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Could Never Sit on a Beach Anyway

Chapter 52: Epilogue

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Five Months Later

"Whatcha thinking, Sailor?" Nikita bumped her nose against Michael's, drawing him out of his thoughts. He chuckled lightly, pulling her in even closer in his arms. They had been dancing to the soft slow songs playing over the speakers, but soon settled for an easy sway as he became lost in thought. Birkhoff had surprisingly picked a great selection of songs to play, maybe they shouldn't have judged him too much for insisting on DJing his own wedding. But that wasn't what captured Michael's attention; it was everything else.

The past couple of months had been a whirlwind of setting up their business, moving to LA (after one last dinner with the Connellys), planning Sonya's and Birkhoff's wedding, and preparing for the baby. Thankfully, the move and the start of their business wasn't too complicated. They had an office building they could train and work in, dedicated and hardworking employees, amazing tech, plenty of resources, new customers already, and great houses along private beaches. If only preparing for a wedding and a newborn were as simple.

Birkhoff had been more of a bridezilla than Sonya over their perfect wedding. She was okay with any decision made. Yet he had to have everything as flawless as possible. The rest of the team backed off, letting him do whatever. The same couldn't be said for the baby, however. Michael and Nikita were fine buying all the necessities, setting up everything, and reading and researching what they could on their own. Their family, on the other hand, just had to step in, already spoiling the baby and supplying their opinions. It was annoying, but it was also sweet.

Things had more or less calmed down by Birkhoff's and Sonya's wedding reception. Families were eating, drinking, talking, and dancing, anxieties falling away. Although the baby was due in just a few short weeks (possibly even sooner) Nikita and Michael (and Barkhoff) were among the happy guests, feeling completely at peace. He brushed a kiss to her lips as he finally shared his thoughts, "If someone told me ten years ago that we'd live on the beach, be married, have our own family, have a dog, and be expecting, I'd have shot 'em."

"Too good to be true, huh?" Sharing his bright grin, Nikita laughed. She and Michael were, without a doubt, in a far better place currently than they were ten years ago. Smiles were easier, laughter was lighter, and happiness was within their grasps. And they also weren't the only two who were married. Sonya and Birkhoff were beaming in their newlywed bliss as they danced and giggled throughout the night. The future ahead of them was endless.

"It's perfect," Michael agreed, kissing his wife tenderly. Nikita melted into her husband's embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. They swayed quietly to the music, the joy of the moment washing over them. All around them were their friends and family celebrating such a joyous occasion, and their dog running around excitedly. Sam and Vasquez were even dancing awkwardly together- Sonya's thrown bouquet clutched in Vasquez's hand.

Was it unfair of Alex, Nikita, and Sonya to orchestrate that Vasquez caught the flowers- probably. But her shocked reaction was worth it, just like everything else in their lives, "If someone told me all that ten years ago and that we took down Division, and Gogol, and Oversight, and the Shop, and killed Percy, and Ari, and all the Oversight members, and the Shop leaders, and Amanda, and that I made friends with Daniel's killer, and killed Kasim, and Semak, and reunited Alex with her mom, and Birkhoff with his dad, and…"

"How long are you going to do this?" Interrupting Nikita, Michael chuckled through an eyeroll. There was a chance she'd list everything they had ever done in the past ten years if he didn't stop her. She had a point in doing so, however. The team had done amazing and ridiculous things over the years. It was unbelievable. And it had all led them to that exact moment. Even the terrible things led them to their happy ending, as difficult as that was to wrap their heads around.

"Forever," Nikita knocked her forehead against Michael's, her smile never fading. The couple was encased in their own laughter, continuing to sway despite the music changing to a pop song. They had spent most of the night with the rest of their friends and family, so that was their time together. They'd spend it however they wished, "Anyway. If someone told me everything we've done, I would have had something worth fighting for more than revenge."

Leading his wife to the corner of the dance floor away from the more energized guests, who were starting to play with Barkhoff more, Michael's grin turned soft. The hope of their happily ever after probably would've been more than they could've handled with the dark places they were in ten years prior. It was too good to be true. But they had made it; the family had survived, and they had established an amazing future, "We ended up pretty great."

"Because we're awesome," Stealing Alex's words, Nikita's voice dipped in sincerity. She ensured her husband was as close to her as possible, her brown eyes connecting unwaveringly with his green. He kissed her long and slow, his hand rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back. Her arms circled around his neck, fingers slipping into his hair and cradling his head. The world disappeared for a second; it was only the two of them in that stolen moment. Their thoughts of their family fading to just thoughts of themselves.

Eventually, they had to part. And after dancing for a little while longer, Nikita had to sit down. Michael was going to sit with her, but he was distracted by Sonya's family. The team had never met the Bunhilis before that night, yet they were so glad to be involved in that part of Sonya's past. It just seemed right to bring each other into their families. They were just one big happy mess. Soon collapsing into a chair next to Nikita, Alex furthered that point. She leaned over and gently nudged her best friend, "Tired already? Baby girl must be giving you hell."

Although Nikita rolled her eyes, she couldn't argue. The further along in her pregnancy she became, the more her daughter kicked and moved and made herself known. She was about to be born, yet she was still a nuisance with how she stretched. Nikita was kind of getting sick of it. Alex just laughed, though, especially as her friend continued, "She always is. Hopefully one day she'll use her powerful kicks for good."

"Well maybe if you named her, she'd calm down and stop fighting you," Alex tried to glare, but she was distracted by Barkhoff resting at their feet. Beyond cheerfully, she had spent the majority of the reception hanging out with her friends and family. While Sonya and Birkhoff handled the tech, Michael and Sam the clients, and Nikita and Vasquez the missions, Alex put herself in charge of the agents working for the team's business. Actually helping people with their second chances at life, instead of just giving it to them, was great for her. She was happy.

