He slowly turned to look into the sad eyes of Napoleon Solo. " How could I not." Was all he said.

"Not what? Leave me or stay?" demanded Solo.

Ducky glanced over Napoleon's shoulder and notice Gibbs peeking in through the window. "Napoleon, now is not the time nor the place. Let's finish with this first." Motioning to the body on the table.

"Okay" Solo said with a look that told Ducky that this was not over.

Solo paced back and forth behind him as he went to work on the body-causing Ducky to smile at how familiar it felt. As it was he started his oral review automatically. It was a good thing that he could multi task. After awhile he remarked "Napoleon would you please quit pacing."

Napoleon paused and came over to stand next to-he was having a hard time thinking of him as Ducky. "So what did he die of?"

"Hmm, no outward signs as to death," Ducky reached over and picked up an instrument and began opening the chest cavity. He heard a choking sound and looked up to see Solo backing out of the room.

"I'll see you later." Napoleon said as he turned and swiftly left the room. Ducky went back to work with a sly smile that Napoleon would definitely have recognized.

Later at a nearby bar Solo sat nursing a scotch when he felt rather than heard someone behind him. Looking up he asked, "How did you find me?"

Ducky sat next to him and motioned to the bartender for a drink. "I used to be a spy after all." He replied, as the drink was set before him.

Napoleon looked at it quizzically. "Not your usual?"

"Not in this life." Ducky replied.

Turning to face his old friend Napoleon asked, "Is now the time and place?"

Glancing around Ducky replied, "Not here." Picking up his drink he led the way to a table at the back of the room. As they sat down with their drinks a waitress stopped at their table. "What'll it be, Ducky?" She asked.

"Ah, Lila, my love you know what I like" he leered.

Napoleon nearly choked on his drink and his eyebrows went up to the top of his head as he watched incredulously as his old friend ordered and flirted outrageously with the waitress. He was so surprised that when she turned to him for his order he was speechless. Ducky looked at him with amusement and taking pity on him ordered for him. Neither of them said anything for some time each thinking their own thoughts.

Napoleons thoughts turned to how much his friend was different, the voice was the same but gone was the accent he remembered so well. Illya had always worn glasses for reading, but now they seemed to be a permanent fixture. Finally Napoleon ventured "How do you explain your past?"

"I have a past." Replied Ducky as he stared into his drink, before he could explain further the waitress arrived with their orders and Ducky flashing her a smile started digging in. A couple at the next table commented on the fact that they were still waiting for their order since they had been served first, while they on the other hand had been waiting for 15 minutes. "Ducky's special" was all she'd say and turned to flash a smile at him.

"You must have been planning to disappear for a long time." Napoleon accused him.

"No," between bites he set down his fork and let out a small sigh. "When I first came to America I was not sure of my reception. So I made plans." Seeing the look on Napoleons face he hurriedly went on, "this was before I'd met you and got to know I could trust you." He picked up his fork again and started eating. "After all I didn't know who might decide to sanction me -KGB, GRU, CIA, FBI. After we started working together I just left it in place. After all things were good," giving Napoleon a look that set his heart racing, "very good. But then one day it wasn't just too much."

Napoleon looked down at his plate. What could he say, after all hadn't he done the same thing years earlier. Before he could think of how to respond he felt a presence behind him and looked up to see Gibbs sitting down at the table with them. Setting his drink on the table he looked from Napoleon to Ducky, "So how do you two know each other?"

Ducky immediately launched into an outrageous story of how they met while Napoleon leaned back in his chair resenting the intrusion and not really listening. All of a sudden he picked up on something. about an autopsy on a wolf.

Wait a minute, he sat up straight, that had really happened…the details were different but the story…. This could mean trouble, what if Gibbs decided to check out this story? Gibbs, according to the reports, might contact U.N.C.L.E. to see if it were true, that could blow Illya's cover. Napoleon cleared his throat causing Ducky to stop in the middle of his story and look at him. Raising an eyebrow and hoping Illya got the message he said, "Perhaps you shouldn't be telling this. After all it is classified."

Ducky looked at him and realizing what he was trying to say turned to Gibbs with an apologetic shrug.

"Ah, I understand," said Gibbs leaning back in his seat like a man willing to wait, Napoleon gave a mental sigh of relief. This should give him enough time to contact Sir John and stall any inquiries if there should be any. But how to do it without giving Illya away, he thought with a frown. Damn, when had he let go of Illya started thinking of him as Ducky . Bringing his mind back to the present he heard Gibbs ask, "So what were the findings on the autopsy?"

"If you had thought to check your desk you would have seen the written report already done." Retorted Ducky.

Solo hid a slow smile. Oh well Illya Kuryakin might be dead but Donald Mallard was very much alive and the possibilities were endless.