"Mr Solo!"

Alexander Waverly was becoming exasperated by his CEA. The post mission debriefing had been going on for forty minutes and the chief had been forced to attract Solo's attention three times already.

"Sorry, Sir," Napoleon mumbled. "Could you say that again?"

"Do you agree with Mr Kuryakin's version of events?"

Napoleon looked from Illya to Waverly. The truth be told, he had no idea of what Illya had said. His mind was on a woman he had seen while waiting outside a diner for his partner. Anyone who knew him would say he often had his mind on a woman, but this time it was different. He hadn't seen her for almost decade and the sight of her had brought back a time he tried had to forget.

"He has covered everything, Sir," Napoleon told his boss, not failing to notice the quizzical look in the old man's expression.

Waverly glared at him for a slightly too long before dismissing the agents. Just before they disappeared out of the door he called Illya back.

"Did something happen on this assignment which you may have left out of your report?" he asked.

"No sir," Illya replied. Everything went off without a hitch. "I noticed the change in his demeanour on the way back here. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he was tired."

"Hmmmm. Whatever is on his mind, hopefully it will be resolved before the next assignment."

When Illya was called back by Waverly, Napoleon decided to wait for him. Ordinarily he would have had a mild flirt with Lisa Rogers, but he wasn't feeling in the mood so, he chose to wait a little way down the corridor. Seeing Shirley earlier had sent his mind into turmoil and he knew he had to tell someone what had happened all those years ago.

"Do you have anywhere to be over the next couple of hours?" he asked his partner when he emerged from the boss's office.

"I only have some reports to work though, but they can wait."

…

A short while later, Illya found himself sitting in Central Park, alongside Napoleon. The American hadn't said a word since he'd asked Illya to join him, and the Russian was content to wait for him to be ready. He watched the world pass him by, as the man beside him radiated discomfort.

"I trust you implicitly," Napoleon stated suddenly.

"That is good," Illya replied warily, wondering where the conversation was going to go.

"I have a confession to make, which should have been made a long time ago."

Illya remained silent, allowing Napoleon to go at his pace.

"Shortly after I joined U.N.C.L.E., I killed a man."

"In this job I would be surprised if you hadn't,"

"You don't understand, Tovarisch," Solo said, with pain in his voice. "This wasn't in the line of duty. It was murder."

Shirley Wood had been a close friend of Napoleon's sister, Seraphina and, by extension, a friend of his. Napoleon had been attracted to Shirley, with her silky red hair, but she was married. For all he was happy to try his luck with most women, those who were married were off his menu. When it came to Shirley though, Napoleon had been sorely tempted to break his own rules. Her husband, Dougie, was a brute, and often his wife mercilessly. She often sported bruises which she refused to discuss. Solo had had to battle with his innate instinct to rescue people. It was difficult to help someone who doesn't want you to help.

Seraphina had begged her to leave him, but Shirley was a devout catholic and stood by her marriage vows. Turning to brother for an answer, Seraphina had asked him to warn Dougie off. A few days later, Napoleon had learned that Dougie had gone fishing in the nearby river. He had gone alone so Napoleon had figured it was the perfect time for a man to man talk.

The talk was destined for failure form the outset, but no-one would have predicted the end result. Napoleon had always had the ability to charm most people, but Dougie Wood as not one of them. He was on the defensive the moment Napoleon had approached him and when the subject of Shirley had been brought up, he had flown into a rage.

"He told me his marriage was no business of mine," Napoleon continued on. "Then he told me that he could do whatever he wanted to his wife as he owned her."

Illya didn't need to be told Napoleon's reaction to a statement such as that. Despite his womanising reputation, Solo had nothing but respect for women. He preferred to take the lead in his relationships, but he never saw a woman as inferior. To Napoleon, a man claiming he owned a woman was not a man.

"What happened?" Illya urged.

"I punched him," Solo told him, hanging his head. "He stumbled and fell into the river. His body was never found."

"And you told no-one?"

"Not until now," Napoleon replied. "I should have said something back then, but I had just started here and didn't want to lose it. Besides, I figured Shirley would be better off without him. Nobody seemed to care that Dougie had disappeared and, as time went on, it was easier to push it to the back of my mind.

I saw Shirley today while you were in the diner. She looked happy with the man she was arm in arm with."

He lapsed into silence and Illya mulled over what he had said. As far as he was concerned, Napoleon had not committed murder. Murder was a deliberate act and he had not intended for the man to die. He told as much to his partner.

"I still killed him without cause, and I kept it hidden to protect myself. How can I claim to be one of the good guys when I did that?"

He stood up suddenly and told Illya he would see him later.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to the Old Man".

…

Alexander Waverly listened to his CEA's woeful story without any interruption. When he finished he asked Napoleon what he intended to do.

"I should resign," the younger man replied.

"Don't be such a damned fool," Waverly berated him. "What good would that do?"

"I killed a man!" Solo stated, with force. "I know he is one of many, but his death wasn't part of an assignment."

"And neither was it murder," the Old Man told him. "I cannot deny that you were wrong not to have said something in the time between then and now but, tell me, would anything be achieved if you confessed to his wife or family now?"

"He had no family," Napoleon explained. "There was only Shirley. I haven't seen her since that time, but my sister is still in contact. Dougie Wood was declared dead a few years ago and Shirley recently got engaged to someone else. Seraphina said that Shirley never cared where her husband had disappeared to; only that he was gone."

"I would suggest that, had you not intervened, Mrs Wood would have been the one who ended up dead. You are a good man, Mr Solo . . . Napoleon. This event does not change that. You are a religious man, yes?

Napoleon nodded.

"Then you should make your confession to God. In the meantime, we have counsellors who will listen if you still struggle to forgive yourself of your actions. Now, my advice is to take a three day leave. I'm sure we can spare you for that length of time."

Napoleon thanked Mr Waverly and left the office. He found Illya waiting where he had been standing earlier.

"Are you okay, my friend?" the Russian asked.

"I will be," Napoleon replied. "But I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

"You will," Illya replied, with an odd tone in his voice. "It is not easy, but you can eventually come to terms with things such as this.

Napoleon raised an eyebrow in question, but Illya didn't elaborate. There were many things hidden in his partner's past which Napoleon was sure he never wanted to know about.