Author's Note: Here it is, the last chapter of my story. It was a lot of
fun to write this story, I hope you all love it! Thanks again to all my
reviewers!
*P.J. Howard* - Hello thanks for reading! I'm glad you're reading my story! Here's the last chapter!
*Maria* - In one word, "Thanks!"
Part 10: "Finishing Things Up."
As fast as my legs could carry me I ran towards the stairway. 'Know all the entrances and escapes of a new environment'. The rule had been embedded in my head when I had first begun training and now it was coming in handy. Racing up the steps two by two, I was unsure if I would make it before the agent. But I still had to try.
Finally reaching the floor I cautiously opened the door a crack with a perfect view of the elevators. *Nobody around.* Unfortunately just as my thought finished, the elevator pinged, announcing a stop on the floor. I watched the double agent get out of the elevator and headed straight for the UNCLE reserved hotel room. *Rats.*
I got out into the hall as soon as the coast was clear then peered around the corner. Since the hall was empty I knew that the agent was inside the room. I quickly got into the adjoining room to Illya's. I put my ear to the connecting door to see if I could hear anything. Illya's voice was the first I could hear.
"Danielle's not here. You know that she's under suspicion of working secretly for THRUSH."
"Don't be coy with me Illya. I know Danielle's here. It was stupid to think to think I wouldn't miss seeing Masahiro at UNCLE especially since he was supposed to be meeting with me." The more I listened, I tried to determine where they were positioned. I was almost positive Illya was still seated in his chair.
"Then you should know that UNCLE knows I was able to hack into your THRUSH computer and found out that Danielle's so-called file was changed. Even if you steal this, kill me and Danielle, UNCLE will conduct a thorough investigation."
"I'm a bit surprised you actually think that I would steal the file. That would be most obvious and very suspicious. I'm just going to delete my name, leaving only my so called partner, Masahiro's name. After I finish you off, UNCLE will most definitely find the information hidden deep but not too deep in your computer. Brilliant, isn't it?"
"Very brilliant. Except for one thing." I could almost imagine Illya smirking up at his captor.
"What?"
"You still don't know where Danielle is."
"She'll be here."
At that moment I left the door and picked up my communicator to call for assistance.
**********
Fortunately Napoleon was already heading our way and arrived in a few minutes. He immediately asked me to repeat the situation and in hushed tones, I did.
"Here's the plan." Napoleon said everything slowly as not to make a mistake. "You go to the front door and knock, saying that it's you. Pretend the door is locked. Our double agent will have to leave Illya to get to you. I'll go through the back door and help Illya, all right?"
I nodded seriously. I knew it was the only way to get Illya safely. We wasted no time and I left the room quietly and went to the other room. I tried to steady my nerves but soon a steel like resolution took over my mind, reminding me that everything would soon be over. But quiet voice kept reminding me, *If this plan works without getting yourself and others killed.*
Knock, knock. No one answered so I said, "Hey Illya. It's me Danielle. I think you locked the door and I forgot my keys. Let me in!"
More silence. Impatience was taking over but I held my ground. The door facing me will open inward, giving me a bit of an advantage. But I had to be ready.
It was just then when the door started opening. And there before me stood the person responsible for a great amount of damage and trouble, Maiko Kitamura. She had every notion to surprise me with the gun pointing straight at me but as I said, I was ready. A quick karate kick at her head had her falling backwards, resulting in her dropping her gun. Unfortunately, being a professional, she was right back on her feet. Not expecting her to recover so quickly, I barely missed her forearm as she tried to knock the breath out of me. It was then that Napoleon entered the room but that distraction was too much for me and Maiko pushing past me ran out of the room.
But I wasn't going to let her get away. I noticed then that Illya was handcuffed to a chair but seemed relatively unarmed. Seeing me he just simply said, "Go get her. I'll be there in a second." I didn't wait to ask him just how exactly he was going to 'be there in a second', instead I just ran to catch up with Maiko.
I knew she would head for the stairs, for a glance at the elevators told me that all of them were no where near our floor. Unless the fire escape. I took a chance and ran towards the fire escape. Sure enough, the door was left a bit ajar. *I'm not letting you get away.*
Going outside, I saw her going down the stairs. I had to admit that she was incredibly fast, but I knew I could catch up if I hurried. I went down the stairs two at a time, jumping the last five stairs. Since I was taller than my prey, I was soon upon her in a few flights. I pushed my legs to the limit then jump full length onto of her. We fell together and we would have gone over if not for the iron bars. Still on top of her, I was ready to meet resistance but instead found her out cold. I relaxed my hold on her and got off. Maiko did not move and stayed flat on her stomach. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad to find that it was all over.
