Nikita moaned, her body involuntarily tensing at the feeling of Michael's cock pushing against her. A strange fire burned in her blood and she realized with a sense of profound shock that this was desire, desire to join with this man, desire to feel him inside of her. She gasped and arched her hips upward seeking the union.

Michael gritted his teeth and fought for control, every little movement of Nik's ... Nikita's body against his own was an exquisite torture. The sounds of her sighs and moans echoed in his head, heating his blood even more. Any more of this and he felt he would spontaneously combust with need. *What a way to go!*

Nikita parted her legs, her body acting independently of her muddled brain. She sighed and wiggled as he slowly entered her, pressing against her own natural resistance to gain entry. A long slow murmur of pleasure vibrated in her throat as she felt, for the first time, the pleasure of making love.

Michael bit the inside of his cheek, trying to distract himself from the purr of joy he could hear coming from the goddess laying beneath him. Her tight clasping body pushed him beyond any sense of training he had ever had. It was all new to him, all brand new. He kept moving forward, unable and unwilling to stop unless she asked, intent on branding her his, teaching her the pleasures of love, pleasures only he could show her ... if he survived.

Nikita wrapped her legs around Michael's hips, eagerly taking him into her. She sighed and strung little tiny kisses across his face and neck. Her breathless pants encouraged him to continue the exciting rhythm he had begun. Never had she known such feeling, like little lightning bolts of pleasure pulsating through her body, building up to some unknown explosion. Another shudder of joy wracked her body when he bit her neck just hard enough. She arched into him, scraping her throbbing nipples across his chest, whimpering. She could sense something awaited her that would be quite spectacular ... if she survived.

Michael's head spun, her scent, her voice, the sound of her pleasure, the feel of her skin beneath his hands, the taste of her in his mouth and the sweet deliciousness of her body wrapped around him were overwhelming him. His control wavered and then quit. His body surged forward, his hips twisting as they thrust, greedy for the delights which awaited them both. He could feel Nik's ... Nikita's bewilderment and excitement. He had to make this good for her, it was imperative. With a shakiness that would have surprised him had he been able to concentrate on it, he slipped a hand between their bodies, searching for and finding her clitoris. Using the natural lubrication which now flowed freely from both of them, he rubbed a fingertip, gauging her reactions by gasps and involuntary jerks of her hips to find the right rhythm to send her over.

Nikita stopped breathing as the world exploded from the inside. She drew Michael's body to her, unaware of the feminine strength she wielded. Her legs clasped his lower body tightly against her, her fingers dug into his back and she rippled around him without conscious knowledge.

Michael's last coherent thought as he followed Nikita into orgasmic bliss was that never had such a beautiful angel graced this earth or his life.

***********

Nikita watched as the rising sun slowly illuminated the room, its bright light creeping across the room and moving closer to the bed. She turned on her side, moving slowly so as not to wake the sleeping figure in the bed next to her as she faced him. She could see the dimly lit outline of Michael's magnificent body being slowly unveiled by the rising curtain of darkness. He had flung off the sheet and lay in naked splendor on the bed, sprawled across the bed arrogantly like a cat, on his back, sleeping soundly.

She had never spent the night with a man. Nikita was surprised to discover how innocent she was, despite all of her 'experience.' She had no idea that men took up so much of the bed, nor that they were so warm. It was almost like sleeping in front of the fireplace, everywhere Michael's body had touched hers burned from the contact. She sighed and wiggled her toes in happiness.

Nikita smiled with remembered satisfaction as memories of the previous night surfaced again. He had been passionate and demanding, reaching for her again and again in the darkness. She banished the thought that he had acted as though last night was likely to be their only night together and instead concentrated on the wonderful feeling of completeness she felt when his body merged with her own.

The sunbeam illuminated Michael's form starting with his strong capable feet and powerful legs, which she knew from experience were capable of sustained feats of balance, then moved upward to where he throbbed in arousal against a flat stomach. Nikita felt a moment of trepidation. *Was he always in such a state? Surely it had to go down sometime?* She remembered the men at Madeline's and their universal quickness which had spared her the torment of their grunting and rutting on her like pigs but which had still amazed her that anyone could get worked up about the act, if that was all there was to it. Of course, Michael had shown her something different last night, but is this the price he paid for being able to pleasure a woman, constant erections? *It must be so uncomfortable.*

***

Michael lay still as he felt the sunrise slowly enter the room, raising the temperature of the room by minute degrees. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even, not wanting to disturb the sense of tranquility which permeated the room. He had been awake long enough to feel Nikita's gaze on him and long enough to wonder if he would ever be able to casually be around her again. He despaired as his body responded to her presence. Having tasted the hidden delights of her soul, he now hungered for her every waking moment, and given the heat of his dreams, every sleeping moment as well.

