(prologue)

~~~~~~~~~~~

An angel.

That was the only thing that came to mind as he watched her rise slowly from the car, and walking resolutely, two roses in hand, past the rows of silent graves. Tears gathered in his eyes as he watched her kneel in front of the small engraved stone at the top of the largest hill in the cemetery. She placed one of the roses gently on the ground and shifted to sit with her legs crossed and began to speak.

A cool breeze swept its way across the cemetery, catching her golden hair and tossing it about, and carrying her words away from him. But instead of trying to tame the long strands swirling around her, she turned and looked at him. He feared for a second that she noticed him staring, but he was positive that she didn't recognize him.

He had shaved his long hair and grown a beard. He used this rare occurence as a chance to catch a glimpse at her wide blue eyes. They were shiny with so many unshed tears. His breath caught in his throat when he started to think about how many tears she had already cried because of him. He broke from her gaze when he noticed another car pulling up near where Nikita stood.

He couldn't help but smile as the little girl jumped quickly out of the car and sprinted towards her mother despite the protests of the auburn-headed woman still getting out of the car. Madeline freed herself quickly and ran after the little bundle of energy, catching up easily and scooping her up, chastising her for not listening.

The man observed the older woman quietly, noticing that her hair was now streaked with gray and the eyes that had once conveyed power that would have made grown men cower were now filled with warmth. His attention was now turned to the child. She was so beautiful, with her mother's long blond hair and her father's green eyes, she was absolutely perfect. She had grown so much since he had last saw her. He felt over-whelmed with a feeling of love for the family he had left behind. Now he had come back, but he didn't know if they would want him. For the first time in his life, Micheal was terrified.

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

As Nikita sat silently in her car, she had this sudden impulse to run. To drive away and pretend she didn't remember what day this was and how much pain the day carried. It would have been their 10 year anniversary. But he had died. He left her to care for their child by herself, and left her with a broken hear. But now she had to say goodbye, for the sake of her hear and her child. She would never forget him, but she needed to ease the pain in her heart. Slowly, she rose out of the car pausing to retrieve the two roses from the seat next to her. She walked quietly up to the top of the small hill and stopped in front of the grave that was placed at the highest point in the cemetery. Just like Walter had wanted. She bent down and place one of the roses on the ground, then folding her legs underneath her and sitting.

"I miss him, Walter." she whispered. Somehow she always felt better when she talked to him, even now when he wasn't alive to crack jokes with her, he was still a calming influence, and she had alot to tell him.

"But I can't do this to myself anymore, being depressed isn't the way I need to handle it. I need to remember the good times, then get on with my life. I'm not coming back here again. I'm saying goodbye. So is Callie. I'm not going to hurt her by making her come to his grave. The next time I will come here is when I die. I hope you understand that I can't come visit you either. It wouldbe to painful." She suddenly felt like she ws being watched. She felt a gust of wind catch and toss her hair as her eyes tracked across the empty rows of headstones til the locked on a man standing about 20 feet to her right. He was looking right back at her. She couldn't blame him. She probably looked odd sitting there talking to a grave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She took a quick look at her observer, quickly noticing that he was wearing all black. 'Just like Michael' She stopped herself from pursuing that line of thought as she heard the sound of a car echoing thru the silent air. Her eyes lit up as she recognized Madeline's car and saw her daughter jump out of the car. Madeline quickly stopped Callie's mad dash, scooping her up and carrying her most of the way, only letting her down when she had promised never to do that again. She ran into Nikita's arms and nearly knocked her down. "Hey sweetheart, have you been giving Aunt Maddy any trouble?''

"She's been an angel, as usual" Madeline turned and kneeled down beside Callie to give her a quick hug.

"Goodbye Aunt Maddy" she whispered softly in her ear.

"Goodbye Niece Callie" she said with a smile.

She gave Nikita a quick hug and a small sad smile before turning to leave. Nikita knew that if she didn't do it now, she would never go through with it.

Callie had obviously sensed her sadness and realized that something big was happening and stopped laughing. She took her mom's hand and they walked in silence until they reached Michael's grave. "Callie, this is the last time I'm going to bring you here to see your dad. I'm not sure if you understand, but Mommy can't keep coming here and missing him. It only makes her sad.'' She bent down and gave Callie a big hug. ''And I don't want you to have a sad mommy because I love you. Do you understand?''