"She does have a name. We're just waiting until after she's born to tell you," Nikita replied without thinking. A name for their daughter was the last thing she and Michael had to decide on. It took them a little longer than it should have to settle on a name, yet they believed it was perfect. They thought about telling their friends immediately, but instead the two were going to wait until she was born. That way, she could have a grand introduction to her family.

"What? Tell me now," Alex didn't like that plan, though. She had been with Nikita and Michael every step of the way through the pregnancy and their relationship. As best friend and future Godmother, she deserved to know her niece's name. All she got in response, however, was an eyeroll, a reminder of where they were, and Barkhoff stolen away to be pet by his owner instead. It was Sonya's and Birkhoff's big day; it shouldn't be overshadowed by baby news. But Alex didn't care, "Sonya, Birkhoff, Nikita won't tell me baby girl's name."

Sonya Birkhoff (née Bunhili) and Seymour Birkhoff were saying goodbye to their other wedding guests. Their families were the majority of the attendees, but close friends like Cyrus came as well. The newlyweds got to have their perfect compromise of a small wedding yet with all of their family. Since the reception was winding down, they could finally concentrate on one set of guests instead of everyone. The two did so gladly, especially Birkhoff, "What? You guys have a name and you didn't say anything?"

"All the other guests have left. Tell us now as an extra wedding present," Sonya plopped down in a chair, practically begging Nikita. Not only did it feel great to sit down after standing and dancing for hours, the bride was excited to have the spotlight off of herself. It had been fun for a while, but soon she remembered how much she liked to work from behind the scenes. Michael and Nikita shared a glance as he took the seat next to her. They both sighed.

"Explanation first, since this is the greatest thing I've ever come up with," Deciding to torture the others by dragging out what his daughter's name was, Michael bragged. Nikita quickly and sharply elbowed him. It was both of their ideas. He might've solidified the choice, but they both had a hand in naming their baby. In fact, their whole family sort of had a say in the matter. Apparently it really did take a village to raise a child.

"We took inspiration from a lot of the things you guys have said," As Nikita admitted, excitement flowed through the family. Birkhoff sat as close to his new wife as possible. Alex leaned forward, practically about to burst out of her chair. And Sam and Vasquez hung back to hear what the expecting parents had to say. They remained close to one another, as if they were attempting to leave together. Although the others noticed, they tried not to bring attention to it.

"You mean you actually listened to someone before deciding something?" The joke was too easy for Birkhoff. He had to say it. Despite Michael's annoyed glare, the nerd smirked. Sam chuckled as well. However, neither Sonya nor Alex were pleased with the interruption. Maybe they were a bit more invested in their friends' baby news than they should've been, yet it was just so exciting. The family continued to be there for one another as their futures developed and took new shapes.

"Sonya, is it too early to divorce him?" After trying and failing to get Barkhoff to attack Birkhoff, Nikita settled on a sarcastic comment. Sonya laughed, but her new husband glared. He could've gotten back at her with his own quip, but he settled on just calling the dog over to himself. That way, he could pet him and not his owners. The tactic seemed to do the trick. Nikita gasped at the betrayal and Michael scoffed.

"Just get on with it," Alex actually begged. The expecting parents could only laugh at her desperation. Maybe it was a great decision to hold out on their daughter's name. With how involved their family was in every other aspect of preparing for the newborn, it was nice having them in the dark and not share their opinions. It wasn't as though all of their opinions were terrible, Michael and Nikita simply preferred to handle some things on their own.

Except, they couldn't torture their friends forever. And they had to admit they were excited to share their daughter's name. Nikita smiled brilliantly at Michael. He returned to expression easily, taking hold of her hand. With a deep breath, she began, "Like Sonya guessed, it's a bit untraditional. But that's cause we took Sam's and Vasquez's advice to make the name meaningful, and cause we actually took Birkhoff's middle name idea."

"But baby girl's not named after Benjamin. She's named after Sean's and Ryan's middle names. If it weren't for them and their sacrifice, we wouldn't be here. If it weren't for all of you, we wouldn't be here. So, we chose to name our daughter Maison Alexandra for Sean Mason, Ryan Alexander, and the rest of our family," Michael finished. Silence washed over the family for a moment as the weight of Maison Alexandra Mears-Bishop's name settled on their shoulders. Then, they erupted into praise for the choice.

Sonya was the first to gush and insist that 'Maisie' be a nickname. Birkhoff was more partial to 'Little Miss Mai', but he could work with either. Vasquez and Sam were all for the sentimentality as well as originality. However, Alex stared at Nikita, unable to breathe. She hadn't been able to move past the fact that baby Maison's middle name was her first. It had to have been an accident. It was just the feminine version of Ryan's Alexander. There was no way her niece could've been named after her- could there have been, "Alexandra?"

"It wasn't my intention, but so wasn't having you tag along. Look how great that turned out, though," Shrugging, Nikita admitted. She hadn't meant to name her daughter after her best friend, just the two men who had sacrificed their lives so that their family could have freedom. She stuck with the happy accident, though, like how Alex stuck by her side during her crusade even when she didn't have to. Because of that choice, the two were able to set actions into motion that eventually led to them finding their family and gaining their happily ever afters.

Alex nearly squealed as she beamed and wrapped Nikita in a fierce hug. She returned the embrace, calling Barkhoff over so he could join in on the love. The whole family of super spies and hackers shared hugs and kisses (both platonic and romantic) as they wrapped up their night with laughter, conversation, and fun. They had survived so much to arrive at that moment- gone through so much shit. Yet they all come out better for it. They all came out happy and in love.

And after fighting so hard for their freedoms and joy, they all lived happily ever after.

The End

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and enjoying this story!!!!! I appreciate all of you so much!