Author's note: This chapter is rated Mature for explicit and graphic content.

For the second time in their relationship, Nika woke up before Agent 47 and decided to seize the opportunity before her. Making sure not to stir him, she pulled down the comforter and his boxers to his knees then removed massage oil from her drawer. After squeezing the oil into her hand, she gently kissed his lips and began stroking him.

His eyes snapped open when he realized what she was doing to him.

She held his face with her free hand and continued to kiss him, "Just enjoy."

The pleasure she was giving him was unexpected but welcomed. Her warm wet hand made him experience a new level of exhilaration. He moaned, "Nikaaa..Don't.."

She felt disappointed but asked, "What?"

He managed to finish his sentence and lifted his hips into her hand, "Don't stop."

Smiling she answered, "Never give me a reason to and I won't."

His hands gripped her face. As he succumbed to her touch his mouth fervently met with hers.

"Good morning!" she pressed her forehead against his and watched him breathe.

With a wide smile he said, "Indeed."

She sweetly giggled and kissed him.

After pulling up his boxers, he lifted his long muscular body over her but didn't break their kiss.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Making sure," he began to say as he pulled down the comforter off her body, "that you also have a 'Good Morning'" he grinned up at her.

A lustful look came across her face as she parted her legs for him, "Show me."

Using his mouth, he pulled down her panties purposely dragging his teeth against her flesh.

A soft sigh came from her when she felt his lips planting gentle kisses on her inner thighs. She arched her back and groaned his name the instant his mouth began making love to her.

The few worries he had about his technique disappeared after he heard sounds of satisfaction come from her mouth and felt her body writhe underneath him. Even though she clawed her nails into the back of his head, he continued to taste her. Nothing was going to stop him from pleasing his true love, not even a little pain.

Tears filled her eyes when she felt him remove her hands from his head and take them into his. Another tremor of bliss flowed through her body as his skilled lips and tongue continued to work their magic on her.

He knew it was only seconds before the inevitable would happen. At that moment he decided to enhance her pleasure and moaned into her. As her body yielded to him he lovingly lapped up her nectar.

The intensity of ecstasy coursing through her veins seemed surreal yet she knew that her fantasies of him had paled in comparison to the glorious reality of their lovemaking. When he returned to her side she tried to catch her breath and smiled at him.

"Frank?"

"Yes?" He looked at her with expectant eyes.

"I'm going to build you a fucking library!" she joked and chuckled in between breaths.

Her words were a mix of the new and old Nika bold yet caring; a perfect combination. He laughed and touched her dragon tattoo. When it registered with him what he had done, he smiled and fell deeper in love with her.

The sound of his laughter stunned her, it was first time she ever heard him make such a noise. She considered it an honor to be the only person to bring him such happiness and held that knowledge close to her heart and soul.

"Come on," she took his hands and led them off the bed, "we need to take a shower!"

"Just a shower?" He teased her.

She smirked, "Yes..and then some."

Dressed in their bathrobes, they headed for the dual sinks moving through the fading steam. She sat in between the sinks and watched as he prepared to shave his head and face.

"May I?" She held out her hand when he picked up the straight edge razor.

The only other person who shaved his head was one of his instructors at The School. Never once had he allowed another person to take part in his usual morning routine until that moment. He handed her the razor.

As she softly brushed the cool blade against his head she asked, "Have you ever thought about growing out your hair?"

After a few seconds he told her, "Yes."

"Why don't you then?"

"Force of habit."

"I think you'd look even more handsome if you did," she rinsed the blade under the running faucet.

"You do?"

"Yes, your face is perfect and your head doesn't look like a cone," she smiled.

He rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, you should consider it. Your head would be warmer and I'd have something to run my fingers through and the scratches that I leave on the back of your head can't be seen. Sorry about that but you were incredible this morning," she winked at him.

"It's all right," he absently touched her tattoo.

"Anyway, it's only a suggestion."

"I'll think about it."

"Good. So..today I'm taking the girls to the aquarium, we've all wanted to go for some time now. Would you like to come with us?"

