Nikita awoke with a start and peered around her, nerves on edge. It took her a few seconds to assimilate the fact that she had dozed off while resting her head on the desk in Michael's office. The only light in the room glowed eerily from Michael's computer screen. Nikita blinked rapidly as she tried to clear the fog from her brain. What had awakened her from her exhausted sleep? The low beep emitted from the computer alerted her to the cause. She smiled as she reached out to click the mouse on the incoming communiqué.

Since Nikita and Michael had returned from Michael's cottage outside of Brussels, after their mission to capture Zalman, their relationship had begun to grow. It was as if the events that took place during that mission had opened a chasm into which the two of them had fallen and they had no desire to halt their fall. Over the last two months, as they became closer and closer, the couple had given up all pretenses of hiding their relationship. They were extremely happy and they didn't care who knew about it.

Nikita had been utterly surprised when Michael had thrown down the gauntlet in the truck on the way to Tomas' location. Her first instinct had been to ignore his simple words of "I don't need you, I want you." After all, both Operations and Zalman were listening to the conversation. But when she glanced away from the road for a moment, her eyes met the unwavering gaze of his green eyes. In that instant she realized that the words were following the mission parameters but the feelings behind them were coming straight from Michael's heart.

Nikita surprisingly had been the one to try and slow things down. Before, she had been the one pursuing a relationship with Michael. A relationship which had always seemed impossible at best. Now it was Michael who was pulling out all the stops and risking both of them to gain his desires. Since he no longer had to worry about Elena, he felt as if he could pursue his one desire which was Nikita. Maybe it was because he had led her on in the past, but Nikita had at first felt obliged to temper the speed at which the relationship had been moving. Eventually, Michael's persistence had won her over to his way of thinking and the couple had thrown all caution to the wind.

Birkoff and Walter had been ecstatic to learn that Michael and Nikita were truly a couple. They had both been pushing for the relationship and had offered to do anything that they could to help the young couple. Walter especially was excited because he loved the both of them as if they were his own children. He knew he flirted with his 'sugar' but it was, after all, all in fun. He wished the two of them the best of luck and secretly wished with his whole heart that they could have a normal relationship along with a 'normal' life. It was no less than he wished for himself or for Birkoff, or for any of the other poor souls which comprised the Sections.

Madeline and Operations however, were far from ecstatic over the development of Michael and Nikita's relationship. Madeline especially was fearful of the relationship because she had been watching the two of them for years. She knew that they needed each other and that they thrived on the love that they shared. Madeline had learned long ago that she was not dealing with two entities but with one soul. There was a certain symbiosis between the two that helped each to survive and to gain greater power. This symbiosis and the strength that it helped to build was what had Madeline concerned. Operations was blissfully ignorant as to the power the relationship was fostering.

************

Madeline's paranoia about Michael and Nikitia's power surge continued festering upon itself. Operations felt that she was slightly delusional but as usual she always found a way of coercing him into her way of thinking. In order to keep Michael and Nikita apart as much as possible, they were frequently sent out on separate independent missions. Their individual mission levels remained high and this pleased both Operations and Madeline. It made them feel as if they were winning the battle. Michael and Nikita however, strove to spend as much quality time together as they could because they never knew when someone's down-time would be revoked for a flash mission.

It was at this point in their relationship that found Nikita dozing in Michael's office. Whenever one of them was out on a mission, the other completed paperwork in the office. Whenever the mission was complete, they would signal the partner in the office over the computer to let them know they were safe and on their way back to Section. Nikita again smiled as the computer screen came to life at her touch. She had been waiting and worrying for hours. Her joy soon faded as she stared at the face of Birkoff rather than Michael. What went wrong, she wondered.

Birkoff was concerned. He knew he needed to warn Nikita of Michael's condition before they returned to Section. He knew Michael did not want to worry Nikita unnecessarily but Birkoff knew she would be more furious if she were not warned. Michael had refused to give Birkoff the codes to access the computer in his office, so Birkoff hacked in. Now he was staring at Nikita who looked exhausted and concerned. Birkoff blinked rapidly and began his debrief for her before she could ask any questions.

Michael and Birkoff had been out on an Intel-gathering mission against a splinter group of the Freedom League. Because it was considered to be a non-hostile assignment, Michael had only one glock and two clips and Birkoff only carried one with its requisite clip. Just as they were finishing their assignment, they had been ambushed. They were badly outnumbered and Michael had stayed behind to cover Birkoff's retreat. Birkoff had made it out but Michael had been taken hostage. They had tortured him for several hours before he had found a means of escape. Michael would report directly to Med Lab before he would debrief but both Birkoff and Nikita knew that he would not remain there even if he desperately needed to. Birkoff warned Nikita that Michael might need some extra attention.

Nikita did not get much more information from Birkoff because Michael's hand reached across the screen to disconnect the transmission. Nikita knew Birkoff was going to have hell to pay for going against Michael's wishes but she was grateful that he stuck his neck out for her. Nikita did not question the fact that Michael had nothing to say to her over the transmission. She knew him well enough to know that he was seething towards Birkoff at the moment and wanted to deal with him immediately. She also knew he did not want to have a personal conversation with her when Birkoff was listening in. She knew that he was safe enough and that they could have their conversation later at home.