He dreaded the 'morning after' talk more than he had believed possible. Dreaded it enough that he consciously shied away from the moment and pretended to still be asleep to prolong the illusion.

***

Bauer watched the front of the hotel with greedy eyes. He had risen early, before dawn, to make sure he would not miss his unfaithful one and her little dog. He kept the spyglass aimed at the entrance of the hotel with single-minded determination. *Today, my little hussy, today you are mine!*

***

The female half of the 'twins' looked at her blouse with mild irritation and dabbed half-heartedly at the blood spots. The male half of the 'twins' hauled the body out back to where a buckboard waited to take its grisly cargo outside to the desert where the wildlife would make a quick meal of what was left.

Madeline smiled as she contemplated the information she had received. She glanced over at the woman, still dabbing at her blouse, "Tsk, tsk, how inconsiderate of him. You know a little white wine will take that out, my dear."

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

Sheriff Wolfe lounged in the bathtub while Terry dutifully scrubbed his back, keeping her face impassive and blank. "A little to the left," Wolfe commanded as he arched in the bubbles. Terry complied.

Madeline strode into the room without knocking and dismissed Terry with a simple nod of her head.

Sheriff Wolfe sighed at the loss of his personal bath girl but looked at Madeline expectantly. "What did you discover?"

Madeline smiled serenely and clasped her hands loosely together in front of her. "It seems Leon is in the same situation as we are."

Sheriff Wolfe frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Well, Leon doesn't have my papers either. He sent out a team to discover what happened to the contents of the coach and now that team hasn't reported back. He had to send someone out to find out what happened and his messenger returned with no clue as to his four men and they still don't know where my cargo has gone."

Sheriff Wolfe growled. "That's all fascinating but what does it mean?"

Madeline sighed and paced around the room, circling him but keeping her eyes trained on the far wall. "It means that at least Leon does not know what is in those papers," she informed him, her tone sarcastic.

Sheriff Wolfe compressed his lips but did not rise to her bait.

"It also means," Madeline continued, "that your deputy is the only person who possibly knows what happened to those papers and my money. We have to find a way to talk to him."

"Talk to him? Well, just go up to his room and talk to him, what's the problem?"

She sighed, "He's ... not ... there. That little schoolmarm spirited him to the Circle K in the middle of the night."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh.'" Madeline stared out the window unseeing. "We need a plan. How are we going to get him out of the Circle K? That Walter is too wily to be manipulated and that whole ... community is very protective of each other. It's like some big family or something." Madeline shivered in disgust at the thought. "It's some sort of commune," she concluded.

Sheriff Wolfe leaned back in the tub, regretful. He regretted that he did not send guards with Madeline's damn coach, he regretted that his deputy had divided loyalties, he regretted that this whole thing had started in the first place. If Madeline had told him what she was keeping track of, he would never had allowed her to make that damn list that was missing in the first place. Mostly he regretted that she had sent Terry out and now his bath water was getting cold!

***********

Nikita attacked the plate of hot cakes with a ferocity normally reserved for starving animals or Birkoff at the cookie jar. There was dead silence at the table as the other guests, all three of them - including Michael, watched her systematically eat her way through another stack of cakes.

Michael smiled to himself and started to eat his share of hot cakes. His smile surfaced as he thought about the reason for Nikita's appetite this morning. He mulled over the talk they had this morning, secretly pleased that Nikita had stopped him from uttering something that was bound to be badly misstated. She had noticed he was awake and leaned over to drop a light kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Michael," she had whispered before she uncurled, stood up, donned her robe and headed for the side room. He had lain there in shock and gratitude for her response when she had stuck her head out of the side room and said, "Hurry up. I'm starving."

***

Bauer frowned. *Were those two still wallowing in bed like pigs?* He kept his spyglass trained on the front of the hotel.

***

"Tell me again, why are we leaving by the back?" Nikita questioned as she crouched along a low wall on the way to the stables.

"I told you, just in case someone working for Sheriff Wolfe sees us and conveys the message that you are not at the Circle K. You told me that your leaving was a secret, right?"

"Right," Nikita nodded in agreement.

"Well, you don't want to be recognized, right?"

"Right," Nikita sighed.

Michael silently thanked the saints that he had pulled it off. He did not want to tell Nikita he had spotted Bauer camped outside of town, the sun glinting off of his spyglass. That brief flash of fire was what had captured Michael's attention in the first place and further investigation had lead to a rather distressing revelation.

