Act 3: "The Sound of Her Voice"

Fredrick looked down the small corridor, big enough for him to fit in, and then back towards the man with the odd accent, Illya as Celeste called him, and Mr. Kuryakin as Mr. Waverly called him. He had scared Fredrick earlier, and because of Celeste had stayed away. Now he was with Fredrick again, this time to help him save his Mama and Pappa.

"Go down there," Illya had said, "until you see a panel with a large button. Push the button and wait there for myself or your father to speak from this end of the corridor. Don't go anywhere else, just wait there. You'll be safe there, and if you're not safe, Celeste will probably hurt me for it later on."

Fredrick understood and crawled forward, finding the box where Illya had said and carefully pushing the large button indicated. He waited as he heard the sound of soft footsteps echoing below him while the tall, blond man made his way in. He briefly saw what appeared to be a camera, angled downward, following the moments, though the light was off at the time and it seemed to be doing it just regularly.

Fredrick squirmed as he waited, wanting it to be over with, wanting to find out what happened, but too scared to go forward or leave without Illya or his promised Pappa telling him so.

As he found the room, Illya felt himself freeze upon touching the doorknob, his whole body tensing as if an electrical shock had hit him but without the same effects. Having been shocked before, Illya tried to analyze the situation as he ordered his body to move, to do something other then stand there like he was frozen, like...

Unbidden, the headache from another assignment when he had been frozen came in and he felt himself struggle and fight to get free before he heard from another side. "Ah, you must be that man who took Fredrick away. I recognize you. Charlie, please release him from the door."

The same moment it had appeared, it was gone and Illya fell backwards, his head aching and his body now waking up like it had been through a long sleep or period of inactivity. His head rolled to the side and he focused on Simon Avian, who had been speaking to him before, his guard, probably Charlie, holding a gun towards him.

"Search him, if you would. I must say, I didn't expect you to find me so quickly. I was hoping for a little more time before the machine was complete."

His Special removed, Illya found his voice. "Machine?"

"The one that Dr. Winster found accidentally, which took away his wife's voice. It tends to relax the voice muscles if strained, but it relaxes them far too much, causing them to be useless. It would be a great addition to my collection."

Illya's mind worked overtime as his body started to remember how to move. "You mean the other research areas you've been funding...involving the human body."

"You are quite good! Yes, like the machine connected to the doorknob that held you in place. It was quite a find, though I heard of such a gun being used by some secretive organization and freezing both mind and body for a long amount of time. I simply was lucky enough to gain one and...improved on it."

Illya remembered that gun, as well as its effect and use. One minute he had tried to call Napoleon, the next he found himself looking up at Napoleon then having a large headache that had followed him for the rest of the Affair, until saving Mr. Waverly and moving him. Only then had he been able to get a few aspirin for his head and learn that the actual gun, which both he and Section Eight had been looking forward to claiming, was gone.

"So I see," Illya slowly stood, his balance and body shaking from the effort and effects of the machine.

"You'll be disoriented for a while as well, I assure you," Avian said as the guard moved forward and held him up to a point, though kept him out of range of both guns, "So, tell me, why were you interested in the Winster's project?"

Illya stayed silent and Avian tsked. "Such devotion is nice, but I'm afraid not going to help you. Whatever can be created to help mankind often comes after something is though up to help destroy it, or to help in getting answers from people like you. I have a good number of gadgets that are defective of their original use but do quite well in loosening the tongue of anyone. Now, are you going to talk or not?"

Illya didn't disbelieve him in this situation, but he wasn't about to say anything, not when Fredrick's life and his parent's lives could count on his silence.

A sigh from Avian. "Come on then. I'll let you see the Winster's, and see if we can get their brat of a child's location from you. After that, I have a few that some people didn't survive to see. It will be fun, using them against you."

Illya was quite surprised to note that Fredrick seemed to take after his father in looks more so then his mother, but was still playing as if the machine was effecting him too much to make Charlie do more of the work.

"Well?" Avian asked angrily, glaring at Dr. Winster and his wife, "Who is he? Where is he from?"

"I..I've never seen him before," Winster said, "Please, sir, we haven't..."

Avian growled before saying, "I have every reason to believe he's part of an organization that means to end your project, Winster. Do you really want that? For your money to end and your wife to remain mute?"

Winster paled and Illya took that moment to speak up. "We would ensure your continued research, Dr. Winster, but in order to find a way to help people, not expand some empire in the making!"

The harsh slap made Illya's ears ring before a female voice said, "Don't hurt him!"

"Don't hurt him!"

Fredrick's head snapped up at the sound, and he turned quickly towards it when he did. His mouth worked, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything until he saw her.

With that thought, and not about how angry Illya would be, Fredrick moved away from the panel and to the sound of the voice.

The group looked over as Karen Winster put both hands over her mouth, a look of fear in her eyes while Avian turned back towards her husband. "You fixed her...and didn't tell me?"

"I..."

