La Femme Nikita. Adam Samuelle. 027. Parents.
Title: Family Ties that Bind
Fandom: La Femme Nikita
Characters: Elena, Nikita, Michael; Adam and three canon characters mentioned/referred to
Prompt: 027. Parents.
Word count: 798
Rating: PGish
Summary: The measure of a father’s love is stronger than family ties
Author's Notes: Spoilers through mid-Season 3; some original dialogue from “Someone Else’s Shadow.”
Family Ties That Bind
Elena noticed Nikita admiring the wall hanging she and her mother had purchased many years ago.
“Isn’t it great? I’ve had it since I was six years old. My mother and I were on vacation in Rajasthan. This old artist spent all afternoon telling us these incredible stories to get us to buy it.
“It sounds like you’re very close to your mother,” Nikita offered.
“I was,” Elena replied wistfully. “She died when I was 19.”
“What about your father?” The question was purely rhetorical. Nikita knew far more about Elena’s father than his daughter ever would. Salla Vacek and his terrorist regime were the reason for Michael’s blood-cover. Vacek hadn’t surfaced when Elena and Michael “married,” nor had he come forward at Adam’s birth. Nikita had been put into play to make Elena more amenable to contacting Vacek, or to be accepting of any overtures made by her father; either real or manufactured by Section.
“I haven’t seen or spoken to my father since I was a little girl.” According to the intel Nikita had received, Vacek had deserted his wife and daughter when Elena was six, and had gone into hiding. No one had managed to find him yet. Still, Nikita opened her mouth to ask ‘Why not?’ but Elena wasn’t finished.
“Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but my mother had taken me to Rajasthan for a reason. My father was Pakistani.” Nikita hadn’t known that, only that he had personal and political ties to Belarus. “Rajasthan is on the eastern border of Pakistan. Mummy was hoping to talk to my father’s relatives to see if they knew where he had gone, and why. Either she didn’t find them, or they wouldn’t speak to her. She was Portuguese, you see, and Catholic. Apparently my father’s family wasn’t thrilled when they married.”
Nikita raised her eyes to Michael as he came to sit beside his wife. It was obvious he had not heard this tale before.
“I didn’t even think about him until after my mother died,” Elena continued. “Then when I met Michael, he convinced me to try to find my father.”
This part of the story Nikita knew, but she had a script to follow.
“And did you try?”
Michael answered first. “We did what we could. Elena contacted all her relatives, but they hadn’t heard from him either.” He ignored the unasked question in Nikita’s eyes. He hadn’t known before now that it was possible Vacek’s family was, or had been, in contact with him for the last 20 years. Had the right people been asked the right questions first, it’s possible Michael and Elena would never have had to meet.
“After Adam was born we hired a detective,” Michael continued. “We wanted him to know his grandfather.”
And had Michael not met Elena, there would be no Adam. A beautiful, bright, and charming little boy. Other than a sister who believed him dead, Adam was Michael’s only family. Flesh of his flesh.
From the moment she’d seen them together, Nikita had known. Michael loved Adam as only a father can. The end of this mission would be devastating for him. The plea in his eyes now was palpable. Please don’t tell Section about Elena’s relatives in Pakistan. Don’t let them take away my son.
Nikita leaned forward, the pat on Elena’s knee but her words meant for Michael. “If it’s meant to be, you’ll find each other. I grew up without a father myself, and I turned out okay.” If being a convicted cop-killer defined “okay.” Nikita grinned crookedly. “The important thing is that Adam has you. That he has Michael. You’re family. It’s more than we grew up with, but I’m sure it will mean the world to Adam to know how much his parents love him.”
Elena beamed. “What a lovely thing to say, Nikita. And so ironic. I was going to tell you that I did receive a letter from my father, earlier today. Just out of the blue. At first, I was angry that he finally shows up only when he needs me. But I know now that it’s not important. I have my family right here, and Adam has his. It’s enough for us. Right, Michael?”
Elena was looking at Nikita. She missed the tortured look on Michael’s face; the profound sadness in his eyes. Nikita’s silence would buy them some time, but not much. If he hadn’t already, Salla Vacek would soon receive the letter that was supposed to be from Elena, initiating contact. The wheels Section had set in motion seven years ago would soon reach their destination. Until then, the least Nikita could do was to help Michael hold on to Adam, and Adam to both parents, just a little longer.