Michael pondered his reasoning while Nikita talked to Angel as she saddled her. Did he not want Nikita to know about Bauer because he was worried it would upset her or because he was worried she would take out after Bauer? An interesting question, indeed.

***

The Colonel glanced at the sun and headed out of his tent with a sigh. *Almost time to go to work.* He shook his head in exasperation, *Hell of a way to run a war! Go home in time to do chores, sleep in your nice beds overnight and come back in the morning.* He slugged back a shot of whiskey and squinting his eyes against the rising sun, he peered at the dam, the whole reason for this fiasco, the reason his own land was still unworked, the reason these men were 'playing' at war. *I hate that dam!*

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

Michael casually scouted with his spyglass before motioning Nikita to proceed.

Nikita sighed and suppressed a smile as she guided Angel past a serious looking Michael. The smile broke to the surface when she glanced at Diablo and realized that he was wearing the same 'concerned but trying to be nonchalant' look on his face as Michael. She giggled behind her hand and Angel threw her head and snorted in outright amusement.

***

The Colonel looked at his leg in disbelief. He was wounded. He could not believe it. "Curse my luck." He limped over to the tent still unable to fathom how he, the only man here that did not WANT to be here, was the only one of all of these men to actually sustain a wound. He closed his eyes as the camp "doctor" fussed over him, pleased to finally have something to do. The Colonel pondered the cosmic scheme of things and searched his memory for a deed so wicked, so vile, so terrible that he would be cursed with this type of retribution.

"Looks like we will have to take the leg," the "doctor" stated in a tone of ghoulish glee.

The Colonel's eyes snapped open, "The HELL we will! Give me that whiskey!" He snatched the bottle out of his dazed Aide de Camp's hand, who was looking decidedly queasy, and poured the whiskey on his wound, hissing as the alcohol burned into his body. It washed away the blood, clearly showing his wound. The "doctor" had only ripped his pants up to his thigh before making his declaration. "Look at that! It's a flesh wound! Get the hell away from me!" The Colonel waved his gun at the "doctor" who exited the tent with a pompous, "Well, I never ..." but nevertheless hurried out of sight with undue haste. The Colonel laid back on his cot and swallowed what was left of the bottle. *I hate that dam!*

***

Perry Bauer frowned and shifted in his seat again, irritating his horse. He propped his spyglass against his chest and scratched his chin and then his crotch. He could not believe that those two were still in the hotel, but was undecided on whether he wanted to risk exposure to find out. Perry liked it best when the odds were stacked in his favor and walking right up to the hotel was not one of those moments.

With a sigh and a quick daydream about what he was going to do to Nik, he raised the spyglass to his eye and noticed that someone was moving around the room. He leaned forward and peered eagerly. A woman opened the window wide and proceeded to beat the sheets against the window frame before hanging them out to air. Bauer swore and cursed and made limited obscene movements at the realization that that little bitch and her puppy had snuck out of the hotel without his seeing them.

***

Madeline folded her hands on her dressing table and looked at Terry's reflection in her dressing mirror. "What don't you understand? I've transferred you to the kitchens. You need to move your things out of your room and into the communal room and leave your dresses, you won't be needing anything that fine in the kitchens."

Terry looked at Madeline in fear. "But, why? What have I done? I've been good. I've done everything you asked of me. Please Madeline, don't do this to me," she pleaded.

Madeline smiled a totally insincere smile, "Terry, my dear, you know that the Sheriff is getting just too fond of you. I'm afraid I just can't allow that to happen." She rang a little bell on her table and two beefy men stepped into the room. "Please help Terry pack and help her move downstairs." Madeline dismissed the three of them with a casual nod. The men said nothing but each placed a hand on either side of Terry. Madeline dispassionately watched as Terry was 'helped' out of the room.

Madeline nodded as the door closed, *Now for the important stuff. Really, Paul was becoming too distracted by far.*

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

Michael folded the map and nodded in the direction of the fighting. "Unfortunately, we need to cross the river."

Nikita peered through her spyglass and frowned. "What about going around?"

Michael sighed. "We could, but they are spread over so much land that it would add an extra day to the trip." He paused, lowered his spyglass, and looked at her speculatively. "Do you want to go around?"

Nikita shook her head. "No, we need to get to that graveyard as soon as possible, there has been enough delay already," she stated matter-of-factly, unaware of the hidden question in Michael's question.

He squelched the sense of disappointment that flooded over him and nodded. "Yes, we need to finish this quickly."

