Chapter 6 =================================================
Recovery time for Alexana was slow, but steady. After two days, all medications were removed, but for the antibiotics, the same as the first time. Regional anesthesia was used to help her with the pain of her left arm fractures and chest wound. Illya spent all of his time with her for the next couple days as Alexana started to wake up. Sometimes, it was just to be there reading to her from technical journals, wiping her sweaty brow with a moist wash cloth, and talking to her softly as he led her hands, preventing her from thrashing about and banging her cast against the padded bedrail. She would still call out in many different languages in her dreams at night and Illya was there to help soothe things over by whispering gently in her ear.
Napoleon was surprised how patient Illya was. He was calm and cool; never getting angry or frustrated with what Alexana would say or do. Illya was not usually like this when he was hurt unless he was close to dying and had made him a little jealous. But, it was another side of Illya he didn't see very often.
Soon, Illya was able to leave Alexana alone in the room for a few hours during the day. Napoleon watched from the observation room before he went in. He'd gone to his office and she was sitting up in bed with a paper pad and pencil. Her head was down in concentration as she struggled to write. The restraints had been temporarily removed as her health improved.
Alexana looked upset and frustrated as she angrily scratched out what she had just written, threw the tablet to the end of the bed, and sent the pencil flying toward the mirror with a loud "Pang". She shifted in the bed, pulled at her cast, and winced in pain as she finally gave up on being comfortable.
"Lexi…" Napoleon said as he came into the room before the nursing staff could rush in. "How are you doing?"
"You saw." She said hotly, tried to shift again in the bed, and nodded toward the mirror. "And don't try to play nice with me. You stole my chemicals. They were mine! You had no right to them!"
Napoleon was stunned as Alexana's voice went from a quiet irritation to a fierce growl with a tight, unreadable face glaring up at him.
"Ah, I see that Illya told you…" Napoleon jumped to that conclusion, wondering which person he was more loyal to him or her.
"No, he didn't." Alexana said with an ice-cold stare that Illya was prone to use on those who posed a threat. "It was that Dr. Thompson person. He was just in here, all giddy, wanting to talk with me about my compounds and chemical processes. What each one of my formulas did. Like I would tell him, when my superiors in the KGB didn't even know what I had. I would've been sent to a lab in Siberia, never to leave the Motherland again! All of those formulas are mine, you hear me! No one can have them! I have it all in my head, nothing is written down."
"I couldn't let anyone get a hold…"
"No one would've known what they were by the look of them. I only used them for my personal use. You had no right, Napoleon. You've Illya already, why do you have to take everything from me? Just leave me alone."
Napoleon said nothing as he tried to defend his actions as an UNCLE agent and maybe the best thing would be was to just leave before her anger escalated further. Could this was still all part of effects from the antidote, he wondered.
"You are still upset. We can talk later, if not as friends, but as professional spies."
Napoleon took his leave, not too happy with what had just happened. Alexana in turned shifted her body away from him as she could without too much pain or strain on her injuries He hesitated a brief moment, hearing the sudden loud bang of a cast hitting the bed's side rail while the door swayed shut behind him.
"Napoleon!" Illya called out to him as he rounded the corner, not waiting to Illya to catch up with him. He didn't want to hear what Illya was going to say to him after he had seen Alexana.
"Not here," Napoleon firmly said when Illya had caught up with him and was about to grab his arm to stop him. "In Mr. Waverly's office."
"Fine," Illya agreed in a unhappy tone to Napoleon's abruptness and followed him into the office.
"Mr. Solo. Mr. Kuryakin. What the devil is going on with Miss Kuryakin? She's demanding to leave UNCLE headquarters immediately. She was ranting about stolen property. She threatened that if we don't release her from the restraints the medical staff put back on her, she's threatened to escape from the Medical and doesn't care who she has to hurt or kill to accomplish it. Do you know what's going on, Mr. Kuryakin?"
"I do believe it's about her hybrid chemicals. They were taken from her and given to Dr. Thompson to analyze without permission. I don't know why she is so upset; she refused to let me see her. Revenge is more her taste" Illya looked torn between his duty to Mr. Waverly and UNCLE or to Lexi. It's a tough spot to be in for him.
