*Author's note: This story takes place about two weeks after the end of my previous story "Eternal Flame".

~ ~ ~

Madeline and Operations were sitting in their private room, enjoying breakfast together. Madeline sipped her coffee and pointed her gaze to his face. "Have you decided who will lead the Gorshov mission?"

"Yes, actually I have," he replied, "I think I'll give it to Michael." He looked at her, "Do you agree?"

"Michael is a good choice."

"Yes, he is." Ops said and turned his attention back to his coffee.

"Speaking of Michael," Madeline started, "Did you notice the change in his and Nikita's relationship?"

"Yes, I've seen surveillance. Do you think it's a problem?"

"For now, no. Their levels are as good as ever and this doesn't seem to affect their performance on the field."

"And what about their last mission?" he asked, tings of indignation in his voice, "Nikita risked herself to save him. The relationship with him, is affecting her!"

"I disagree. Nikita would do the same even if their relationship hadn't been intimate. They had risked their lives to save each other in the past, and they would definitely do it again."

Ops sighed and asked, "So what do you suggest we do?"

"I think we should leave it for now, wait to see how things develop."

"Fine," Ops sighed with resignation, "but if their relationship affects their performance, it is to stop immediately, understood?"

"Of course."

* * *

"Hello."

The girl lifted her head from the computer, "Hi."

Nikita surveyed the young woman's image. She had curly brown hair, bright brown eyes, and pale-brown skin. She looked pretty young, twenty maybe. The woman was sitting in what usually was Birkoff's seat. "Where's Birkoff?" Nikita asked her.

"Oh, he was sent to Section 2. They're working on some computer project and they couldn't manage with their own computer whizzes, so Birkoff was sent there for a couple of days to help them. I'll be replacing him for the next few days." The girl looked down shyly, "By the way, My name is Leslie Walters."

Nikita smiled to her warmly and offered her hand to shake, "I'm Nikita."

The girl shook her hand with a smile.

"So, Leslie, Have you ever done live missions?"

"Umm... no, not yet, but I've had so many sims... *they* seems to think I'm ready."

"Yes, they probably pretty sure you are if they gave you Birkoff's job."

"Are you part of the team for the Gorshov mission?" Leslie asked.

"I don't know yet. This mission is going live only a day after tomorrow," Nikita replied, "Ops haven't decided yet who will lead this mission."

"Are you a team leader?" Leslie asked.

Nikita grinned, "No, I'm not, but I'm usually a part of Michael's team."

"Michael, yeah, I've heard of him," Leslie smiled to her, "the rumor says that he's one of the best."

Nikita smiled to herself, "He certainly is," she said aloud, and turned to leave comm.

"Hey, do you want to workout together later?" Leslie asked hesitantly, "I'm pretty new here, and I haven't made so many friends yet."

"Sure, I'd love to," Nikita smiled to her, "When do you have time?"

"I should be done here in an hour or so." Leslie replied.

"I'll meet you in workout room then?"

"Great. See you later."

Leslie was already in the workout room when Nikita arrived. She was wearing a blue spandex top and long black tight pants. Nikita opened the door to the room, wearing a white tight suit.

Leslie was busy punching the heavy bag when Nikita arrived.

"Hey," she smiled to her, "I've decided to do some warm up until you arrived."

Nikita smiled back and started working out as well. They worked out for about an hour when Leslie announced that there is no way she can move another muscle.

"Ok, let's have a break," Nikita agreed, panting heavily from the intense workout.

Leslie collapsed on the mattress, trying to restore her breath. The hour that Nikita has just spent with her in the workout room has given her a chance to survey Leslie's image more scrupulously. Leslie was a head shorter than Nikita, but what worried Nikita was Leslie's leanness. She was very thin, almost skinny, and Nikita couldn't help but wondering if she ate enough.

Leslie's eyes looked over the room, until they met Nikita's gaze.

"What?" Leslie asked nervously.

"It's nothing, it's just..." Nikita replied.

"Just what?" Leslie asked uneasily, moving to a sitting position.

"Do you eat enough, Leslie?" Nikita blurted the question out.

"Oh, not again," Leslie sighed, "I assure you, I'm NOT anorectic or something, that's just the way my body is," she stood up, frustrated, and started pacing around the room, "A lot of people here seem to think that I'm starving myself, but I'm not. I can't control it, that's just the way I look."

"I'm sorry," Nikita apologized, "I just had to ask."

"It's ok," Leslie said wistfully, "it's not just you, it's almost everyone who sees me."

"So, how long have you been in Section?" Nikita asked, attempting to change the subject. To her relief, Leslie acquiesced.

"Three years. Which means I've only been a real operative for a year. How about you?"

"Too much." Nikita replied and didn't specify.

"So, who trained you?" Leslie asked, leaning against the wall next to Nikita.

Nikita smiled, "Michael."

"Really? MICHAEL was your trainer? Well, I'm not surprised that-" she quieted suddenly.

"Not surprised that...what?" Nikita gave her a scrutinizing look.

"Nothing, nothing, forget I said anything." Leslie seemed uneasy for a moment, and Nikita decided to let it go. "So, who was your trainer?"

"A woman name Judith. But she got a promotion about a month ago and moved to run one of Section's substation in Europe," Leslie sighed, "fortunately, she moved after my training was completed."

Nikita rose from her sitting position and stretched her aching muscles. "I better go," she said, "see you later."

"Bye," Leslie replied, yawning.

Nikita left the workout room and headed towards the showers.

* * *

"Don't open your eyes," Nikita ordered, "it's almost ready."

Michael was sitting to the table, his eyes closed.

That night, Nikita decided that it's her turn to cook dinner. So she went to the market a couple of hours earlier and purchased all the ingredients she needed to make Ravioli filled with Parmesan cheese. It was one of Michael's favorite Italian dishes, and Nikita decided to surprise him by cooking it for him.

So now they were both at Michael's apartment, Michael next to the table and Nikita in the kitchen.

Michael's house looked different since she'd last been there. A new security system was installed, and the place was furnished with wooden furniture. Nikita was glad to see that their color was tawny, not black.

She has just finished making the meal, and carried two plates to the table.

"Don't open them yet," she ordered again, after placing the plates on the table, and rushed back to the kitchen to bring the red wine.

She set the wine bottle in the middle of the table and placed to crystal glasses next to the full plates. She sat in front of him and announced, "Ok, all done. Open your eyes."

Michael opened his eyes slowly and stared at the plate in front of him. He inhaled the smell of the food and stated softly, "It looks great, Ni-ki-ta."

Nikita smiled and grabbed his fork, sticking it in his plate and bringing it to his mouth, "now taste it."

Michael opened his mouth to receive a mouthful of Ravioli. He swallowed and gave her an appreciative look, "It's wonderful, Ni-ki-ta, thank you," he took his fork from her hand and continued eating.