Nikita stiffened as the hidden conversation finally filtered through to her brain. *Did Michael, now that he had slept with her, only want the money after all?* Nikita chided herself for thinking otherwise. *The man is a Bounty Hunter for heaven's sake! Remember that.*

"Yes, after all, there is all that money," she agreed in a cold voice.

Michael narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly. *Oh no you don't! You are not getting rid of me that easily.*

***

Walter, Birkoff, Miss Lucy, Belinda, and Chris Davenport all sat at the table in the kitchen and looked at each other. Finally, Walter broke the silence. "Madeline will be after you, you know that don't you?"

Davenport nodded and clasped Miss Lucy's hand. "Yes," he paused, "do you want us to leave?"

"Of course not!" Belinda exclaimed. "You are welcome here. We know what you've been doing for Nik and are grateful."

"Besides," Birkoff interrupted, "everyone is welcome at the Circle K." He glanced around the table with a wry grin. "Well, not quite everyone," he admitted.

Nervous laughter followed his comment as each of them contemplated the uncertain future.

***

"Colonel! Colonel, Sir," the young trooper's voice bubbled over with excitement. "We caught some spies, Sir." He executed a neat salute and stood at parade rest.

The Colonel groaned as he gathered the strength to stand, balancing his medicinal bottle on the table in front of him. "Spies?" he asked, his tone doubtful. *No spies in this war.*

"Yes Sir. Spies, Sir." Once again the trooper snapped off a salute.

The Colonel stood up and limped out of the tent, curiosity providing him with the necessary energy. There in front of his tent stood a dark man, dressed entirely in black, scanning his military operation with strangely professional cold eyes, and a young bright woman, who looked at his men and himself with compassion.

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

The Colonel drew in a breath and looked Nikita in the eyes, totally entranced by the purest, bluest eyes he had ever seen. An Angel had landed in the middle of his battlefield. "Ma'am." He touched the tip of his hat and his eyes roamed over her with reverence.

Nikita smiled at the Colonel, unaware of her power.

Michael moved forward and slightly in front of Nikita, blocking the Colonel's view.

The Colonel watched Michael's protective movement with a wry, resigned grimace. *Figures.*

"So you two are spies, eh?"

"We need to get across the river," Nikita told the Colonel.

The Colonel closed his eyes at the sound of her voice and let her tones flow over him, soothing his fever ravaged body. *An Angel.*

Michael's left eye twitched and he glanced around at the men who were supposed to be guarding them. The men were casual and almost careless with their guns, but he could tell this was a casualness bred from familiarity. In front of them, closer to the river, a half-hearted war rumbled on.

"Are you all right?" Nikita questioned. She moved around Michael, with a quick glance at him, and reached out to touch the Colonel.

"Nikita," Michael murmured. The tone of his voice stopped her hand in mid-air and, although Nikita wondered at her obedience, she did not touch the Colonel.

The Colonel opened his eyes and looked at his Angel. "Just a flesh wound," he responded quietly, entranced.

"We need to cross the river," Michael prompted the Colonel as he reached out for Nikita and pulled her back to his side.

The Colonel shook his head, clearing the fog that had settled on his brain. "Can't cross the river. There's a war going on. No way across unless ..." he paused and looked at Michael for the first time, assessing the man in black before him, "unless, you were to destroy the dam, then you could get across."

"Dam?" Michael questioned. "I understood this war was about cattle and sheep?"

The Colonel shook his head. "No, I only wish. It's about water. Some damn fool has dammed the river and diverted the water to that side." The Colonel twitched his head in the direction of the other side of the river. "And now, this side is demanding access to the water, but wants to leave the dam so that side can't get the water," the Colonel concluded. His tone indicative of his opinion of the whole mess.

Michael quirked an eyebrow as he listened to the explanation but offered no opinion.

"But that's silly!" Nikita burst out. "Everyone needs water, especially in this area of the country!"

The Colonel nodded sagely, "My sentiments exactly Ma'am. Exactly." He tipped his hat to her and took another sip of whiskey. He peered at Michael. "So, how about it?"

***

Bauer watched as Michael and the military man moved off, leaving Nik with the young soldier that had escorted the two of them to the tent. Nik smiled and even through his spyglass Bauer could see the soldier melting under her gaze. *Damn that little bitch. She will pay for her treachery.*

He tore his spyglass away from Nik and found Michael's broad back again. The military man was limping along and waving his arms around as he made some point. Michael, as usual, was calm and precise in his movements. He seemed to be listening and after a moment or two began to speak. Bauer watched with unwilling fascination as Michael's few words seemed to calm the military man down and wondered what was going on.

