Illya Kuryakin walked past Lisa Rogers' empty desk, his nose buried deep enough in a science report not notice she wasn't there to clear his entry into Waverly's conference room.
The door opened silently and Kuryakin walked in automatically...looking up he realized he had made a faux pas.
"Oh, pardon me...I did not mean to intrude, my mistake."
He eyed Elliott and Napoleon sitting together. One side of his partners face was black and blue...Elliott had the beginnings of a black eye and a bruised cut on her cheek.
"No, no...not a problem Mr. Kuryakin." answered Waverly "We were just finishing up. What is it you require of me?"
Illya was momentarily distracted."Sir? um, nothing important. I was just wanted to go over some test results."
"Can it wait until this afternoon...I have a luncheon appointment at the club, you see."
"Yes sir. This afternoon." Illya turned to say something to Elliott but both she and Napoleon were gone.
Napoleon had retreated to their office when Illya finally caught up with him.
"When did this happen?" Illya asked, looking at the bruising oh his partner's cheek bone. He reached up to turn his face to the light, but Napoleon jerked away.
"What?" Napoleon snapped at him,"it's nothing...just a little accident on a quick assignment."
"I was just going to look at your cheek...have you been up to see Dr. Schneider?"
"No...why?"
"Because it looks like it is becoming infected, that is why. What is wrong with you...you seem rather nervous?"
"I'm not nervous, I'm fine. Whatever. Just fine...I'll go up to have it checked, thanks." Napoleon answered him more distracted than attentively.
"You're welcome...I think?" Illya realized that Napoleon was not paying attention to him at all. "Napoleon...the building is going to blow up in five minutes there's a nuclear bomb in the third floor lavratory. Dolores is pregnant with your child."
"Huh? Did you say something?
"I thought as much...never mind," Illya mumbled, wondering what had Napoleon so pre-occupied.
Napoleon looked completely lost as to what his partner was going on about and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
Illya decided to leave him be and after filing his paperwork he then headed down the corridor to find Elliott. He had been a bit surprised that she had not let him know she was back from her assignment but no matter, as long as she was home safe and sound; that was what counted more than anything.
Illya walked into her office unannounced then was disappointed to find that she was not there. He picked up the phone, calling the section two secretary.
"Janet, could you locate Elliott for me please?"
"Hi Illya, sure, hold on one second... Elliott has left the building."
"Really? When did she leave?"
"Security shows fifteen minutes ago. She indicated that she was going home for the day."
"Thank you Janet." Illya hung up the receiver feeling a bit strange that Elliott had not spoken to him before leaving.
Illya opened up his communicator "Channel D please, Mc Gowan." He waited but she she did not answer. Something seemed rather odd...it was as though both Napoleon and Elliott were avoiding him, but he brushed that thought off. It was too soon to try to call her at home. He had a few things to attend to in the lab, a consult with the section eight chief, then his meeting with Waverly in the afternoon. Eventually he would find the time to call her to see if she was alright. He tried finding Napoleon again, but that too was a wash as he seemed to miss where ever he went in search of his partner...Eventually Illya made it home, never having made his phone call to Elliott.
Illya finally walked in to his apartment later that evening finding Elliott asleep on the sofa with Demya sleeping in his playpen. He smiled, shaking his head, then picking up his son, he carried him into the bedroom changed him, then put him into his crib.
He walked back out to the living room...looking at Elliott sleeping peacefully. He pulled a black velvet ring box from his pocket, opening it and examined the contents with a smiled then closed the box with a click. Tomorrow was Sunday and God willing they would both have the day off to spend it together.
"Elliott...Annushka?" he whispered.."Nu prishlo vremya lozhit' sya spat"_come, it is time to go to bed, my sweet?
"Mmm? hi..." she whispered barely able to wake herself.
"Are you alright?"
"Mmm huh, sorry I'm really tired...it was a rough one this time,"
"Were you with Napoleon?"
Elliott's eyes opened wide. "What do ye mean?" she asked her mind jumping to conclusions; she was now awake.
