Peace.

It was an emotion rarely experienced, and one that Nikita savored. It was late in the evening as she sat lounging on her couch, hands clasped over her stomach, listening to the strains of a Beethoven piano concerto. Classical music was a new interest for her. She’d acquired an appreciation of it through Michael, who was extremely knowledgeable on the subject, and now she often listened to it as a means of feeling closer to her mentor.

She closed her eyes and smiled contentedly.

Peace.

The moment was broken minutes later by an exuberant blast of random raps against her door. Sitting up, Nikita glared in the general direction of her entrance and let out an irritated sigh. As she levered herself off her sofa it occurred to her that it was amazing how easy it was to identify certain people by the way in which they knocked. Michael was one example.

Her new neighbor was another.

Slowly, she ambled toward her door and threw it open without even checking the security monitor. “Mick.”

“Hey, doll.”

As she surveyed the man standing before her, Nikita couldn’t help but think that if there was such a thing as a Guido with a British accent, Mick Schtoppel was it. He was dressed in the loudest, tackiest, brashest suit she had ever seen. A gold chain necklace peeked out from under the unbuttoned collar of his riotous silk shirt.

Nikita rolled her eyes, mentally disemboweling him where he stood. “I’m fresh out of sugar, Mick.”

“That’s not what Walter says.”

His reply was met with a blistering stare.

“Okay, okay.” He raised his palms up and took a step back, widening his area of retreat. “Got a little problem. Could use some… you know… help.” His jovial face settled into a hopeful expression.

“Help?”

“Yeah… Help.”

“I’m fresh out of condoms, too,” she muttered sarcastically. “Try the drug store.”

“Not that kind of help…” He paused for a moment, considering. “Although…”

“Mick!”

“Yeah, yeah… I know… No hanky panky talk with you. Makes you think of a certain man in black, if you catch my drift.” He smirked, absently buffing his fingernails on the lapel of his coat.

“You’ve got one minute before I dropkick you back to your apartment. Make it count.”

“Jeesh… Testy, aren’t you?” He glanced down at his hand, looking very pleased with his impromptu manicure, then fixed Nikita with his best eager-puppy-dog look. “Can I come in first?”

Nikita arched an eyebrow and gave Mick a mocking smile. “Thirty seconds.”

“Guess that answers that… You’re a hard woman, Nikita. No wonder things didn’t work out with Michael.”

“Twenty seconds.”

“Okay, Okay… Had a little run in with Perry Bauer at a nightclub. The Gargoyle. Heard of it? Cool place... Cool people. Fantastic birds, if you know what I mean. Anyway, there was one bird in particular that I found enchanting. Kind of reminded me of you, but shorter…

Nikita raised her eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. In… Out… In… “Ten seconds, Mick.”

He immediately increased the tempo of his speech. “Yeah, well, as I was saying… This bird was gorgeous. Fab, really. So I picked her up.” He stopped, tapped his nose with his newly buffed forefinger, and gave Nikita a serious stare. “Thing is, Bauer was there with the girl. He’s kind of pissed off about the whole deal and now the little pervert is trying to take me out. Can you believe that?” Mick looked shocked at the thought that there was a person on the planet that didn’t find him an absolute gas to hang out with. “Him, trying to off me? Can you imagine? I told him I was green listed but he didn’t care. Said Section valued him more than me and he could do whatever he wanted.”

“And?”

“And he’s trying to take me out! Haven’t you been listening?”

Nikita smiled her first genuine smile of the evening. “Oh, I’ve been listening. I just don’t see the problem.”

Mick’s jaw dropped, surprise evident on every pore of his face. “But I thought…”

“…You thought wrong.”

Stunned, he took two steps back, pivoted and started toward his apartment. His arms hung limp at his sides, his posture clearly that of a man defeated.

Nikita let him reach his door, thoroughly enjoying his discomfiture, then released a throaty chuckle. “Get back here,” she ordered softly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Really?” He hurried toward her, his mood immediately transformed. Elation radiated from his features as he gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek and sailed into her apartment.

“Really.” She sighed, then followed in Mick’s wake. As much as her neighbor tried her patience, he was an amusing companion. And, more importantly, he’d just offered her the opportunity to send Perry Bauer a little payback.

So much for peace.

*****

Scaring Perry Bauer into submission had been far too easy.

A call to Michael, a trip to The Gargoyle, a few threatening words delivered by two of Section’s most formidable operatives, and Mick was sitting pretty. Nikita was so accustomed to Michael’s demeanor that she often forgot the impact it had on others. Perry, for all his bravado, was quaking by the time she and Michael took their leave.

Nikita couldn’t help but laugh as she and Michael exited the club and drove back toward her apartment. Noticing her partner’s raised eyebrow, she said, “Somehow, I don’t imagine that’s the kind of double team Perry is used to.”

“No, I doubt it is,” he agreed. His voice was perfectly neutral, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

*****

Mick, of course, was delirious with relief when they stopped by his apartment to tell him he was off the hook. “I’ve said it before, doll, and I’ll say it again. You are a prince among men… Or women…. Whatever. You get my drift.”

Nikita smiled tolerantly. “You’re welcome, Mick.”

“And you!” Mick turned his attentions toward Michael. “You are dangerous. Very dangerous. I knew there was a reason I was on your side. Can’t think why you dumped Blondie, though. You make a good team.”

Michael gave Nikita a sweeping glance, arresting his eyes on her face. “We still do.”

“Hmmm… Uh, yeah… I guess you do.” Mick looked back and forth between the pair, his face visibly confused.

“Goodnight, Mick,” Nikita offered absently as she met Michael’s gaze. In unison, the pair turned and headed down the hallway toward Nikita’s apartment.

“Coffee?” He heard the tall blonde asked her companion.

“Yes, thank you,” was the measured reply.

Within moments the pair entered her apartment and disappeared from sight.

Coffee?

A slow grin wormed its way across Mick’s malleable face. So that’s how it was…

THE END

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