Nikita enters the briefing room before anyone else has entered. There is a large pile of brochures sitting on the table. She looks at one and laughs. It must be a joke. In all the time she has been at Section, there has never been a period of three days go by without there being a mission. So much for vacation time.

Michael enters. "Nikita..." Michael says softly as he sits down next to her.

"Hello Michael." Nikita says as she looks at him.

They smile at each other, saying nothing just smiling.

Walter and Birkoff walk into the briefing room. Seeing Nikita and Michael smiling at each other Walter says,"Oh definately!" to Birkoff, who then stifles a laugh.

"Ok Everyone, the mission we have to talk about is vacation," Operations says as he walks in the briefing room with Madeline. Both are smiling.

"Birkoff will be working the ten days the rest of us are gone. He will keep me and Madeline afloat of what is happening." Operations says.

"Here are your choices. We don't want anyone together," Madeline says looking directly at Michael and Nikita. "To protect ourself."

"Look it through"

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

"So sweet Nikita were are you heading?" Walter asks as she enters Walter's working space.

"I'm going to a resort at Pompano Beach." Nikita says handing over the brochure.

"Very pretty place, for a beautiful girl!" Walter says, and Nikita playfully slaps Walter.

"So, it's going to be different being away from Michael for ten days..." Walter says, fishing for information.

"No." Nikita says.

"I'll be glad to be away from her," Michael says from the doorway and enters.

"So where are you going?" Nikita asks.

"My favorite poet, Chaz Raritz is having a series of lectures in New York" Michael says coming closer to Nikita.

"Chaz who?" Walter looks up with a wierd face.

"And Walter, where are you heading?" Nikita questions.

"The Orient, pick up a lass or two!"Walter says flashing a smile.

And eerie silence passes as Walter intensely looks at Nikita and Michael, trying to solve his nagging question.

"And where does Operations and Madeline go?" Nikita asks.

"They go to the Alps" Michael answers.

"Together!" Nikita replies shocked.

"Yes, together." Walter responds with a facial look like 'Exactly what you're thinking'.

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

Nikita is in her apartment, packing her final bag. She goes over to her string of sunglasses and tries to narrow down which ones to take with her. She puts a purple pair on and looks at her reflection in the toaster. A soft knock at the door.

"I brought a gift," Michael says as Nikita opens the door. He holds out a breadbox size box.

"Well, I thought you already caught your plane!" Nikita said looking surprized to see Michael.

"Open it." Michael says as he follows Nikita to the counter. She slowly opens the box and pulls out a pair of sunglasses, that are circular in shape and made out of blue rubber.

"Oh Michael!" Nikita says placing them on her face and she quickly hugs him.

"There is more!" Michael nudges Nikita off of him.

SHe reaches down in the box and pulls out a bottle of sunscreen. She laughs. Nikita then hugs Michael again and then pulls her arms down around his back.

"I lied." Nikita said as she intensely looked into Michael's eyes.

"I know. I did too." Michael says as he wraps his arms around her back and holds onto the long blonde hair.

A knock at the door, and Birkoff says, "Come on Michael and Nikita! You are going to be late for your plane."

Michael lets go of Nikita. "You transfer planes in New York, so we are flying the first leg together."

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

Nikita sets her bags down in a warm coral living room and tips the bellboy and shuts the door. She looks out at her patio at the beach at the door step and the ocean not far behind that.

The sound of the waves hitting the beach call Nikita out on to the beach. She takes her shoes off and walks into the white sand.

The sun is setting as she walks towards the shimmering water. She laughs with delight as her feet get wet with an incoming wave.

She starts walking to the right, down the beach. Dotted in a few places are some family's still frolicking in the waning sun, but more and more she passes couples sitting quietly together, looking at the setting sun, and gently kissing.

"Oh Michael, will we ever get a chance to..." Nikita wonders out loud.

She bends down and throws a smooth seashell back into an incoming wave. She looks out at the sun. "Please!" _________________________________________________

Michael has just stepped out from taking a relaxing shower after his hell of a ride from the airport to the hotel. The van that was suppose to transport him, broke down three minutes away from the airport. The hotel had no more vans available, so they sent taxis out to the stranded passengers. Then there was rush hour traffic. Michael sat in a taxi, realizing Nikita was probably already in Pompano Beach, squishing her toes in the sand.

Now Michael looks out in the dark night and the twinkling lights from the New York sky line.

"Like Nikita's eyes," Michael mutters as he opens his balcony.

He sits down on the chair and breathes in some cool night air. "Oh Nikita, I can't stop thinking about you." Michael says as he looks out at the night sky.

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

Nikita was walking down the busy boardwalk as something catches her eye. Not something, but someone. She takes off the sunglasses Michael gave her and takes a step off to the side.

There it is, that guy, seems so familiar. Nikita puts one stem of the glasses in her mouth, and stares at the guy.

