| Eternal Love |
| Several months later Nikita and Michael were sitting in the same restaurant they'd gone too after the whole ridiculous behavior with Flavia. She was doing well in her training and her numbers were high for that of a recruit of her status--especially one that was on probation. However, it was not just Michael and Nikita that would be having dinner tonight. Flavia would be joining them shortly. Section was so pleased with her numbers that they were graduating her from training early. "It'll be ok" Michael assured her. "I know" Nikita faked a smile. "It's just that every time I have to do this I remember how I went through it" she explained sadly. Michael studied her downcast face for several seconds before his hand came to her chin forcing her to look at him. "I loved you even then Kita" he said as his mouth came down onto hers in a soft whisper of a kiss. Nikita smiled only Michael could make her feel sad one minute and the happiest woman on earth the next. "Get a room!" A voice was heard. Nikita looked up glaring at the younger woman. Michael however, remained passive. "Sit down" he offered. She couldn't very well refuse in a restaurant so she flopped herself down into the chair very un-lady like with her knees spread out like the tomboy she used to be. Michael remembered similar behavior from Nikita. He ignored it. She would come to respect authority and those above her in time just as Nikita had. "Why are we in a French restaurant?" She demanded. "You know I don't like French food and French is my worst language." "Precisely" Nikita answered her. "You will be ordering for all of us in French and you will learn to like the food in time" "What?" Flavia screeched. "I thought tonight was not section related!" She argued. "Sit down" Nikita said through clenched teeth as the young operative stood up. Flavia remained standing defiantly. "Do you need some help?" Nikita asked sweetly. The girl plopped down at that remembering a similar standoff between her and her female trainer. 'She had been on a training mission when Nikita had ordered her to stand down from a fight that Nikita was ensuing in hand to hand combat. She had disobeyed thinking Nikita was in trouble and just didn't want to admit it. Within seconds a second hostile had had a knife at her throat. Luckily, Michael had been but a few seconds away and had been able to disarm the man with minimal injury to her. When they had returned to Section Nikita had said that since she wanted to disobey then she could do so in a sim and suffer the consequences. The sim had run for 6 straight hours before it had shut off. Michael smiled at the far away look on Flavia's face. He remembered clearly some of the harsher steps that Nikita had taken with her. Even harsher than he had been with her but he knew it wasn't personal for her. She wanted her to become a good operative and she knew from experience that the harder you came down on recruits the better they would be. "May I take your order?" A female waitress asked snapping Flavia out of her stance. Michael and Nikita ordered their meals smoothly in experienced French while Flavia decided which item on the menu was going to be the easiest to order in French. She finally decided and let it slide off her tongue easily as the waitress went to retrieve the wine of their choice. Michael looked at her disapprovingly. "Taking the easy way out is not good protocol. If you make it a habit it will get you killed" he reprimanded her. Flavia shrugged carelessly. "Michael," she began. "My numbers are better than any recruit's in here so why should I worry?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "That is nothing to gloat about" Nikita told her sternly. "Until your numbers are better than Michael's and mine, I suggest you keep that overrated ego to yourself." Flavia glared at her and Nikita simply smiled. "We have a present for you" Michael told her. Flavia raised an eyebrow, "You? Bought me a present? Who made a new holiday and didn't tell me?" She asked. "Nikita smiled, "It is a holiday" she told her as the younger operative opened the present revealing her new section issue gun. "The woman behind us has a folder of highly confidential stolen papers. Retrieve them." Michael ordered. "You have 5 minutes to get to the car or it will leave without you." Flavia just sat there staring in shock. It took her several minutes to register what Michael and Nikita had just done. "Well, she'd show them. She'd graduate recruit school if it killed her. Which it just very might could' she smirked as she stood up to begin the mission. |
| Part 19 |