I should have been careful. With the agility of a cat, Maiko pushed herself up and with her hands planted firmly on the ground, kicked up with feet. As her feet clipped my chin, the word 'I'm such a stupid idiot!' went through my head. I was so naïve, why didn't I realize she was just faking? I didn't have time berate myself further since Maiko was already ready to finish me off. I was barely able to hold off and block her attack.
Unfortunately, there was not really much space to maneuver, making it impossible to plan a counterattack. Finally I had an opening to throw a punch to her midsection, and she doubled over for a second. Then straightening up she advanced, and as I backed up, I made my big mistake judging distance and hit my head on the side of the stairs.
I went down with my hands holding the back of my head, stunned. Maiko seized the opportunity to bring her knee up to hit the side of my forehead. Now I was forcing myself to clear the bright lights that suddenly appeared in my view. I felt my enemy stick her hand through my jacket to take my UNCLE special.
*Why does it have to end this way?* I thought, desperately searching for hope or a way out, but couldn't. I thought of all of my friends. Patrick, April, Areht, and the unforgettable Illya.
Time stood still and I felt every beat in my heart. Everything was quiet. I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. I waited for the impact of the bullet to hit me. Them without warning, I first heard two succeeding shots, one right after another but so close that it sounded as if it was one bullet. At first I felt nothing then felt the flash of pain in my side. The world spun around me as I tried to keep conscious. But to my amazement I saw Maiko fall back. *What was it that hit her?* I wondered to myself. I was even more startled when I saw Illya in front of me.
Illya smiled at me then said, "I told you that I would be right behind you." His face turned serious as he examined the wound in my side. I tried very hard not to flinch but the pain was too much. "The wound is pretty clean but you'll still need to see a doctor. You'll be OK, just hang on."
As I tried hard to stay awake, I heard Napoleon talking in the background. To my amazement, I also thought I heard Mark and April. *Why is everyone here?* But I didn't care too much. My head was too fuzzy to really comprehend what was going on. I felt the prick on the inside of my elbow and I saw Illya administering some type of drug. Soon I felt nothing and the last thing I heard was Illya reassuring me that everything will be all right.
**********
I woke up with the fuzziest feeling in my head. Everything was dark until I finally realized my eyes were closed. *Where am I* At first I couldn't recognize the room. Everything was white, the walls were white, the bed was white. *Like a hospital room* With a start I realized I WAS in a hospital room! But I wasn't really in a hospital, I was in the UNCLE medical quarters.
Then I remembered everything in a flash. Maiko aiming her gun at me, the two gunshots, the pain in her side, Illya hovering over her, then the comforting blackness of unconsciousness. I tried to sit up but the pain in my side flared up. *Great, I feel like I've been shot* I thought to myself sarcastically.
But I did not want to stay there, I had to find some answers to my questions. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and tried to wait out the sudden pounding in my head. After a little while the pain seemed to subside. I got up and though my knees felt wobbly, I made it to the door. At the exact moment it swung open.
Illya was just as surprised as I was to see him. His face immediately changed to one of seriousness. He spoke in a scolding tone, "You're supposed to stay in bed."
"I'm perfectly capable." just at that moment my knees just HAD to buckle and I would have fallen to the floor if not for the quick reflexes of the other agent.
"You were saying?"
I covered my embarrassment by growling. I chided myself inwardly for being such a klutz. Illya helped me over to the bed and continued to press me, "You were saying something about you being perfectly capable of.? Come on, say it."
I finally got myself as comfortable as you could get on a hospital bed and groaned. "Perfectly capable of standing on my own two feet."
"Action speaks louder than words."
I would never try to beat Illya in a verbal war, my head hurt too much. I decided to change the subject. "What time is it? And what happened exactly? My memory isn't working too well."
Illya brought a chair over to sit next to the bed. "To answer the first question, it is now 7:45 in the morning. To answer your next question, you were shot."
"Oh, really, you think?"
Illya cocked his head. "Are you this sarcastic so early in the morning?"
"Only when I'm around you."
He chuckled and I couldn't but smile along with him. "I'll try to take that as a compliment," he finally said.
"But seriously, what happened?"
"I rescued you."
"You were the one who shot Maiko? Is she." Though she had tried to kill me, the thought of her being killed was unpleasant.