"When you were debriefing with Napoleon this morning, I assumed you had been on assignment with him."
"Um...yes he assisted with part of it, ended up going south though...do ye recall the General?
"Of course I do."
"Well I believe the General is no more...there was a bit of a counter-revolution and he lost."
"Good...one less that we have to worry about."
Elliott closed her eyes again, seeming to doze off in the middle of the conversation. Illya retrieved a blanket from the bedroom and covered her with it rather than trying bring her into bed for the night.
She listened as he walked into the bedroom and watched as the light went on and a few minutes later Dimitry started to whimper. She heard his father sing to him...soothing him back to sleep, then the light went out a few minutes later as Illya settled into bed.
Elliott sighed, hoping her deception was not detected...she felt terribly guilty and just couldn't bring herself to sleep beside him...not at least until she had calmed down a bit. She also had the upset of Waverly's order to terminate her clawing at the back of her mind as well.
The next morning Illya woke hearing Demya talking to one of his stuffed toys.
"Hi Demmy," he smiled picking him up, taking him right to the changing table for a fresh nappy, then he carried him out to the living room,"now be very quite Demyachka...mama is still asleep on the sofa, da?"
He put Demya down on the living room floor to play with his set of blocks then headed into the kitchen to make breakfast.
He peeked back out at his son to check on him and saw the boy standing directly in front of his mothers face, leaning forward, not touching her as Demya knew that was a big rule...not to touch mama and papa while they are asleep.
Suddenly Elliott opened one eye."BOO!" she said. Sending Demmy into a fit of giggles.
"Hi mama...papa's in the kitchen. He's making breakfast," Demya announced proudly.
"Good morning" Illya called out to her.
"Mornin' Illuysha." she yawned,"Jay-sus, I feel like I've been run over like truck...why'd ye let me sleep on this lumpy sofa?"
He walked out handing her a mug of tea."Because you fell asleep there and I did not want to wake you up."
"Elliott are you alright?"
"Fine...I'm just fine," she lied to him, trying to mask her nervousness. Her heart was pounding as her conscience gnawed away at the pit of her stomach.
She sat up, taking a long stretch."Ye makin' breakfast Russian? she tried smiling at him.
"Yes... it would be my pleasure madam, and what would be your preference today? The choices are kippers, rashers, bangers, ham...pancakes, kashi,cream of wheat, eggs and of course English muffin, toast...French roll."
"Ewww...eggs. Eggs Benedict please?
"Your wish is my command."he smiled giving her a bow.
Illya fed Demya first then readied their breakfast, setting it out on the table when it was ready. Eggs Benedict for her, kippers and a French roll for him. They ate together quietly...but Illya noticed she did not eat that much and seemed to just pick at her meal.
"Annushka...are you sure you are alright?"
"I said I'm fine!" she spoke a little sharply to him, telling herself to relax and get it together.
He let it lay, guessing that she was still tired and just being a bit peevish and ignored her tone of voice for now.
"The weather forecasters are calling for it to be a nice day today...would you like to take Demmy to the park this afternoon, the fresh air will do him good. Maybe we can go to the lake to see the swans?
"Park..." she said absentmindedly," yes that'd be lovely."
Elliott seemed to relax as the morning passed, she played with Demya, read the news paper, though to Illya she seemed very quiet and pensive.
Illya tried getting a little cuddly with her when Demya went down for his nap but she was unresponsive towards him.
"Mmm...I am feeling a bit lonely right now," he said trying to nuzzle her neck, but she pushed her shoulder up fending him off as she pulled away; continuing to read without paying him any mind.
So he let her be, assuming she needed some space to wind down from her assignment. Some times they both needed that down time to unwind.
They gathered up Demya bundling him into his carriage, as the spring weather was still a bit cool, then headed out for a leisurely walk to Central Park, finally stopping mid-park at the Bow Bridge, a nineteenth century Victorian style span that crossed the lake at it's narrowest point. So named for it's graceful shape reminiscent of the bow of an archer or violinist. It linked the flowering landscape of Cherry Hill with the wooded Ramble... and it was the favorite place of lovers.
