For Whom the Bell Tolls
Part 2
Bruised and covered with bandages April, Mark, Illya and Andreas joined Jo and Napoleon at his apartment to share a Christmas dinner. He had established this custom years ago for whatever friends were in town instead of being on assignment. This year it meant something different to them as they had managed to survive the unsurvivable just hours earlier.
Dinner was eaten, gifts were exchanged and each agent had picked out the perfect thing for the other but they agreed upon that the best gift of all was being alive and being able to celebrate the night together.
As everyone was leaving, April asked Napoleon what he planned to do for the rest of the evening. He gave her a small kiss on the cheek and said, "I have thanks to give tonight."
Napoleon hailed a taxi to the church that he had seen when rescuing his partner and friends earlier that evening. He looked up at the steeple once more, saying a silent 'thank you' then entered the church.
It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to remember the Christmases of his childhood with his grandparents. The formality of it all had been one reason he had given it up. This time he felt an inner desire to celebrate the day as he reminded himself of the true meaning of Christmas.
As the bells tolled at midnight, the organ started to play the melody of "Oh Come All Thee Faithful" and Napoleon joined in the singing. He could feel the people moving around him allowing others to enter the pew.
Suddenly, he felt a hand slipping to his. Following the hand to its owner's face, he saw Josephina smiling back at him and beside her stood Illya, Andreas, Mark, and April.
"We all have something to say thank you for," Illya said to him.
As the five of them turned back towards the altar, their voices joined with the others in the church and Napoleon smiled. The call of Christmas had brought together the people he loved.
….
Around noon the next day, Napoleon along with Illya and Jo stood before his Aunt's door.
"Napoleon, maybe this isn't such a good idea. After all it is the holiday you and your Aunt Amy usually spend together." Jo was nervous about meeting her.
"My aunt only wants the best for me. She's taken in Illya as a second son and will take to you in just as well." Napoleon had spent hours convincing Jo to join he and Illya today. He laughed at this normally self-assured agent who now was feeling so insecure.
Illya had a smile on his face as he had never had seen a sister so panicked about anything.
He remembered his first meeting with Amy. He had been just as nervous, unsure how she would accept him, figuring she was only welcoming him to make Napoleon happy.
But since the first meeting, he found her to be one of the most wonderful, giving women he had ever met. Accepting, understanding, and giving him as much love as she gave Napoleon.
"Jo, you would think you were entering a Thrush torture chamber instead of Napoleon's Aunt's apartment," he teased his sister.
"Just be your lovely self and she will love you as much as I do," Napoleon said as he rang the doorbell.
As the door opened, the well-dressed older woman opening the door left no doubt that she was his aunt as the family resemblance was remarkable.
"Napoleon, Illya come in, come in and bring in your friend as well."
Napoleon with his arm around Jo's waist pulled her into the apartment.
Amy gave her favorite nephew a kiss on both cheeks and then turned to Illya doing the same thing.
"I see you have been fighting the bad guys again." She pointed to Illya's bandages and Jo's crutches.
"Now, Aunt Amy. It was nothing. Just a little disagreement," Napoleon told her.
She shook her head, "Little disagreement. I would like to see what you consider a big one. Now who is your friend?"
"Aunt Amy I would like you to meet Josephina Kuryakin, Illya's sister. Jo I would like you to meet my Aunt Amy."
"Madam," Jo said.
"Josephina welcome to my home," Amy answered.
The two women looked one another over both knowing the man they loved in turn loved them both very much and wanted them to hit it off.
Napoleon shifted nervously from one foot to the other, making Illya grin his partner's discomfort.
"Why don't you two gentlemen fix some drinks while Josephina and I check on how dinner is coming, if that's okay with you?" Aunt Amy asked looking at Jo.
With a nod, Jo followed her into the kitchen and took the chair the older woman pointed to. "So you're the woman my nephew loves. Do you love him?" Amy wasn't known for her subtlety.
"I love him with my whole heart. Someday I hope to marry him."
"May I see the ring he gave you?"
"He told you about it?" Jo asked surprised. Other than a few friends and of course Waverly she didn't think that anyone else knew about it.
"My dear. There are very few things that Napoleon doesn't feel comfortable telling me about. He has told me all about you and how he feels. My only concern is that you love him as much as he loves you."
"I know what the three of you do for a living. He also told me quite a bit about you. I know you're Russian, an agent, a computer specialist, a singer, and can play the guitar. What I'd like to know is about you as a person."