He shook his head. "She's alive, still under UNCLE interrogation at the moment. She knows she's caught and is right now confessing to everything. She was quite a clever agent, I don't think anybody suspected her."
I thought about our training together and how we would sometimes make small talk. I had found her pleasant to be around with, it still was amazing that she had been the double agent the whole time. "So, it's over?"
"In a matter of sense, I've gotten Napoleon to finish the report."
*Getting Napoleon to write the report?* I smiled and asked, "How in the world did you manage that? From what I've heard, Napoleon would do anything to avoid writing reports."
Illya suddenly turned a bit uncomfortable. "Well. he would only do it if I promised to do something."
Now that piqued my curiosity. "What do you have to do?"
Silence and more silence. *Is he going to answer me?* Just as I was about to break the silence, he suddenly sighed deeply and ran a hand through his blond hair. I heard him mutter under his breath, "This is not easy."
Patience wasn't one of my virtues, I blurted out, "What!?"
"Do you remember the day at the coffee shop?"
I nodded. *Of course I do, that's the night Areht didn't show up.*
"The night you thought Areht hadn't shown up to see you?"
*To the point please.*
Blue eyes stared into my eyes. "Actually, Areht did come to see you."
"What!" Areht had come to see me, and he hadn't wanted to see me! Then I became suspicious. "How do you know? You don't expect me to believe you actually know who Areht is." The thought suddenly came unbidden to my mind. "You mean you've known who it was the whole time?! Why you.!"
"Think about it Danielle," Illya interrupted. "How do you think he felt when he looked into the coffee shop, saw and recognized you?"
It was then I felt a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. *What if he hadn't liked me? Maybe I wasn't the type of person he wanted to meet.*
Illya noticed my sudden change in mood and brought his hands to grasp my shoulders. "Danielle, it's nothing like that! He was afraid of what you would think of him! In e-mails they were great friends, but in real life," he searched for the correct words, "they weren't exactly at the best of terms."
*Best of terms? But who!* My hands were sweating for some reason and I felt my breath come out in quick takes. Why was I so nervous? The Russian agent sighed then continued. "He didn't know what to do, should he see her? You were an incredibly interesting woman, but proved to have a quick temper, how would you react?" He gave a wistful smile. "I waited for ten minutes before I could finally make up my mind on what to do."
Ten minutes, that meant around the time Illya had arrived. So that was it, Areht didn't want to interrupt us! But wait a second. Illya had used the word 'I'! Suddenly the room seemed to spin around and closed my eyes. *It couldn't be true, can it? The answer has been right before my eyes the whole time!*
The Russian agent seeing my reaction continued. "Well, you know how our conversation turned out then. I felt you would never accept me as a friend and I still wanted your friendship, New York Girl."
Still with my eyes closed, I asked tentatively, "So you were Areht the whole time?"
"Yes."
This time I brought my hands up to cover my face. Shame washed over me as I thought of the way I had kept treating Illya. And to think at the coffee place I had compared him and Areht as two totally different people, when they were the same! Shows what a real friend I had been. And all Illya had wanted to have was such a simple thing, a friend.
Then I felt his hands put my hands down and gently brought my chin up so our eyes met. It was then I 'really' looked into his eyes. Blue eyes that were now watching my features carefully. Eyes which belonged to one of the most patient man I've ever met, who would always have a patience for me that I could never ask for. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier Danielle."
I laughed without humor. "For what? I didn't really deserve an explanation back then. I was so rude to you."
"You were."
I tried to glare at him then stopped when I saw the hint of a smile on his lips. I reached out to lightly touch the side of his face. "You're really Areht?" I still couldn't believe it, I admit I was still in a bit of a shock.
"In the flesh," he answered.
I drew my hand back slightly. "I don't deserve a friend like you."
Illya shrugged. "Nonsense, besides, I would like to think I can choose my own friends." Then a slight shadow seemed to flit across his face. "I am not exactly one to have a whole group of friends."
"But you have Mark and April. And there's Napoleon."
At the sound of his partner's name, Illya grinned evilly. "Which shows you what a strange collection of close friends I have."
My mood had brightened considerably, I teased, "So you think I'm strange?"
"No, just very American."
"And just what is wrong with us Americans?"
"Absolutely nothing. And in your case, you're a very attractive American."
Illya leaned in close and I automatically closed my eyes as he brought his lips to mine. His kiss was like his personality; gentle, mysterious, yet in it all there was a underlying sense of strength, hinting that there was more to him than meets the eye. And I couldn't wait to find out about it all!