"Mr. Solo, did you take her take her formulas with asking her?" Mr. Waverly asked in surprise. "Why couldn't you have waited to personally ask her? She could've been an asset to UNCLE if she were treated with a bit more decorum. Bad show on your part."
"Sir, I do not think that is all that is bothering her." Napoleon said calmly after just being so neatly dressed down. Both Illya and Waverly looked for an explanation.
"Interesting, Mr. Solo, why?"
"Sir, I think that she is testing not only UNCLE, but Illya and I. I think she wants to know just how far we will go to protect her. She's going to have to decide if we're going to be an ally or what she can use against us for her own needs. She has no one to be loyal to and no mission to perform. I don't think Illya being a part of UNCLE could change that right now."
"It is a thought, Mr. Solo." Mr. Waverly agreed. "I will talk with Miss Kuryakin myself. You, Mr. Solo will go and get her a special meal to eat for supper. I do believe that she's had enough of hospital food. Make sure there's enough food for both of you to eat while you apologized for your ill manners in this situation."
"Yes, sir," Napoleon said quietly.
"Mr. Kuryakin," Mr. Waverly continued. "Go home for a while. You can see Miss Kuryakin first thing in the morning. You two need some time apart. You've done an excellent job of helping her recover and I'm sure things will be better in the morning."
"Yes, sir," Illya simply said, shooting Napoleon a frustrated look with his tired, blood-shot eyes. He wasn't happy that Napoleon and Alexana weren't getting along.
"Off with you two. I'm going to see Miss Kuryakin in her room."
All of them got up from the table. Illya quickly left the office before Napoleon could stop him. He didn't want to talk to him right now. He wasn't happy with either of them or himself right now as he hurried to leave.
Napoleon let Illya escape without stopping him; he knew that he wasn't too happy with him and he'd talk with him later.
Mr. Waverly walked into Alexana's hospital, pulled up a chair. Before he sat down, reached over the bedrail and released the restraint on her right arm.
"You won't need those Miss Kuryakin, even with your performance here in Medical with Mr. Solo and after he had left."
Just as he done this, medical staff came in to see if Mr. Waverly was in danger. Alexana didn't move or say anything as he waved them off.
"She and I will be fine. Go back in the other room and shut off the microphone. You can watch and that's all from now on. I guarantee that she'll not cause any more problems to herself or me, now go."
Once they were alone, Alexana finished removing the other restraints, did a full body stretch, even if it hurt, and sat up with her legs tucked underneath her.
"Thank you, Mr. Waverly."
"I'm glad that you are better," Mr. Waverly settled down in the chair and looked her in the eyes with his usual demeanor. "Well?"
"Mr. Solo is a very ambitious and capable Chief Enforcement Agent. I think that I threw him off a little. He didn't take my hybrids until he knew that I was safe. I give him full marks for that and his unnerving ability to know what it important for UNCLE to succeed, even if it means to betray his partner's friend. He is a little concerned that Mr. Kuryakin is having some trouble picking him over me, because Illya needs each of us in different ways, but it was demonstrated that he'll choose his duty to UNCLE and his partner over me. That part of our conditioning is still very much intact within both of us."
"I think that Mr. Solo is the same in his loyalty to UNCLE and to Mr. Kuryakin. Soon, he'll find out that I'm not a threat to him and their partnership will be that same as before. I hope to stay in the background, but that will be up to him. In all, I think this affair was a success in preventing THRUSH's grand plan to create more super assassins from father's experiment, getting me out of the Soviet Union, and to know where your agents loyalties lie within UNCLE and in their partnership if you ever had a doubt."
"No question in my mind, but what about you, Miss Kuryakin? Where are your loyalties?"
"Yes, that is the question," Alexana said softly while contemplating the question. "I, as Cpt. Lt. Kuryakin, was loyal to father in a disturbing way, but we resisted his influence in any way we could. Illya and I did have some symbolist of a happy childhood before the war that helped us figure out how to act normal and enjoy the simpler parts of life.
"I don't know why I didn't feel the need to fulfill my duties to the KGB?" Alexana thought out loud, drifting back to the subject at hand. I was very successful in every way for them. I followed orders, reported crimes to the Soviet Union chain of command, and killed when I was told. I could've eventually been in charge of the biggest governmental department in enforcement."