For a moment Bauer contemplated swooping into camp and reclaiming his property but decided he needed to follow the two for a little longer in the hopes they were actually going to lead him to Madeline's treasure. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that there was already almost a battalion of soldiers standing around Nik, seemingly enthralled with her every word.

***

A sudden silence split the air and Michael looked up.

The Colonel grimaced and slugged back another shot of whiskey, his eyes started to glaze over. "Lunch break," he told Michael in slightly slurred tones.

"Lunch break?" Michael questioned, keeping his voice level but unable to hide all of his surprise.

The Colonel barked a laugh, "Of course. This is a civilized war, don't you know?"

***

A sudden silence split the air and Nikita looked up.

One of the younger soldiers smiled at her, "Time for lunch."

"Lunch?" Nikita questioned. This wasn't the war she remembered.

***

A sudden silence split the air and Bauer peered around anxiously. The battle had ceased and people from both sides moved back to a safe distance and broke for ... lunch?

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

Michael moved back to Nikita. The Colonel limped along behind him. Michael paused in front of a pair of cannons, one a slim barrel, the other a big-mouth barrel.

The Colonel snorted behind Michael and took another swig of whiskey. "Surprising, isn't it? Always amazes me what people will take home with them."

Michael thought of Simone and the things she took home with her and said nothing. He was quietly pleased to realize the thought of Simone no longer caused him pain, only regret. Regret for his foolishness and regret for the mess Simone made of her life and consequently his.

***

Nikita watched as most of the men packed up to leave.

"Is it over?" she asked the young soldier who remained behind with her.

"No ma'am, everyone is just breaking for lunch. They will be back to fight this afternoon."

"They go home for lunch?"

He nodded. "Most of them anyway, some of them live too far away to make the trip twice a day. They'll head into Adrian and eat there."

Nikita shook her head in amazement.

"Of course," the soldier continued, "some, like the Colonel, don't get to go home at all. His spread is too far away for a daily trip. He lives here," he nodded toward the tent, "until the battle is won."

"How long has this been going on?" Nikita questioned.

"Close on to three months now."

*No wonder he wants the dam blown up.*

***

Bauer tilted his head and stared, genuinely puzzled as he watched the soldiers seemingly desert their posts and head out. He swung the spyglass up and watched in amazement as men walked away from the opposite shore as well. *What the hell was going on? The war was not over, no one had lost, there were no shouts of victory or prisoners taken.*

He scanned the horizon latching onto the brilliant blaze of light that was Nik's hair. He frowned as he saw her face turned attentively toward Michael's and his teeth actually ground together as she smiled at Michael and touched his cheek lightly.

Bauer collapsed the spyglass with an angry jerky movement and made a decision. With all of the soldiers deserting, for whatever reason, this cleared the field for him to catch up with the 'young lovers.' He nodded to himself, well pleased with the odds at long last.

***

"We're going to blow up the dam," Michael stated softly.

Nikita smiled. "Good." She reached out to touch Michael's cheek, lightly tracing the barely visible smile on his lips. "I'm glad ... How are we going to do it?"

Michael pressed a quick kiss onto her fingertips. "They leave a skeleton crew here during lunch and the Colonel has arranged for the two of us to be part of it. You'll have to sweep your hair up under your hat so it's not so noticeable. After that, well, we will just saunter over to the dam and string the explosives while everyone else eats. Once we get to the other side, we'll blow it and continue on our journey."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

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

*Well, not quite "just like that."* Nikita grimaced as her boot sunk into another patch of mud. The dam had been built in haste and with all of the fighting there had not been any real time to fortify the original structures, so leaks and streams still cascaded through just enough to make the ground soggy. She pulled her boot free with a squelch and smiled as she could hear Belinda say, "Lord amercy, what have you done to yourself?"

Michael tied another bundle of dynamite to a main support and marveled again at Nikita's talents. They had made their way to the dam with relative ease, carting a crate of explosives with little problems, having thrown a sheet over it so that it resembled a dead soldier. But his real surprise had come when they had pried the lid off and found the dynamite and fuse unbundled. Nikita had shrugged, whipped out her knife and began to competently bundle the dynamite into bundles of six sticks. Michael was afraid he had been staring at her open-mouthed because she had looked up and laughed at him. "Well, what did you expect? Uncle Walter taught me how to treat dynamite."

Now as he cautiously proceeded with his work, Michael spent a moment or two to contemplate 'Uncle Walter.' He had not recognized the man when he had slammed the door, but now he began to wonder. George had originally hinted that there might be some 'help' if the mission went sour but he had never confirmed that another agent was involved.