Like her and her daughters, he too had never been to an aquarium and wanted to share the experience with them.

"You still with me?" She playfully asked him.

"Sorry. I'll go," he nodded.

With a small smile she said, "Fantastic! We're leaving after breakfast. Today is Carl's day off so we'll be driving."

"I'll drive," he told her.

"How gentlemanly of you," she then shaved his face and continued to speak, "Just like how you first bought me breakfast then threw it at me."

He gave her an irritable stare.

With a roll of her eyes she explained, "I'm kidding! And I'm done," she set down the razor and placed her arms around his chest.

"Thank you," he kissed her.

"You're very welcome. In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time today and tonight."

His dark eyebrows furrowed, "You stole that line."

"What?" She knew he was right.

"From Pretty Woman," he told her.

"Shit," she cursed then her eyes became large, "Wait, you saw Pretty Woman?"

"I just finished an assignment and it was on TV.."

"Still..it's a movie for women," she lifted her chin and arched one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows.

"Nika."

"Yes."

"Drop it or I'll get my gag."

She let go of him and slid off the sink, "You nympho! We don't have time for foreplay we have plans today!" The bathroom was filled with sound of her melodic laughter.

He sighed then smirked and held onto her waist allowing her to lead him out of the bathroom.

"The jellyfish are so pretty!" Mai said as she held up the camcorder to the glass.

"They're also dangerous," Nika told her.

"Only if they're in water with predators," Agent 47 told them.

"How do you know that?" Madison asked as she looked up at him.

"I read it," he answered.

"Yes, Frank reads a lot," Nika winked at him.

"Why?" Mai asked him.

"Because it's proven to be very beneficial," he said while giving Nika a brief yet ravenous stare.

"It has," his lover replied and tightened her grip on his hand as they continued to walk.

"Manatees, wow they're HUGE!" Mai exclaimed.

"They are called sea cows for a reason," Madison stated with a nod.

One of the aquarium's guides approached them, "They're a family. We rescued them because where they lived they were being killed off. They've been through a lot together. All they have is each other."

Nika's heart nearly skipped a beat when she saw Agent 47 rest his hand on Mai's shoulder. Mai smiled at him and he did the same.

As a family, they continued to walk through the aquarium and marveled at the ocean's many creatures.

After Nika and Madison excused themselves from the lunch table, Mai swallowed the bit of sandwich in her mouth and looked across the table at Agent 47.

"Are you gonna marry Karina?" The 12-year-old casually asked him.

Her question caught him off guard but he remained calm and set down his drink, "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "I don't know..I was just wondering. You're Karina's boyfriend and I've never had a dad before-I mean I did I just never met him. My mom, she got angry whenever I asked about him so I tried not to. She's in a mental hospital now. I don't..I don't like going there so I don't." her almond eyes looked at him with anticipation and a trace of sadness.

He felt for her, "I'm sorry that she's sick."

She gave him a small grin, "It's ok; she was born that way. Anyway, are you gonna propose?"

"Did Karina say something to you?"

"No, I just thought that you'd make a great dad," she smiled.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "You do?"

"Yeah! You're nice to us, you make a lot of money, you know how to protect us, and you love Karina. So…are you?"

He felt complimented by her words but was unsure how to answer her. The issue of marriage had yet to be discussed by he and Nika, "Thank you, Mai but..that's between Karina and I."

"Well, I think you should do it. I mean I'm tired of Robert saying that you two should stop living in sin and Elaine telling him to stop saying that whenever you come home. He also says he's tired of avoiding the second floor late at night because he doesn't want to hear you guys having-.." she was cut off by him.

"Mai?"

"Yes Frank?"

"Eat your sandwich," he flatly told her then grinned. He found her talkativeness to be endearing. It reminded him of Nika.

"OK!" she shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. With a full mouth she said, "I still think you should do it."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," he gently scolded her.

"See! That's a total 'dad' thing to say and sorry," she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Her innocent and sweet behavior brought a smile to his face. He brushed a strand of her raven hair away from her face and behind her ear.