We finally pulled back and smiled at each other. *Things are definitely looking up!* He brought his hand to the back of my head and drew me in for another kiss. *Yes, definitely looking up!*
Unfortunately, before our lips were even able to meet, Napoleon's cheery voice interrupted us, "Illya, your technique has improved!"
With a jolt we separated, Illya jumping up from his seat. Illya glared at his partner, "On the other hand your manners haven't improved."
As for me, I was probably blushing a deep shade of red. For not only had Napoleon entered the room, trailing behind were Patrick, April, and Mark, all looking extremely pleased. I decided to attack Patrick first. "Patrick, I didn't know you even woke up earlier than at least midday."
Patrick looked smug. "What, and miss all the excitement?"
"I'm terribly sorry for interrupting, but I just had to see how things were turning out," Napoleon apologized not very convincingly. "I didn't think it'd be working out this well."
"I must say, Illya old chap, that wasn't nice keeping your secret from Danielle so long," put in Mark who came over to clap Illya on the shoulder.
"Wait a second," I said incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that everyone knows about Illya being Areht?"
"Well, Mark, Patrick, and I didn't know till this morning when Napoleon told us," April said as she sat down on the bed next to me.
And to my continued shock, Napoleon said, "Anyway, how did you think Illya got into the whole e-mail thing?"
Illya found his voice and after giving his partner a pointed look, said to me, "You see, Napoleon thought I would find it interesting to visit a chat room once, see what it was like."
Things began to fit. "That's where you met me? I somehow would have never though you an Internet user in your spare time."
He shrugged. "I told you, it was Napoleon's idea."
I tried to clear my head with all the happenings of that morning. I went through everything, making sure I had figured it all out. *Only one thing.* "Illya, what is 'Areht'?"
Illya looked at me slyly. "I thought that it would have certainly given me away after you met me. Areht is the Russian word for 'agent'."
"I see."
Napoleon glanced at his watch. "I'm sorry to say but our visiting time is over. One of the reasons we came was that the doctor said it would be our only chance to see Danielle until lunchtime. Get ready for some tests," he said with a wink to me.
I groaned. Any test was of the bad kind. "You don't mean it, do you?"
Mark smiled. "We're totally serious here."
"I've asked the doctor if we can have you out for lunch as long as you don't over tire yourself."
Illya spoke. "No way Napoleon, get your own date."
"Illya, it's not like you to be so selfish." I blushed as they fought over me. It wasn't very often to have two of the most wanted bachelors in UNCLE fighting over a date. But before I could put my two cents in, Napoleon continued. "Anyway, it's more like a celebration. The whole team from this mission is going out together for lunch."
"That's right," said April. "Celebration for a successful mission. The bad guys are caught, THRUSH is once again stopped, and we have one whole free day before returning to New York."
"Sounds great," I readily agreed. Arrangements for where to meet were made then everyone left, leaving only Illya. He sat on the bed and was the first to speak. "Sorry for the interruption."
"No problem." There was nothing that was going to ruin that day.
"I can still expect to at least take you out for dinner?"
"I was expecting it."
"Let's see, I know this great place where they serve the best raw fish, fermented beans," he stopped and laughed at the look on my face. "Don't worry, I'll find some place where the face is edible."
He stood up and walked towards the door. A thought entered my mind and called out his name. He peeked over the edge of the door with a questioning look on his face. "Illya, after this mission, does that mean that I'm no longer a rookie? I mean, I helped in catching a double agent, and actually got shot in the line of duty!"
He put on a mock serious expression. "I doubt it. Though I must say, you did a moderately good job."
"Moderately good job? I got shot!" I threw my pillow aimed for his head. Unfortunately, he had the reflexes of a secret agent and dodged it perfectly.
He peeked over the door again. "I really do have to say though, for a rookie agent, you have great promise." And with that, he disappeared gracefully from my sight. I was definitely looking forward to tonight's date!
I laid back and closed my eyes. *Being a rookie agent isn't too bad.* Besides, the way things are working out, I wasn't planning on staying a rookie agent any longer than I had to. Just wait till I get out of the sick bay, nothing is going to be able to stop me!
THE END
**********
Author's Note: Ah, here's the end of my story. Thanks to you all for reviewing my story, it's been lots of fun writing! Be on the look out for my next UNCLE story, "The Curious Reporter Affair". This story will deal more in the fashion of the Man from UNCLE tv series of the 1st season. I'll be borrowing a few of the characters from the 1st season episodes. After that is over, should I write a sequel to "The Rookie Agent Affair"? Please give me your opinions on that idea!
