Billie jogs down the hall with a water bottle in hand. She turns the corner and immediately into a gym.

John is on a stairmaster, and Billie shakes her head. She loves John and everything, but he would never make a lovely picture on the stairmaster as Michael does in his spandex.

Quinn is on a treadmill and Billie heads directly to her. She places the bottle in front of her and smiles. Quinn pushes her hair to the side and picks up the bottle. She studies the label and laughs.

"NO WAY!" Quinn laughs and Billie smiles with raised eyebrows. This reaction creates an interest in Quinn. She turns the lid off and takes a sip.

Quinn stops the treadmill and easily finishes the bottle. She wipes her mouth and smiles at Billie.

"Water that tastes like chocolate? I need more!" Quinn says in a deep British accent. Billie smiles and starts to walk out of the gym.

"Aren't you going to offer me some?" John asks from his stairmaster.

"You won't like it until you become a woman!" Billie yells out and Quinn tosses the bottle to John. They quickly walk out and John starts to study the bottle. He steps off the stairmaster and wonders why he tortures himself with it.

"ChocoWater.. Chocolate for Only Women" The labels says in bold gold letters. John raises and eyebrow and walks towards the door.

At the door, he runs into the spandex dressed Michael walking in. John pauses and then watches Michael move to the stairmaster.

"Have you heard about ChocoWater?" John asks Michael as Michael takes a slow warm up, stretching his legs out with some long steps.

"Nikita had the entire office filled with the bottles." Michael says with a smile. It is the only thing he can smile about when it comes to Nikita. Things had gone from troubled to tense to fighting in hours for Nikita's annoucement of her use of birth control.

"So, I guess it is safe?" John asks and Michael shrugs his shoulders.

"Everyone of the female operatives are drinking it. Even Madeline." Michael says as he starts to pump up and down on the stairmaster faster. John steps back and looks away.

Michael moves like a graceful cat, each muscle finely outlined in the black spandex. His legs pumping up to his hips and harshly back down.

John looks at Michael and leaves. He is not surprized when three lady operatives are entering as he leaves.

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

Michael walked into the smoke filled bar and quickly asked for a beer. He moved to a booth in the dark corner. The music blared in his ears, but anything was better than the constant running of the machines Nikita was using to clean the house.

Personally, Michael believes that Nikita is just cleaning so she could get away from Michael and not have THE TALK! He took a few gulps of the beer and looks to the door.

Birkoff enters and adjusts to the smoke. He quickly grabs a beer and heads towards a table. It is during this movement to the table that he notices Michael nursing a beer in the corner booth.

"Hey, do you mind?" Birkoff asks as he approaches the table. He knew something was occuring with Michael and Nikita, but Nikita was no longer very open about anything with Birkoff. He didn't want to make Michael upset, but Michael allowed Birkoff to sit down with him.

"As long as you aren't drinking that damn ChocoWater, you can sit here." Michael mutters as he takes another gulp of the beer.

"I don't understand it." Birkoff says as he slowly sips the beer, having learned his lesson. He sets the beer down on the table and is surprized by the person who walked into the bar.

Operations immediately hugs the waitress and retrieves a free beer. He moves towards the same table Birkoff had, and makes his way to the table when he notices his two operatives.

"Escaping ChocoWater?" Operations asks as he sets his beer down and slides in next to Birkoff. Operations only briefly looks at Michael, knowing that Michael is in a state of emotional torture with Nikita.

"It makes Nikita clean." Michael says as he downs the rest of the beer and looks to the wall. Quickly he raises the empty beer bottle and the waitress that Operations hugged nods her head.

"Melissa is typing away.. saying she is writting a best seller." Birkoff says as he shakes his head. Operations just nods his head. He could comment about Madeline, but he isn't with Madeline.

"We have a surplus of those bottles... all empty all through Section." Operations says firmly as the waitress places the bottle of beer down for Michael. Michael kisses her hand and hands her the tip.

"What is in it? I don't taste the chocolate." Michael says firmly as he opens the bottle. Birkoff nods his head.