My fanfic100 prompt table is here.
Fandom: La Femme Nikita
Characters: Elena, Nikita, Michael; Adam and three canon characters mentioned/referred to
Prompt: 027. Parents.
Word count: 798
Rating: PGish
Summary: The measure of a father’s love is stronger than family ties
Author's Notes: Spoilers through mid-Season 3; some original dialogue from “Someone Else’s Shadow.”
Family Ties That Bind
Elena noticed Nikita admiring the wall hanging she and her mother had purchased many years ago.
“Isn’t it great? I’ve had it since I was six years old. My mother and I were on vacation in Rajasthan. This old artist spent all afternoon telling us these incredible stories to get us to buy it.
“It sounds like you’re very close to your mother,” Nikita offered.
“I was,” Elena replied wistfully. “She died when I was 19.”
“What about your father?” The question was purely rhetorical. Nikita knew far more about Elena’s father than his daughter ever would. Salla Vacek and his terrorist regime were the reason for Michael’s blood-cover. Vacek hadn’t surfaced when Elena and Michael “married,” nor had he come forward at Adam’s birth. Nikita had been put into play to make Elena more amenable to contacting Vacek, or to be accepting of any overtures made by her father; either real or manufactured by Section.
“I haven’t seen or spoken to my father since I was a little girl.” According to the intel Nikita had received, Vacek had deserted his wife and daughter when Elena was six, and had gone into hiding. No one had managed to find him yet. Still, Nikita opened her mouth to ask ‘Why not?’ but Elena wasn’t finished.
“Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but my mother had taken me to Rajasthan for a reason. My father was Pakistani.” Nikita hadn’t known that, only that he had personal and political ties to Belarus. “Rajasthan is on the eastern border of Pakistan. Mummy was hoping to talk to my father’s relatives to see if they knew where he had gone, and why. Either she didn’t find them, or they wouldn’t speak to her. She was Portuguese, you see, and Catholic. Apparently my father’s family wasn’t thrilled when they married.”
Nikita raised her eyes to Michael as he came to sit beside his wife. It was obvious he had not heard this tale before.
“I didn’t even think about him until after my mother died,” Elena continued. “Then when I met Michael, he convinced me to try to find my father.”
This part of the story Nikita knew, but she had a script to follow.
“And did you try?”
Michael answered first. “We did what we could. Elena contacted all her relatives, but they hadn’t heard from him either.” He ignored the unasked question in Nikita’s eyes. He hadn’t known before now that it was possible Vacek’s family was, or had been, in contact with him for the last 20 years. Had the right people been asked the right questions first, it’s possible Michael and Elena would never have had to meet.
“After Adam was born we hired a detective,” Michael continued. “We wanted him to know his grandfather.”
And had Michael not met Elena, there would be no Adam. A beautiful, bright, and charming little boy. Other than a sister who believed him dead, Adam was Michael’s only family. Flesh of his flesh.
From the moment she’d seen them together, Nikita had known. Michael loved Adam as only a father can. The end of this mission would be devastating for him. The plea in his eyes now was palpable. Please don’t tell Section about Elena’s relatives in Pakistan. Don’t let them take away my son.
Nikita leaned forward, the pat on Elena’s knee but her words meant for Michael. “If it’s meant to be, you’ll find each other. I grew up without a father myself, and I turned out okay.” If being a convicted cop-killer defined “okay.” Nikita grinned crookedly. “The important thing is that Adam has you. That he has Michael. You’re family. It’s more than we grew up with, but I’m sure it will mean the world to Adam to know how much his parents love him.”
Elena beamed. “What a lovely thing to say, Nikita. And so ironic. I was going to tell you that I did receive a letter from my father, earlier today. Just out of the blue. At first, I was angry that he finally shows up only when he needs me. But I know now that it’s not important. I have my family right here, and Adam has his. It’s enough for us. Right, Michael?”
Elena was looking at Nikita. She missed the tortured look on Michael’s face; the profound sadness in his eyes. Nikita’s silence would buy them some time, but not much. If he hadn’t already, Salla Vacek would soon receive the letter that was supposed to be from Elena, initiating contact. The wheels Section had set in motion seven years ago would soon reach their destination. Until then, the least Nikita could do was to help Michael hold on to Adam, and Adam to both parents, just a little longer.
My fanfic100 prompt table is here.