Relationships between cold ops are not condoned by Section One.  However, from time to time a bond does develop that is unacceptable to Section.

        One of these bonds is that between Michael and Nikita.

        Nikita was brought into Section roughly three and a half years ago.  From the beginning, there was an connection between her and her trainer, Michael.  Michael had been in Section 10 years at that time and had recently lost his wife, Simone another Section operative.  Initially, Michael tried to avoid being with Nikita other than during training time.  However, training with her started to take more and more of his time.  As her two year initiation period came to an end, Operations made the decision to cancel her.  Michael opposed this move stating that he believed that she would make a good operative.  Operations made it clear to Michael at that point that if she failed, he failed. He also reminded Michael that it was not a good idea to become attached to the "material."  It is interesting to note that Michael did not deny the attachment.

        Over the next year it became obvious that the attraction to Nikita became stronger and that she was starting to return those feelings albeit cautiously.  Nikita was intrigued by the mysterious man who trained her.  On the mission to stop Perry Bauer, the intrigued turn into something else, perhaps lust?  From that point forward, what was once a fascination, has turned into an all consuming passion.  Each circling the other like two panthers.  The sexual tension between them increased when another operative, Eric, tried to persuade Nikita into escaping Section with him.  Michael kept Nikita in Section by a quasi-seduction.  The question remains - who was seduced?  Michael or Nikita or perhaps both?

        Michael's possessiveness of Nikita began when Nikita started a relationship with Gray Wellman, an architect she met when trying to retrieve The Directory.  Wellman, an outsider, gave Nikita something Michael didn't - love.  Whether or not Nikita was in love with Wellman or in love with love itself, is not known.  Nikita also showed this same type of behavior when she saw Michael flirting with Karen, a recruit who was coming to terms.  Nikita did not realize that Michael was manipulating her into making the choice to have Karen canceled - a decision that he knew had already been made.  She also exhibited the same when Michael was sent to seduce Lisa Fanning.  It was very obvious that knowing Michael was with another woman bothered her.

        At the end of her third year, Nikita reached a crisis point.  Michael's command to kill Stanley Shays in cold-blood pushed her over the edge.  Unable to face life in Section, Nikita decided to take her life. (See Psych File: Nikita)  It was only Michael's timely intervention that stop her.  Michael's concern for her showed through his actions and words – he could not protect her anymore.  Not knowing what else to do, he simply held her.

        Michael was assigned to lead a suicide mission in which six members would not be returning.  Unknown to him, Nikita was a part of that team.  Finding out at the load area and not being able to do anything to stop it, Michael made a quick decision - free Nikita from Section.  As the team was disembarking at the site, Michael handed Nikita a PDA that would enable her to communicate with him from anywhere.  Sensing that something was wrong, Nikita took the PDA from Michael with questions in her eyes - questions that would never be answered.  Michael watched as Nikita scaled the wall and out of site - he knew that one way or the other he would never see her again.  When the building exploded, he was not sure if she made it out.   When he returned to Section, he tried to contact her - she never responded.

        Over the next 6 or more months Michael continued to try to contact Nikita.  During this time her performance declined (See Psych File: Michael).  The toll of Nikita's "death" was a heavy one.  Sent out on a recon mission Michael and his partner were ambushed - his partner killed.  Michael took out two shooter unaware of the others behind him.  He heard two shots ring out behind him.  Turning around and looking over the flames, he saw her.  Nikita was alive.  Before he could go to her, he heard more people coming up behind him.  Turning to assess the situation he did not see her slip away.  When he returned to Section, he contacted her again - this time she answered.

        Making his way to a docked barge, Michael saw Nikita through the porthole.  Making enough noise to awaken her, he entered.  Nikita looked at him - unsure of why he was there.  After months of not knowing if she was dead or alive on his part and being isolated from those she cared about on hers, their passion let loose.  After spending the night together, Michael wanted to bring Nikita back into Section.  She refused knowing that Operations and Madeline would know that he helped set her free.

        Unbeknownst to either of them, the Freedom League had sent a tape to Section showing that Nikita was indeed alive.

        When Michael returned and told them where the Freedom League headquarters was, he was informed that Nikita was alive.  Madeline and Operations believe that she was leaking intel to the League.  From this point on, all the precautions Michael took would be for one purpose and one purpose only - to bring Nikita back to him and keep both of them alive.

        He sent one more message to her outlining what needed to be done and then went to make whatever arrangements were necessary on his part.  Making his way into the League headquarters with the rest of the team, he made his way to the computer.  After setting the charge, ordering the rest of the team to evacuate, he went in search of Nikita.  Finding her hiding in a boiler room, they made the necessary preparations for her return - making it look like she had been tortured.  Barely making it through the explosion and back to the van, Michael gently put Nikita down on the seat and held her until they returned to Section.  Michael once again protected her from Madeline and Operations by pointing out that Ackerman, not Nikita, was a mole for The Freedom League.  Their meeting in MedLab was very low key, but very intense.  Nikita wanting to know why he brought her back and Michael asking her to be patient.

        This, however, was not to be.  Operations and Madeline decided to bring in Jurgen, a Spec Op, to determine what actually happened with Nikita.  Michael realizing the danger when they brought Jurgen in was determined to keep his and Nikita's secret hidden and keep them alive.  What he didn't count on was Nikita responding to Jurgen the way she did.

        Nikita's initial response to Jurgen was mistrust.  However, the more she got to know him the more she came to respect him.  Michael watched in dismay.  The woman that he risked everything for had begun to pull away from him.  Nikita could not help compare Jurgen with Michael.  Where Michael had lied and manipulated Nikita, Jurgen - as far as Nikita knew- had not.  Jurgen was open and honest - Michael wasn't.  Jurgen could admit that he could love her - Michael would not even talk about what had happened between them.

        After Jurgen's death, the relationship between Michael and Nikita became strained.  Nikita started to avoid Michael to protect herself.  Michael tried approaching Nikita the only way he knew how - cautiously Her refusal to accept his approaches and words may have been the saving grace to this relationship.  Nikita has forced Michael to treat her has a equal (or near-equal).  Her involvement, and the lack on involvement on his part, in the taken-down of Adrian has forced him to acknowledge that Nikita can survive in the field on her own (although whether she can survive the politics of Section is another matter)

        Nikita has saved Michael on three occasions - when he went into mandatory refusal, when he was having problems facing what he knew had to be done about Rene Dion, and when he lost his memory.

Michael and Nikita After Adrian:

        Nikita was chosen by Operations to bring in Adrian.  In doing so she had to lie to those she was closest to: Walter, Birkoff and even Michael.

        Nikita's relationship with Michael has always been based on his lies and actions - most of which has been, in one way or another, to protect her.  Nikita, on the other hand, has been judgmental  Michael's ways.  Now, since they have "walked a mile in each other  shoes" (she being the liar and he the lied to), Nikita may be less inclined to see Michael in a negative light and he may now find other ways to "do the job."

Mentorship:

        This year marked the end on Michael's mentorship of Nikita.  Operations forced the issue previous to the final showdown between him and Adrian, Section's founder.  The implications of this move is still unclear.  What is clear is that Michael will now have a harder time explaining his motivations for interfering with Nikita's performance on missions and will not be able to draw the heat (a.k.a. Operations rage) away from her.