Illya and Elliott leaned on the railing taking in the view as the cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom... a few people were on the lake in row boats as a pair of mute swans drifted into view on the water from beneath the bridge.
Illya spoke softly as he looked down at them,cocooning his arms around his Annushka.
"Unwearied still, lover by lover, they paddle in the cold.
Companionable streams or climb the air; their hearts have not grown old. Passion or conquest, wander where they will...but now they drift on the still water, mysterious, beautiful..."
"Yeats wasn't it? she said,"that was lovely."
"Elliott...did you know that swans mate for life?" he whispered close to her ear,"that is very romantic... giving of one's self to another forever."
He hesitated for a moment."You know how much I love you...do you not?"
She nodded quietly, snuggling in closer to him, laying her head on his arm, still seeming distant.
"Then perhaps you could answer this question?" he said fumbling for a second as he pulled something from his coat pocket. He reached his hands around out in front of her, opening a black velvet ring box. In it was sapphire and diamond ring.
"Elliott...Annushka, would you...would you honor me by becoming my wife?"
Elliott pulled free of his arms, taking a few steps away from him...she had not expected this at all.
"Are you alright?" he asked, seeing she had gone suddenly pale.
""I'm fine." her eyes began to well up with tears as she stuttered," Illya I'm not sure...I can't... not right now..."
Illya stood with his mouth open, unable to speak for a moment.
"Elliott, you do love me do you not?"
She reached out touching her hand to his cheek,"of course I do a stór...it's just that I wasn't expecting this...we've never talked about it. I mean...isn't everything fine as it is right now?" She didn't know what to say to him...
Illya was devastated...how could he have misjudged her...they loved each other, was this not the next logical step to take? She had never hinted that she was against marriage?"
"Elliott, I am sorry if I upset you. It is alright...we do not have to be married...please do not let this change what is between us?" He suddenly became very afraid of losing her for some reason...that his proposal could perhaps drive her away from him. It seemed to have frightened her as she was trembling.
"We do not need a piece of paper to prove our love. I understand." he told her, though he did not sound pleased.
He held the ring out to her. "Take it Elliott, either way it is a gift for you. Wear it if you wish or not," he said coldly.
Elliott could hear the hurt in his voice as he tried to hide it and she took the ring box from his hand.
"It's beautiful Illya." she said looking at the ring. It was a square cut sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds, set in yellow gold.
"It is a Russian sapphire...it came from the Ilmeny Mountains in the Urals," he said proudly," I had thought the European custom suited you more rather than the diamond ring the Americans favor?"
Elliott was feeling overwhelmed with emotion."Illya, I did not mean to...I have something to tell you...it will hurt..."
Suddenly Illya's communicator sounded, interrupting her.
"Kuryakin here"
"Yes Mr. Kuryakin...sorry to disturb your day off but I am afraid you are needed at headquarters immediately... Mr. Gabriel will be joining the meeting."
He showed no reaction to Waverly's using his Archangel code name."On my way sir..." He looked to Elliott.
"Go!" she said." I'll take Demmy home, ye go!"
"What did you want to tell me?"
Elliott panicked... lying, she blurted out that the General had raped her, telling him that was why she wasn't herself.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her squarely in the eyes, red-faced with upset.
"Why did you not tell me this?
"Illya if I am pregnant...it could be by him and not you."
Illya brought his hand to his head, squeezing his temples with his fingers..."When will you know if you are pregnant?"
"I can go to see Max within the next ten days for an ultrasound and blood test...so we'll no soon enough."
Illya pulled her into his arms."If you are... if it not mine," he paused taking a deep breath," we will love it...I will love it just the same, as the baby will be part of you. Do you understand me?"
She nodded, not saying a word.