"Come on Nikita it's just your imagination!" her unconscious is screaming. The guy turns around and laughs. She drops the glasses out of her mouth. She picks them up and runs down the boardwalk towards her condo. ________________________________________________

"Birkoff, I know this guy. He worked with Merdikus!" Nikita says into the phone.

"Nikita, your on vacation." Birkoff smoothly says. "It's not going to get Michael there."

"BIRKOFF!" Nikita screams.

"Sorry, Nikita. Who do you think you saw?" Birkoff says.

"I think his name was Edward...I can't remember..he was the red head about six feet even, very skinny...and a laugh" Nikita goes on quickly.

"Laughing Eddie the Peddie? Edward Pedowski?" Birkoff excitedly asks.

"That's it!" Nikita snaps back.

"Well, he hasn't down anything lately, but he likes to blow things up..and people," Birkoff supplies.

"Like an American President meeting an Russian president?" Nikita asks.

A great pause.

"That is in two days in Pompano Beach! That's were you are!" Birkoff screams.

"I have to get hold of Operations. I'll call you back." _________________________________________________

About a half hour later the phone rings,

"Nikita?" Birkoff asks.

"Yes?" Nikita questions.

"Operations has sent a team heading for Pompano Beach. You are to set up a tail on Edward now so that they know where he is. We don't believe he has bought his explosives yet so I am monitoring all purchases in that area right now." Birkoff explains. "The team will bring a computer."

"So much for vacation." Nikita mutters as she hangs up.

A knock occurs at her door. "Already, no plane can fly that fast!" Nikita thinks to herself.

She opens the door as she pulls a light cover up over her bikini top and short jean shorts.

"NI-Ki-ta," Michael says with bags in hand.

"Michael!"

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

"What are you doing here?" Nikita loudly says.

"I was listening to the lecture, and all of the poems only meant one thing to me..."Michael sing-songly said.

"Michael, what are you doing here?" Nikita again says loudly as she lets him in.

"And the world shall stop, as the heart ticks away, for the one element so precious..." Michael quotes poetry.

"Michael, does Section know you are here?" Nikita says as he shakes his shoulders.

"I came for you Nikita!" Michael says as he kisses her passionately.

"NO!"Nikita yells as she pushes him off, wishing she didn't have to do that.

"NIKITA!" Michael response shocked.

"Michael, Section will be looking for you," Nikita says worried as she sits down.

"I'm telling you I want to be near you and you're worried about Section!" Michael yells.

"It hurts me, Michael. I want to hold you and pretend that this isn't happening but it is...and you're going to be caught, if not already!" Nikita cries out. Michael sits down next to Nikita.

"What is it Nikita?" Michael asks back in his serious tone.

"They're sending a team here, there is going to an attempt at blowing the American President up!"

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

"Laughing Eddie the Peddie," Michael mutters as he drinks coffee in the little kichenette in Nikita's condo.

"Michael..." Nikita tries to get his attention. "For five minutes you have been chanting 'Laughing Eddie the Peddie'. What are you going to do? Operations believes you to be in New York."

Michael silently drops his mug and walks to the phone. Hitting redial, Michael puts the phone to his mouth.

"Nikita?" Birkoff answers.

"No." Michael says.

"You're with Nikita!" Birkoff loudly whispers. "Operations has been trying to get hold of you."

"I noticed that Nikita dropped her passport, I thought it would be important, so instead of mailing it, I flew it down. Nikita told me what was happening, Am I to stay?" Michael calmly talks.

"Yes, and I hope for your sake that it was Nikita's passport." Birkoff says as he hangs up.

"Everything is fine," Michael says as he fills up his cup again.

"Yeah, everything back to normal." Nikita says angerly as she storms away.

"I'm going to find Eddie," Nikita says as she puts on another pair of sunglasses, red frames and blue lens. Michael frowns.

"Will Eddie recognize you?" Michael asks.

"No, remember I was the short and sassy redhead during that mission." Nikita says as she walks out and slams the door.

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

Nikita is walking about, and finds a stand renting roller blades for the day. She quickly changes into the roller blades, and is blading down the board walk.

She looks like almost half of the other people. She enters an amusement area, with lots of rides and music. Then she stops and listens, that laugh.

Laughing Eddie....she blades towards the laugh, and after turning to the right, she sees Laughing Eddie from the distance. She begins to follow him, as he is now exiting the amusement area.

He goes down the board walk to where there are a few haunted houses, knocks on a door and enters.

"Michael, Pete Mucherion's Haunted House of Huge Hairy Monsters," Nikita says as she finds a warehouse.

"Good, the team is here." Michael says. _________________________________________________

Nikita is now in her condo, waiting with four other team members other than Michael. Two team members are following Eddie.

"Michael, they have the explosives..." the team reports in.

"Ok, tomorrow's plan is to intercept them at the pier the President will be speaking at. We can't intercept them before then, because we will not capture everyone." Michael says.

"Nikita, you're are strongest swimmer, you will be underneath the pier. I'll be on the beach posing as a beach bum. Joe will be in the van, the rest of you will be on the pier."

"Michael what am I doing from the water?" Nikita asks softly.