Nikita smiled happily and tasted from her food. They enjoyed their meal, eating in a comfortable silence.

After dinner, Michael insisted that he would clean the kitchen. "You've done your part," he explained, "now it's my turn." Nikita kissed his cheek and went to the living room. While Michael was busy cleaning the kitchen, she decided to put on some music. She checked Michael's CD collection and picked a disc of soft classical music.

Michael emerged from the kitchen and walked towards her. He encircled her waist in his arms from behind her and kissed her neck softly. Nikita felt her heart starting to pound faster. She turned around in his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. They started to sway gently in tune with the music.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath caressing her neck.

"For what?" she asked huskily.

"For dinner, for being here with me."

She smiled into his neck, "my pleasure," she murmured and lifted her head slightly, pressing a soft to his neck and then his lips. They just stood there for a few minutes, wrapped in each other's arms, kissing softly. Nikita suddenly lifted her head from his chest and gazed into his eyes, "I love you," she whispered, her eyes apprehensive, as if expecting a rejection. Michael brushed a soft hair strand from her face and whispered, "I love you, too." He then lowered his face back to her and claimed her mouth again. Gradually their kisses became more urgent and passionate. Suddenly, Michael tore his mouth from hers and stared at her with passion-filled eyes. He saw his passion reflecting in her eyes, and that was all he needed to see before he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

* * *

"Good morning, Nikita," Leslie said with a nervous smile on her face.

"Good morning," Nikita replied. She was already dressed in black mission gear, prepared for the mission. "So, are you nervous?" she asked warmly.

Leslie groaned, "Are you kidding?" she asked, "my first live sim, I'm scared to death!"

Nikita laughed, "I'm sure you'll do fine," she said, "just stay focused."

Leslie nodded, her expression still nervous, "I'll try," she murmured, "good luck."

"Thanks," Nikita gave her another reassuring smile and left to find Michael. They were both called to briefing earlier this morning, the ring of Michael's cell phone interrupting their sleep. They did not sleep much that night... Nikita smiled at the memory, and the phone call woke them both.

Nikita knocked at the door of Michael's office and opened the door quickly, noticing the tiredness in his features. She smiled to herself, *poor thing... I kept him up all night last night, but...it was worth it.*

"Are you ready?" she asked aloud.

"Yes," Michael answered, turning his computer off, "let's go."

They moved towards van access. This mission was simple enough. All they needed to do was to ambush to a man name Ilea Gorshov, take out his bodyguards and capture him.

They went to the elevators and approached the car. The two more operatives of the team, Wilson and Heigen, were already waiting in the car. The team was on his way to a little private airport owned by Section. An airplane will be waiting there to take them to Russia. They all boarded the plane and Nikita was surprised to see Michael entering the cockpit. She gave him a questioning look, and he replied in return, "I'm flying us."

Nikita nodded and took her sit, preparing herself to sit in the plane for several hours. She decided to take the chance and get some sleep. She tilted the seat back and closed her eyes.

Several hours later, the plane had reached its destination and the team emerged out.

* * *

It was cold. It was very very cold. Nikita tightened her hold on her gun and tried not to shiver. She stood about a kilometer away from a little building in a deserted area of Russia. The other members of the team were scattered around the area, holding their positions to Michael's command. All they had to do now was to wait. Gorshov was supposed to leave the building a long while ago, but Leslie informed them that Gorshov's meeting with his associates was delayed and it will take him a while to get out. So now they were standing in the snow, waiting for the man to get out.

Nikita cursed silently. It took her only a few moments to decide that she hates Russia. *It's too damn cold here,* she thought. In such weather she should have been home under a thick blanket with a hot cup of tea in her hand and Michael's arms wrapped around her... Nikita sighed and shook the mental image from her mind, focusing on the mission.

Suddenly Michael's voice came through her comm unit, "Nikita, be prepared."

The door to the building's door started to open.

"Do not shoot until all of them are out." Michael ordered.

"Got it." She whispered, aiming her tranq gun towards the man who stood in the middle of the group, Ilea Gorshov.

In the moment the last man immerged from the building, Michael gave Wilson and Heigen the order to shoot. The too of them aimed, and shot the men around Gorshov. All of them fell to the snow, staining the white ground with blood-red stains. As soon as all his men were down Nikita lifted her gun and fired. The tranq dart hit the man in his neck, and he fell, facedown to the snow.

"Wilson, Heigen, take him," Michael ordered. The two operatives immerged from their hiding place and grabbed Gorshov's arms, dragging him with them.

Michael also went out of his hideout and approached Nikita, "Let's go," he said, to her and through the comm unit to the other operatives.

"Wait!" Michael heard Leslie's voice through the comm unit.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I detect an activity inside the building. Two more men."

"I will take care of that," Michael informed. He ordered the team to wait and he went into the building. A few minutes later, he immerged out of the building, and informed Leslie, "It's clear. All targets cancelled."

"You're clear to move." Leslie replied.

Michael came back to the team and said, "Let's go."

They started following him through the snow. Suddenly, Nikita sneezed and then again. Michael stopped and turned to face her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she murmured, although she didn't feel fine at all. She felt her head start to throb and her throat ached. But this was not the time and place to start complaining.

Michael turned and the team proceeded walking until they reached the meeting point with the plane. Two minutes afterwards the plane arrived, flied by Reggie, the co-pilot.

The team entered the plane, and Michael took his place in the cockpit.

During the flight, Nikita's headache worsened. The pesky pain in head became a wild throbbing behind her eyes. She felt like her head was about to explode.

"Hey, are you ok?" Heigen asked her worriedly.

"I don't know," she murmured, her voice hoarse.

Heigen approached her and checked her forehead. "You have a fever," she said.

"Oh, great," Nikita mattered, closing her eyes in frustration. This was NOT what she planned.

"You want something to drink?" Heigen asked her.

"Yes, please," Nikita whispered. Heigen went to the back of the plane and brought her a cup of water. She handed her the cup, and sat in her seat across the aisle. Nikita sipped carefully from the cup. She was very thirsty, but it was very hard to her to swallow. Her throat burned.

Nikita returned the cup to Heigen, "Thank you," she murmured.

"We still have couple of hours," Heigen said softly; "Get some sleep."

Nikita nodded weakly and closed her eyes.

The plane finally landed. Michael rubbed his eyes and yawned. He was tired. All he wanted now was to go change and go to sleep. He rose from his seat and stepped out of the cockpit. When he approached his team, Heigen informed him that Nikita is sick.

"She has fever," she said, moving aside to let Michael pass.

Michael approached Nikita's seat and bent towards her. Her breathing was shallow and her face flushed. "Nikita," he called softly. When she did not respond, he unbuckled her from the seat and lifted her limp body in his arms. He stepped out of the plane quickly with her in his arms.