"Once I saw that father was failing, I had to make a choice. Stay the way things were or change them. I'd gotten to like living here in New York and abroad. I got to see Illya more often, if you can say an evening or afternoon once every few weeks as often."
"I believe the term is family and love, Miss Kuryakin, but continue on with what you were saying."
"Yes," Alexana said with a frown. "I have of late, preferred to work in a chemistry lab making my little potions. I still enjoy of the hunt and killing of a target, just not as much as before I assigned to live in New York."
"What have you decided to do?"
"I am…accepting your job offer, Mr. Waverly. Now that I'm able to and if Illya is fine with it." Alexana said in firm determination with a sigh of relief. Finally allowing herself to think of Illya before making her decision. "Is it still open?"
"Are you willing to work for UNCLE's Research and Development in Section Eight and give us your formulas to help defeat THRUSH and any other group that would threaten us; including those who maybe affiliated with the KGB?"
"I think my loyalties could be easily attached to UNCLE."
"Agreed Miss Kuryakin," Mr. Waverly smiled. "You will be a welcome member of Section Eight, but I would like you to use your other talents and help out in Section Two occasionally. It would mean going to Survival School."
After a thoughtful moment of Alexana rolling that additional job requirement by her new employer around her mind, she smiled and nodded with the endless possibilities of working with Illya and Napoleon…
"I do have some regrets from this last…affair that I need to tell you." Alexana said, clearing her throat, becoming serious.
"Regrets?"
"Yes, I regret that I was caught off guard by just how effected Margaret was by father's influence. I let her get too close, because she was my sister. I regret that she had drugged Sasha to the point of madness, causing his ultimate death. He would've never acted that way if she hadn't past herself off as me and led him on. I also regret that not only did I get shot, but twice, it was very sloppy of me."
"The last one is what relationship Illya will have with the Soviet Union. I hope that the failure THRUSH had with Admiral Putin as their contact won't affect his ability to go back to Kiev if he wants."
"I will handle that last regret. I, too, have many contacts in some of the highest circles in the Soviet Union and I plan to use some your previous ones as well. Right now, Mr. Kuryakin is still safe to go back and forth. My regret is that I didn't see General Kuryakin hadn't changed his colors until you contacted me about his health."
"One cannot live only by regrets."
"Well said, Miss Kuryakin." Mr. Waverly smiled and went back to the first subject. "Now, what can do to help you? I hope you stay with us for a couple more days to make sure you are truly in good health. Do you need a new name or passport to place in your file with UNCLE?"
"I have most of the things I need already. I have a birth certificate stating that I was born in St. Ansgar, Iowa and a passport that lists my name as Monica Alexis Lane. I worked for my cousin who owns a small pharmaceutical company and secretly for Army Intelligence. All of that should pass when checked out.
"As for staying, I will stay tonight, but must go in the morning. I have another place to stay already and will contact you when to expect me. I'm thinking a couple weeks or three, once I talk with Illya and get out of this cast. Most of this should have settle down by then… and, thank you, Mr. Waverly for believing me over father. This wouldn't have ended well if you hadn't trusted me."
"Quite right, Miss Lane," He smiled. "You are to be commended as well. Now it is time for me to go. Mr. Solo will be here shortly to apologize for his behavior. You can tell him what we have discussed, but keep you future employment "under wraps" shall we say, until everything is processed first. The same with Mr. Kuryakin, if you please. I know that you'll discuss your actions with him when you see him in the morning for his input. I plan to send them out on a mission in a day or two, until then… good day, Dr. Lane."
"Good day, Mr. Waverly." Alexana said confidently as she watched him walk out of the room. She slowly got out of the bed as she was testing her balance after being in bed and in restraints for part of the day.
"Are you trying to escape, Lexi?" Napoleon asked as he came in the room, watching her from the other room. He had passed Waverly on the way out.
"No, I'll be going tomorrow." She said calmly, stiffly walking to a chair and sat down. Moving around the room felt so good to her after being in one place for so long in bed. "Mr. Waverly said that you were bringing dinner?"
"Are you still mad at me?" Napoleon nervously asked as he set the food down on a tray table and sat in another chair beside Alexana, who was trying to adjust her casted arm to a more of a comfortable position.