"I think so'' she whispered, then she reached up and took the rose her mom held and placed it on her daddy's grave, kissed her hand and placed it softly on engraved name. "Bye daddy. I love you" she turned and looked up at her mom with her wide blue eyes. ''Can I see him Mommie?"

"Of course." she reached into her purse taking out a photo and handing it carefully over to her daughter. It was a wonderful picture of him, taken only days before the accident. He was holding Callie about his head and both were smiling happily. Callie had only been two when he was killed and she had always kept that picture to show her when she talked about him.

"Mommy" Callie looked intently at the picture then off behind her, as if she were comparing something.

"What is it?" She twirling a strand of Callie's hair absently with her fingers.

"Why won't daddy come to see us?"

"You know I explained this to you. Daddy is in heaven just like uncle Walter" Nikita looked at her daughter, surprised that she would ask. She had always seemed to understand Michael's death.

"No, he isn't. He's over there" Callie pointed a stubby finger to somewhere behind Nikita and she turned around and saw the stranger that had been staring at her earlier. He was watching them openly.

"Honey, that isn't daddy. That's a stranger."

"No mom, look. Its him!" she smiled happily. She ran forward quickly out of Nikita's grasp. When she reached him she shyly tugged at his sleeve.

"Callie, leave the poor man alone and stop playing around" She walked toward's them but stopped suddenly. No, it couldn't be. She was imagining things again. He didn't look like Michael.

He had kneeled down to her level and she was now whispering in his ear. "You're my daddy, aren't you."

It was then that Nikita looked into his eyes as he silently asked her with to say. His eyes were the same green gold color that she had stared into years before.

"Oh, no. It can't be. I'm imaging this. It can't be real" she stared in wonder at him, somehow knowing even as she said this that she wasn't imagining it. He was real. Michael was alive. She watch dazedly as he lifted their daughter into him arms and walked slowly towards her.

His eyes were unsure, as if he didn't know if she was happy he was alive.

Suddenly Nikita didn't feel like her legs could support her anymore and she dropped to the ground. He clutched Callie to him and kneeled before her so that their eyes met and filled with tears.

"Michael?" she searched his eyes for something, she wasn't sure what.

"I'm home, my love. I've come home." she pulled her husband and child into her arms and sobbed, crying for all of them. For the first time in three years, she let herself remember what they had both gone through to be together. For now there was no questioning his 'death'. Right now all she wanted to do was hold him.

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

Honeymoon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This takes place 1 year after Black. Section doesn't know about them.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Honey.........Honey" Nikita nudged Michael softly.

"hmmm?" he buried his head further into the pillow and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to his body.

Nikita felt a sudden rush of heat at the feel of his body pressed against hers. 'keep you focus, you have to ask him'. She took several deep breaths.

"Honey, why did we never go on a honeymoon?"

That definitely got his attention. "What?" He looked down into her blue eyes and his eyes reflected confusion and hurt.

"Well, I just was think about how we never went somewhere and got room service and stayed in bed all day, doing, ya know, whatever comes to mind" she slipped her hand down his firm chest and even lower to grip him in her hand, leaving no question as to what she was talking about.

She leaned forward, kissing where his neck and shoulder met, then trailing her tongue along the length of his shoulder and then back to his neck, kissing and licking and biting her way up to his chin. His eyes closed as he savored the wonderful feeling of having this perfect woman love him.

But his eyes flew open again when she gently squeezed him. Without a protest, she let him roll so that she was beneath him. She leaned forward to capture his beautiful mouth, but he pushed her back so that she was laying down and slowly began a wonderful seduction of her body.

She whimpered softly as he trailed his tongue along her neck, slowly moving towards her breast and achingly hard buds. When he took one of her nipples into his mouth his hand went to work on the other nipple. After much licking and nipping and sucking, he raised his head to look at Nikita. Her hands were clenced and grasping at the bedsheets. He let his lips trail over her beautiful body in a slow trip to her core, dipping his tongue into her naval and placing small kisses near the patch of blond hair near the junction between her legs.

She gasped in pleasure as he flicked his tongue again the bundle of nerves at the top of her opening. Then it was his turn to gasp when she suddenly grabbed hold of his head and pulled him up the length of her body and kissed him, her tongue brushing at his lips, asking for entrance, which he quickly gave, plunging his tongue into her mouth to duel with hers.

"Michael, god, please" she gasped when they broke the hot kiss for air. She was squirming with anticipation as he spread her legs and postioned himself at her entrance. They both looked up and held each others eyes as he slowly pushed into her, inch by inch, until he was fully sheathed in her hot silk.

