Drip drip drip ..The water inexorably dripped from the cold tap ....the bath had long since gone tepid and Nikita lay back, one leg flopped over the edge her eyes fixed on the dripping tap....

Drip drip drip......

The bubbles had long since lost their domination over the surface of the water and were washed up as frothy remnants at the perimeters of the bath...along with the flotsam and jetsam of their shared time together...

Drip drip drip ....

Her hair was wet and beginning to feel cold and uncomfortable ... Flinging her head back so she looked up at the ceiling where she could spy a cobweb in the corner ..She idly wondered where its occupant had gone ..and where the other spiders were lurking in wait...spying back in turn...

Drip drip drip...

She reached down as if to turn the hot tap on ....no, it wouldn't have warmed up enough by now ... she leaned back -at least it was warmer under the water than out of it...

Drip drip drip...

She sighed loudly - the sound echoing around the bathroom.... the CD had finished long ago and now in the silence the room felt cold - the candles too had burnt out. The bright orange citrus ones for sensuality had fizzled out first - the wick drowning in the effusive golden wax....

Drip drip drip....

Without him the bathroom felt ordinary and dull .... When he was in here it had felt opulent and luxuriant - she had closed her eyes and imagined a huge tub in the centre of a carpeted room ... taps at the centre so not to tempt toes or grind into spines ....

Drip drip drip...

Reality had swooped back. The walls had closed in, the bath shuffled back to the wall and the taps where they had always been, at the end opposite her head ... the tub itself so short she only fit by dangling her legs over the edges ......

Drip drip drip.....

But when he had slipped into the warm waters behind her and slid his soapy hands around her waist the room had blossomed into a den of delight... she had closed her eyes and sunk back onto his firm muscular chest ...his strong thighs wrapped about her legs. His chin resting on her head. His hands ...

Drip drip drip.....

He had been so sad ....if only she could have tempted him to play ... but no... typically Michael, he had settled for simply drawing circles in the foam on her shoulder ...reflecting, turning in on himself - not telling her the truth...

Drip drip drip

She could feel that his eyes were focussed in the distance - not on her ... she had asked about how his day had gone... a normal sort of enquiry for a couple sharing a bath at the end of a day .... Perhaps not the part about how many had died ...

Drip drip drip...

He was distant ...she could sense his spirit flagging as she listened to his laboured breathing ...she did not dare look at him ....she didn't need to ...he was breaking whether he admitted it or not ...

Drip drip drip...

He had continued to caress her shoulder ...the tingling feeling radiating outward from his fingertips to encapsulate her entire body. His firm body behind her, protecting her as always...

Drip drip drip

It seemed that by giving her the life she wanted, his company at mealtimes, his head on her pillow, that he had sacrificed himself. ...he had given up everything he stood for. It was as if the man that had been forged by the hardships and cruelty of Section 1 was dying - she had thought that was what she wanted. She had wanted to break the cold, ruthless armour to get at the man beneath... but now she saw with her own eyes that without the power and position he had fought for and lost so much for ...he could no longer exist ... However, the sacrifice had been his - she hadn't asked him to do it.

Drip drip drip

No - not asked, but begged ...with every accusation, every taunt, every demand for him to prove his love - spoken and unspoken - she had forced him to sacrifice what he was.... and he had done so ...and now she still was not satisfied - this still was not the Michael she wanted ... she needed his strength.

Drip drip drip

He could not take her pity, that's why he had left. His footprints still marked his exit across the bathroom. He hadn't stopped for a towel. He had just emerged from the water and left, dripping water from his near perfect body.... His head had been lowered, but he had not turned or stopped, he had just left... she had heard him dress quickly - he must still have been wet - she hoped he wasn't susceptible to colds - it was freezing out side, so much snow.

Drip drip drip..

She could not take it not any more -it was time to speak to Madeline .... She leapt out of the bath and taking a wrench from under the sink she swung it at the offending tap and slammed it repeatedly until the dripping stopped ...

No more you bitch, she muttered under her breath. No more ....

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