He stopped for a second and turned around. "Please go debrief now," he said quietly to Heigen and Wilson, and proceeded towards the entry. Heigen smiled to herself. She, like a lot of other operatives in Section 1, knew about Michael and Nikita's relationship. Actually, She had only heard rumors, but it was common knowledge around Section that Michael and Nikita were much much more than just friends or mentor and his trainee. It was the first time that Heigen actually witnessed the "Energy" that everybody talked about between the two operatives. The look in Michael's eyes when she told him that Nikita is unwell was the ultimate proof to the rumors that were running around Section for a few years now.

"Are you coming to debrief?" Wilson cut her train of thought.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go." She said, and they walked towards Madeline's office.

When Michael approached van access with Nikita in his arms, he saw Operations waiting for him there.

"What happened to her?" he asked Michael.

"I don't know," Michael replied, "I've already called MedLab."

Just as he spoke, A few medics from MedLab arrived quickly and took Nikita from his arms, placing her on a wheeled bed, and taking her to MedLab. They left as quickly as they appeared. Michael followed her with his eyes for a few seconds and then turned his gaze back to Operations, the tiredness evident in his features.

"Did we achieve closure?" Ops asked tersely.

"Yes. Gorshov's man are dead and he was taken to containment."

"Good," Ops lingered for a moment and then said, "No briefing is needed this time, you can go and have some rest."

"Thank you," Michael replied quietly, and Ops left to his office.

Michael stood there for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. He wanted to see how Nikita is doing, but he knew that the MedLab staff is probably still working, and he didn't want to get in their way. He decided to shower and change first, and then go see her.

He went down the hall, heading to his quarters.

* * *

Michael went out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his damp waist. He felt a little better now, a little more alert. But he was still tired. The shower didn't wipe away his lack of sleep. His eyes burned with tiredness, but he wouldn't go to sleep. He wanted to make sure that Nikita is ok, first.

He went to the small closet and dressed in his usual black attire. He sipped quickly from a cup of coffee he had just made and left the cup on the table, leaving his quarters towards MedLab. On his way, he wondered why Nikita got ill. He concluded that it was the standing in the cold snow for hours.

He arrived MedLab and went in. He immediately noticed Nikita on a bed in one of the corners. She slept peacefully. A young woman was standing next to her bed. The girl lifted her head as he approached and a slight blush covered her face. Leslie immediately recognized the well-known Michael. Up close and personal he looked even more handsome than she remembered. She glanced at his piercing green eyes and his muscular shoulders, which strong lines were evident beneath his black jacket.

He turned his green eyes to her and she swallowed.

"How is she?" he asked in a slightly accented voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Ah... she's fine for now. The doctors say that it's a severe flu. Thank god it's not pneumonia." She answered quickly.

Michael didn't respond. His eyes were fixated on the still form of the woman on the bed.

Leslie coughed nervously, the closeness to this man was driving her crazy, "Umm... by the way, my name is Leslie, I'm replacing Birkoff for a while."

"I know," Michael replied softly, his eyes still fixated on Nikita, his hand brushing soft strands of hair from her face "Ni-ki-ta has told me about you."

Leslie took a deep breath *Oh, god, I better get away from here before I say something really stupid!* "I better leave," she said apologetically, "I have some work to finish."

"Of course," Michael replied, but Leslie noticed that he wasn't really paying attention. He was totally absorbed in Nikita.

Leslie started to leave when Michael's voice halted her, "Thank you."

She turned to him and smiled, "No problem."

She then turned on her hill and went out of MedLab. She has already heard rumors, as well as some gossip, about Michael and Nikita. She wasn't too surprised to find out that it was real. She thought again at the look in Michael's beautiful eyes when he looked at Nikita. His eyes softened the minute he laid them on her, his gaze tender and loving. *They probably make a beautiful couple together,* she thought and smiled to herself. She has always been hopelessly romantic, and it was really nice, even if a bit awkward, to watch Michael's behavior towards Nikita. She shook her head, chuckling to herself, and went back to comm to finish her work.

Michael pulled a chair from the corner of the room, placing it next to Nikita's bed. He sat down and took her hand in his. He examined her closely. It seemed that she breathed more easily now, her breathing not as shallow as it has been earlier. Her face was still flushed. He raised his hand to touch her cheek briefly. It was hot. She still had a fever. He caressed her hair softly, and lowered his head down. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, still clutching Nikita's hand in his. He awoke after a short while when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head. Madeline. She stood near him, oddly soft expression on her face.

"Go to sleep, Michael," she said softly, "Nikita will be fine here and you need to rest." When she saw him hesitating she added, "This is not a request, Michael."

Michael was reluctant to leave Nikita's side, but he knew she was right. After all, he will have to go out on missions and do his job. He had to get some sleep. Walter popped from behind Madeline and said, "Yeah, you go to sleep, I'll watch over her for ya." Michael gave him a thankful look and rose slowly from his seat, disengaging his hand from Nikita's. He looked at her one more time and left MedLab towards his quarters.

He opened the door to his quarters and sat heavily on the bed. He removed his socks and shoes and stripped down to his black underwear. He then crawled under the covers and closed his eyes, finally getting his much-needed sleep.

* * *

Nikita woke to a weird feeling. She felt like her head was as heavy as a stone. She struggled to open her eyes, and heard a faint voice calling to her. She opened her eyes, squinting to the bright light, and found Walter's eyes staring at her. "Sugar? Are you ok?"

"Water," she whispered. Her throat was so dry.

Walter rose from the chair next to Nikita's bed and brought her a cup of water. He then helped her lift her head and take a few sips from the water. When she was done, she leaned her head back on the pillow.

"Hi Walter," she said weakly. She hoped he didn't notice the disappointment in her voice. She was actually glad to see Walter, but it was Michael's eyes she wanted to see when she opened her eyes. She had a dim memory of his warm hand holding hers while she slept.

"Hi sugar, you feel better?" he asked with a relieved smile.

"A little," she answered, smiling faintly.

"Boy, you scared us all. Even the cute little new girl from comm came to see how you're doin'."

"Really? Leslie was here? How very nice of her."

"Yeah, she's a sweet little girl." Walter smiled fondly. He noticed Nikita's wandering stare and knew immediately who she was looking for.

"If you're looking for your Black Knight, sugar, I can tell you that he went to sleep."

"Really?" she asked, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Hey, don't give me that look sugar. He was here earlier, he didn't want to go to sleep until he knew you were ok," he winked at her, "Madeline came here and ordered him to go to sleep, and I promised him I'll watch over you for him."

Nikita nodded with understanding. Michael was awake for hours, she remembered, he even had to fly the airplane to Russia and back. He must be exhausted.