Never breaking eye contact he began moving slowly, pulling almost completely out and then slamming back in with a quick thrust, drawing out a long moan from both of them. "Faster, oh, please, faster" She was writhing around, wrapping her legs around his hips in an attempt to pull him deeper into her.

The sight of her moaning with her eyes squeezed shut in intense passion, sent him over the edge. He pounded her desperately racing to completion. He knew he was close and he wanted to come with her, so he reached between their bodies and sqeezed gently then roughly on her bundle, until she screamed out his name and came gripping him and milking him so that he came pounding himself into her one last time and collapsed onto her sweaty hot body, then using the last of his energy rolling them both over so that she was on top of him.

He reach to the bottom of their bed and cover their bodies with a sheet. He slipped of into a light sleep, reveling in the feeling of safety he felt whenever he was with her. He awoke some time later to the feeling of Nikita trailing her finger across his lips.

He opened his eyes and rolled so that they were side by side facing each other. He pulled her head so that it ws resting on his chest and sighed as she curled up to him. "Do you really want a honeymoon?"

"Yeah, I do. But I doubt it will ever happen. And I understand. We can create our own honeymoon." she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him even tighter to her.

"Nikita"

"yah" came a slightly muffled reply.

"I promise you, one day, you will get that honeymoon that you want" he whispered into her hair.

"I know." she said as sleep swallowed both him and her.

Then the phone rang.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second the phone started ringing, they both knew what it was. They caught each other's eyes, neither of them willing to answer it and break up this perfect moment they were sharing. Michael looked warily at Nikita, concerned that she would be angry if he answered. She quickly realized that he thought she would blame him for the intrusion, and quietly leaned over and kissed him softly and reached over to retrieve the cell phone, handing it to him.

"Yes? Of couse. Yes." she couldn't hear what was being said, but it was obvious by the disappointment in his eyes that he was leaving. Michael clicked the phone shut and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.

"I have to go." he whispered, opening his eyes and staring deep into them, searching for any anger, and satisfied when he didn't find any, kissed her soundly before slidding out of the bed. He walked quickly around the room, picking up his discarded clothes and slipping them on.

"Do I have to come in too?" She got up and stretched, walking into the bathroom and brushing her teeth.

"Yes, but not for a while. You might as well get some sleep, you will need it for the mission, and you didn't get very much last night." he smiled as she walked back into the bedroom, still not clothed and providing serious distraction for him, with a toothbrush stuck in her mouth and toothpaste spilling out of her lips.

"Bhmm wfffowwt voue fhera, vil vet vonly." she tried desperately to talk around to foam, but it only made it spill down her chin.

Frustrated with his confused looks, she disappeared once more. When she returned, he was standing at the dresser, combing his hair back, trying to tame his curls into a more orderly postion behind his ears. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, standing on her toes to lay her chin on his shoulder.

"I said, but without you here, i'll get lonely" she whisper softly into his ear, letting her lips graze it as she spoke. He turned around and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'll miss you too." but we'll see each other in a little while and I think it would be suspicious if we both came in when they only called me." he nuzzled her neck placing delicate kisses the length of it and pressing his lips softly to hers, not rushing his goodbye. He leaned back to look at her, suddenly getting very serious.

"I love you, you know that, don't you?"

"yes i know, never doubted it. and I love you." she pulled him close to seal it with a small but heartfelt kiss before he turned and walked down the stairs and left. She brought her hand up to her lips, remembering his warm lips against hers.

A few hours later, Michael called her in, saying that there was a briefing in 30 minutes. She just barely made it on time, slipping into her seat just as Ops and Madeline walked in. She didn't even look over at Michael, instead she concentrated on to screen.

"This is Renee Dumont and his wife Anna. They are well known for there small arms dealings, normally not someone we would bother with, but we have discovered recently that they are attempting to buy a nuclear war head from this couple" the screen changed, showing a young looking couple "Renee and Anna do not know the names of the couple they are dealing with, instead are using codenames. But fortunately for us, we have discovered their identity. They are Gabriel and Michelle Ramone, newlyweds. Michelle worked for four years in a nuclear storage area, and when she met her future husband, he convinced her to help him steal the warhead. We have been asked by the Agency to first take out the Dumonts, then find the warhead before it makes it into any of the major terrorists factions that are scrambling for it. Michael and Nikita, you will first pose as Gabriel and Michelle. You will have to be convincing as newlyweds. Not only that, but this will be your honeymoon. You have reservations at a hotel a few miles from the park they frequently run. You are to approach them first, making it clear who you are. Information that will be needed to convice them is in your PDA."