Like the gentleman that he is, Agent 47 opened the car door for Nika once they arrived at the restaurant. Her high heels softly tapped against the pavement when she took his arm and stood up. She adjusted the straps on the black Gucci gown she wore and beamed when she saw where they were.

"I read about this restaurant in Vanity Fair! It's so beautiful and it's right next to the ocean. I can't believe we're here!" she said as she linked arms with him.

"I read that article too," he told her while wearing a grin, "let's get inside."

During dinner she spoke of what has happened in her and her daughters lives since he had left. Every time he responded with a thoughtful answer she had to remind herself who he was and how far he had come since their first dinner at the Galata Tower restaurant. She purposely avoided asking him about his assignments. The image of him murdering people was not something she wanted in her mind, at least not during dinner. The vision of him coldly dispatching of his rival assassins at the train station in Russia was still burned into her brain. However she did inquire about the countries he worked in. Much to her astonishment, he actually visited a few of the landmarks.

"Japan sounds amazing, I'd love go there some day so would the girls," she stated before taking a swig of wine from her glass.

"I'd enjoy taking all of you..When I can." he told her.

She set her glass down and asked the question that had been in her mind since his last visit, "What was your first thought the first time you saw me?"

Without missing beat he said, "I didn't know who you were."

"Come on, you know what I mean," she lifted her chin and gave him a half smile.

"You said 'First thought' and that was it," he explained to her.

Her green eyes playfully rolled, "Fine, what was your second thought?"

It took him a few seconds to muster up the courage to reveal the truth to her, he knew that he had to, "You were the most stunning target I had ever seen."

His admission made her feel loved and her mouth curled into a smile, "You really thought that?"

"Absolutely," he assured her and reached into his pocket.

"You hid it well," she reached across the table and held his hand.

As his thumb lightly brushed against hers, he placed a small velvet box on the table and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

In her chest, she felt her heart freeze while she took the velvet box into her hands, "I-I didn't get you anything.."

"Today was enough. Open it," he told her as he leaned forward and watched her beautiful face light up.

"This is like the ring I gave you except," she picked up the platinum band and saw a red symbol engraved in its interior, "That's the symbol on your cufflinks and weapons."

He gave her a slight nod, "It's the Organization's insignia. In a way, I owe them."

She didn't understand him, "They want you dead."

With quiet conviction he opened himself to her and heard his voice briefly quiver, "You're the only good thing that they brought into my life."

Amorous tears welled up in her eyes once his words reached her heart; she then placed the ring on her left ring finger. She got up from her seat, sat on his lap and held his face as he took a hold of her waist. Her hands brought his lips to hers and she softly kissed her hitman.

He savored the taste of her kiss and the feel of her body against his.

"Excuse me, sir. We have a strict code of conduct.." Their waiter said to them.

Without breaking their kiss, he reached into his pocket and held up a hundred dollar bill.

The waiter took the bill then told them, "Proceed," and quickly left.

After joining Agent 47 underneath the comforter, Nika said to him, "Today was a very good day."

"It was. The girls seemed happy," he replied.

"They were," she nodded. Then asked the question that normal couples usually discussed and knew that she shouldn't avoid it, "How is work?"

His eyes were filled with reluctance.

Sensing his hesitation she said, "I'm not interfering, I'm asking. That's what normal couples do."

He knew she had a valid point.

"If you don't want-.." she began to say before he cut her off.

"I found out my birthday and place of birth," he finally said.

Surprised, she asked him, "How?"

"I spoke to my former handler, Diana."

"Can you trust her?"

"Yes. She..she saved my life on that night that I took you from Belicoff's apartment. She informed me of The Organization's betrayal."

"Really?"

"Yes. I barely escaped INTERPOL and the FSB."

She was grateful to Diana but wanted to know more, "So..when is your birthday?"

"April 7th. I was born in Chicago, Illinois," a hint of pride was on his face and in his voice.

"Just days after mine! That's wonderful!" She was glad to hear that he had a birthday and birthplace like a real person.