"Hey, that's not such a bad idea that you'll go back to sleep," Walter said, "You have a severe flu. You need to rest."

"Ok, Walter," she murmured. She was too weak to argue, and her eyes seemed to close on their own volition.

"Sleep well, sugar, and feel better." He kissed her hot forehead and went out of the room to let her sleep.

* * *

Michael opened his eyes. He felt a lot better now. He has been asleep for several hours, he wasn't sure how many. He turned on his back and glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed. He then blinked and looked again, hardly believing what his eyes saw. It was 6:00 AM! He has been asleep all night. He climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom. He washed his face, brushed his mouth and dragged a comb through his now short hair. He wanted to see how Nikita was doing. He dressed in formal black, drank his morning coffee, and immerged out of the room towards MedLab.

He entered quietly, only to find Nikita wide-awake.

"Good morning," he said, smiling to her.

She lifted her eyes at once as she heard his voice. She smiled broadly. "Michael," she said softly. He strode towards her and clasped her hand in his. He lifted her hand delicately and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. He sat on the chair next to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, his thumb drawing circles on her hand.

"I'm ok," she replied with a smile, "now that you're here."

He smiled back, and then said apologetically, "I'm sorry I wasn't here with you, I-" "Hush, Michael," she interrupted, "don't apologize. You needed your rest. You had no reason to spend the night slouched on a chair near my bed."

"But I wanted to," he said softly, gazing her with his emerald eyes.

She looked in his eyes, mesmerized. His look was so tender...loving. And, as always, a mere look from him could make a shiver run down her spine.

They were just staring at each other for a few long moments, Nikita's hand still clutched in Michael's. Michael felt like he was sinking in her eyes. Sky-blue, so trusting and loving. He gently bent towards her, moving towards her slightly parted lips... Suddenly, they heard somebody coughing politely. They lifted their heads. Leslie stood in the door, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Umm... I'm sorry for the intrusion," she said hesitantly, "but, Michael, there's a briefing in two minutes."

He nodded and rose from the chair. He looked back at Nikita and whispered, "Rest, I'll be back as soon as I can." He then kissed her hand again and left the room. Leslie followed.

Nikita leaned her head back on the pillow and wondered why do all the computer geeks have the worst timing.

* * *

Michael sat in front of the briefing table. He glanced around. Nikita was supposed to be part of the team to this mission, but, due to her illness, she was replaced by an operative name Jennings. Michael found Jennings' functioning in the field satisfying, nothing more. He would prefer Nikita in his team anytime.

Operations entered the room and lit the screen. Michael tried to switch his attention from Nikita to the upcoming mission.

Operations started to explain the mission's details. It was a follow-up mission to the Gorshov mission. The team was to fly back to Russia in two hours and find one of Gorshov's associates. Apparently, Gorshov didn't have all the information that Section wanted. He knew half of the code of a safe deposit box in a bank in Switzerland. The man who knew the other half was Boris Venok, Gorshov's associate. All they needed to do was to kidnap Venok from his house in Moscow and bring him in.

"This mission might take a while." Ops said, "Venok's house in extremely guarded by alarm systems, armed guards and high fences. As soon as you grab him, came back in. That will be all."

Everybody left the briefing room and Michael went to his office to go over the profile. He sighed inwardly. Like it sounded from Operations' explanation, this mission could take days. It will be forever before he could see Nikita again. About an hour and a half later, Michael finished working on the profile and went to change into his mission gear. He wanted to finish this mission as soon as possible so he would go back to check on Nikita.

"Hi, Michael," Michael heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see Jennifer Heigen's face in front of him. He looked at her questioningly.

"I just wanted to ask how Nikita's doing," she explained, "I hadn't have the chance to go see how she's feeling since we came back from the mission.

"Nikita is fine," Michael replied, "she has a severe flu, but she'll be ok."

"That's encouraging to hear," she smiled to him, "I heard you're going out again. A follow up mission."

Michael nodded briefly, "Yes, we have another retrieval to make."

"Good luck," she said.

Michael nodded and resumed walking to his office.

* * *

Michael finished the profile quickly and dressed in his mission gear. He wanted to say goodbye to Nikita before he leaves. He strode down the corridor towards MedLab. He only had a couple of minutes before the team was supposed to leave. He entered the room and was disappointed to see her eyes closed. He didn't want to wake her so he turned around quietly to leave the room.

"Michael?" he suddenly heard her voice, calling his name softly.

He turned back to face her, seeing a faint smile on her face. He walked towards her, "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

She lifted her head from the pillow. "I've been better," she murmured, her eyes scanning him, noticing the mission gear. "You're going out again," she said disappointedly.

"Yes." He confirmed.

"For how long?"

"I don't know," Michael sighed, "A few days, maybe a week."

She echoed his sigh and dropped her head back on the pillow, "Be careful," she murmured, her eyes closing.

Michael bent and kissed her forehead gently, "Rest. And behave yourself," he chided softly, "I want to find you better when I'm back."

She smiled faintly, "Come back soon."

"As soon as I can," he replied. He left the room then, glancing at her face one more time before he left.

* * *

"There are five people inside the house," came Leslie's voice through the comm unit, "four of them are bodyguards, the fifth is Venok."

Michael and his team have been there for two days already. The security around the house was extremely tight, as expected. They were now standing in the woods that surrounded Venok's house, waiting for a chance to enter.

Leslie had already checked the security system and informed them that the fence was electrified and there were no guards outside the house. All the bodyguards were indoors with Venok.

Michael scanned the area around the house with his eyes, "Can you disarm the security system?" he asked Leslie.

"I can try," she replied, "but it may take a while."

"Do it." Michael replied.

The team kept crouching in the snow, waiting. About twenty minutes later Michael heard Leslie's voice through his comm unit. "Ok, I can create a power failure for one minute and a half. You'll have to get through the electric fence in that time." There was a pause and suddenly all the lights in and around the house went off. Leslie informed quickly, "The power is off. You have 90 seconds."

"Go." Michael ordered. The team quickly and quietly approached the fence. One of the operatives cut the fence and the team entered.

Back in Section one, Nikita grew tired of spending her days in MedLab. She had already tried to convince them to let her go, but they wouldn't. She hasn't fully recovered yet, and was too weak. "You can't protect yourself in this condition," Madeline told her, "we can't risk you by sending you home alone now, so stop being stubborn and let the doctors help you."

Nikita was angry, but she also understood. She was hardly able to walk straight, much less defend herself if someone tried to attack her. She sighed. She just wanted to get well so she could finally get the hell out of MedLab. She despised the place.

"Mission accomplished," Michael informed. "We have the target and we're heading back now."

"Pickup at location Alpha," Leslie informed him, "Be there in no less than 15 minutes."