"It's possible that they will scuba in from the ocean. You will be our first alert." Michael says.

"So they can shot me first!" Nikita yells and storms into her room.

"Operations has gotten us rooms here, I'll be staying here since the computer is already set up."

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

"Nikita, I don't think they will be coming in from water," Michael says inside the van.

"Yes, Michael," Nikita says as she shuts the van door loudly.

"Michael, what is Nikita going to do in the water?" Joe askes.

"I'll the team leader." Michael says and he exits the van. _________________________________________________

"The presidents are two minutes away," Joe comments to everyone.

"Nikita, anyone?" Michael asks.

"No."

"Anyone suspious on the pier?"Michael asks

"Everyone has passed through the FBI check points clean."

Nikita looks out on the ocean and sees a floating bouy heading towards the pier, moving faster than the waves themself. "Michael, they're sending it in remote control!" Nikita yells as she starts swimming towards it.

"Spread out, they got to be watching from the beach...I'm heading out with Nikita." Michael says as he sprints towards the ocean, now seeing the yellow bouy and Nikita's small body swimming towards it.

Nikita gets to it, and looks at it, It is timed, three minutes. There is a mess of wires, damn! She looks towards the beach and in the water she sees Michael, who is soon up against the bouy.

"We'll never defuse it, Michael!" Nikita yells.

"What if I try this," Michael says, trying to pry the waterproof panel off.

"We've spotted the three, Eddie is already captured." the team reports in.

"Michael we are under two minutes!" Nikita yells out.

"How deep is this water?" Nikita quickly askes.

"Hundred maybe two this far out." Michael responds.

"Sink it, and get the hell out!" Nikita says as she knifes the bouy. The bomb sinks down, but one of Nikita's legs gets tied up with the strings, she is heading down, while Michael is heading in.

"Nikita?" Michael stops half way in.

Nikita has untangled herself, and starts in, but is far behind.

"Nikita get the hell out of there!" Michael says as he looks at his watch. Thirty seconds.

Nikita is swimming as quickly as possible, taking the waves in as much to speed her.

The explosion erupts, and Nikita is swept under water and Michael, not long after.

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

Michael washes up against the sand, and sits up and shakes his head. Crowds are gathered across the beach, they are trying to pull him away from the ocean. He scans the ocean, which is very turbulent from the underwater explosion.

"NIKITA!!!!!!" Michaels screams in horror when he doesn't see her. They continue to pull him away from the ocean.

"NIKITA!!!!NIKITA!!!!" Michael continues to scream, then he sees a streak of blonde on the blue water. He dives in and finds Nikita quickly. He pulls her up.

"Nikita," Michael now says softly as he strokes her face and closed eyes.

"SO Am I a strong swimmer?" Nikita says with a quick opening of her eyes.

"Nikita!" Michael says as he pulls her into a strong hug, not letting go, even as the FBI surrounds them. _________________________________________________

"Operations straightened it our involvement out," Michael says as he walks out of the condo and sits down next to Nikita watching the sunset.

"Good." Nikita mutters.

"They got a good laugh at what you did," Michael says as he puts his arm around Nikita.

"I need to walk." Nikita says standing up.

"We can spend rest of the time here. Operations said that I missed my lectures that I might as well stay here." Michael says looking up at Nikita walks away.

"Good."

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

"I'm glad your back," Michael says as Nikita walks in from the beach in the night sky.

"I had to think." Nikita says as she sits next to Michael.

"It wasn't the poetry that sent me down to you," Michael said softly.

"What? Was this a set up or something?" Nikita gets worried.

"Nothing like that. I stared out at the nightsky, and could only think of you. How the stars twinkle like your eyes, how the buildings remind me of you....every moment was you," Michael gently says as he stares into her eyes.

Nikita quickly kisses Michael who takes his hands to her hair and holds the soft strands as he passionately kisses.

Michael stands up and takes her hand, and leads her to the bedroom. They stand, showering kisses on the mouth and neck. Michael rubs his hands down Nikita's back to her waist and butt. Nikita has put her hands underneath his shirt. They fall to the bed.

The phone rings.

"Don't answer it." Michael says, and Nikita picks it up.

"Nikita?"Birkoff says.

"What is it Birkoff?" Nikita says breathlessly.

"Operations needs you and Michael back now. Our plane is waiting at the airport, you are to be in the air in an hour."

"Sure Birkoff." Nikita mutters

"Nikita?" Birkoff says.

"What else?"

"I tried, I really did want to give you one night..." Birkoff tried to explain, and gave Nikita the knowledge that he knew what was going on. _________________________________________________

"I didn't want this Madeline!" Operations said loudly as he sat in the hottub.

"You said you wanted Michael to fall in love, you wanted this," Madeline says as she sips wine from within the same hottub.

"I wanted him to fall in love, just not with her." Operations says.

"And we weren't suppose to be close either."

Send suggestions and comments to ranma.
OR
If you would like to send a comment to Nikita507, click HERE!!