Jo looked at the woman in front of her; she had accepted Illya as a member of her family. And if Napoleon trusted her enough to have told her about them, UNCLE then perhaps this was a woman she could be frank with.
"Madam…" before she could get any further, Aunt Amy interrupted her.
"Please call me Amy or Aunt Amy."
"Yes Madam, I mean Amy. I am not sure what you want know."
"Your hopes and dreams for your future and of course those that include my nephew."
Jo was surprised and even honored that she would care about her hopes and dreams. "I hope to live long enough to retire and setting down with him. Getting married is just one goal. Growing old with him is my ultimate aspiration. At this time he is being groomed to take over Alexander Waverly job, and I wish to be able to support him with my computer skills and any other way that I can."
"But dear that all well and good, but what is it that you truly yearn for? I can see that you love Napoleon, but what about you. What do you truly want?"
In her heart, she knew what she wanted but never dared admit it to anyone, not even to herself, she blushed as she said it, "I want a home with a few children."
Amy gathered Jo in her arms, "Then my dear, you two will just have to live that long. I know that you're the best thing that has ever happened to my nephew and I have a feeling he is the best thing that has ever happened to you. Welcome to the family."
"Now that we have that solved, tell me what you love best about him."
Jo thought about it for a minute then blushed once more not answering right away.
"Now my dear, I 'm not an old prude. I know you two have spent nights together. After all he is a Solo."
"Well, I love when he is sleeping and his perfect grooming is in disarray. His hair scattered over the pillow and his face slightly wrinkled up in a dream like a little boy. My favor is that cute lock of hair that always is falling on his forehead frustrating him."
Aunt Amy laughed at the picture she had painted, "Oh I remember as a child, he used to almost glue it down with "Brylcreem." Sometimes he put it on so heavily that it dripped down his face."
Jo joined in the laughter, "Then of course the way he screws up his nose when he smells something. It changes that suave face of his."
Napoleon's aunt nodded her head, "I always have to grin at that."
Soon the women were trading stories laughing and giggling as each came up with another habit of Napoleon.
…..
In the living room, Napoleon had been pacing around, wondering what was happening in the kitchen.
Illya had told him to sit down a number of times, but each time he did he would get up almost immediately and pace again, running his hands through his perfect hair causing that one lock to drop on his forehead.
"Napoleon, for the tenth time, will you sit down? Let them have some time to get to know one another. They both love you and they will work out a way to share you. Now drink your drink and relax."
"Look Illya, these two women mean everything to me and I am hoping that they'll like each other. But what if they don't well?"
"Each is going to have to share you. Let them work it out."
Laughter began to emanate from the kitchen and as the laughter grew louder, Napoleon headed to the kitchen door. He opened it and stuck his head into the room.
The women took one look at his mussed hair and began to laugh even louder.
"Out! We'll have supper served in a few minutes. Make yourself useful and open the wine. Have your partner help you."
Amy chased him out of the kitchen. As the door closed, giggling could be heard once more.
"What's going on it there?" Illya asked.
"I don't know, but I think I may have made a mistake introducing those two." Napoleon shook his head as he prepared the wine.
….
Everyone was gathered around the table as dinner was set out. Napoleons lifted the wine bottle and poured a glass.
He lifted it and smelled the aroma, screwing up his nose as he did. The women started giggling once more.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing my dear, just pour the wine." His aunt told him.
"Nothing, moya lyubov," Jo said giggling although she did try to stop.
Napoleon looked at his partner, who just shrugged his shoulders and grinned at him.
After the wine was poured, Amy took the hands of her two 'sons' while Jo took held Napoleon's and Illya's other in hers.
Amy's clear voice began, "Lord thank you for allowing me to share in the lives of these young people. Keep them safe in their pursuit of freedom and peace in the world. May they always have the love for each other that they have now. Bring them back to me safely. Amen."
With that, supper began.
….
Later that evening Napoleon caught his Aunt alone in the kitchen.
"What do you think of her?" He knew that she wouldn't say something to just make him happy.
"She's perfect for you. If you need it, you have my permission to make her yours, but I think you have done that already."
"I know I've found someone I can truly love. Thank you for accepting her."
"I just want you to be happy my dear. One thing though, if I find out you've broken that girl's heart, you'll have to personally answer to me. Do you understand?"
Napoleon smiled. He had the two women in his life who had accepted each other and a partner who was more a brother than a friend. He truly was a blessed man.
Once more he said a silent thank you to the God that he hadn't spoken to in years.