The mission was completed successfully. Venok was captured and all of his bodyguards were killed. Michael sighed. He was relieved that the mission was over. During the mission, he kept having Nikita's image flowing in his head. He missed her. So very much. He hoped that she's feeling better. He knew that he had now a weak or so of downtime. He was exhausted. His latest missions came so frequently, sometimes merely hours separating between one mission to another. He closed his eyes, trying to catch some sleep before the arrival back to Section.

They finally arrived back to Section. Michael immerged out of the van that brought them from the airport. As he approached the entrance, he saw Madeline and Operations waiting for him.

"Did we achieve closure?" Ops asked him, with no introduction.

"Yes," he replied, "the target is being taken to containment as we speak."

"Good job, Michael," Madeline interjected, "You've done very well in your latest missions. Go and get some rest, the rest of the team will debrief."

Michael nodded, "Thank you," he murmured, and strode down the corridor. He went first to his quarters, showered and changed, and then headed towards Madeline's office.

As he entered, Madeline suppressed a surprised look. She was positive that as soon as Michael returned, he would go to check on Nikita. "Michael," she started, hiding her surprise, "What can I do for you?"

"I have a favor to ask," he said quietly.

Madeline hid another surprised look. That was definitely not Michael's style. She didn't reply, just waited for him to proceed.

"How is Nikita?" he then asked.

"Well." Madeline answered, "She's still weak, but she feels better... She's still in MedLab," she added.

There was a slight pause, and Michael said, "I want to have a week of downtime."

"Is that all?" Madeline asked.

"And I want to take Nikita home. She is probably not enjoying her time in MedLab."

Madeline smiled, "No, she's not. Actually, I almost had to force her to stay."

Michael just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

Madeline pondered his request for a moment and then decided, "Fine. You can have a week of downtime with her, but only one week. Even if she doesn't feel better then, you will be back in active status and she will be sent back to MedLab."

Michael nodded his agreement. He got up to leave when he turned back to face her. "Thank you," he said quietly and left.

Madeline waited a few seconds, got up from her chair and left her office, heading towards Ops' office.

* * *

Michael entered to MedLab. He was glad to see Nikita awake, with Walter by her side. He approached slowly, and Nikita's eyes flew up as he came near.

"Michael." He could hear happiness in her voice. It pleased him so much, the thought that she missed him.

"Hello," he replied, their eyes locked together.

Walter gave Michael a nudge, "I told you I'll watch over her for ya," he then rose from the chair and winked at them, "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone now."

"Bye Walter," Nikita called after him with a thankful look in her eyes. Walter waved his hand in goodbye and left.

She turned her gaze back to Michael, "So, how was your mission?" she asked.

"Went well. We had a closure." He replied. "How were your last few days?"

She grimaced, "Ohhh, just great." She sighed, "They wouldn't let me out of here."

Michael smiled and bent towards her, "Do you want to leave now?" he asked in a soft whisper.

Nikita's eyes widened, "really?"

He nodded, "I'll just talk to the doctors here for a second and we can go."

A sweet smile appeared on her face, and Michael's heart almost widened with pleasure. For this smile he would move mountains.

He approached the doctor and discussed with him for a couple of minutes about Nikita's condition. He returned to her. "Ok, we can go," he said.

He helped her get out of the bed, but she was too weak. She couldn't walk by herself. The doctor brought her a wheelchair. "There is no way I'm getting into this thing," she announced, folding her arms on her chest.

"Ni-ki-ta," Michael warned, "If you want to get out of here, you must."

She sighed with resignation, "Ok, alright, but only to the elevator."

When they reached the elevator the doctor took away the wheelchair, and Nikita leaned on Michael for support. He held her in the elevator and then led her to his car. Michael sat in the driver's seat and started driving. Nikita stared lazily through the window. She suddenly noticed that the road they were driving was not the one to her apartment.

"Michael, aren't you taking me home?" she asked him.

A slight smile appeared on his face, "I am." He replied. The rest of the trip passed in a comfortable silence.

Michael opened the door to his place. He disarmed the security system and scooped Nikita in his arms. He took her immediately to the bedroom, put her in his bed and tucked the blanket around her. He then went to the kitchen and made her a cup of steaming herbal tea. He brought her the cup and sat on the bed beside her while she drank.

"Michael?" she suddenly said.

"Yes?"

"Are you staying here with me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes," he replied, "I have a week of downtime to take care of you."

She relaxed and smiled at him, "So, what do we do now?" she asked.

"First of all- you have to rest," he replied softly, "You look tired." Nikita nodded, "Ok, maybe for a couple of minutes," she murmured and closed her eyes.

Michael kissed her forehead and left the room quietly.

Nikita opened her eyes and blinked. It was dark outside, she have been asleep for several hours. Her throat ached. "Michael?" she called.

After a few moments he entered the bedroom. He approached her and brushed some hair strands from her face. "How did you sleep?" he asked softly. She smiled to him, "great. I feel much better now... I'm hungry," She added.

"Dinner's coming right up." He smiled to her and left the bedroom. He came back within a couple of minutes, carrying a tray. She sat up and he placed the tray in front of her. "Thank you," she said, "it looks delicious."

She grabbed the fork, intending to start eating, but he stopped her and took the fork from her hand. He fed her until she finished the food. He then carried her to the bathroom and helped her bathe. He wrapped her in a soft blue bathrobe and brought her clean clothes to wear. She was now wearing one of his soft black shirts that reached her knees. He took her hand and led her to the living room. They sat together on the couch, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"Thank you Michael," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and replied, "My pleasure."

"How come you have downtime now?" she shifted her head to look in his eyes.

"I asked Madeline for some down time to take care of you," he replied.

She sighed and returned her head to his shoulder, "So they know about us."

"Of course they know," he replied calmly, "we hadn't tried hiding it."

"So how much time to we have left?"

He smiled, "Five days."

* * *

Five days later...

"Hey, Nikita!" Nikita heard somebody calling her name. She turned her head and smiled, "Hey yourself," she replied.

Leslie removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes, "how are you feeling?"

"A lot better." She winked at her, "Michael took care of me."

Leslie felt herself blushing, "I'm.. I'm glad you feel better. I was worried about you.

"Thanks, Les. That was very nice of you to stop by in MedLab,"

"No problem," the girl smiled broadly.

"So, what are you doing now?"

"Birkoff is coming back tomorrow," the girl replied, her smile fading "I guess that means I'll be back in 'Data'."

"I gotta go," Nikita apologized, "See ya later?"

"Sure," Leslie sighed as Nikita left. She has really started liking this place. When she was in 'Data' she hardly had a chance to lift her head from the computer's screen. But here, in comm, it was in the center of the action. People were coming and going all of the time, giving her chances to meet people, make friends. But comm was Birkoff's kingdom, and as soon as he returns, she will be out of there, and back in 'Data'.