Madelin then stood up and faced both Micael and Nikta "You must gain their trust. Taking them alive is the only option, they will prove very useful to us. Is that understood?" both operatives nodded.

"We will brief you further when this mission is accomplished" Ops turned on his heel, in an obvious dismissal. Michael turned and walked briskly walked to his office, Nikita following closely behind.

She waited quietly as he closed all his blinds, then opened his desk drawer, pushing the button that cut off all surveilance. As soon as that was done they reached out to each other, kissing with all the passion they felt for each other. Soon, they were both out of breath and smiling.

"Well, it looks like we're going to get that honeymoon after all" she smiled.

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

Two days later

"This isn't fair. We're supposed to be on our honeymoon!" Nikita yelled as the made their way back into their suite.

They both slowly made their way back into the bedroom. "Nikita, as much as I want this, we must put the mission first." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulder. "But when this part of the mission is over I promise that we will have some time to ourselves." He placed a long sweet kiss on her lips.

Michael was deepening the kiss quickly, trying to make up for the last three days of loneliness, but suddenly Nikita pulled away and smiled, oblivious to the disappointment and hunger on Michael's face.

"But not now, I have to sleep. I didn't think that they would ever stop running! They just kept going and going. Just like that bunny in that commercial. I wouldn't have minded that much if it hadn't been around that stupid pond. I got dizzy running around it it was so small." she complained as she walked around to what had been deemed her side of the bed. "Goodnight, sweetie." she smiled as she climbed in to the covers and quickly fell asleep, leaving Michael standing there in shock.

He ran his hands through his hair and stepped quickly out of the room. That kiss had really gotten to him, and he needed to calm himself down. He decided to start that report that he had been putting off.

Hours later, he was still typing, trying to keep his mind off the fact that Nikita was laying in bed one room over. He took a few deep breaths and stood to stretch out the stiff muscles in his legs. It was almost time for their check in with Madeline and Ops, and he needed to wake Nikita up.

He walked softly to the door and stood at the doorway, pausing for a moment, reluctant to wake her from what was obviously was a much needed nap. He never got tired of watching her sleep, sometimes waking in the middle of the night to observe her. She always looked so delicate when she her eyes were closed and her defenses down.

But he didn't stand there long because he had waited to the last minute to wake her as it was. He walked quietly over to her side, being careful not to startle her. "Nikita, wake up, honey." He gently shook her shoulders and kissed her lightly on the lips, always her favorite way for him to wake her.

"Mmm, Michael? What is it?" she smiled and pulled him on top of her, rolling over so that he lay on the bed beneath her body. She kissed him passionately, letting her hands roam over his chest and down his arms, lacing her fingers with his.

"Nikita, we have a mmmmmm....." he attempted to tell her about the meeting but she silenced him by pressing her hips against his. All thoughts of the meeting flew from his mind and he rolled over swiftly, pulling a giggle from Nikita that quickly turned to a moan as he sat up and ripped her panties off, then hurriedly undressed himself. He climbed between her legs, and with desperate moans cheering him on, push deep into her, not gently but fast, bringing them both to an explosive climax. As they layed there in a sweaty satisfied heap, it hit him that they had less than a minute before they were to have live satelite feed from Section. "Nikita, get up!" he scrambled out of bed and rushedly threw on his clothes.

"Michael?" She looked over at the clock and it dawned on her what he was rushing around for. "Oh no! Michael, i'm sorry, i didn't know!" she said as she got up and grabbed the nearest shirt and pants and slipped them on.

A few seconds later they were standing in the sitting room, looking each over and straightening there clothes. Just then, a small beep informed them that the link was being established. They sat side by side, hoping that the blush in both their cheeks didn't give them away. Madeline's face suddenly appeared on the computer screen, with Ops standing directly behind her.

"How is everything coming?" she asked as her eyes quietly appraised them.

Michael turned to catch a quickly glance at Nikita, noticing her response to Madeline's choice of words, which would have been invisible to anyone but him, as a small blush crept up her neck.

"Everything is coming fine"