"Napoleon…" She looked up and smiled. "I had to act like that for a reason."
"I had a feeling." Napoleon agreed. "Tell me what I don't know."
Alexana explained what she and Mr. Waverly had talked about and how she approached him to keep the past from happening again. She told him that she was caught off guard in how Margaret had fooled them all, but didn't tell him what she plans to do in the future per Waverly's request.
Alexana told him that she knew that he wouldn't be able to resist her little travel kit of drugs, but still would've liked to at least discuss the pilfering first, but she understood his professional conduct.
"Lexi," Napoleon said as they ate and changed to a subject he was dying to find out about. "What about Illya? If I hadn't just found out some of your training and his, I would think that your relationship was deeper than anyone would guess, although you two did a great job hiding it for so long. Is it love or are you two just friends?"
Alexana eyed him suspiciously with a seductive smirk "Love? Illya and I?"
"Is it so hard to say the word love?"
"Have you ever heard Illya say it? Words like that were not allowed. To care or love makes the other one vulnerable and weak in the spy business. I won't do that to him or you." She motioned around to the camera and listening devices in the room.
"You already have, but you didn't answer my question," Napoleon pushed her further. "I watched you two together this last week. I don't think much will change if you stuck around in here in New York for a while. We both know that UNCLE will come first for Illya, but you can make him more complete, and give me more information about his youth for me to tease him about."
"Yes, I know that he would appreciate that from you." Alexana smiled, rolling her eyes, and then frowned. "It's all up to him now. I don't know if I have over stepped the boundaries with him. What about you, Napoleon, am I still a threat to you?"
"Now that I have had a chance to digest all of this, not so much as a personal threat, but as a challenge to win, maybe I'm just a little jealous that you know my partner so well, but that will pass. Anymore like you back home in Mother Russia?"
"I did have a sister once, but she's not your type, a little obsessive, power hungry and dead…"
Napoleon laughed lightly, gathered the trash from their meal, and got ready to go home.
"I will see you tomorrow, Lexi?"
"No, you won't." She said softly as he left and then she got up to pace around the room.
The next day, Illya went straight to Alexana's room in Medical to find out that she was getting ready to leave. She was dressed in borrowed scrubs that were cut up the side to accommodate her casted arm. He didn't understand what was going on and hadn't slept very well the night before, because he was still concerned about her well being.
"Oh, Illya," Alexana grabbed his hands and gave them a firm squeeze. "I'm sorry that I wouldn't see you last night."
"You're leaving?" He asked with a small voice of someone who just found out his puppy was run over with his bottom lip out as if to pout.
"Oh, don't use that act of me," Alexana laughed as she threatened him with a punch to his shoulder. "I won't work."
Alexana started to explain how she talked with Mr. Waverly and her feelings of disloyalty to the Soviet Union. She couldn't stay there or here at headquarters anymore. She was sorry about Margaret had done and told him what she'd done to Sasha.
"Did you kill that girl in the river?"
"No, her boyfriend did. She was part of a crime I was lead inspector on. I only kept her on ice until that day to use as a decoy if need be. She was found out to be an American spy from Army Intelligence. I just wasn't really expecting to get shot for real. As you know, the plan went wrong there, but just as quickly, was back on track again. I'm glad Napoleon was there to help me in the airport."
"Where will you be going?"
"Here," She gave him a slip of paper with an address on it. "It's my new apartment. I'll be there while I prepare for what I might do next. Come tonight, if you can, please. All could be the same as before. I am dead to the Soviet Union and have to avoid some of my previous comrades. Mostly, I'm going to take some time to rest, I promise"
"What about Napoleon?"
"We've made up and he's fine with me being here in New York."
"Waverly?"
"So far, willing to see how this will turn out. The same threats are out there as before and we can deal with them" Alexana shrugged as she glanced away and Illya squeezed her hands sharply to have her face him again. "Not a lot of people will know about us."
"What are you saying?" His blue eyes searched hers frantically.
"It's time for you to decide what you want and I will agree with your decision. I have to go now."
Illya helped her walk out of headquarters and into a cab. He crumpled the address in his hand and stuffed in his pocket. He'd already memorized it when she first handed it to him.