Madeline stepped into Ops' office.

"What did you want to discuss?" she asked.

"The new girl in comm." he replied while staring through the large window.

"Miss Walters."

"Yes."

"What about her?"

He turned his eyes to her, "her performance is quite impressive."

"Yes, it is," Madeline replied, "are you considering giving her Birkoff's position?"

"No, of course not. But, due to her excellent performance in the last two mission, I'm thinking of letting her stay in comm, assist Birkoff."

"He might be displeased," Madeline replied, "just like with Hilinger."

"Birkoff needs to learn to be a team player," Ops answered, inhaling from his cigar and staring out of the window again, "besides, I think this case is different. This girl is not Hilinger, and she's a lot more likable than him."

"Perhaps you're right."

"I know I am," he replied and smiled to her, "change her status for now. Leave her in comm."

"Of course."

* * *

"Hi Walter." Nikita smiled at the old man.

"Hi Sugar," he smiled back, "how are you?"

"I'm just fine. My flu's over and I'm ready to action."

"That's good to hear... Michael treated you nicely?"

"If you only knew, Walter," she winked. He started laughing, "Sugar, you're the best. Now come on, I wanna show you something." He grabbed her hand and led her to the back. He took a small device and handed it to her. She held the object in her hand. It was only a little bigger than her fingernail. "What's this?" she queried. "That's a micro-comm unit. Very good, and a lot smaller that those we used so far. I designed it myself," he added proudly.

"Great Walter, you really are talented."

"I know," He winked at her.

"Hi, Nikita," she heard a voice behind her. She turned backwards to meet Leslie's excited face.

"Hi Les, what's up?"

"Better than ever," the girl smiled, "they're letting me stay."

"In comm? Really?" Nikita asked in disbelief, "Will you replace Birkoff?"

"No, no, of course not," the girl laughed, "I'll assist him."

"Congrats then, and good luck." Nikita smiled.

"Yes, good luck baby," Walter added with a happy smile.

Nikita turned her head to look at him, arching her brow at him. Walter saw her look and laughed, "What can I say, I like the girl."

Leslie blushed slightly and said, "I'll start working with Birkoff tomorrow, it's gonna be a tight schedule until I learn everything."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Nikita said.

"Well, I gotta go," Leslie apologized, "I have a few more things to finish before Birkoff comes back."

"See ya later." Walter answered and Leslie left, smiling happily.

Walter tapped lightly on Nikita's shoulder, "she's a nice girl and she seems a little shy. It's great for her to have a friend like you."

"She's a nice girl," Nikita said, "I like her. I just hope that Section doesn't ruin her spirit."

Walter sighed, "Me too, Sugar, me too."

* * *

Four days later...

Leslie bit on her ice-cream cone, "So, did you like the movie?" she asked Nikita. They have just finished watching a movie, and now Nikita and Leslie sat in a little coffee place.

"It was good," Nikita replied, taking a long sip from her milkshake. She has suggested Leslie, earlier that day, that they'll both go celebrate Leslie's new 'job' in comm. Actually, Nikita had to admit to herself that she felt a little lonely. Michael was out of the country in a mission, and the last thing she wanted to do was staying home and moping about it. So, when she saw Leslie, sticking her face in a computer screen she decided to take her out to have fun. She just wanted to take the girl out of comm for a while, to show her the real world. She was certain that when the girl spent her time in 'Data' she hardly went out of there. The work in 'Data' was very...demanding. Although this pastime started out of boredom, Nikita found out that she really likes the girl. She was smart, interesting and friendly, and Nikita enjoyed talking with her.

"Nikita?" Nikita woke from her reverie when she heard Leslie's voice, "are you still here?" Leslie asked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I was just thinking. So, how do you like working in comm?"

"It's great," Leslie answered excitedly, "It's really interesting and Birkoff in unbelievable. He's just a genius when it comes to computers."

Nikita smiled. She had noticed Birkoff and Leslie's affection about each other. They also worked well together. "You really like Birkoff, huh?" she said.

"Yeah, he's great." Leslie answered, and then she caught Nikita staring at her. "Oh, it's not what you think."

"Isn't it?" Nikita asked cautiously.

"Nah. Birkoff is my best buddy, and he's really smart, but we're just friends."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Leslie leaned back and smiled, "besides, I'm sorta dating someone."

"Really?" Nikita lifted her head in surprise.

"Don't look so surprised," Leslie muttered, taking another bite from her ice cream.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that," Nikita apologized, "It's just that you hardly leave comm...Anyway, who is he? Is he a Valentine op?"

Leslie groaned, "Oh, god, NO! I stay away from those." She then smiled sheepishly, "His name is Cole Parker. I met him when he came to comm to ask something about some mission. I kinda liked him, and a few days after he asked me out."

"I know Cole," Nikita remembered, "he's really a nice guy."

"Yes, I know." Leslie blushed slightly.

Nikita quieted for a minute and then started, "Leslie, when I told you that Michael was my trainer you started saying you're not surprised. You never told me what you meant."

"Oh, that," Leslie blushed, "It's really nothing, it's just that... I heard rumors about you and Michael, and when you told me he was your trainer I understood how you two met."

"Hey, wow, What rumors?"

Leslie's blush deepened, "Nothing much."

"C'mon, Les, do tell."

Leslie lowered her eyes to her ice cream come, trying to stifle a giggle, "Umm... I heard that you two once had sex in Ops' office."

"We WHAT!?"

"Yeah, when Michael took Ops' position for a while when Ops went to 'Center'. Rumor says that when you entered the office with him, the walls went dark and you emerged out of there about 30 minutes later with you hair all messy and your blouse inside out."

Nikita burst into laughter, "Oh, my, I had no idea."

"That didn't happen?"

Nikita tried to stop laughing, "What really happened is that I entered the office to congratulate him and he darkened the walls and kissed me. That's all there is to it, and the rest is just a wild exaggeration."

Leslie joined her laughter, "There will be a hell of a lot of people disappointed when they find that out. I think they're enjoying the gossip."

Nikita leaned back with a smile, "Let them gossip."

* * *

Michael rubbed his eyes and turned off his computer. It was 2:00 AM and he has just came back from a mission in South Africa. He wanted to go home as soon as he returned to Section, but Madeline had informed him that there are some profiles waiting for his inspection. So he sat in front of his computer and reviewed them. He was finally done. He longed to go home back to Nikita's arms after those days of separation. Although it has only been four days since he had last seen her, he missed her. Badly.

He rose slowly and grabbed his coat. He left Section, heading towards Nikita's apartment. He approached the entrance and opened the door quietly with his key. He assumed that she was already asleep and he didn't want to wake her. But as he opened the door, he was surprised to find out that the lights were on.