"About your Uncle Walter?"

"Hmm?"

"Has he always lived with you at the Circle K?"

"No." Nikita shook her head and tied together another bundle. She was bundling and Michael was dragging the stretcher and stringing the dynamite.

Michael frowned. How could he proceed with this interrogation? He only had a vague suspicion regarding this mysterious Walter. He decided to leave it until later. He nodded with grim satisfaction. Nikita may think this was all going to end with the retrieval of the gold and papers but Michael knew better. Nikita was never going to be free of him, not now.

***

The Colonel took another sip of whiskey and bit down on the jerky that was his lunch. He waited. The man in black had promised to take care of his problem and though he looked a cheerless soul, there was something in his eyes that guaranteed action. The Colonel sighed as he considered the man in black's companion. Ni-ki-ta, he heard him call her. *Definitely a man in possession.*

***

Bauer quietly cursed and belly crawled forward. *One more thing for Blondie to pay for.* He stilled as a soldier patrolled not more than 10 feet away from him. He grimaced as he felt even more dirt land on him as the soldier almost stepped on him as he climbed up a slight incline less than a foot away from his hiding place. Bauer allowed himself a brief smile as once again his ability to act like a snake came to his aid. He risked a brief glance upward and changed his course slightly so that he could see Michael sloughing through the mud. He was almost at the dam, almost caught up with those two. *Redemption will be mine.*

***

The Colonel laughed and held onto his makeshift table as the dam blew and all around him the world rocked. He laughed so hard tears ran down his face. *Helmut, ol' boy, you get to go home.*

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

Bauer cussed and ran, barely able to outpace the flow of water that rushed around him. "Dammit!" He scrambled up the incline, digging his fingers into the soft earth and sliding back down before finally gaining purchase and heaving himself to safety. He lay on the ground, breathing quickly for several moments as he waited for his heart to settle.

***

"Sir, Colonel Sir! The dam is gone! What do we do?" A young soldier stood in front of the Colonel, his face pale and his voice shaky. The Colonel barked a short laugh and clapped the solider on the shoulder. "I tell you what we do my boy. We go home."

***

Crossing the other encampment had been surprisingly easy. Most everyone was gone for lunch and the few who had stayed behind were all gawking at the now free-flowing river. None of the soldiers, on either side, appeared to be too motivated to start rebuilding.

Michael and Nikita walked further away from the encampment before they stopped to survey their work. Only a few pieces of the dam still stood, most having been washed away by the flow. Water gushed down, barely constrained by the riverbanks as it once again followed the course that nature had carved for it.

"Do you think Angel and Diablo are all right?" Nikita questioned, her hand raised to shade her eyes. She scanned the horizon but could see neither horse.

"They are fine," Michael reassured her. "I'm sure Diablo is making sure nothing happens to them."

"More like Angel is leading him on a merry chase," Nikita corrected.

Michael grinned. "Probably. But she won't make him work too hard."

"Why do you say that?"

"Doesn't she want to get caught?"

Nikita swallowed, aware the conversation had changed. "Maybe she does ... but could she trust Diablo with her honor?"

Michael stopped and faced Nikita. "Diablo would never dishonor her," he stated seriously.

"And would ... Diablo stay with her, if she were to admit her need for him?"

Michael sighed and looked away from Nikita before he answered. "Diablo has certain ... obligations that he still needs to fulfill, but he would return to Angel as soon as he could."

Nikita bit her lower lip and nodded her head, looking down at the ground. "I see." She pulled her hat off and shook her hair free from its confining knot. "Well, then it looks like Angel needs to stay away from him for a while longer doesn't it? Until he fulfills his obligations that is."

Michael grimaced but nodded in agreement, "Looks like it." He looked away from the downbent head in front of him, unable to face the truth of her words and the fierce pounding of his heart that screamed out for him to stake a claim that this woman could never deny. He cursed silently as he caught the barest glimpse of Perry Bauer ducking down behind the remains of a building. *Well, hell!*

***********

Nikita looked around in shock. Everywhere, in every direction, were headstones, both wooden and stone, crude crosses and monuments. Some of the graves had fresh flowers indicating a recent visitation, some had wilted flowers and some were barren. Some of the graves had personal mementoes with them, some had smaller number indicators and some had clothing draped across their markers, but everywhere she looked, Nikita saw the results of death and finality of life.