"I have Medlab working on it, but they continue to be backed up because of the physicals." Operations says.

The three men just continue to sit there. None looking forward to going away from the bar.

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

Nikita dropped her fifth bottle of ChocoWater onto the desk, and promptly started to search for another one. She didn't like the feeling, but she was thirsty.

Michael looks up and sees Nikita pulling the cap off another bottle. He lunges and grabs it out of her hand.

"That's it!" Michael exclaims and walks out of the office. Nikita is not far behind.

"YOU CAN GO OUT AND HAVE MULTIPLE BEERS WITH THE GUYS BUT NIKITA CAN'T HAVE WATER!" Nikita calls out angerily as they walk down the hall. A few of the lady operatives start to clap with approval of what Nikita is saying.

"Nikita, something is in this." Michael says firmly.

"Water. That's what it is!" Nikita fires back and the group of ladies grow in number and loudness.

"Nikita... You will not drink anymore of this." Michael says shaking the bottle in his hand.

"Oh, and I'm sure you can give me something to drink... guess what Michael... This water is a hundred times better!" Nikita says crudely and the women start to hoot and holler in reaction to the statement.

"Nikita, you are not acting like yourself." Michael says

"Why? Am I being firm? That is my water and I will drink it. You will hand it over and walk away." Nikita orders.

"You are acting like Operations." Michael says as he turns, to find women surrounding him in the back.

"No. The only person who does that perfect role play is you Michael." Nikita says firmly. "You try to be my father everyday. I'm sick of you!" Nikita yells and stomps out of the circle. Michael looks and barely squeezes out of the circle.

Michael moves quickly to the Medlab and places the bottle down on the table.

"I need full analysis of this." Michael says and the doctor just laughs slightly.

"Can you wait for their's?" The doctor asks, pointing to Birkoff and Operations.

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

The doctor walks towards the three men with a concerned look on his face.

"What is it, Doctor?" Birkoff asks and the doctor looks at Michael and Operations. The doctor couldn't help but wish he had handcuffs for the two older men.

"We have a problem." the doctor says slowly.

"What kind of problem?" Operations and Michael asks as they both stand up together.

The doctor forces a nervous smile and turns his head.

"It seems that there is a modified version of the drug you know as Loving2000 in that drink." The doctor quickly says and tries to leave, only to be pulled back by Michael.

"DID YOU SAY LOVING2000?" Michael demands. Birkoff sits in the chair stunned as Operations tries to pry Michael's hands off the doctor's shirt.

"A modified version of it, yes. It is not known to them what they have created." The doctor says as he hands the sheet of the companies tests on the drink.

"If you look, we only have the scan for Loving2000 because of Nikita. If we didn't have it, we would have no clue of what is going on." The doctor says.

Michael sits down stunned to say the least.

"All the women in Section are drinking that water." Birkoff says plainly. Operations moves to the intercom and gets Gannon.

"Take all of of the ChocoWater and destroy it. I want all of Section in for a briefing in twelve hours." Operations demands.

"Most of the females in the world are drinking this water..." The doctor reports and Michael looks at Operations.

"Let's worry about our women first." Operations says and walks out. Birkoff is not far behind.

"How is this going to play out on Nikita?" Michael asks.

"We know nothing, Michael. We might never know enough about Loving2000." The doctor says hauntingly.

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

Nikita storms into the office to find Michael dumping out Nikita's stash.

"What are you doing!" Nikita demands as Michael throws away the empty bottle.

"The water has Loving2000 in it!" Michael says and Nikita laughs.

"This is because I'm on birth control!" Nikita says as she tries to grab the bottle out of Michael's hand.

"Nikita, I am serious. This stuff is no good." Michael says as he pours another bottle out. Nikita kicks the bucket and glares at Michael.

"You can't control if I have a baby or not.. but you can control what I drink????" Nikita asks angerily.

"Nikita... haven't you heard a word I have said. It has Loving2000 in it!" Michael hollers loudly.

"I don't know why I married you!" Nikita hollers and leaves.

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