Michael was enjoying his first day free of the casts that imprisoned his legs for the last few weeks. His legs had finally healed and he had endured a long day of exercises and massages at the Section Rehabilitation Center. He knew he faced a long rehab regiment, perhaps as long as his time in the heavy casts. Michael smiled. The long weeks before today had provided him an uninterrupted visit with his son, his Rene. This brief respite from his dangerous life at Section had been the longest time he had been able to spend with his son since Rene had been three.

Michael had thought Rene lost to him forever, victim of a hit and run driver. Then, he had found his son alive and in Madeline's hands. He had watched, his heart breaking as he saw her give his son to Grace, a close friend of Michael and Simone. Grace had chosen to take Michael's son rather than leave him to an uncertain fate in Madeline's hands. Deep inside, he knew this was for the best. Being with Grace meant that Rene would always have a parent who would love and protect him, something that Michael's unpredictable future with Section One could never guarantee. If a mission went bad and Michael paid the ultimate price for his mistake all those long years ago, Rene would be safe and as happy as Grace could make him. Michael could be content with that.

Michael shed his clothes and with the help of a rehab orderly, slipped carefully into the whirlpool bath. His exertions of the day had left him sore and stiff. The warm swiftly swirling water of the bath slowly began to work the kinks out of his sorely unused leg muscles. The orderly placed a folded towel behind his head and Michael stretched his neck from side to side, luxuriating in the gently surging caress of the warm water. He felt himself drifting off into a peaceful drowsiness. The cares of the day receded into the velvety darkness as his eyes closed.

As Michael slept, a tall figure silently opened the door to the room where he was. Creeping quietly across the floor, the figure carefully dropped a bag on a table close to the whirlpool. The bag made a slight sound as the figure unzipped it. Michael stirred and the figure froze, waiting. He sighed and settled back into sleep, and the figure removed several items from the bag and silently glided up to a point directly behind the sleeping Section One operative. Hands extended, the figure slowly curved her fingers around Michael's neck.

Michael had lost none of his hard-won skills. He suddenly grabbed the hands around his neck and pulled hard. A startled Nikita yelled and overbalanced, tumbling head first into the whirlpool. She emerged sputtering and grinning. "Operations will be glad to know that your reflexes are as good as ever," she told Michael.

"It's good to see you, too." He reached for her and pulled her up close so that he could kiss her soundly. "I've missed you terribly." Michael searched her face, his eyes looking for any difference, any hurt, any pain. He sighed and was glad that he found nothing in her face except for her love for him. "How long can you stay?"

Nikita smiled again and lightly brushed her fingers across his lips. "Don't think about that. Just hold me. We'll make the most of what time we have here." She pulled away from him and stepped out of the tub. She quickly pulled her wet, sodden clothes off and brought one of the bottles she had pulled from the bag back to the tub with her. She removed the cap and poured the silky liquid into the tub before recapping the bottle and dropping it on the floor. Grinning seductively at her captive audience, Nikita stepped back into the tub and snuggled up to a smiling and still drowsy Michael.

"I don't think they will like what you have poured into the bath. It will mess up the pump to the whirlpool." Michael pulled her closer, knowing that Nikita cared not a whit what effect her bubble bath would have on the rehab equipment. He reveled in the feel of her skin against his. Nikita laughed and spent the next few minutes plundering Michael's mouth and the hot skin of his neck. He leaned back and let her have her way with him.

So engrossed with one another were they that they paid no attention to the running footsteps that were echoing down the hallway outside. The first inkling that they had that their time together was about to be violated was the crashing of the door as it was pushed back against the wall as a flash of color signaled someone running into the room.

They had time only to pull away from each other in surprise as the blur of motion launched itself at them. There was a terrific splash and water sloshed out of the tub and bubbles slid across the floor.

A head popped up from the cover of bubbles, and Rene laughed as he watched the shocked look on his father's face. Nikita looked funny too, with bubbles in her hair. Rene giggled at her expression. He did good splashes! Suddenly he stopped and knew that he had interrupted one of those grown-up moments that his Mom, Grace, had told him about. Rene looked from his father's eyes to Nikita's and then glanced again at his father.

"But...but, Mom always said if the door was unlocked, it was okay for me to come in, and the door WAS unlocked." Rene was feeling distinctly uneasy. He looked at his father for forgiveness and all he could think of to say was, "Daddy, where are yours and Nikita's clothes?"

THE END

Send suggestions and comments to ranma.