Michael scanned the graveyard, noting the empty center which only had a small shed off to one side. He looked at Nikita and was disturbed to see the stricken look on her face. He wanted to hold her in his arms and reassure her that everything would be all right, but he knew he could not lie to her like that.

"Well, I did my bit," Michael stated in a calm voice, intending to shake Nikita out of her shock.

"What?" Nikita shook her head. "Oh, yes. Yes, you did." Nikita squared her shoulders and started to speak when Michael interrupted her.

"Let's go to the center why don't we? That way we can see most of the yard. It should be easier to find the right grave."

Nikita shrugged. "All right."

Michael moved so that Nikita could precede him down a row toward the center. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle and knew that Bauer was near. It was time to end this and to end Bauer.

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

Nikita walked through the graveyard, stepping carefully so as to not disturb any of the sad mounds. She felt Michael was keeping something from her, just the tone of his voice, or the way he moved, or maybe it was just that she felt something in the air herself and knew that if she felt it, Michael must be aware of it as well.

She stopped in the center and looked around, seeing again the stillness of the area, the endless sea of gravestones, and Perry Bauer walking toward them with his gun drawn.

"Well, hell."

***

Bauer grinned and all but laughed at the twin looks of resignation on both Michael's and Nik's faces.

"Greetings. I'm pleased to see that we ended up here," he waved his gun in a small circle, "of all places. So appropriate."

Nikita made a small noise in the back of her throat and Michael could not be certain but he thought it might be an "oink." He looked closer at Bauer and saw that he was almost completely covered in dried mud and dirt.

"Talk about appropriate," Nikita murmured, seeing where Michael's gaze was.

Michael felt his lips twitch despite the seriousness of the situation.

Bauer frowned. Although he could not hear the conversation between the two of them, he was sure he did not like it.

"Now, if you will just tell me the name on the grave, I'll relieve you both of your bothersome little lives," Bauer offered generously.

"Nik is the only one who knows which grave," Michael stated quietly, drawing his gun with lightning speed. Bauer immediately aimed his gun at Nikita.

The air shimmered with tension as the three of them stood there looking at each other. Michael knew that Bauer would shoot Nikita if he even thought Michael was going to pull his trigger and Michael knew he could never allow that to happen. He could not further endanger his beloved.

Nikita watched Bauer with a rising sense of disgust. She could feel the waves of his disgusting lust rolling over her like the water had rushed out of the destroyed dam. Bauer intended to kill Michael and then toy with her. She must do whatever she could to protect Michael. Even if he was only with her for the money, even if he left her at the end of this moment, she could never endanger him. As long as she was the only one with the information, there was a danger to Michael.

Perry Bauer watched them both, trusting neither of them. His sense of desired revenge warred with his desire for the papers. He vacillated between the two of his desires, angered that he could not indulge them both. If he eliminated Michael he knew he could easily overpower Nik and keep her as his plaything for as long as he desired and he believed he would desire for a long, long time. But if he took his gun off of Nik then Michael would kill him without hesitation. His only protection was as a threat to Nik's safety.

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

Nikita broke the tense silence which had descended. "Looks like we are going to have to work for it."

"What do you mean?" Bauer questioned, never taking his gun off of Nik nor his eyes off of Michael.

Nikita looked around and found a loose flat rock and a small black stone. It looked like coal. She picked both of the rocks up, Bauer's gun moving with her like it was attached.

"I will write the name of the grave on this stone and winner takes all."

Michael started to object but closed his mouth without a word.

Nikita scratched on the bottom of the flat stone and then placed it, written side down, on the ground.

They looked at each other and then they each took a step backward, in tandem, moving further and further back until each of them had the other two in clear sight.

Michael moved first, slowly holstering his gun.

Bauer, after a moment's hesitation, shrugged and holstered his gun as well. A huge smile split his face.

Nikita looked at Michael, willing him to understand her plan.

***

Michael

Nikita

Bauer

A hand clenched

Fingers twitched

A lip curled

Nikita

Bauer

Michael

Eyes narrowed

Teeth glinted

Sweat trickled

Bauer

Nikita

Michael

A decision was made

A gun drawn

Two shots rang out and a distinctive 'thunk' was heard.

***********

Bauer fell and Nikita staggered.

A strangled "NO!" was wrenched from Michael's throat as he watched Nikita crumple to the ground. He dropped his gun and ran over to her.

Nikita sat on the ground, dazed and shaken but unhurt.

"Nikita." Michael fell to his knees beside her, running his hands over her body, searching for the wound. He felt no blood, he saw no blood and he smelt no blood. "You are all right?" he questioned breathlessly.