*P.J. Howard* - Hello thanks for reading! I'm glad you're reading my story! Here's the last chapter!
*Maria* - In one word, "Thanks!"
Part 10: "Finishing Things Up."
As fast as my legs could carry me I ran towards the stairway. 'Know all the entrances and escapes of a new environment'. The rule had been embedded in my head when I had first begun training and now it was coming in handy. Racing up the steps two by two, I was unsure if I would make it before the agent. But I still had to try.
Finally reaching the floor I cautiously opened the door a crack with a perfect view of the elevators. *Nobody around.* Unfortunately just as my thought finished, the elevator pinged, announcing a stop on the floor. I watched the double agent get out of the elevator and headed straight for the UNCLE reserved hotel room. *Rats.*
I got out into the hall as soon as the coast was clear then peered around the corner. Since the hall was empty I knew that the agent was inside the room. I quickly got into the adjoining room to Illya's. I put my ear to the connecting door to see if I could hear anything. Illya's voice was the first I could hear.
"Danielle's not here. You know that she's under suspicion of working secretly for THRUSH."
"Don't be coy with me Illya. I know Danielle's here. It was stupid to think to think I wouldn't miss seeing Masahiro at UNCLE especially since he was supposed to be meeting with me." The more I listened, I tried to determine where they were positioned. I was almost positive Illya was still seated in his chair.
"Then you should know that UNCLE knows I was able to hack into your THRUSH computer and found out that Danielle's so-called file was changed. Even if you steal this, kill me and Danielle, UNCLE will conduct a thorough investigation."
"I'm a bit surprised you actually think that I would steal the file. That would be most obvious and very suspicious. I'm just going to delete my name, leaving only my so called partner, Masahiro's name. After I finish you off, UNCLE will most definitely find the information hidden deep but not too deep in your computer. Brilliant, isn't it?"
"Very brilliant. Except for one thing." I could almost imagine Illya smirking up at his captor.
"What?"
"You still don't know where Danielle is."
"She'll be here."
At that moment I left the door and picked up my communicator to call for assistance.
**********
Fortunately Napoleon was already heading our way and arrived in a few minutes. He immediately asked me to repeat the situation and in hushed tones, I did.
"Here's the plan." Napoleon said everything slowly as not to make a mistake. "You go to the front door and knock, saying that it's you. Pretend the door is locked. Our double agent will have to leave Illya to get to you. I'll go through the back door and help Illya, all right?"
I nodded seriously. I knew it was the only way to get Illya safely. We wasted no time and I left the room quietly and went to the other room. I tried to steady my nerves but soon a steel like resolution took over my mind, reminding me that everything would soon be over. But quiet voice kept reminding me, *If this plan works without getting yourself and others killed.*
Knock, knock. No one answered so I said, "Hey Illya. It's me Danielle. I think you locked the door and I forgot my keys. Let me in!"
More silence. Impatience was taking over but I held my ground. The door facing me will open inward, giving me a bit of an advantage. But I had to be ready.
It was just then when the door started opening. And there before me stood the person responsible for a great amount of damage and trouble, Maiko Kitamura. She had every notion to surprise me with the gun pointing straight at me but as I said, I was ready. A quick karate kick at her head had her falling backwards, resulting in her dropping her gun. Unfortunately, being a professional, she was right back on her feet. Not expecting her to recover so quickly, I barely missed her forearm as she tried to knock the breath out of me. It was then that Napoleon entered the room but that distraction was too much for me and Maiko pushing past me ran out of the room.
But I wasn't going to let her get away. I noticed then that Illya was handcuffed to a chair but seemed relatively unarmed. Seeing me he just simply said, "Go get her. I'll be there in a second." I didn't wait to ask him just how exactly he was going to 'be there in a second', instead I just ran to catch up with Maiko.
I knew she would head for the stairs, for a glance at the elevators told me that all of them were no where near our floor. Unless the fire escape. I took a chance and ran towards the fire escape. Sure enough, the door was left a bit ajar. *I'm not letting you get away.*
Going outside, I saw her going down the stairs. I had to admit that she was incredibly fast, but I knew I could catch up if I hurried. I went down the stairs two at a time, jumping the last five stairs. Since I was taller than my prey, I was soon upon her in a few flights. I pushed my legs to the limit then jump full length onto of her. We fell together and we would have gone over if not for the iron bars. Still on top of her, I was ready to meet resistance but instead found her out cold. I relaxed my hold on her and got off. Maiko did not move and stayed flat on her stomach. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad to find that it was all over.
