Disclaimer: Nikita is not mine. If it were, Amanda would have 10x more scenes, Mikita would be together forever and Thom would be alive.

In The Shadows

Chapter Two

Michael lazily traced circles onto his lover's back. The sunshine shining down on them had woken Michael up a while ago, but Nikita apparently was a heavy sleeper. Michael didn't dare move for fear of waking her. It was a rare moment of seeing his femme fatale looking completely content and peaceful. A faint smile was plastered on her sleeping lips; her face was relaxed and her petite form was draped over Michael's strong chest. It had been a long time since Michael had woken up with a woman in his arms, even longer since it had been a woman he loved. Elizabeth and Nikita were so different, yet strangely similar in his heart. Elizabeth had been his first love; a highschool sweetheart turned wife. Nikita was the woman who gave her justice; an assasin with a heart. They were both flawed, but that somehow made them more perfect to Michael.

Michael could tell the exact moment that Nikita woke up. She stiffened in his embrace, briefly taking a moment to remember what had happened and who she was with. Nikita was always on guard, so Michael could feel her developing an escape plan until she completely remembered the events of last night. The only thing Michael didn't expect her to do was yawn and snuggle back into his arms, keeping her eyes shut and a smile on her face. In this moment, they just looked like a normal couple waking up together after a night of love making.

"Nikita?" Michael whispered. He hated to shatter their bliss, but they needed to talk.

"Don't ruin it," Nikita shushed. "I'm trying to enjoy this."

"What?" Michael was confused, this didn't sound like Nikita.

"It's been too long since I've woken up in the arms of the man I love," Nikita explained. "I'm trying to enjoy it before reality comes and ruins it."

"Hey," Michael protested, pulling Nikita's face up to his. "This is reality." He whispered before joining his lips to hers in a soulful, perfect kiss.

"I know, but not our reality." Nikita insisted. "It feels so right, but wrong at the same time."

"How can it be wrong? We're together." Michael saw how Nikita's face lit up for a brief moment.

"We're together?" Nikita was still uncertain of Michael's love, it was a new and foreign concept to her.

"Yes. I love you." Nikita leaned back in for a slower and tender kiss, only pulling away when her need for oxygen became apparent.

"So what happens now?" Nikita asked, with slightly redder lips and wide eyes.

"We do what we always do, we fight." Michael answered simply. "This isn't just your fight anymore, we're in this together now."

"It's not going to be easy," Nikita sighed. "Justice is hard to come by in a world like ours."

"But we will get it," Michael insisted. "For Daniel."

"For Elizabeth and Haley." Nikita added. "Kasim was just the first step."

"I know, and that's why I'm staying in Division," Michael said. "You attack it from the outside; I'll attack it from the inside."

"Are you sure?" Nikita asked, she understood Michael's need for revenge.

"I'm positive. I have a higher clearence level than Alex ever will. I can get you mission intel that she never could." Michael hesitated slightly. "I just don't know how I can ever look Percy in the eye again. I trusted him Nikita, even after I knew about all the bad things does, I still trusted him. How can I spend all day pretending to be loyal to a man I despise? I should've listened to you five years ago."

"Stop beating yourself up. None of that matters now, we're together and things are going to be different. We will locate and destroy all the black boxes and Percy will die." Nikita promised. "The days are going to be hard, I guarentee it, but you'll be coming home to me every night."

"It's been so long since I've had a real home." Michael looked Nikita in the eyes and she realized how truly broken he was.

"You have one now. We both do." Nikita and Michael shared a sweet smile, before leaning in for their third kiss that morning. While the other two had been sweet, this one was full of passion, dancing toungues and fluttering hearts. Heat grew between the lovers, and Nikita was surprised when Michael very animalistically pinned her to the bed and trailed kisses down her neck. His mouth attacked her sensitive pulse point, marking her as his. Nikita moaned beneath Michael, his hot breath driving her crazy. When she felt his hands starting to move up her shirt she knew they needed to stop.

"Michael," Nikita breathed. "Division."

"Division doesn't matter now." Michael growled down her neck.

"No, it's not that." Nikita sat up.

"Then what is it?" Michael demanded, slightly concerned.

"I hate to kill the mood, but you really need to get to work." Nikita smiled. "Percy will be suspicious."

"I hate it when you're right." Michael groaned and pulled himself off of Nikita. "I'll come by later."

"I'll kill you if you don't." Nikita placed a chaste kiss on Michael's lips. "You'd better get going."

"Can I get my shirt back?" Michael chuckled and Nikita scowled. She decided to tease him further and seductively began to unbutton the black shirt.

"I must warn you, I'm not wearing anything underneath." Nikita smirked and slowly undid one more button.

"If you keep doing that, I'm never gonna get to work," Michael rolled his eyes as Nikita simply continued to remove the offending garment. "Fine, keep the shirt. I need to head back to my apartment to shower anyways."

"Or you could stay here and we could shower together." Nikita winked suggestively.

"I have to go Nikita." Michael said. "But I'll try and get some new intel."

"And you'll be back here later." Nikita grinned. "Or else."

"As soon as I can." Michael promised, grabbing his coat. "I love you."

"I love you too. Have a good day at work!" Nikita called out, smiling at the domesticness of their dialogue. As Michael left her apartment, Nikita touched the spot on her neck where he had marked her.

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating sooner, gotta love writer's block. I just couldn't get this chapter to turn out the way I wanted it to. As always, reviews are appreciated. Anyways, I hope you noticed that I did change my penname from Amanda16 to no-one-keeps-secrets, which is also my tumblr username.