A/N: Once again really appreciate the reviews. *wipes the tears from my eye*


"His name is Nicholas Wolfwood. Preacher who supports an orphanage. Infamous for being a very dangerous man. Anyone who encounters him usually doesn't come back the same man he was before. The small amount of information we have is that he used to be an assassin. We can assume this is true because of his history." Jack stared at the back of Bronze's chair nervously. He would not be pleased with this news.

"And you haven't been able to find them?"

"No sir. They've gone in to hiding. We have people in every town within a hundred-mile radius of where we saw them last. We don't think that Nick will be making any more donations to his orphanage because it received very large donations from a business chain. That's a dead end."

"She's scared, that's good." Bronze rubbed his hands together as he stared at the screen in front of him. "She'll be more careful because she's scared, but that's fine. One of them will slip up eventually so I want all efforts to be increased. I won't allow this man to run around with my woman, to even breathe in her presence. They'll both pay dearly though I can't decide yet who will pay more. Now get out of my face and find them."

"Yes sir." Jack turned and left the office, happy to get out of Bronze's company before he decided to take his anger out on him.

Bronze picked up a picture of Mika, stared at it. "You belong to me and you know it. We'll be reunited soon Mika. I have everything planned so it will only be a matter of time."


"You're going to have to move quicker than that, Mika. There is no telling how much firepower and how many men Bronze will send after you. He's preparing to strike and he'll come at you with everything. That means you'll have to be quick and fast thinking if you want to stay alive." The training was going well. Nick was pushing Mika to her limits whenever he got the chance. She was a fast learner and pretty soon she might be as good with guns as he was. Maybe.

"You don't have to tell me that Nick, I know it already. I have known it for many years." Mika sat and drank some water. She moved her shoulders, trying to relax. She was getting restless because of the anticipation, tired of waiting for Bronze to make a move, tired of wondering with fear what would be next. She and Nick had done nothing more than practice and train for many days. She'd been doing everything to try to prepare herself and she was tired of it.

"Well don't get an attitude with me, I'm just trying to help." Nick watched as Mika got up and walked away. "Where are you going? We're not finished."

"We are finished damnit. I'm going to go work out for a few hours."

Nick caught up to her and grabbed her arm to turn her to face him. "Look, I don't give a rats ass about this little attitude you have. You need to focus on using that gun a little better especially when you don't know how long you have time to learn how to do so. I suggest you adjust your attitude and get with the program."

"And I suggest you take your hands off me before I kick your ass. You're starting to piss me off and I don't give a damn what you think I should do about my attitude. So why don't you just go fuck yourself for a few hours so I can be alone?" She pulled her arm away and stalked off to the weight room.

Nick stared after her for a few moments, equally pissed. Then decided to go work some of his own anger off.

When Nick returned a few hours later, he was still angry. Apparently so was Mika. He watched as she took her anger out on a punching bag. She was soaked with sweat, her breathing was fast, and yet her punches kept coming with full force as if she wasn't tired. She moved quickly, skillfully, proving that though she was strong, she was all woman. If he wasn't so angry, he would have been very aroused. He cursed and stepped inside to use the treadmill. Ignoring her and not thinking, he set the speed to high as the machine began to run. After awhile he began coughing because of the lack of air in his lungs. Falling off, he collapsed to ground and tried to catch his breath.

Mika walked over to him and tossed a bottle of water in his lap. She turned off the treadmill and stared down at him. "That's what you get for smoking so damn much."

"Why don't you go back to your punching bag? I don't feel like hearing your mouth."

"Fuck you."

"I already have." He got to his feet and stared at her. She was glaring from his last comment; he could swear he saw fire in her eyes. "Good fuck too." Nick grinned when she charged at him and skillfully stepped aside. He wasn't quick enough to dodge the backhand, didn't see it coming in fact, so he stepped back in shock. He regained his senses in time to dodge more incoming punches. Then he grabbed her hands and pulled them behind her back as he pushed her against a wall.

She stared at him, angry and hurt, as she struggled to catch her breath. He too was breathing heavily. She tried to knee him in the groin but he anticipated and stepped back in time. When he pulled her arms tighter behind her back she let out a small cry of pain. "You're hurting me bastard! Get your hands off of me!"

"Shut the hell up. You can be angry all you want, you have a right to be. But you have no right to be angry with me. I'm not Bronze, Mika, you remember that." Nick pushed her away and walked off, leaving Mika to slid down to the floor and cry.


Mika took her time in the shower. She needed time to pull herself together before she spoke to Nick. When she came out of the bathroom, she found him putting blankets on the couch and preparing to go to bed. "What are you doing Nick?"

He didn't bother to turn around. "I'm getting ready to go to bed." He fluffed some pillows, still trying to calm himself down.

"On the couch? Why?"

"Because I don't feel like sleeping with you tonight." He turned to face her then, got a good look at her and forgot he was angry. "What's wrong?" He quickly came to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" She stared up at him.

"You've been crying. Your eyes are still puffy and the red isn't quite gone." When she looked away he pulled her into his arms.

"I didn't think you would notice." She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I'm just so frustrated at living like this. Having to work to protect myself from some spoiled brat with too much power. Having to wait without knowing what's going to happen. I hate this."

Nick held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I know it's hard but you have to take it one day at a time. We'll be ready for him when he comes. I'll be right by your side the entire time. I won't let you do this alone Mika, I'm here for you."

"Will you come to bed with me?"

"Yeah." He followed her to her bedroom and climbed in the bed. She lay across his chest, fell asleep almost immediately. Nick stared at the ceiling and waited for the ache in his heart to go away. He was loosing his mind. He was starting to care about this woman too much, no, he already cared too much. He hurt because she did. He wasn't afraid like she was, but afraid for her. And damnit, he was falling in love with her. But he knew all emotion had to be put aside. First things first, Nick thought. He had to get rid of the one thing that stood between him and Mika.