Chapter 8 – Day 6

"What's in this?" Nikita ravenously devoured a large plate of the tasty food Michael made.

"Potatoes, onions, and ground pork."

"It's delicious!" She almost started licking her plate. Michael took the plate from her and piled more of the savory goodness on it. She fairly snatched it from him and started eating with gusto. She talked through a mouth full of food: "Does it have a name?"

"Hobo meal."

She almost choked on the food. After coughing for a few minutes, she looked up with watery eyes and asked: "Hobo meal?"

He shrugged: "That's just what it's called."

"Why?"

"I guess it's because it's cheap to make."

"Where did you learn to make this?"

Michael looked uncomfortable before replying: "The French version of Boy Scouts."

Nikita could only stare at him, bug eyed in disbelief. "You were in the Boy Scouts?"

"No. They don't have Boy Scouts in France."

Michael was making a show of gathering the dirty plates and cleaning up the meal. The very fact that he was moving more than normal without his usual economy of movement tells her that he had just given her a piece of personal information that he didn't normally divulge. The fact that he was acting embarrassed was so adorable that she couldn't resist the urge to tease him.

"I guess you still go by the Boy Scout motto of always being prepared. I was wondering how you can always think of every contingency."

He glanced up in surprise and met her mischievous look. He gifted her with one of his rare smiles that lights up his eyes and transforms his face to a thing of beauty. She could only stare blankly, vaguely registering that her mouth was open.

"Are you done?"

She repeated blankly: "Done with?"

Michael indicated toward her plate and she snap back to attention: "Um…yes, thank you."

He took the plate from her and washed it out before securing the trash and disappeared from view. She sat staring at the fire while she waited for him to rejoin her. She thought over the day's event and how relaxed they were around each other.

She had fell asleep the night before wrapped in Michael's arm, surrounded by his warmth and that spicy masculine scent that belong only to him. The feeling of contentment wrapped in his arms remained with her long after she woke up the next day. After breakfast they had taken a short walk to take in the sights and for her to stretch out her unused muscles. Even that short of a walk had tired her out and she had taken a nap when they returned to camp.

When she woke up, Michael had returned from obtaining supplies from a nearby town. He had asked if she wanted to check into a local bed and breakfast in town. For reasons she couldn't explain, she had been reluctant to leave this camp site, fearing the magical feeling of closeness would disappear. She knew it was impractical to stay there for the rest of the time though, so she deferred until the next day to go into town. Which is why she's sitting by the camp fire, belly full after benefiting from Michael's excellent cooking.

The contentment she was feeling gradually faded as she realized that Operations has once again tried to leave her for dead. If it wasn't for Michael, this time and so many other times in the past, she would be dead. One day her luck would run out, or Michael won't be able to prevent it, she may die.

What would that do to Michael then? She remembered his words back at Henry's house after he had single handedly taken out the Bright Star operatives. "If you weren't alive, it wouldn't have mattered."

It was a scary prospect, being the reason for living for someone else, especially since she was such an unworthy recipient of that love. Tears pooled in her eyes unbidden at the thought of Michael's reaction when he finds out she had betrayed him for so many years. Would he cease to care about his life once again?

No matter the outcome of her undercover mission, she had to make sure Michael survives and be set free. His survival would mean she would get to live on as well vicariously. Even if in the end that means they couldn't be together. She wiped the tears away, determined to treasure this short time they have together. She will need the memories they make to last her a life time.