He left her there on the bridge; his mind already focusing on getting to headquarters, but his heart was pounding and there was a knot in the pit of his stomach from Elliott's announcement. He caught a cab outside the park and was in Waverly's office within fifteen minutes.
"Thank you for getting here so quickly Mr. Kuryakin, please be seated."
Waverly tossed a file across the conference table to him, as Illya put on his reading glasses.
"As you may be aware, there has been a state of unrest developing in Greece...the upcoming elections have created quite a stir as it feared the leading candidate, George Papandreou, who is anticipated to win, would lead to a Communist take-over within the government. Up to this point King Constantine has been engaged in some political manuevering...having sent his envoy Demetrious Bitsios to Paris to renegotiate the return of Constantine Karamanilis...the former prime minister to Greece hoping for him resume his role in Greek politics. He would make a very powerful ally for the King."
"Unfortunately...there has now been a coup d'etat on April 21st to be precise...using "the Prometheus Plan" which was designed by NATO to fend off communist attack from a Soviet bloc country, the government was overthrown and martial law has been declared."
"This coup is being lead by some of the highest ranking generals and colonels in the Greek military, being has been centered in Athens with tanks put in place strategically around the city. Mobile units are being dispatched as we speak arresting leading political leaders and authority figures, ordinary citizens and so forth. The numbers are rising into the thousands. There are rumors of beatings, torture and killings..."
"The army is thought not to be part of the conspiracy and is obeying all orders given them since they are being perceived as coming from a legitimate source. By the early morning hours of the 21st all leading politicians had been arrested including acting prime minister, Panagiotis Kanellopoulas."
"King Constantine was requested to engage the state army against the coup but has refused to do so...having been forced into cooperation by threat of the military that surrounded his personal residence in Tatoi with tanks. The King has now sworn in the dictators as the only lawful government of Greece."
Waverly brought a photographer of the King to the video screen.
This photograph of King Constantine with his hands clasped together, taken with the leaders of the coup was recently released. But the King sent a sign you see," added Waverly," to the Greek people that he was acknowledging them against his will by clasping his hands in front of himself."
"Sir, if this is a legitimate take over of the government... then what necessitates our involvement?"Illya asked." What would be the role of Gabriel in this...surely not to interfere with the direction this countries politics is taking? Is this not the natural course of events...?
"That assumption is correct Mr. Kuryakin and the coup itself is not our concern, however there is one individual who is.
An image of a dark-haired man flashed on the video screen, dressed in a Greek military uniform with the rank of general. "This Mr. Kuryakin, is General Spiros Alexandropoulos, one of the members of the junta and unfortunately a member of THRUSH. It will be your assignment to eliminate this man thereby removing any of Thrush's undue influence on the change in regime in Greece."
"At present many of the individuals being taken prisoner by the military are being held at the Phaliron race track in Athens...sadly executions have begun. We believe this elimination of the opposition is due to Alexandropolos' influence...I need not remind you that there is to be no interference with any of the other members of the acting government at this time...as you say things must be permitted to run their natural course, even though we may not agree with it. You are to leave immediately via private jet. The U.S. Ambassador has requested you check in at the embassy for a briefing with the American C.I.A. representative in Athens. Good luck Mr. Kuryakin. Dismissed."
The C.I.A. knowing the details of his mission did not sit well with Illya at all...they could turn on him at any time, given his past history with them and more specifically Bill Klein. The risk factor for this assignment just shot off the charts...
Illya grabbed his file heading directly down to the armory, picking up a gun case and choosing his favorite sniper rifle, the Winchester 70. He loaded a small case with other UNCLE gadgetry and explosives devices, as well as the attachments for his UNCLE special. Then he went to wardrobe, selecting clothing that would help him to blend in with the locals. There would be no need to change his physical appearance, as there were plenty of blond, blue-eyed Greeks...his mastery of the language was good.
Security provided him with a Greek passport as he would be masquerading as an expatriate, the name he chose was Nickólaos Demetriou."
llya then headed to his office, picking up the telephone receiver, requesting to be connected with his home telephone number.