Nikita, who sat on the couch, leaped into his arms.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Michael felt his tiredness flitting away. The fervent touch of her soft lips on his aroused him beyond all thought in a split second. With a groan he slammed the door shut behind him and deepened the kiss. He captured her lips and ran his tongue seductively on her lips. She moaned and opened her mouth to him, fastening her legs around him. They continued their passionate kissing until she ripped her mouth from his, both of them panting. "Floor," she murmured huskily, biting his earlobe playfully. He let out a groan and eased her to the floor, pressing her against it. He then bent and recaptured her mouth.

Nikita lay on the bed, her legs entangled with Michael's. She was fumbling through some magazines, seeking for a particular one. Michael followed her movements with his eyes, wondering what she might've bent when she said that she wanted to show him something. Finally Nikita lifted one of the magazines triumphantly, "Found it!" she announced.

Michael caught the name of the magazine *Cosmo!? What is she doing???* He thought, looking at Nikita riffling through the pages.

"Ni-ki-ta?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"There's something I found a few days ago and I thought it might be interes- oh, there it is!" she announced happily. Michael caught her wrist and turned the magazine towards him. He looked at the title of the page Nikita was referring to; "How experienced are you? Test yourself and find out!" the headline proclaimed.

"Ni-ki-ta, what is it?" Michael asked calmly.

"It's a test to check how sexually experienced you are. Don't you think it's fun?"

'Fun' was not exactly Michael's definition to that. He just stared at her disbelievingly. Nikita started to laugh, "If only you could see how you look now," she teased him playfully. Michael frowned and gave her a piercing look. Nikita ignored it and ripped one of the pages off the magazine. "Here, you take page two," she ordered, handing him the page, "and I'll take page one. Each of us will read a question and the other must answer it truthfully. Are you up for it?"

She suddenly saw a mischievous twinkle in Michael's eyes, "I'm ready when you are," he replied.

She smiled broadly, "Ok. Question number one- how old were you when you had your first time?"

"Sixteen."

She arched her eyebrow at him, "Really? Who was she?"

"Is that a part of the question?" he smiled impishly.

"No. That's me wanting to know."

"She was my best friend in highschool. We did it in her parents' bedroom."

Nikita giggled, "Michael, you naughty boy! What if you'd been caught?"

Michael's lip quirked up again, "we almost did." She started laughing again.

20 minutes later they were both laughing.

"Question number 32- have you ever taken part in a sexual activity that included more than two people?" Michael asked, his eyes twinkling.

Nikita laughed, "Oh, god, NO. Three's a crowd. I like it one on one. It's my turn now." She lifted the page in her hand, "Question 33- have you ever done it with your best friend's girlfriend?" Michael crinkled his nose and Nikita giggled, "I'll take that as a 'No'. You're turn."

Michael read the next question, "What is your most erogenous area?... I think I can answer that for you," he said seductively and Nikita blushed to her ears.

"Umm.. Ok, my turn. What was your hottest sexual encounter?"

He smiled, "How about yesterday night?" Nikita felt a shudder running down her stomach to between her legs.

He proceeded, another mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "Which one of the following turns you on the most- A) Candlelight; B) Chocolate syrup or C) Handcuffs?"

Nikita grinned seductively, "What turns me on the most in not on that list..." Michael felt himself hardening by the minute. He knew that this game won't last long. He started running his hand along her back. His palm crept under her shirt and caressed her bare back. Nikita grew lightheaded from his attention, "Last question," she murmured, "On a scale from 1 to 10, how do you rate yourself as a lover?"

"You tell me." He whispered huskily. He leaned forward and ran his tongue along her neck. She let out a moan and pulled his head closer to her. "I give you 11," she whispered.

Michael lifted his lips from hers. "That's it?"

She pulled him back to her. "Shut up and kiss me," she murmured, and they both finally surrendered to the raging passion between them.

* * *

"Leslie!" Leslie turned her head to see Nikita rushing towards her. She smiled, "Hi, what's up?"

"I'm fine," Nikita answered, "I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?" Leslie looked a little uneasy. "Birkoff told me that personal favors are against regula-" Nikita rolled her eyes, "Come on, Les. Just a tiny favor, it'll only take you a minute."

"Oh, alright," Leslie sighed, "What is it?"

"I just want you to check the mission schedule for next week."

"What do you want to know?"

"Ah, I want to know if Michael is scheduled to missions anytime soon... next week is Christmas, you know."

Leslie cocked her eyebrow at her, "Why don't you ask him that?"

"He doesn't know yet," Nikita sighed, "I think Ops is keeping him in the dark deliberately."

Leslie turned to the computer and scanned some files quickly, "Let's see, three missions are scheduled to next week. Fredrick leads the one to Africa, Johnson is the leader to the mission in Sudan, and... No, that's not Michael." She turned to Nikita and smiled, "Guess he's all yours for Christmas."

"Thanks, Les, I owe you one."

Leslie smirked, "Yeah, whatever."

"So, what do you do in Christmas Eve?"

"Oh, I don't celebrate Christmas," Leslie replied, "I'm Jewish."

"Really?" Nikita looked surprised, "I had no idea."

"Yes. Well, Cole said he'll celebrate Hanukkah with me. That's the Jewish holiday at this time of the year."

"That's very nice of him."

"Yeah," Leslie blushed slightly, "He's something special."

"Well, thanks again, and have fun on Hanukkah."

Leslie laughed, "I sure will. Enjoy your Christmas."

Nikita smiled, "Oh, I will, I'm certain."

Nikita left comm, heading towards Michael's office. She knocked and opened the door. Michael lifted his eyes from the computer screen to look at her.

"Hey, got a second?" she asked softly.

"Sure." He turned off the surveillance on his office and she stepped in and sat on the chair in front of him. She leaned forward and smiled to him.

"You're free on Christmas," she announced, "I checked."

"Really?" he looked surprised, "And you?"

"Nah, Leslie would have told me if I were on any of the teams."

"Leslie?" Michael leaned backwards, his eyes twinkling, "You'll get that girl into trouble one day."

"I hope not. She was very helpful," Nikita giggled and then turned serious, "you don't think I'm getting her into trouble, do you?"

"No. She's very good at what she does. It'll take a lot to convince Operations and Madeline to replace her."

Nikita was relieved. "Ok, then," she smiled, rising from her chair, "See you tonight?"

"Around Ten."

"'kay, bye." She blew a kiss towards him and left.

* * *

Nikita stopped her car and parked near the big shopping center. She was Christmas shopping. She decided to take advantage of the fact that she had some free time to do some shopping before evening. It was Christmas Eve, and she wanted everything to be ready on time.