"Other than having the wind knocked out of me, yes." Nikita blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Whew! I don't think I've ever thrown that knife that hard before."

"Knife?"

Nikita rolled her eyes at him. "Oh come on, Michael. Do you really think I didn't know you emptied the bullets out of my gun? It does feel different you know, lighter."

Michael nodded solemnly. "I couldn't let you do it, Nikita."

"It was my right to kill him, Michael."

Michael's lips tightened but he knew it was useless to argue with her. Nikita was enough of an Amazon to feel the need for vengeance and Michael could only imagine Bauer's sins against her.

Michael helped her to her feet and Nikita dusted herself off. Cautiously, the two of them approached Bauer's inert form.

Bauer lay on the ground, his mouth open in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief and his crotch wet. There was Nikita's knife sunk hilt deep in his heart and a bullet hole from Michael's gun between his eyes.

"Hmmm," Nikita pondered out loud, "I guess we will never know who really killed him." She placed her foot squarely on Bauer's stomach and tugged her knife out of his chest, wiping the blade off on his shirt.

***********

Michael holstered his gun, walked over to the face down stone, and flipped it over. "R8, P30" was written on it. Michael turned and looked at Nikita who had joined him. "R8, P30?"

Nikita nodded. "Yes, that's what Davenport told me. He said he didn't know how to pronounce the name but that it had the marker for Row 8, Plot 30 on it."

***

Nikita admired Michael's bare chest and back as he moved another shovelful of dirt out of the grave. She watched the muscles ripple and work together in a smooth, tireless machine fashion. She sighed, remembering the feel of his body under her fingertips.

Michael looked up at her sigh and blushed lightly at the look in her eyes. Never had he felt so pleased with his physical appearance as he did when Nikita looked at him with such heat in her eyes. He chuckled to himself as he remembered his initial impression of her feelings toward him.

His shovel hit a clunk of wood and Nikita gave a little cry. "That's it. That's it." She bent down and helped him shove the dirt off of the rapidly revealed crate.

Together they each grabbed a corner and heaved, the dirt attempting to cling but losing out to their combined strength. With a 'pop' the crate suddenly jumped out of the grave and Michael fell back in reaction, falling against the headstone which read "Ennio Morricone" along with two small markers of 8 and 30.

Michael pulled himself up and yanked the crate fully out of the hole.

Nikita actually quivered in anticipation as Michael used the shovel edge to pry the lid off. The lid fell with a thunk and an envelope sitting snuggly on top of cloth bags gleamed in the sun.

Nikita snatched the envelope up and opened it with haste and care, totally ignoring the money. She read the papers once, twice and then with growing excitement a third time.

"Oh Lord, Madeline was really doing it," Nikita breathed, her whole attention locked on the papers. "Do you know what this is, Michael?"

"Nikita," Michael stated quietly as he put his shirt back on. "About those papers..."

"Yes?" Nikita looked up.

"I'm going to need those papers," Michael told her softly, wincing internally at the fury he knew would soon be directed at him. Nikita was willing to let him have the money, but not the papers.

Nikita clutched the papers close to her chest. "No," she objected.

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

Michael sighed. How could he explain it to her without involving her? "This is one of those obligations that Diablo spoke of earlier. He promised certain people things," Michael pointed out, reaching out his hand, palm up.

Nikita gasped and turned pale. "You are going to give them back to Madeline?" Nikita shook her head, fighting the tears which were welling up in her eyes. "Take the money, Michael. I don't care about it." She swallowed. "Take the money ... please," she ended on a whisper.

"Nikita, it's not that simple," Michael stated.

"Why?"

Michael took a big breath. "I do what I have to do. We all do. It's not what I would chose for myself ... or for us."

"Us?" Nikita mocked. "Would you answer a question for me?"

"If I can."

"Why shouldn't I ..." Nikita reached across, quick as lightning, and pulled his gun out, "just shot you. Why shouldn't I just pull the trigger?" she asked, holding his gun securely.

*Good question.* Michael paused for a moment and then moved closer, never breaking eye contact. He stopped when the gun was pointing at his chest, almost touching. "I can't think of a single reason," he whispered to her.

Nikita stared at him unable to think. Her hand shaking with the tension which permeated the air.

Michael reached up with his right hand and tilted her gun hand, kissing the back of it lightly, his eyes locked with hers. His left hand reached out and removed the papers from her nerveless fingers. Nikita gasped as Michael ran his fingers across the gun in a caressing movement and slowly slid it from her grasp. With one long look, he turned his back on her and walked away, a lone figure against the setting sun.

The End.

(To Be Continued??)

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