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Date Posted: 18:15:21 03/24/08 Mon
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: cpe-69-135-186-204.woh.res.rr.com / 69.135.186.204
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapter 47
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 19:42:54 03/19/08 Wed

Chapter 47

“Why do you think you owe me some apology Nikita?” Michael asked her softly.

“How should I begin to answer that? Maybe because I had a madman for a husband and didn’t tell you, or maybe because I put your life in danger and you didn’t even know it. Or should it be because I kept all these secrets from you that no one should ever have to keep. Or maybe because you were…shot...” Her voice broke on the word and as she succumbed to quiet tears. Michael sat beside her and wrapped her in the warmth of his arms.

He held her for a moment as the other occupants of the room waited silently. Finally Michael lifted his head, “Did you really think I didn’t know something was going on with you? I knew that something was hurting you terribly but you kept it so deeply hidden.”

“I had to.” She whispered.

“I know. It’s ok.” He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.

She reached out and touched the bandage on his arm, “Will you really be ok?”

He smiled, “Yes. You can check with Brian if you like.”

She then looked over at Marco, “How about you? Are you going to be ok?”

“I’m obviously indestructible.” he gave her that Marco grin and sarcasm and she had to smile at that.

The look did not go unnoticed by Jasmine who cringed a little inside at the obvious comfort that Marco and Nikita felt with each other. She was fairly certain that Nikita was deeply in love with Michael, but it was just as obvious that Marco had serious feelings for Nikita. Jasmine wanted to smack herself for feeling like she did right now.

“You are a very intuitive man.” Marco directed his comment at Michael. “Most people would not have been able to pick up as much of the scenario as you have.”

“Don’t give me too much credit, I had help from a friend – that I will not name. But he was able to find out a little about David and his organization and I think that his money was actually financing the show that Nikita and I are both in. Although I have no proof of that.”

“We can’t speak in specifics, I think you know that. But your information is valid.” Jasmine told Michael and then turned to Nikita, “Just know at this point that David Fanning is dead and almost all of his organization is now non-existent.”

Michael caught something that he didn’t like at all. “Almost all? What does that mean?”

“My orders are to tell you the truth, all of it. There is still a small rouge faction of the organization that we have not been able to contain. Yet. But know that we have the best people on it and we will take care of the situation as fast as possible.” Jasmine repeated almost word for word what she was told.

“So there is still a threat?” Michael was not pleased at all with this piece of news.

“There is a situation. In the meantime both of you are under our protection until further notice. You will be perfectly safe.” Jasmine tried to be as reassuring to them as possible.

Marco added, “You have the agency’s word on that, and mine.” After a small silence he added, “Nikita I can’t begin to explain everything to you right now that has happened. But I really did try very hard to protect you from all of this.”

Jasmine noticed that his voice was starting to sound tired and she wasn’t surprised after the injuries that he had sustained. “I think it is time I take Marco back to his room for now. There will be time to talk later. Your guards are posted.”

She turned to leave but Nikita’s voice made them stop, “Marco. Jasmine. Thank you, both of you.”

Once they were alone Michael sat on the bed beside Nikita and held her hand as he waited for her to speak.

“I don’t know what to say or even what to think.”

Michael asked her very gently, “Tell me about David.”

She closed her eyes to collect her thoughts and remind herself that he was dead and couldn’t hurt her anymore. Then she began, “He was a monster and I was incredibly young and stupid. I was on my own for the first time in my life when I met David. He was larger-than-life to me at that time. He took me to fancy places, he bought me expensive gifts. He was warm and kind and loving. I thought I had everything that I had ever dreamed of, until I said ‘I do’. Then everything changed.”

“How?”

“The night of our wedding was the first time that he had a fit of anger and hit me. He told me it was because the stress of the day was too terrible and that he would never do it again. Words of apology just flowed from him and the next morning I awoke to a room full of flowers and gifts and breakfast and he showered me with attention. But then I made him angry as soon as we returned from the trip and after that it was constant. I was too late, I was too early, I was too thin, I wasn’t thin enough, I wore the wrong dress, I said the wrong thing…it didn’t matter what it was. Anything could set him off and it did all the time.”

“I tried to leave, even saw an attorney early on. But he was having me followed and he threatened to kill anyone else that I tried to see. I couldn’t have friends, couldn’t call anyone, he had to know where I was and what I was doing all the time. I constantly had a shadow.”

She paused and took a deep breath, then continued, “Then one night I thought I had lost the guy following me and I tried to run. David found me of course and I paid heavily for that. I decided then that he was going to have to kill me because I couldn’t live my life that way and I wouldn’t. That was when I met Marco. He was my ‘watcher’ one night.”

Michael had to ask the question that was on his mind, he had seen the way that Marco looked at Nikita, “Did you have an affair with him?”

“What?” Nikita couldn’t believe that Michael would think that and at first she was indignant. But then she reasoned that considering everything that had happened Michael was well within his bounds asking the question. “No. My friendship with Marco was never about that. He saved me Michael, he got me out. Now I am beginning to understand why after all this time. I never understood before why he took that chance.”

Michael heard the slight tinge of bitterness in her voice that she felt about being deceived by Marco. But Michael knew, he just somehow knew, that Marco was a good man and truly never wanted to hurt Nikita, he was willing to give up his life for her. “Well, I thank god that he did take that chance. Or I wouldn’t have you with me now.”

She looked into his green eyes with all the love that she had for him shining in her blue ones. She loved him so deeply and now there were no secrets between them anymore. She was actually free to love this man. She reached out her arms and held him close to her feeling his warmth and love as she savored the moment.

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