Again SPOILER WARNING. This might give away a plot point from The Game so don't read if you haven't watched.
AN: Nothing mine, not making money. The Game belongs to the BBC and Lord Toby, MFU belongs to who ever owns that now. I'm just borrowing their toys ;)
The conference room at MI5 was fast reaching the limits of its capacity as all those involved in derailing Operation Glass – minus a certain Montag, obviously – lead in the visiting U.N.C.L.E. men for the debriefing. Wary eyes followed Waverly and his two enforcement agents, especially the Russian.
Wendy hurried in last carrying a swaying stack of folders, one copy of their file for everyone present. Leaning heavily to one side to free one hand she started handing out copies. Most of the assembled agents merely gave her a nod of thanks but the dark haired American – Solo, she remembered, his name was Solo – aimed a million-watt-smile her way that made her blush and hurry on.
As she quickly left the room again Bobby Waterhouse threw Solo a warning look for this, someone had to protect the girl after all. She needed a little more confidence. Well, actually a lot more confidence, but she might yet make a great agent and he would not let any visiting American Don Juan ruin that for her.
Daddy called the meeting to order from his place at the head of the table. Alexander Waverly, number one of section one of the United Network for Law and Enforcement, took the seat opposite, at the foot of the table.
MI5's agents dragged along a chair and squeezed into the side to Daddy's right, Bobby of course claiming the seat right next to his boss. Joe and Alan sat next to him and Jim Fenchurch sat at the farthest end. He was feeling a bit out of place, the only police man in a room full of spooks. But Daddy had asked for him to attend this meeting and no one said no to Daddy, especially not after the whole Operation Glass affair.
Illya gave Napoleon an amused look as they sat down alone on the opposite side, their backs to the windows. Napoleon being number one of section two of course sat next to Waverly. Illya looked pointedly first at the empty chair next to his then at the MI5 agents who were nearly sitting in each other's laps. Said agents made a point of not meeting his eye. Actually, they had mostly ignored him the whole time and when they had actually looked at him it was warily or sometimes with outright hostility.
He understood their situation, of course. Operation Glass had cost all of them dearly and they were all to ready to mistrust every Russian after what his country had put them through. Illya decided it was not worth his time to try to convince them that he was on the same side as them.
Wendy came rushing back in with a tray full of cups, tea, coffee, milk and sugar. She put it down in the middle of the table, handed out the cups, and then looked around for an empty seat. With a shy smile to the Russian she sat down next to Illya and straightened the folder in front of her.
"So, now that we are all here why don't you give us a short recap of Operation Glass and how we handled it, Bobby", Daddy suggested. But his head of counter-espionage knew that it was actually an order.
"Of course, Daddy." Like the good little follower he sometimes was Bobby leaned forward, cleared his throat and gave a short and succinct summary.
In the mean time some of the agents had lit their cigarettes and Mr Waverly was puffing away at a pipe. Napoleon was giving his attention in part to Bobby's retelling of the events and in part to throwing flirtatious glances at Wendy.
Illya was leaving through the file in front of him and fighting the urge to tell his partner to focus on their work. Honestly, that man's libido seemed insatiable. He finally settled on lightly kicking the American and shaking his head when that got him a questioning look. Wendy noticed and smiled into her cup of tea.
After Waterhouse finished there was silence at the table for a while. Waverly put his pipe down and looked questioningly at his agents.
"Any questions, gentlemen," Bobby asked.
Napoleon leaned forward. "One, if I may?" He waited for an approving nod from Daddy before he carried on: "You found no sign, that THRUSH might have been involved with Operation Glass in any way or form?"
"No sign at all", confirmed Joe. "But then we don't usually have to deal with them."
Napoleon nodded. "I see. I fear our informant is not the most reliable source but we thought it was too big to not check it out."
Illya scoffed. Not the most reliable source was quite an understatement when talking about Angelique as far as he was concerned.
"You are welcome to look through all our files, Alexander, provided they do not leave this building." Daddy indicated the folders on the table. "We have all the tapes and other relevant material in our archives, of course. Wendy and Alan can show your men around."
Alan threw an angry glance at Illya and Napoleon and reluctantly nodded. Wendy just kept playing with her cup as she nodded as well. Napoleon smiled at them both while Illya decided to keep on reading the file instead.
Waverly finished his coffee. "I always find that working together with MI5 is very pleasant. I am sure you can keep my two young men busy for a few days here. I shall go visit some old friends in the meantime."
Daddy slapped his hands together. "Very good, that's all settled then. I suggest we all go back to work now."
With some scraping of chairs, hushed conversations and hurried footsteps Bobby, Joe and Jim left the briefing room. Daddy lead Waverly to his office for some "small talk", allegedly, though Napoleon suspected it would be either gossip or scheming on a global scale.
Alan got up as well and made an impatient gesture towards the door. "Well, in your own time. I do have other things to do than help you snoop around." He took Wendy by the arm pulling her away from Napoleon's inviting smile and hurried her out the door.
Illya patted Napoleon's shoulder. "She has a few too many big brothers for you, my friend. Do you want to end up in another shotgun wedding?"
Napoleon laughed. "They don't do shotgun weddings in England, I believe. But you are right, there are a lot of protective men around here." He shook his head sadly and went after Alan.
Illya followed him. "Why do they call their boss 'Daddy', I wonder? It sounds so very….disturbing."
Napoleon shrugged. "Beats me. Ten dollars and dinner say you won't ask Waverly if we should call him Daddy, too."