Title: Broken Fairytales
Fandom: Nikita
Word Count: 990
Prompt: #37 Broken Fairytales
Summary: Alex and Owen? Their story, their life was a fairytale of sorts. Not a traditional one, of course.
Disclaimer: I own it ALL; characters, names, titles-I'm just kidding okay? Put the gun down. Sheesh.

Alex finds it amusing.

She often wonders if Owen has come to the same conclusion yet, but has never actually asked; she finds it so much more humorous to watch real life play out without her commentary.

Alex and Owen.

Their story was a fairytale of sorts.

Not a traditional one, of course. God no.

But there were parallels between the two.

Their story starts over a year ago, the first time their paths had ever crossed. It was in Germany. The very first time he saved her. Alex was gathering intel on Semak and Owen was playing the cleaner on an assignment for Ari. Alex's job should have been simple really, but it was a very bad day for her; she was irritated and a little more bold than usual.

She asked all the wrong questions in all the wrong tones.

A few hours later she was bound to a chair in an abandoned warehouse with three large men beating her within an inch of her life.

The damsel in distress.

Alex still isn't sure what exactly Owen was doing there at that specific location at that specific time-he's very evasive-but she gathers he was doing a clean-up job in exchange for information. But he was there, armed and very dangerous.

Her knight in shining armor.

It wasn't until he got her back to his hotel room that he got a good look at her. He already knew the name, recognized the face and remembered words spoken by Nikita. It was Alex. Alexandra Udinov.

Descended Russian princess.

The second time he saved her was in the forests of South America. Another job had gone sour and Alex's cover had been blown. The man who once worked with Semak and helped organized her father's hit had been tipped off about her true identity ahead of time. Fight or flight instinct kicked in and Alex chose to fight. And this time, she came out on top. Well, until back up arrived. Seven angry and very well armed bodyguards trailed behind Alex, as she blazed a trail through the tall green forests of Brazil.

Little Red Riding Hood, running from the wolves.

Somehow, for some reason Owen was there. He came up behind them all, coming from the direction of the house they'd just fled. He took out four and she handled the last three.

Her saving grace, angel of mercy.

When she inquired about his reasons for being there-as always, evasive-he simply replied he was looking for someone. No other explanation, no elaboration. It wasn't until about two weeks later-when both of them deemed it safe for Alex to leave the country-that she finally started getting answers.

Owen was looking for a scientist.

One who had once worked with Division.

He, working with his partner, helped create a drug to help improve the agents. Make them faster, stronger, smarter, braver, more obedient. The perfect agent.

The regiment.

Owen's been on the regiment for the past few years. He wanted off but to stop cold turkey...well it had its disadvantages. Rage issues, migraines, homicidal tendencies. You know, the usual.

That was the first time Alex had saved him.

She knew what it was like, to be a slave to something; to constantly crave it, become so dependent on it you go into shock without it. You can't stop thinking about it, needing it, fantasizing about it. You forget that the world around you even exists. All there is is the addiction. It consumes you, controls you and soon you're doing things you couldn't even imagine. Hurting everyone around you and destroying yourself, bit by bit. The worst thing is you know what's happening; can see it in action. But you can't stop yourself, you're powerless, you're weak and fragile and pathetic. At the end of it all, when it's too late, you're standing there as your broken world rains down over you.

So she decided to save him. From himself.

It was far from easy; locking him in an escape proof cellar, listening to constant screams, ignoring his curses and threats. The late night panic attacks, early morning struggles. Temper tantrums, mood swings, loud outbursts. Owen didn't make any of this easier. He fought hard, tried to bribe her, seduce her, beg her, trick her, anything, anything he thought might get his hands on the regiment. That included trying to hurt her, and himself. Two months of this.

In the end it wasn't a total tragedy.

Some of her furniture was broken. Like her couch, coffee table and...refrigerator. She had a few scars from hand to hand combat with Owen and the doctor was able to repair his nose for a good price. Words were said that could never be taken back and lines were crossed in such a way it was impossible to forget.

But she had saved him.

She saved him. Brought him back to life, in away.

Kind of like Beauty and the Beast.

Not long after they became a team. Partners. This world-their world-was a lot easier to survive if you had someone on your side.

Now, a year later they're in Australia, sitting in their small apartment near the waterfront. Owen is pouring himself a bowl of cereal and Alex is drying her wet, curly hair from her shower.

Owen walks in from the kitchen, slurping his cereal with his jeans hung low on his hips. He plops down on the couch next to her, every inch, every part of his body in contact with hers. He turns and takes a long look at her, gaze unwavering, eyes unblinking.

Yes Owen, that doesn't make me self-conscious in anyway, Alex thinks staring straight ahead at the TV.

"Your hair, it's curly. I like it. It's pretty. It reminds me you're still a girl."

She tries to stifle a laugh behind her coffee cup

Her Prince Charming definitely needed to work on his compliments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~x x x x~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well this was fun to write:) I LOVE this pairing, they would be so effing adorable on screen! *sighs* But at the rate the writers are going, we'll most likely have to wait until season 5 (if we're even that lucky) to see it happen. *crosses fingers*