~~~~~~~~~

"Good, is there anything else you feel is necessary to add to Michael's summary of today's events, Nikita?" Madeline turned her attention to the young operative.

"No, nothing at all. Michael pretty much summed it up perfectly" Nikita couldn't help but smile. Madeline was very reluctant to end the meeting, but she knew she had no choice with Operations standing over her shoulder. She knew that if he was ever to find out that Michael and Nikita's friendship was evolving into a romantic relationship, despite all that she had done for the Section, Nikita would not live. And despite her first impressions, she believed that Nikita had much to offer the position she was being prepared for. Her own.

"Wonderful, the mission is going very well and you should be finished within the week. Check in tommorrow at 8 pm, your time." taking that as a dismissal, Nikita closed the computer and turned to Michael.

"Do you think they noticed?" she whispered as a wicked lil grin spread across her face.

"No, but we have to be careful for a while. Madeline was supicious. That isn't safe." he rose from his chair and walked into the bedroom.

Nikita sat there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. She stretched her tense muscles and began to do her evening exercises.

"Aren't you going to join me?" a whispered caressed her ear. She had been so involved in warming up that she hadn't noticed him behind her. He pressed against her softly, wrapping his long arms around her waist and setting his chin on her shoulder.

"I didn't know you wanted me to. But now that you mention it, I'd love too." she smile and turned in his arms and layed her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. He pulled back suddenly, bending down and sweeping her off her feet and carrying her over through the bedroom door as she laughed and kissed him sweetly.

~~~

2 weeks later

All their stuff was packed and their plane left in just over two hours. Somehow, it was almost sad to leave. It was like they were leaving the one place where they could be almost normal. The mission had gone too fast. Even so, she had never had so much fun. They made love in every room, christening it theirs, and promising that one day, somehow, they would return, with or without each other.

"Are you ready to go?" he stood in the doorway, looking more handsome than ever.

"Yeah, just thinking about how much I'll miss being here with you." she sighed.

"I'll miss it too. But I won't ever forget it. That's what counts." he walked to her side and gazed down at her. "I will always remember the times I have and will spend with you. They are special, every second of them, just because you were there with me." He smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, his green eyes never leaving her, and kissed it chastely. Curling their fingers together, allowing her one last glance, then leading her out of their hotel room and down to the limo waiting for their departure to the plane.

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