I should have been careful. With the agility of a cat, Maiko pushed herself up and with her hands planted firmly on the ground, kicked up with feet. As her feet clipped my chin, the word 'I'm such a stupid idiot!' went through my head. I was so naïve, why didn't I realize she was just faking? I didn't have time berate myself further since Maiko was already ready to finish me off. I was barely able to hold off and block her attack.
Unfortunately, there was not really much space to maneuver, making it impossible to plan a counterattack. Finally I had an opening to throw a punch to her midsection, and she doubled over for a second. Then straightening up she advanced, and as I backed up, I made my big mistake judging distance and hit my head on the side of the stairs.
I went down with my hands holding the back of my head, stunned. Maiko seized the opportunity to bring her knee up to hit the side of my forehead. Now I was forcing myself to clear the bright lights that suddenly appeared in my view. I felt my enemy stick her hand through my jacket to take my UNCLE special.
*Why does it have to end this way?* I thought, desperately searching for hope or a way out, but couldn't. I thought of all of my friends. Patrick, April, Areht, and the unforgettable Illya.
Time stood still and I felt every beat in my heart. Everything was quiet. I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. I waited for the impact of the bullet to hit me. Them without warning, I first heard two succeeding shots, one right after another but so close that it sounded as if it was one bullet. At first I felt nothing then felt the flash of pain in my side. The world spun around me as I tried to keep conscious. But to my amazement I saw Maiko fall back. *What was it that hit her?* I wondered to myself. I was even more startled when I saw Illya in front of me.
Illya smiled at me then said, "I told you that I would be right behind you." His face turned serious as he examined the wound in my side. I tried very hard not to flinch but the pain was too much. "The wound is pretty clean but you'll still need to see a doctor. You'll be OK, just hang on."
As I tried hard to stay awake, I heard Napoleon talking in the background. To my amazement, I also thought I heard Mark and April. *Why is everyone here?* But I didn't care too much. My head was too fuzzy to really comprehend what was going on. I felt the prick on the inside of my elbow and I saw Illya administering some type of drug. Soon I felt nothing and the last thing I heard was Illya reassuring me that everything will be all right.
**********
I woke up with the fuzziest feeling in my head. Everything was dark until I finally realized my eyes were closed. *Where am I* At first I couldn't recognize the room. Everything was white, the walls were white, the bed was white. *Like a hospital room* With a start I realized I WAS in a hospital room! But I wasn't really in a hospital, I was in the UNCLE medical quarters.
Then I remembered everything in a flash. Maiko aiming her gun at me, the two gunshots, the pain in her side, Illya hovering over her, then the comforting blackness of unconsciousness. I tried to sit up but the pain in my side flared up. *Great, I feel like I've been shot* I thought to myself sarcastically.
But I did not want to stay there, I had to find some answers to my questions. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and tried to wait out the sudden pounding in my head. After a little while the pain seemed to subside. I got up and though my knees felt wobbly, I made it to the door. At the exact moment it swung open.
Illya was just as surprised as I was to see him. His face immediately changed to one of seriousness. He spoke in a scolding tone, "You're supposed to stay in bed."
"I'm perfectly capable." just at that moment my knees just HAD to buckle and I would have fallen to the floor if not for the quick reflexes of the other agent.
"You were saying?"
I covered my embarrassment by growling. I chided myself inwardly for being such a klutz. Illya helped me over to the bed and continued to press me, "You were saying something about you being perfectly capable of.? Come on, say it."
I finally got myself as comfortable as you could get on a hospital bed and groaned. "Perfectly capable of standing on my own two feet."
"Action speaks louder than words."
I would never try to beat Illya in a verbal war, my head hurt too much. I decided to change the subject. "What time is it? And what happened exactly? My memory isn't working too well."
Illya brought a chair over to sit next to the bed. "To answer the first question, it is now 7:45 in the morning. To answer your next question, you were shot."
"Oh, really, you think?"
Illya cocked his head. "Are you this sarcastic so early in the morning?"
"Only when I'm around you."
He chuckled and I couldn't but smile along with him. "I'll try to take that as a compliment," he finally said.
"But seriously, what happened?"
"I rescued you."
"You were the one who shot Maiko? Is she." Though she had tried to kill me, the thought of her being killed was unpleasant.
He shook his head. "She's alive, still under UNCLE interrogation at the moment. She knows she's caught and is right now confessing to everything. She was quite a clever agent, I don't think anybody suspected her."
