"They're beautiful", she murmured, grazing the many weapons with the tips of her fingertips. She tapped her blood red lips with a single, graceful finger, eyes roving over the collection of pistols and sniper rifles.

"What do you think, Michael?" she asks, glancing toward him. He was leaning against the glass counter, mindlessly fiddling with his tie.

"Mmm?"

She sighs, exasperated. "For the mission, remember?"

He slowly leans forward, tapping two pistols with a blunt fingernail. "A Beretta 92FS as the baby. They're small, easy to conceal. Maybe a Sig P220 for your main."

"Okay then," she replies. "Wrap 'em up Trev." She brushes her hand against Michael's arm. "I'll wait in the car," she murmurs, before turning and sauntering away.

Her heels click cheerfully away on the hardwood floors. Silently, Trevor eases each pistol into its leather case.

"I assume Percy will...will be covering the costs of Nikita's new tools?" Trevor asks, his hand twitching suspiciously toward the Beretta.

"Don't even think about it, Trev," Michael snarls. "Your payment is me not loading a magazine into your face and Percy keeping your sorry ass out of North Korea's hands."

"Of course…of course, so gracious of Percy to help with my…uh…my predicament." Trevor manages a wan smile before he slides the pistols slowly across the glass counter.

"Always good doing business with you," Michael smiles dangerously, clapping a visually trembling Trevor on the back. He strolls away, chuckling under his breath.

As soon as he settles into the car, Nikita snatches her pistols away from Michael. He arches an eyebrow and she smiles back guiltily.

"I don't get new toys that often," she admits, sliding her fingers delicately over her purchases.

"That's not true. We get in new male recruits all the time," he smiles back.

"You know what I mean. Percy's being a cheap ass."

He pats her bare knee reassuringly. "I know."

The touch shoots up her thigh and she feels alive, every nerve in her body tingling. Already she can sense a warmth and an ache blooming in her stomach. Hurriedly, she jerks her leg away and tightens her arms around the pouches to prevent herself from reaching toward his neck, imagining her hands curling around his cheek, lips brushing against his ear...

Shit. She knew it was wrong. But God, the man just exuded sex. A shiver wrinkled its way up her spine and Michael glanced down at her. She flushed; embarrassed that he had detected the tiny movement. He slid his suit jacket around her shoulders and clamped his arm over her shoulder when she tried to protest.

"Thanks." She said tersely. "You don't have to baby me, I'm not that fragile."

"We wouldn't want you to get sick right before the mission." He tightened his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She sucked in a quick breath and her muscles tightened automatically.

"C'mon, Nik, relax." His hand rubbed comfortingly against her flushed skin. "It'll be another two hours till we get back. You may as well get some sleep. We wouldn't want Amanda to go bawling to Percy about you looking like a panda."

She cocked an eyebrow. "A panda?"

"Yup. A ridiculously thin and furless panda, but a panda nevertheless."

She lightly punches him in the stomach. "Funny. Just cause I'm Asian."

"Shut up and sleep." He brushes a hand to her cheek, massaging in comforting circles.

"Mmm," she replies, already half snoozing. Burrowing herself into Michael's side, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Michael waited until her breathing slowed, until her furrowed eyebrows had smoothed themselves out. He brushed her hair away from her face, and gazed down at the most perfect woman in his world. Her lips were parted, a tiny smile playing across her lips. She was beautiful. He already knew that he was in too deep, but there would never be any turning back. Leaning down, he slowly dusted a kiss over her forehead. Sleep well Nikki.