. Walter was running with the sweet tasting arsenal in tow panting after a long legged red head.

Meanwhile on the pool deck, A very wet Michael and drenched Nikita were in hot pursuit of two very, insubordinate, Junior Operatives.

“We will never surrender!” Adam called out pulling the trigger of his Super Soaker weapon, sending a steady spray of water that send the very skilled female operative diving into the pool for cover. With a quick masterful spin Michael tossed his giggling target to the shallow end and jumped in fully dressed.

“All done.” Said the chunky legged blonde tike cleaning off his hands with a smirk as Adam lifted him over the rim of the pool handing him to his father.

“Yes, it’s all done.” Michael repeated as his family showered him with birthday kisses and hugs.

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