Chapter 224 -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 01:22:09 03/22/12 Thu
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: CPE-58-161-104-139.kybq1.win.bigpond.net.au / 58.161.104.139
Subject: Chapter 224
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "Next couple of chapters of The Rising Dragons" on 22:14:22 03/09/12 Fri

Chapter 224

What Michael had previously imagined in his mind's eye about Nikita had uncannily proved to be very close to the truth. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept; her breathing was steady but to his ears it was still a little shallow. Walking around the gurney, he leisurely trailed his hand along the starched white sheet covering her body. As he gazed down at her, the temptation of being so close to his love after not seeing or touching her for several days, suddenly became too much. He longed to take away the hurt and pain. Unable to stop himself, Michael tenderly slid his fingers across her temple and down the side of Nikita�s features re-familiarizing himself with her contours. When he traced the welts on her bruised face, his fingers lingered ever so gently over the black and blue reminders of what she had suffered.

Michael ached to kiss her better � to swathe her face with healing kisses that would erase the horrendous memories of the mission. His gaze caressed Nikita�s eyes � her cheeks � until his eyes rested on her parted lips. His heart skipped a beat. Desire gripped him and he capitulated. Bending his head, Michael pressed his mouth tenderly to hers. Nikita�s lips yielded a little under the pressure of his kiss, but he had to pull away before he surrendered completely � before he was totally lost to the overwhelming urge to gather Nikita up into his arms.

Breaking the kiss, Michael moved his lips to her ear whispering her name like a prayer as they softly brushed the outline of her ear.

�Ni-ki-ta��

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nikita shuddered immediately recognising an all too familiar voice crooning soothingly near her ear and stirred in her sleep at the sound of her name. She could have sworn that she could hear Michael�s voice ... and feel his touch. A soft, peaceful sigh of recognition echoed on her lips.

�Mmmm.�

Fingers soothed her brow and lightly caressed her face with tenderness and concern. His touch comforted her but it was all too brief � then � it was gone.

She must be dreaming.

Like Michael, she would have moved heaven and earth to be near him, but she�d been unable to visit him this time because of her own injuries. Nevertheless, Nikita�s images of Michael were as vivid as if she was there in his room right now beside him to comfort and support him. Her subconscious was willing him to be here � near to her � but she knew he was unable to leave ICU because he was badly injured as well. However, in her mind�s eye she could visualise him and a hundred times over she had done just that.

Having visited Michael in Medical on numerous occasions when he�d been injured on previous missions she had a kaleidoscope of images to recall.

He was dressed in the standard white undershirt that operatives wore in the infirmary. She�d stood by his bed and watched as Michael had slept never knowing if he knew she was there or not. Somehow she believed that he did know. Nevertheless, it was comforting for her to see him with her own eyes. Michael always seemed so different in repose. The cold Section operative had gone and in his place she saw a vulnerable man, the man she loved ... the one who had gone to great lengths to find and rescue her

Nikita�s eyes fluttered as her mind remembered all that Michael had done and all that he had endured in his effort to retrieve her.

They had been to hell and back. Knowing what Michael has risked and the consequences of his actions to save her was something she could never forget. They had a bond that was indomitable � a unique understanding that had grown from a mentor and material to so much more. It was a bond that Madeline and Operations could not understand. It worried them to the point where they placed obstacles in their way to try and fracture their relationship. What doesn�t kill you makes you stronger was the adage and they lived that mantra every time they were on a dangerous mission and lived to return to Section One. Resilience also made you stronger � but she knew it was Michael�s love that now really made the difference. The bonds that tie could not be broken. Nikita wondered if Madeline and Operations would ever come to realise this.

She never thought she would say it ... but to say that she was relieved that they were back in Section was an understatement. She was just happy that they were alive and got the chance to live another day ... even if it was here in Section One.

Walter and Birkoff had told her how Michael�s recovery was coming, but hearing wasn�t seeing. Hearing merely visualised her fears and concerns about his welfare � seeing was the tangible component. It was what she needed to reassure herself that their words were true and not just pandering to her to waylay her anxiety. Walter had said that the bullet went right through Michael�s chest and had caused some major damage. Tears welled in her eyes knowing that he must be in pain, although with Michael you just never knew. His threshold was phenomenal and he would never let it be known how much he was hurting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Michael saw a tiny tear trickle from Nikita�s eye and slowly make its journey down her cheek. With the pad of his thumb, he brushed the tear away then placed a flutter of kisses to the path the tear had travelled.

What was she dreaming about? Whatever it was was obviously causing her distress.

Tentatively Michael sat on her bed; he reached out his hand and held hers. Lost in his thoughts he unconsciously stroked the skin of her hand with his fingers and waited for Nikita to wake up.

He suddenly had a sick feeling in his stomach. Michael was filled with a horrifying feeling of helplessness, for her and also for himself as well ... both of them had endured horrendous torture at the hands of the triad. How long would the scars remain? Not the outward scars but those inside. He would recover but he wasn�t so sure about Nikita. His beautiful Nikita had endured more than any operative should. This time had been far, far worse that when Dominic had tortured her. Only time would tell if he could help her forget.

Nikita�s condition seemed to have stabilized, but that was of little comfort in the face of what she had endured at the hands of Andy Koo of the Rising Dragons. She would need time to recover. He knew her personality inside and out. Nikita was different to other Section operatives � she had a heart and the one thing that Madeline and Operations wanted to drum out of her � compassion. This mission would have affected her to the core. He was sure that whatever was going on inside her head was going to affect her recovery unless he could do something about it. She needed to be away from this place and the horrible memories of their time at the Rising Dragons� base.

Nikita needed to be surrounded with love.

She needed his love.

How long would it be until they were in a position to capture the perpetrators and bring them to Section justice? They�d been in Medical for several days now. He knew that Madeline and Operations would be expecting a speedy recovery so that they could go back out into the field. The Rising Dragons� triad members had escaped. In Operations� eyes this meant that the mission was a failure and hence they were a failure too. Containment of the enemy was the ultimate goal and this was not achieved. Section was back at square one. A new mission scenario would have to be profiled when they were able to establish where Sun Yee Lok and the other triad members were. This could take time, but it was the one saving grace that he needed to see that both he and Nikita recovered fully. It was the only way for them to see the Rising Dragons end game to its conclusion. Madeline and Operations knew this, however much they were in denial.

He had an urgency to make sure that what Dr Johnson had proposed to Madeline happened for the both of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

�Mmmm.�

The sound of Nikita rousing brought him back to the present. When he heard her take a deep breath, Michael opened his eyes and stood up next to the side of her bed. Without releasing her hand he reached out his other to caress her forehead, his face close to hers. So close he could smell the scent of her warm skin.

Nikita felt the gentle hand stroke her temple. She roused a little more.

�Mmmm.�

Her quivering moan caused the blood to rush to Michael�s face. His eyes travelled tenderly all over her features.

"Ssshhh ... Nikita ... It�s me.�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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