"There's more.." He decided not to tell her about Agent 18 because he knew that she would side with Diana and discourage him from taking on such a dangerous assignment.

"What?"

"On my last assignment the target was a pedophile. He kept three young boys," he remembered how disgusted and shocked he felt when he saw Edward's victims.

The sadness she saw in him was a first and she understood it, "That sick bastard! I hope that you made his death painful and slow," she said with a big nod.

"I did."

"Of course."

"Before that, the last target was an attorney. He beat his wife in front of his kids, cheated on her and did drugs with his clients."

"He sounded like a piece of shit that deserved to die!" Nika passionately commented.

"You're right."

"I am?"

"Yes."

She never heard him pass judgment on his targets before, "You hated those men."

With tip of his head he answered, "I did."

"You cared about what they did to people."

"They were horrible to their loved ones."

"And how did that make you feel?"

It was easy for him to speak to her especially about his work, "Like I needed to do more than just kill them."

"What did you do?"

"I sent the attorney's wife and her kids things from their home. I called the police after killing the pedophile. His victims returned home to their families."

Hearing his acts of kindness towards the victims made her love him more. His compassion and humanity extended beyond her and her loved ones. He was a different man. She moved closer to him and spoke.

"You did what was right."

He nodded then shook his head, "Him and the last target, I don't understand.."

"What?"

"How they could be so cruel to children?"

The pained expression on his face pulled at her heart, "There are evil people in this world. They can't be changed. But you," she held his face, "You are not one of them."

"I kill people," he sounded and felt vulnerable.

With her forehead pressed against his she gazed into his dark eyes and spoke to him in a reassuring tone, "In a perfect world, you wouldn't have to but that's not how things are. You have to do what you can to help people sometimes it's legal and other times it's not. But it doesn't make it wrong as long as you help someone else. I am proud of what you have done. You are a good man, never forget that."

Her words shocked yet comforted him because he knew she was being honest. The meaning behind them showed how far she had come when it came to accepting him and what he did for a living. At that moment, he had no doubts that she was meant to be his. No one other woman would love and embrace him for the man that he once was and had become.

She saw a range of emotions running through him and asked, "Are you ok?"

He smiled and kissed her.

His kiss prompted her to show him how much she loved him. With a small amount of force, she made him lay flat on his back, removed his tank top and pressed her body against him. Her lips softly met with his then moved down to his firm chest as her hips slowly grinded against him until she felt his arousal grow. She sat up and smiled as he took off her nightgown. In response, she pulled off his boxers and her panties.

His hands tenderly held her face, as she brought her bare hips down against his. A loud groan escaped his mouth as he felt the heat of her love engulf him and he closed his eyes relishing the sensation. He desperately whispered her name when she brought his hand to her mouth and ran her tongue against his fingers.

A wave of delight caused her to throw her head back and release a low huff of air. She felt his hands leave her face and lovingly massage her tattoo and breasts. As she moaned she took his hands, placed them her hips and intertwined their fingers.

"How do I..feel?" She asked him as her hips descended feeling their bodies bond together.

"Amazing..Ooohh.." He answered as he held her hips tight.

She clenched her muscles around him and smirked knowing that he would enjoy it, "And now?"

He then lifted his chin in the air and grunted. When her hips rose he anticipated her next move and beat her to it by raising his hips. A victorious look came across his face as she unleashed a passionate scream.

His unexpected action brought her closer to the edge but she was determined to bring him there first and quickened her pace.

Once he figured out what she was trying to do, he untangled his right hand from her and began caressing the core of her hips. He loved pleasing her with his hands because it showed him that he was able to bring another person pleasure and not just suffering and death.

Together, they rode the sensual eruption that seized their bodies. Their souls bonded as their bodies slowly descended from the heavenly heights they had reached. Breathing heavily she rested on top of him and welcomed his kiss.

When their lips separated she touched her nose with his, "Good night."

"Indeed," his smile was soft as he wrapped his arms around her bare back.

The sound of his heartbeat cradled her until she fell asleep.