In a daze, he went back into UNCLE headquarters, walked to Napoleon's office, and pulled out his usual chair when he was in there. Napoleon watched Illya sit down, put his elbows on his knees and started to rub his hair, still too short for him to run his fingers through.
"Is she gone?"
"Yes." Illya sighed in frustration. "I don't think that she should have left. She is not well enough…"
"Is that the pot calling the kettle black?" Napoleon smiled.
"This is not funny, Napoleon." Illya frowned. "She's changing the rules."
"Oh, I don't know, I think that Lexi has been very level headed and wants you to be able to stay in UNCLE. To be able to spend more time with her might be nice if you like being with a top KGB assassin who has a flare for hybrid brainwashing formulas…"
Illya smiled, lifted his eyes to Napoleon, and they sparkled in merriment seeing that his partner was still having trouble determining if the Kuryakins were something more.
"Jealous?"
"Yes." Napoleon had to admit. "But, I have plenty of time to find that certain someone who can kill and build an atom bomb on a whim. In the mean time, I'll just borrow yours from time to time."
"By all means, take her when you want." Illya waved to his partner coolly. "Then she can experiment on you for a change."
"Aren't you afraid that she will tell me all your secrets?"
"Yes, but I think I have enough incriminating information on the both of you to keep it in check."
Illya turned serious.
"Not many people should know about any of this."
"I agree. It would ruin our reputation of being "more" than partners…"
"Really Napoleon," Illya grunted and shook his head. "I'm going back to my office to finish your reports for you."
"You do that. I'm going to the secretary pool. I hear there're some new female employees going through orientation this morning. I thought I might welcome to them to UNCLE."
"Always the gentleman..." Illya said as he left the room.
"Well, I try. Don't forget those reports need to be done by three." Napoleon called out to him as he sat back in his chair, playing with his communicator, deep in thought.
Lexi's eyelids fluttered when she heard the soft click of her apartment door lock being picked open. Smiling, she settled deeper into her bed, and sighed. She could hear the rustlings in the kitchen as the person was in her ice box and then the clink of glass. His favorite kind of vodka was ready of course.
Drowsy, she had lost track of her intruder until she felt him crawl into the bed with her. He caressed her body as he enclosed her in his arms; careful not touch her wounded left side.
"Why do you insist on playing only the games you know that you will win?" Illya asked, nuzzling her neck. "I must like to suffer."
"But you…love…this game as much as I do. Suffering is just the best part of it."
"Yes, I do love you. I always have. Trapped in spider's web, but only for tonight, I have to leave for a mission in four hours."
"We had better make the most of it then, because I am getting tired of you. Way too clingy lately, and then I would have to start cooking for you…"
Illya stopped her from talking by deeply kissing her lips and wrapping his body more tightly around hers with better ideas to what they should be doing with the time they had.
"Mr. Solo, Mr. Kuryakin, good morning." Mr. Waverly called out as the two gentlemen who walked into his office. "Well done on you latest mission. I glad to see that there no injuries to report. Please sit down and join us."
At the desk near Mr. Waverly, was a woman dressed in UNCLE's standard female uniform, lab coat and a black badge. She had auburn, shoulder length hair, pale skin, slim build, and unique hazel-green eyes that were hidden only slightly behind gold wire-rimmed, granny glasses perched on her pert nose.
"Gentlemen," Mr. Waverly said as he waved his pipe toward the lady. "This is, Dr. Monica Lane. She's new to UNCLE and will be in Section Eight's Research and Development department working on Miss Kuryakin's formulas. She has a PhD in chemistry from the University of Iowa with a Master's in Behavioral Sciences. She will work with Dr. Thompson."
"Doctor Lane," Napoleon said as she rose and they shook hands. He held her hand a little longer and gave her his one of his most charming signature smiles. "Welcome to UNCLE."
Illya just nodded to Lane as he sat down and put his own black glasses on, barely looking up from the reports he had brought in with him.
"Thank you, Mr. Solo, Mr. Kuryakin; I look forward to seeing you around the halls." Lane smiled back at Napoleon in a flat, mid-western accent with a firm handshake and then she sat back down as did Napoleon next to her.