First, she found a Christmas tree. The seller told her that she was lucky, that usually there weren't any trees left at Christmas Eve, but fortunately, he had one left. Nikita thanked him and arranged that the tree will be sent to her house a few hours later. Then she went to buy some ornaments to hang on the tree. She found some small beautiful ones, along with one larger, shaped like an angel, to hang on the top of the tree.

Then came the harder part. She wanted to by a Christmas gift to Michael. She had absolutely no idea what to get him. *What to you get to a secret agent who has everything?* She wondered. Then an idea popped in her mind. She smiled excitedly, *I know just the right thing for him,* she thought. She rushed to her car and started it. She wanted to get there before the stores close. She glanced at her watch. She had 30 minutes.

* * *

Nikita opened the door to her apartment and dragged Michael in with his eyes closed. She closed the door and announced, "Ok, you can open now." Michael opened his eyes slowly. The little apartment looked warm and inviting. There was a little Christmas tree in the corner, beautiful ornaments hang on it.

The apartment was dark except for a soft candlelight from dozens of candles around the place and the lights on the Christmas tree.

"It's beautiful," he commented and swept her into his arms.

"Kiss me," he murmured, closing the distance between his mouth and hers.

"Oh? Why should I?" she teased.

There was a devilish glint in his eyes, "Oh, you must," he pointed upwards and Nikita raised her head to see the mistletoe that she hang there a few hours ago. He grinned, "That's an old Christmas tradition."

Nikita laughed, "What can I see, you're right." She leaned her head towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on his mouth. Michael pulled her towards him and turned her gentle kiss to a deep, erotic one. Nikita moaned softly and broke the kiss. "Later," she whispered.

She took his hand and led him to the livingroom. "Wait here," she said and went to the kitchen. She came back a few minutes later, carrying two plates. She placed one plate in his hands and sat beside him on the carpeted floor. They enjoyed their meal while listening to some Christmas carols on the radio. When they finished Nikita announced, "Now it's time for your Christmas gift!" Michael blinked, "Aren't we suppose to exchange Christmas gifts tomorrow morning?"

She smiled, "Well, I guess so, but I really want to give you your gift already." She rose from her sit and hurried to her bedroom, "I'll be right back," she said. A few moments later she came back with a wrapped gift in her hand. She sat beside him and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas, Michael," she said, excitement sparkling in her eyes.

Michael took the gift from her and carefully unwrapped it. He looked at Nikita's gift with eyes that moistened. It was a note booklet, with tunes for cello. "Do you like it?" Nikita asked hesitantly, "I wasn't sure which one to buy, so I asked the seller to find me something good." He put the booklet beside him and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you so much, Ni-ki-ta," he whispered. He kissed her lips gently and she smiled happily.

He broke the kiss and smiled to her. "It's my turn now." He reached into his pocket and drew out a little velvet box.

"Merry Christmas, 'Kita," he whispered as he handed her the little box. She took the box from his hand and opened it slowly. Inside she saw a beautiful gold necklace. It had a heart-shaped medallion imbedded with tiny diamonds. "It's beautiful," she murmured. Michael took the necklace out of the box and put it around Nikita's neck.

She then hugged him tightly and kissed his mouth fiercely. "I love you, Michael," she murmured. Michael returned her kiss passionately, "I love you too," he whispered and scooped her in his arms, carrying her upstairs.

She thought he would place her in bed, but, to her surprise, they passed the bed towards the bathroom. She noticed the twinkle in his eyes as he placed her standing on the cool floor. With a devilish smile he neared her and easily removed her blouse, her skirt and panties, until she stood naked in front of him. She slid her hands to the buttons of his shirt and, one by one, unbuttoned them. When she was done, she eased the shirt off his shoulders. She then tugged at his slacks. His briefs followed and soon he was as naked as she was.

He bowed his head down, his mouth seeking hers. Their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Nikita moaned softly and circled her arms around his neck, pressing him closer to her. He allowed it for a few seconds and then broke the kiss to her discontented groan and headed towards the shower. He quickly turned on the taps and made sure the water wasn't too hot. He then stepped in the shower, pulling her in with him.

He pushed her gently against the wall and molded his body to hers. His mouth sought her mouth and captured her lower lip between his teeth. Her arms crept around his muscled backside and moved lower to cup his buttocks, pressing him closer to her. His mouth suddenly left her lips, leaving them swollen and aching for more. His lips descended and she felt his teeth touching her neck. She groaned as he bit her gently and then soothed her with his tongue. His mouth descended lower and fastened around one erect nipple, while his hand kneaded her other breast. Nikita whimpered and pressed his head closer to her. She was close and he could feel it. Suddenly, with no warning, his hand left her breast and slid downward. Nikita inhaled sharply as his hand parted her legs gently and his finger slipped into her. She could stand it no longer. Her back arched and her body jerked in a shattering release. He then straightened up and entered her, his mouth ravishing hers. She cried out and lifted her leg to wrap around his hips. His hands moved to her bottom and he lifted her up, pinning her to the wall. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and he started the rhythm of slow strokes. They both gasped and moaned as he quickened the pace and, finally, climaxed together.

After their mutual climax they stilled for a few moments, trying to adjust their breaths. With shaky hands, Michael turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower, with Nikita still in his arms, her forehead touching his, her eyes closed and their bodies still joined together. He took a big, soft towel and wrapped it around their entwined bodies. He then stepped into the bedroom and they collapsed on the bed exhaustedly. She buried her head in his chest and inhaled his clean, masculine scent. She lifted her head slightly and saw him watching her.

She smiled to him. "What are you looking at?" she asked playfully, caressing his damp chest.

Michael just stared at her for a while and then asked quietly, "Move in with me?"

"What?"

"Move in with me."

She looked at him for a few seconds and lowered her head back to his chest. *I'll let him sweat for a while,* she thought mischievously. "I'll think about it." She murmured sleepily and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Michael pressed a kiss to her forehead and closed his eyes as well.

* * *

Two days later...

Nikita stood next to the window in Michael's place and looked at the sky, sipping her wine. The stars shined happily towards her.

She felt Michael's strong arms encircle her waist and his mouth pressing a kiss to her neck. "Enjoying yourself?" he whispered.

"Very much. The sky's beautiful tonight, look at all those stars."

They just stood there for a few moments, admiring the beauty of the night's sky. Then Michael asked, "Have you thought of my offer?"

She smiled secretly and turned in his arms, locking her arms around his neck.

She gave him a broad smile and answered, "My answer is yes."

He smiled back and their mouths locked in a long kiss.

Later that night, Nikita lay in Michael's arms and watched him sleeping. His face was so peaceful and relaxed, his features angelic. She sighed contently and snuggled closer to him, leaning her head on his chest. She listened to the strong beating of his heart and smiled. It felt like an end of an era... and she could hardly wait to start a new one.

THE END

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