Everything on the mission turned out wrong. Many operatives were captured, others killed, some of the explosives didnīt go off, other went off too soon, a real disaster. Michael couldnīt find Nikita, she was not responding to his messages.She was supposed to set some of the charges, and he hadnīt heard from her since the explosions had occured.

Michael was still in the compound, and he could hear Birkoff yelling "Michael, get out of there NOW!!!". But he wouldnīt leave, not without knowing where Nikita was and if she was safe.

He was looking desperately all over for her, with no success, but suddently he heard a very soft sound in his com unit. It was like a moan, and he asked "Nikita. Is that you."

"Nikita". But there was no response. He could still hear the moan though, so he asked again "Nikita", and a very low broken voice said "Mi...chael...".

"Nikita, where are you. Are you ok?". No response.

"NIKITA", he said louder. Again he heard a voice saying "Mi..chael.... help me...", he was sure that was Nikita, and from her voice he could tell she was in really bad shape.

"I need to know where you are, can you tell me". "Nikita, look around and tell me what do you see".

"NIKITA", he called louder.

"I..... donīt know.....thereīs....fire..... please....... help me".

"Can you see anything else Nikita?"

........"NIKITA". But there was no response this time, he was so terrified that his worth fear would come true, that he would lose Nikita for good this time. He was desperately trying to find her, looking everywhere were he saw fire, but it was all over the place now. But he wasnīt going to give up, heīd either find Nikita and get her out of there with her, or he would die trying.

At last, he saw some blonde hair showing in between a pile of logs that went down due to the explosion. He knew it was her, but he didnīt even dare to get closer, fearing what he might find. He cleared the blonde hair away from her face, and he saw her, lying there so pale and still. "Nikita", he called, but there was no answer. He checked for her pulse, and he thanked God she was still alive, barely anyway.

Her pulse was so weak, and she was hardly breathing. He was almost paralized from seing her like this, but quickly got over the impression and started working on moving the logs that were over her, before the fire that was making the heat in there almost unbearable, got to her, and it was too late.

Carefully, but as fast as he could, he removed all the logs over Nikita, with an unbelievable strength. When he finally had removed them, he gently picked her up in his arms, with such tenderness that it seemed as if he couldnīt notice anything else but her. But the fire was quickly advancing towards them, so he had to move fast. There was no easy was out, every exit was blocked by wooden logs or fire. "Iīll find a way out Kita, donīt worry, everything will be ok", he talked to himself.

After a while of looking around, he found a tunnel. He didnīt know where it would take them, but he had no time to think now. So, he carried her through the tunnel, for about half an hour, till he finally saw a way out.

It was so dark and cold outside, he found himself in the middle of a forest, and all he could see besides the trees, was snow covering everything. He needed a shelter, but where would he find one. With all this, he forgot how weak Nikita was, and decided to check on her.

Her pulse was dropping quickly, and her breathing was almost unnoticeable. With horror he noticed that Nikitaīs clothes were covered with blood, her blood. He checked her, and he saw she had been shot in the shoulder, and had lost too much blood. He was starting to lose it, what would he do, in the middle of a forest covered with snow, with no shelter, no way to contact Section, and Nikitaīs life slipping away right in front of him. He needed to do something and fast....

************

Michael knew he couldnīt stay in that tunnel, it was the only way out of the compound, and if anybody was still alive in there, they would surely use it. He slowly started walking, he had to do something, but what??

Not knowing where to go, he kept walking, talking softly to Nikita, repeating "Itīll be ok Kita, itīll be ok". Suddenly, he took another step, and they both fell into a hole. It was like a small shelter, and he didnīt see it cause it was covered with some branches and snow.

It wasnīt too deep, just enough for them to stay there for a while. So he covered the hole again with the branches, and he started a small fire, so they could warm up.

Now he could check on Nikita, she was still breathing, but it was a very shallow breathing. He knew the first thing he had to do, was to stop the bleeding, and take out the bullet, but he couldnīt do that now, he had nothing to do it with. So, he decided to leave the bullet there for a while, and just stop the bleeding. She had already lost too much blood. He started applying pressure to the wound, he looked at her and saw her eyes were half open.

She tried to ask "Wh...", but he stopped her "Donīt talk Nikita, save your strength". "But.... " Nikita started again, and he explained "The mission was a complete disaster Kita, you have been shot, I managed to find a way out, and now weīre inside a hole under the snow".

She moaned in pain, and Michael said "Iīm sorry Kita, I need to stop the bleeding". "Section....." Nikita asked. "Thereīs no way to contact them Kita, I have no tracker, and yours was removed by Adrian".

"Chernov..." she said weakly, "Right. You had a tracker on your arm for that mission, and it wasnīt removed". Nikita nodded silently. Michael gently touched her arm, looking for the tracker, till he found it and activated it. "Now Kita, I know youīre in a lot of pain, but can you tell me where is the pain worse".

Her eyes filled with tears, she was so scared, she couldnīt even feel her body. Then she just closed her eyes, without saying another word. Michael was terrified, she felt for her pulse, and there was none. She wanīt breathing either.

"Kita, please donīt do this to me, donīt leave me now". "Kita, please...... You canīt leave me...... I.....love you". He started giving her CPR, desperately trying to save her, praying that it would work, and after a few minutes, that to Michael seemed endless, she started to cough and breathe again. He held her tight, and said "Hang on Kita, just a little longer".

A couple of hours after that, he heard a noise outside, and he carefully went to check it out. He couldnīt believe his eyes, it was one of Sectionīs vans. He gently picked up Nikita, and hurried to the van, where a Med team was waiting, and inmediately took care of her. He never let her hand go during all the way back to Section.

When they arrived, the doctors were running all over the place, and rushed Nikita into the OR. Michael waited for hours, before he knew anything, it was driving him crazy.

Finally, a doctor came out and said "Sheīs in really bad shape Michael. She lost a lot of blood, the bullet infecting the wound, she had some broken ribs that punctured one lung, so she had an internal hemorragy as well". Michael could barely contain his emotions. The doctor continued "We were able to stop the bleeding, but the next hours are critical".

She was taken to a room, and Michael never moved from her side for the next 3 days. During all those days, she never opened her eyes. and Michael held her hand all the time, but exhaustion won, and he fell asleep beside her. After a few hours, her eyes slowly started to open, looking around, she realized she was back at Section, and she saw Michael sleeping, with her head lying over her bed.

She carefully moved her arm, and gently brushed her hand through Michaelīs face. He woke up inmediately, and he could no longer hold his blank stare, while he looked at her. He couldnīt believe that those beautiful blue eyes that he though he would never see again, were staring at him. He held her hand, and brushed his lips over it in a gentle kiss.

She asked "Did you miss me?" giving him a weak smile. Michael, still not over the shock of seeing her awake, said "Donīt you ever do that to me again Kita, promise".

She answered "Well.......if thatīs what it takes for you to tell me that you love me.....", and she gave him a sweet smile.

The End.

This story Đ Copyright NIK, 1999