"Mr. Kuryakin, you'll take Dr. Lane to Dr. Thompson's lab and get her established with a list of requirements she'll need to start right away. She's to have her own workspace, desk, and computer framework. Dr. Thompson is already aware that she will be in orientation for the next two days before he'll meet her in the lab."
"Yes, sir," Illya nodded as he put his reports down and look at Mr. Waverly. Staring at Lane with a curious look on his face and then he smiled for a quick second before it went quickly blank.
"The reason I brought you here to meet Dr. Lane, gentlemen, is that she's been cleared to help out in Section Two for agent support as needed at my request. She was one of the first female recruits for the ROTC and Army Intelligence. I have put her on the list for Survival School training when the opportunity comes up."
"It will be my pleasure to get to know you, Dr. Lane." Napoleon said with a gleam in his eye that usually melted most women defenses. "Maybe, when you tire of my partner's lack of manners, we could meet for lunch. I could take you on a tour..."
"I'm afraid that you're too late," Lane said smoothly as Illya looked to Napoleon and smirked at his defeat. "Ah, a Mr. Mark Slate asked me first, but you can join us in the cafeteria at noon, you too, Mr. Kuryakin?"
"If I have time I will try." Illya said as he looked at his watch. "I think that if Mr. Waverly is done with us, we should get you to the lab. I have reports to finish and other projects that require my attention."
"Oh, I do have another item for you, Mr. Kuryakin." Waverly turned around to his desk to grab a packet and spun back to the desk to pass it him. "It is from the Soviet Union."
All eyes were on the package as Illya took it and opened it.
"Maybe I shouldn't be here for this…" Lane said as she started to leave. "I'll wait outside."
"Yes. Perhaps that would be a good thing. We will be done in a few moments." Mr. Waverly agreed.
Illya opened the package as Lane left. It contained a report and two rings on a chain. He put down the rings and picked up the report.
"It's the official report of the deaths of Cpt. Lt. Alexana Kuryakin, Cpt. Lt. Sasha Noustovich, and Private Margaret Dolchi's deaths. The last one's was the result of an intruder who forced his way into her temporary apartment while here in New York and she tried to stop him. No clues to the murder point to any specific suspect."
"These rings and chain were the only effects from Miss Kuryakin that were allowed to leave the country." Illya put the rings wrapped in the chain in his jacket pocket and put the report back in the packet. "I will file this report with the information we have from her formulas."
"Yes, Mr. Kuryakin, the best place for it. Get on with it, Gentlemen."
Solo and Kuryakin got up to leave.
"Mr. Solo, try to finish some of your own reports, so Mr. Kuryakin can settle Dr. Lane in before lunch."
"Yes, sir," Napoleon glumly mumbled as he and Illya left the office.
At the secretary's desk, Monica Lane was talking with some of the ladies in Mr. Waverly's office and laughing. They looked up at Napoleon and Illya after someone nudged Heather McNabb and the conversations stopped suddenly. It was replaced by smirks and smiles as the women hurriedly dispersed to their desk.
"I see that you'll fit in quite well, Dr. Lane," Napoleon said as he watched the scurrying action around him.
"Dr. Lane, I think it's time we get going…" Illya said, trying to remind them what they are to be doing instead of socializing and indicated that she should lead the way to the elevator. "We'll take the elevator to the research level."
"I think, I'll join you two," Napoleon jumped into the elevator as well before the doors could close. "I need to go down to records."
"Fine," Illya said impatiently, moved back, and went to stand by Lane while Napoleon walked in and stood in front of them, facing the doors. He didn't see that Illya and Lane had grabbed hands behind their backs all the while keeping their expressions blank.
"So, Dr Lane," Napoleon started up to stay just as the elevator doors opened up. "Can I call you Monica or do you have a nickname?"
"I do, actually," She said hurriedly as she and Illya pushed past Napoleon to stand just outside the elevator doors while he held them open. "You can call me Lexi, Napoleon."
Napoleon looked at her in shock and then smiled big, finally recognized her despite her drastic change in appearance, because she spoke in a familiar Russian accent. Illya just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"And here I thought I had found a mad scientist all my own." Everyone laughed; Napoleon released the elevator doors and let them shut.
9