J'onn finds a Daughter

 Nikita has been on the mend if a little hazy/foggy headed for several weeks. She was 'stable but unresponsive' for long enough they weren't sure she would pull through. People have been giving her space and letting her mend. She warmly greets J'onn who is clearly uncomfortable, and a little standoffish. As she will learn in this conversation, J'onn has given her space for a different reason. 

“J'onn I am asking as formally as I know how, for you to be direct and precise. Which if I know you at all, shouldn't be hard for you.”

“Do you recognize the name 'Hank Henshaw'?"

A dark look cast over Nikita's eyes. "Only as a complete jerk who tried to keep Jeremiah away from his family. And when I was here initially he 'didn't like me very much'. I am being polite. He must be dead now, long dead because I try to picture him and all I see is you."

"That might be because I am wearing his face. I met you and Jeremiah for the first time when you both served under Henshaw. Your word for him was Creech-ta. And it fits.”

"...It would have to; I wouldn't use it otherwise." Nikita said offhandedly.

"I can sense that something is weighing on you." I told her gently. "I don't need to be a telepath to read you either."

“J'onn, what happened between us?”

This caught me off guard. “Why do you ask? I have my suspicions on the matter but I want to hear your opinion. Standing where you are, what inspires the question?”

“J'onn, you are my best friend in the entire universe I know this. But I keep alternating between wanting to apologize to you and wanting to grab you by the neck and shake some sense into you. Which makes no freaking sense.”

"I...that is a much longer story than either of us have the time or emotional threshold for."

  "Did I do something to offend you? Did something stupid one of us said linger for so long we are actually used to the distance?"

"God no and absolutely not." I told her forcefully. "Something did happen between us. Something we both regret and with the help of time and friends have managed to...learn the better of is the only way I know how to put it. But it was my fault. It was ENTIRELY my fault. The last thing I want you to do is blame yourself. But you are the kind of person who would do that." She looked at me with a curious expression. "I've known you for almost 8 years now and with your help I have learned exactly two unequivocal truths. One: You give grace upon grace to everyone. Even me, even strangers. Two: You shoulder blame and responsibility that is not yours to bear. At first I thought you were simply interested in sharing the burden for the sake of easing some one else's shoulders. Like with Jeremiah or Kal'el. But it's more than that. You force the burden on to your own shoulders, whether it's yours to bear or not. There is nothing you could ever have done to offend me Nikita. You are my family here."

    "Yeah the D.E.O. has become a family on Earth for both of us. That much I can see."

I shook my head. "No Nikita. You are my family. I love you like a daughter.  I never had a family on Earth, not even a sibling until I met you. Now I have not only a family but someone to care for. I felt feelings of love, responsibility and protection I have never felt before. I'm sorry I never took the time to tell you."