The phone rang several times before Elliott finally answered.
"Annushka. Sorry, I will not be coming home. I am readying to leave for the airport now."
"Any idea when you will be back?'
"Not the faintest...Elliott please think about what I asked you." his voice was a bit shaky,"Promise me you will think it over...for me?"
"Yes... I will."
"S'agapó_ I love you." he said in Greek...his only clue to where he was going," Everything will be alright."
"Xéro, o erastís, mou_ I know... my lover." she answered then hung up the telephone.
She called him "her lover..." making him suddenly feel as though he had a position of impermanence in her life...lovers could be set aside easily."
Was she doing that subconsciously?" he wondered as climbing into the taxi in front of headquarters. He was suddenly filled with an almost overwhelming sense of sadness and not having his mind at all on the mission at all.
He would have time though to think about the task at hand as it was at least a ten hour direct flight to the airport in the north of Greece.
Elliott hung up the telephone, feeling terrible that she had refused to accept Illya's marriage proposal. He had obviously planned it and it could not have been a more romantic setting...the beauty of spring surrounding them, the cherry blossoms the peaceful journey of the swans as they glided across the lake...mated for life he had said to her. Life...she wanted her life to be with him forever but she felt so unworthy of his love.
She had betrayed Illya with his best friend and almost confessed it to him until the chirp of the communicator interrupted her impulse to tell him the truth..."
"No...it was better that I hadn't. He doesn't deserve to be hurt," she said out loud. She realized Napoleon didn't deserve it ...she couldn't destroy their friendship. She and Napoleon had made a very stupid mistake and would have to live with it.
All the good that had come from her and Illya's love for each other would be destroyed if she told him...it would break his heart and drive him back to being the hard-hearted man that he used to be...she was convinced of it well as sure she was that it would destroy his friendship with Napoleon. Trust, honor, love, lies and betrayal were all part of her jobs...now all were part of her life as well.
Elliott wondered though if she had the strength to hide what she had done from Illya...she was a strong woman but at the moment she had never felt so weak in her entire life.
Demya began to cry, and she picked her son up, holding him close to her bouncing him gently.
"Ne plach' moy syn,ne plach'_ don't cry my son, don't cry?" she sobbed in Russian.
If she was pregnant that would complicate matters in so many ways...was it Illya's child or would it be Napoleon's?" Her story about the rape would cover that... but it was another lie upon a lie...
Ten days later Elliott sat in Max Schneider's private office.
"Elliott... you are most definitely pregnant. I thought you two were being careful, haven't you been using birth control?"
The doctor had simply confirmed her suspicions as Elliott had already "felt" like she was pregnant.
"We were Max...the condom broke."
"Oh, alright." he paused, "you realize I can't hide this one like I did last time...I'm going to have to report it to Waverly."
"Can you wait just a bit...Illya is on assignment and I'd like him to hear it from me first please?"
"Was he aware of the possibility?"
"Jeeze Max...he was there when the condom broke remember?"
"That's not what I meant...given the irregularity of your cycles. Prior to becoming pregnant now...the last time you had menstruated was two months ago...so you had no way of knowing if you were at the fertile stage or not. Just because the condom broke was not a guarantee you'd become pregnant...although in this case you obviously did."
Elliott became very pensive, not really hearing what Max had said to her.
"Elliott...Elliott?"
"Mmm yeah Max...un huh."
He shook his head. "I have to ask you in an official capacity if you plan on keeping the baby...though I think I already know the answer to that question."
"Of course I'm keeping it."
"I thought as much." Max said as he handed her a large bottle of pills." here's your neonatal vitamins..."
Elliott left Max's office feeling very confused..."Maybe she should consider having it aborted?" she asked herself," that would solve everything...but no, how could she? What if is was Illya's child after all?"
She couldn't in good conscience consider it and dismissed the thought from her mind. Napoleon could never know if the child ended up being his...she would have to stick to the story of being raped by the General if that would have to live with that burden and no one else.
It was going to be a long nine months...