Guts Over Fear ◇ NIKITA

Out of Your Skin

Alys sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, giving her computer screen a sympathetic frown. She didn't know what else to do, she was currently harboring one of the people responsible for Birkhoff's hectic life inside Division. "You look like you could use some air," she offered with a one shoulder shrug.

"You think?!" he scoffed, leaning back in his rolling chair. "I've been locked down here all month!" Alys could only give him an apologetic smile. "You're the first face I've seen outside of this place - and it doesn't even count!" She could just barely hold back her snickers, looking up as Owen leaned against her doorframe.

"I'm sorry, I have to get going," she sighed lightly, watching his whole figure sag. "When you get the chance, send me what I asked for, yeah?"

"Yeah," he sighed tiredly, running his hand over his face. "Good luck with all that." There was irritation about him, it was clear that hanging up with his only connection to the outside currently wasn't his favorite option. But Owen's situation needed tending to. He had stabalized, somewhat, on the regimen; he wasn't getting the headaches anymore and he could go longer between doses.

His behavior had also evened out, that guarded yet easy going person she first met returning. "Birkhoff?" he asked, offering her coffee.

"Thanks," Alys nodded, taking a long drink. "He's on 24/7 Black Box duty still, he can't get us anything. On the brightside, we still have plenty--" She was cut off by a knock on the door, both of their heads snapping towards it. Before Alys could even turn to tell Owen to hide, he was gone, and she was left with cleaning up his presence. "Just a minute," she called, dumping his coffee down the drain and leaving the cup in the sink.

The person at the door knocked again as she was straightening out the couch Owen had elected to sleep on, when he did. Otherwise he was researching himself, helping Alys find the source of the regimen, or guarding the place as she slept. Taking quick steps to the door, she didn't have the person's patience enough to check the peep hole, opening the door to find a displeased redhead there. "A-Amanda," Alys mumbled, instantly opening up the door. She didn't think the woman ever left the Division compound. "Is everything alright?"

The woman's eyes took in the space as she walked in, ominously silent for a moment. "Yes. We've found Nikita's mole," Amanda informed, looking to Alys as she walked further into the flat. "Alex, our recent promising Recruit turned field agent. I understand you saw her in medical a few times."

"She had sprained her wrist sparring, she came down to medical and I gave her a splint and some high strength ibuprofen. A day later she wanted me to look at her arm but it was my day off, so I sent her to see Hanson," Alys replied, watching the way the redhead scanned the room.

"How has your work with the Bratva been going?" Amanda asked now, still being analytical of the space around them.

"Slow but successful," the blonde nodded.

"Good, may I see your information on Sergi Semak?" With an almost quizical nod, Alys walked into her bedroom, no sight of Owen, and opened up the closet. She jumped a fraction when he found said blonde crouched down and pointing a silenced gun at her, slowly retracting as he kept his ear pressed to the wall. Taking a deep breath, Alys grabbed what she needed and headed back to the livingroom, holding a notebook with sticky notes and pictures paperclipped to the inside in one hand and a flash drive in the other.

"My hard copies and then the electronic copy for Division," Alys informed, handing Amanda the drive when she held out her manicured hand. "I don't have a current location on the target but everything else is up to date."

"Perfect. And the former Guardian, Owen. You were on the scene at Saint Christopher's, what happened?" she then questioned, catching Alys completely off guard.

"He got me in a headlock and I stopped breathing," Alys recalled, a soft frown to her lips. "When I woke up in the church, the strike team and the other Guardian were dead. I reported to Michael and after some intrusction I called in for a Cleaner, following protocol. I left after Roan arrived."

She studied her a monent longer before turning away. "I'll see you soon, Alys." Amanda walked to the door, after she swore Alys saw the redhead examine the new sunflower charm she adorned. "Keep up the good work," she commented, letting herself out.

Alys leaned against the wall deside the doorway to the bathroom, jumping with a short gasp and holding her hands to her chest when Owen suddenly spoke beside her head, "Is she gone?" Taking slow breaths, Alys nodded, gathering her wits. Making sure to keep stability to her breathing, she went to the couch Owen slept on and pulled it out some before reaching behind and into it, carefully pulling out the phone Nikita had given her.

She didn't even hear the tones as she waited, her ears only perking up at the sound of Nikita's voice. "I'm kinda busy right now, Aly," she sighed.

"Alex got made," she shallowly breathed. She hadn't even noticed Owen moving around until he handed her a glass of vodka and her inhaler. Grabbing the latter, she listened as Nikita informed someone else of her name as she took a pump. Instead of standing there holding the glass, Owen set it down on the end table and sat down with his own, watching the other blonde carefully. "Amanda came by--" she slowly got out before Nikita cut her off.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked instantly.

"Yes, listen, damnit. They know she's your mole, you have to get her out," she barely got out, needing a deep breath after. "Call me when everyone's safe."

"Got it," Nikita answered in a hard tone, quickly hanging up. With a heavy sigh, Alys dropped the phone and rested her forearms on top of her head, trying to find an even rhythm.

"You good?" Owen asked in a soft tone. Slowly, Alys nodded, now shifting her focus to the tattoos visible around his tank top. From here, she could only clearly see the dragon on his left shoulder and the spilled martini glass on the other, all the rest were obscured by his shirt or the angle. She couldn't deny they were an interesting addition to his skin, it was something nice to focus on.

Alys liked the comfortablilty that came with Owen's company. Like Nikita, he was aware of the horrors within Divsion that regularly leaked out. It wasn't like Noah, where she had to hide herself, had to exageragte the light of herself. Alys frowned when she caught herself comparing Owen to Nikita and Noah, and took him in fully a second.

She met this man just over four months ago, she knew almost nothing about this man, and here he was - living with her, tangling the poor girls thoughts. She just couldn't put her finger on what he has so familiar with.