Illya moved, not as graceful as he would've been but with enough speed to get his gun and to shove Charlie away from him as Avian pulled his own gun out.

"Stop!" the two voices showed that a Mexican stand-off had just appeared, Charlie pointing his gun at Illya while Illya's gun pointed towards Avian.

"Put it down," Avian said with a grin as he looked backwards at Illya, "you can't win."

Illya looked over at Karen Winster, then at Charlie, before he said, "You should give up. If I do not call in, more people will come, until the truth is found out and you are shown to be the man you really are. My job is to keep the world safe from people like you, and I have done a good job at it so far."

Avian snorted. "I doubt it. And if they come, one will bring Fredrick Winster. I don't need you if you don't have him with you."

"—him with you."

The bad bird-man was pointing a gun at Pappa, and Mama looked scared. Illya was between the bird-man and another, who was under where Fredrick was, and who was pointing a gun at Illya.

If Illya got her, Fredrick was sure Celeste would be sad, and then what would happen to Mama and Pappa? Illya said he would bring them back, so he couldn't get hurt, could he?

Mind made up, Fredrick released a catch holding the screen on and allowed it to drop on the other man's head as a gunshot went off above them. Fredrick cringed back as his Pappa went forward to fight with the bird-man and Illya grabbed Mama. "Get out of here!"

"But--."

Illya moved to help Pappa as Mama stopped at the door, watching the fight before another shot sounded, Fredrick having to cover his ears at the loud sound while he saw the bird-man drop.

Pappa was shaking as he stood, helping Illya up. "Is he?"

"He is. I'll call in some help. But how—" Illya looked up, his face confused as he spotted Fredrick at the hole, looking down at him.

Illya sighed, walking over and ensuring the other man was unconscious before holding up his hands and helping Fredrick out. "I told you to stay near the panel. What brought you all the way here?"

"Fredrick?" his Mama's voice made him turn, smile and race over to hug her, making sure she was okay.

"I see," Illya allowed himself a smile as he opened his communicator. "Open Channel D, please."

"Hey, you're okay!"

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Celeste?"

"You took the kid I adopted, I got worried and hobbled my way down here to wait for you to call in."

"Does that mean I get visiting rights?"

"You will, Mr. Kuryakin," Waverly's voice cut in, "When you report on how your mission went."

Illya felt himself blush, realizing that this must be how Napoleon felt when caught flirting with the girls on the other line, "Mission a success, sir. Avian is dead, and the Winsters are back together. I'll take them back to Headquarters for debriefing and call in a cleanup crew."

"A good idea, Mr. Kuryakin. Headquarters out."

Illya closed the pen, then walked back over to help the family out of the area and back to UNCLE.

Napoleon was flirting with the girl at the counter when Illya came in, and smiled at the family and Illya. "Glad to see it all worked out."

Illya accepted the three visitor badges and his own as he and Napoleon walked in. "So I see you're not strictly Elaine's."

"Oh, that. Old habits die hard. Besides, she's a nice girl and I enjoy talking to her."

"I see."

"You're the one who mentioned that I shouldn't be so exclusive."

"So I did."

Napoleon turned and waved his goodbye as Illya showed the family into the main room, where Waverly and Celeste waited. Fredrick raced over to Celeste and pulled her over to the family with light tugs while Waverly spoke to them about UNCLE and their purpose, as well as asked to help fund his research. Dr. Winster thanked Waverly but declined.

"I have to think of my family," he told him, "and after this, I don't want them in any more danger. I'll see what else I can do."

Waverly accepted that and gave him the name of a good college that would probably accept him, as well as thanking Fredrick for all of his work in finding his family.

Celeste, after seeing a small look, headed over and handed the drawings over to the family. "Not exactly something to hang on the fridge, but it's close. He's been a dear."

Fredrick smiled as his mom gave him a hug. "Thank you, my dear, and for taking care of him."

Celeste grinned and said, "It was a joint operation. Illya helped out a great deal too."

Illya cast her a glare before giving the family a shy look as they turned to him. "It was nothing, really."

"Illya and Celeste like each other, and help me out!"

The whole group looked at Fredrick, who smiled up at his mother as he continued, "Can they visit me later? I like them!"

Celeste blushed and smiled, noting the small blush on Illya's cheeks as well.

Karen smiled at them as Illya said, "Our schedule is quite demanding. It would be hard--."

"--but if we have a free weekend and the boss okay's it, we'll be sure to try and visit." Celeste told the sad-looking Fredrick with a smile. "Of course, Mr. Waverly has to make sure you're good first! He's like Santa, but without the reindeer."

Celeste's reddening face told Illya she knew she might catch a lot of heat for this later, but it was all for Fredrick.

Illya nodded. "I suppose it might be okay, but only if he was good. And Mr. Waverly would have to approve it."

Celeste smiled, then frowned. "Wait, where's the college?"

"California."

The two sighed, as did Fredrick, who seemed to know that California was far away from New York.

Waverly paused, then said, "I have an idea, however, for him to remember you both by."

Illya hoped this would be a good idea.