Nikita knew that Michael would be recalcitrant about reporting to Med Lab. She was worried about the condition he was in. She knew he was worse off than he usually was or Birkoff would not have bothered to warn her. She clicked off the computer and wandered over to van access to await their arrival. She paced up and down the hallway. Above her on the catwalk stalked Madeline. Nikita was sure that she had been apprised of the outcome of the mission and she too was awaiting the team to assess the condition of Michael. It was a long half hour for both women as they paced their way back and forth in the hallway. Nikita jumped when the alarm sounded signaling the incoming mission with injuries. Nikita became more and more nervous as she realized that a Med team was meeting them at van access. Both Michael and Birkoff waved off the Med team and the gurneys as they walked into Section One helping each other to walk. Michael had been beaten, Nikita could tell but he was basically walking under his own power. Birkoff was leaning against the bigger man and dragging a leg behind him. He had been slashed across the calf and would need several stitches. The two men were too proud to be taken away on gurneys and walked together towards Med Lab with Nikita trailing behind them.

***********

Just as Nikita and Birkoff had suspected, Michael refused any treatment for his wounds. Med Lab personnel gave him the cursory once-over and then released him to his own care. Nikita knew better than to press him so she remained quiet. She knew he was hurting and was exhausted but that was only because she knew him so well. To anyone else he was the stoic warrior who could take anything that was dished out to him. Nikita followed him out of Med Lab and back to his office. Michael removed his jacket slowly and sat to begin his debrief report.

Nikita sat across the desk from him and continued with the paperwork she had been doing since he left. She could not concentrate on her work and wound up staring at him for a few minutes. She was trying to discern the extent of his injuries. She knew he was in pain, she just could not tell how bad off he was. Michael cleared his throat. He was looking back at her. He smiled gently and told her to stop analyzing him. He would allow her to examine him when they returned home. Nikita grinned sheepishly and returned to her work.

About an hour later, Michael clicked his mouse to send his report to Operations. He sighed deeply and rolled his head from side to side, loosening the muscles in his neck. Nikita looked up at him and smiled at him. "Tired?" she asked him. He grinned back at her and nodded. "How much work do you have left on those reports?" She grinned back at him and shoved the reports under the keyboard to his computer. "What reports?", she smiled seductively. Michael grinned at her, pulled her up from her chair and kissed her soundly. "Let's go home," he whispered in her ear. Nikita smiled again and they left Section One.

************

By the time Nikita got Michael home, he had fallen asleep in the passenger seat of the car. She could barely wake him and practically had to drag him up the stairs to the loft. Michael leaned heavily against her as she unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm. She knew he was exhausted and only wanted to sleep but he stunk to the high heavens from his exertions during the day. She helped him to sit on the couch and took off his shoes and socks and then left him to rest as she went to draw his bath.

Nikita turned the taps to warm so that Michael could soak in a hot bath. While the tub was filling she removed her clothes and put them away donning her large terry cloth robe. She smiled as she watched the tub fill with the steaming water. She remembered the times the two of them had spent in that exact tub. It was a rather large tub which fit two comfortably. They had luxuriated in that tub and made wild passionate love in it just over a week ago. A warmth stirred in Nikita's loins as she remembered that night. The two operatives had been separated due to multiple missions since that night.

She went back downstairs and woke Michael, practically dragging him to the bathroom. Michael roused slightly and helped her to remove his clothes. Nikita helped Michael to sit in the warm water and quickly slipped her robe off, climbing in to sit behind him. Michael leaned back and rested his head against Nikita's chest. He sighed deeply as the warmth of the water soaked into his skin. Nikita smiled as she felt his body begin to relax.

Nikita luxuriated in holding Michael close to her. She could feel his body relax as it only could with her. She was the only person he would trust enough to relax that much. She loved being trusted so completely by him. As Michael snoozed in her arms, Nikita again remembered other more interesting things that the had done in this tub. Just thinking about it was making her hot!

In order to calm her nerves, Nikita took a washcloth and the soap and began methodically to wash Michael. Michael was oblivious to her ministrations as he was deep in an exhausted sleep. Nikita started by washing Michael's face gently. She worked very carefully so that she would not wake him. She also did not want to get any of the soap in his eyes or in his mouth. She smiled to herself as Michael moaned and snuggled further down into her lap.

As Nikita's hands drifted slowly down Michael's taut chest and stomach, moving the washcloth slowly, she wished that it were her tongue caressing him. Michael shifted as her hands moved and Nikita was excited to see that he had the stirrings of an erection. She reveled in the fact that it was her touch that was inflaming his passions, even in sleep. Her hands slowly washed further down his body until she came into contact with his erection. Nikita allowed the washcloth to slip from her hands as she gently took Michael's erection in her hand. She loved the feel of Michael's penis in her hand. Even though it was not fully erect, Nikita could sense the power and the hardness that dwelt beneath the soft skin.

Michael moaned again in his sleep as Nikita fondled his sack and penis. Nikita did not want to wake him but she was in great need herself. She knew he was exhausted but she had not been able to make love with him for over a week. She began stroking his cock with more vigor, giggling slightly as it began to grow in her hand. She watched as the head of Michael's cock began to turn a darker shade. She knew his hardon was raging now. Her hand started stroking up and down the length of Michael's turgid shaft.

As Nikita massaged his shaft, Michael began to awaken. What a wonderful feeling to be awakened by. He was loving this but did not want Nikita to stop. He remained still and let Nikita continue her ministrations. Just as Nikita quickened her pace, Michael growled low in his throat and grabbed her hand. Nikita jumped because she had not realized that he was awake. Michael held her hand and helped her to continue her stroke. With both hands on his turgid shaft, Michael moaned and began to spurt, He groaned loudly as his c--- shot high into the air. They both laughed slightly and then Nikita dropped her head to take Michael's lips in a heated kiss.

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