I thought about our training together and how we would sometimes make small talk. I had found her pleasant to be around with, it still was amazing that she had been the double agent the whole time. "So, it's over?"
"In a matter of sense, I've gotten Napoleon to finish the report."
*Getting Napoleon to write the report?* I smiled and asked, "How in the world did you manage that? From what I've heard, Napoleon would do anything to avoid writing reports."
Illya suddenly turned a bit uncomfortable. "Well. he would only do it if I promised to do something."
Now that piqued my curiosity. "What do you have to do?"
Silence and more silence. *Is he going to answer me?* Just as I was about to break the silence, he suddenly sighed deeply and ran a hand through his blond hair. I heard him mutter under his breath, "This is not easy."
Patience wasn't one of my virtues, I blurted out, "What!?"
"Do you remember the day at the coffee shop?"
I nodded. *Of course I do, that's the night Areht didn't show up.*
"The night you thought Areht hadn't shown up to see you?"
*To the point please.*
Blue eyes stared into my eyes. "Actually, Areht did come to see you."
"What!" Areht had come to see me, and he hadn't wanted to see me! Then I became suspicious. "How do you know? You don't expect me to believe you actually know who Areht is." The thought suddenly came unbidden to my mind. "You mean you've known who it was the whole time?! Why you.!"
"Think about it Danielle," Illya interrupted. "How do you think he felt when he looked into the coffee shop, saw and recognized you?"
It was then I felt a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. *What if he hadn't liked me? Maybe I wasn't the type of person he wanted to meet.*
Illya noticed my sudden change in mood and brought his hands to grasp my shoulders. "Danielle, it's nothing like that! He was afraid of what you would think of him! In e-mails they were great friends, but in real life," he searched for the correct words, "they weren't exactly at the best of terms."
*Best of terms? But who!* My hands were sweating for some reason and I felt my breath come out in quick takes. Why was I so nervous? The Russian agent sighed then continued. "He didn't know what to do, should he see her? You were an incredibly interesting woman, but proved to have a quick temper, how would you react?" He gave a wistful smile. "I waited for ten minutes before I could finally make up my mind on what to do."
Ten minutes, that meant around the time Illya had arrived. So that was it, Areht didn't want to interrupt us! But wait a second. Illya had used the word 'I'! Suddenly the room seemed to spin around and closed my eyes. *It couldn't be true, can it? The answer has been right before my eyes the whole time!*
The Russian agent seeing my reaction continued. "Well, you know how our conversation turned out then. I felt you would never accept me as a friend and I still wanted your friendship, New York Girl."
Still with my eyes closed, I asked tentatively, "So you were Areht the whole time?"
"Yes."
This time I brought my hands up to cover my face. Shame washed over me as I thought of the way I had kept treating Illya. And to think at the coffee place I had compared him and Areht as two totally different people, when they were the same! Shows what a real friend I had been. And all Illya had wanted to have was such a simple thing, a friend.
Then I felt his hands put my hands down and gently brought my chin up so our eyes met. It was then I 'really' looked into his eyes. Blue eyes that were now watching my features carefully. Eyes which belonged to one of the most patient man I've ever met, who would always have a patience for me that I could never ask for. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier Danielle."
I laughed without humor. "For what? I didn't really deserve an explanation back then. I was so rude to you."
"You were."
I tried to glare at him then stopped when I saw the hint of a smile on his lips. I reached out to lightly touch the side of his face. "You're really Areht?" I still couldn't believe it, I admit I was still in a bit of a shock.
"In the flesh," he answered.
I drew my hand back slightly. "I don't deserve a friend like you."
Illya shrugged. "Nonsense, besides, I would like to think I can choose my own friends." Then a slight shadow seemed to flit across his face. "I am not exactly one to have a whole group of friends."
"But you have Mark and April. And there's Napoleon."
At the sound of his partner's name, Illya grinned evilly. "Which shows you what a strange collection of close friends I have."
My mood had brightened considerably, I teased, "So you think I'm strange?"
"No, just very American."
"And just what is wrong with us Americans?"
"Absolutely nothing. And in your case, you're a very attractive American."
Illya leaned in close and I automatically closed my eyes as he brought his lips to mine. His kiss was like his personality; gentle, mysterious, yet in it all there was a underlying sense of strength, hinting that there was more to him than meets the eye. And I couldn't wait to find out about it all!
We finally pulled back and smiled at each other. *Things are definitely looking up!* He brought his hand to the back of my head and drew me in for another kiss. *Yes, definitely looking up!*
Unfortunately, before our lips were even able to meet, Napoleon's cheery voice interrupted us, "Illya, your technique has improved!"
With a jolt we separated, Illya jumping up from his seat. Illya glared at his partner, "On the other hand your manners haven't improved."
As for me, I was probably blushing a deep shade of red. For not only had Napoleon entered the room, trailing behind were Patrick, April, and Mark, all looking extremely pleased. I decided to attack Patrick first. "Patrick, I didn't know you even woke up earlier than at least midday."
Patrick looked smug. "What, and miss all the excitement?"
"I'm terribly sorry for interrupting, but I just had to see how things were turning out," Napoleon apologized not very convincingly. "I didn't think it'd be working out this well."
"I must say, Illya old chap, that wasn't nice keeping your secret from Danielle so long," put in Mark who came over to clap Illya on the shoulder.
"Wait a second," I said incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that everyone knows about Illya being Areht?"
"Well, Mark, Patrick, and I didn't know till this morning when Napoleon told us," April said as she sat down on the bed next to me.
And to my continued shock, Napoleon said, "Anyway, how did you think Illya got into the whole e-mail thing?"
Illya found his voice and after giving his partner a pointed look, said to me, "You see, Napoleon thought I would find it interesting to visit a chat room once, see what it was like."
Things began to fit. "That's where you met me? I somehow would have never though you an Internet user in your spare time."
He shrugged. "I told you, it was Napoleon's idea."
I tried to clear my head with all the happenings of that morning. I went through everything, making sure I had figured it all out. *Only one thing.* "Illya, what is 'Areht'?"
Illya looked at me slyly. "I thought that it would have certainly given me away after you met me. Areht is the Russian word for 'agent'."
"I see."
Napoleon glanced at his watch. "I'm sorry to say but our visiting time is over. One of the reasons we came was that the doctor said it would be our only chance to see Danielle until lunchtime. Get ready for some tests," he said with a wink to me.
I groaned. Any test was of the bad kind. "You don't mean it, do you?"
Mark smiled. "We're totally serious here."
"I've asked the doctor if we can have you out for lunch as long as you don't over tire yourself."
Illya spoke. "No way Napoleon, get your own date."
"Illya, it's not like you to be so selfish." I blushed as they fought over me. It wasn't very often to have two of the most wanted bachelors in UNCLE fighting over a date. But before I could put my two cents in, Napoleon continued. "Anyway, it's more like a celebration. The whole team from this mission is going out together for lunch."
"That's right," said April. "Celebration for a successful mission. The bad guys are caught, THRUSH is once again stopped, and we have one whole free day before returning to New York."
"Sounds great," I readily agreed. Arrangements for where to meet were made then everyone left, leaving only Illya. He sat on the bed and was the first to speak. "Sorry for the interruption."
"No problem." There was nothing that was going to ruin that day.
"I can still expect to at least take you out for dinner?"
"I was expecting it."
"Let's see, I know this great place where they serve the best raw fish, fermented beans," he stopped and laughed at the look on my face. "Don't worry, I'll find some place where the face is edible."
He stood up and walked towards the door. A thought entered my mind and called out his name. He peeked over the edge of the door with a questioning look on his face. "Illya, after this mission, does that mean that I'm no longer a rookie? I mean, I helped in catching a double agent, and actually got shot in the line of duty!"
He put on a mock serious expression. "I doubt it. Though I must say, you did a moderately good job."
"Moderately good job? I got shot!" I threw my pillow aimed for his head. Unfortunately, he had the reflexes of a secret agent and dodged it perfectly.
He peeked over the door again. "I really do have to say though, for a rookie agent, you have great promise." And with that, he disappeared gracefully from my sight. I was definitely looking forward to tonight's date!
I laid back and closed my eyes. *Being a rookie agent isn't too bad.* Besides, the way things are working out, I wasn't planning on staying a rookie agent any longer than I had to. Just wait till I get out of the sick bay, nothing is going to be able to stop me!
THE END
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Author's Note: Ah, here's the end of my story. Thanks to you all for reviewing my story, it's been lots of fun writing! Be on the look out for my next UNCLE story, "The Curious Reporter Affair". This story will deal more in the fashion of the Man from UNCLE tv series of the 1st season. I'll be borrowing a few of the characters from the 1st season episodes. After that is over, should I write a sequel to "The Rookie Agent Affair"? Please give me your opinions on that idea!