Part 3 Trust Me

He wasn't aware of how long he had driven, but he was dead tired. He chuckled to his self at the poor choice of words and glanced at Illya's unconscious body in the back seat. It was dark and the headlights shown on a small sign that read `Bed and Breakfast— Vacancy'. Thanking Solo's luck he pulled in and knocked at the door. Ten minutes late he drove around the back of the building were their room was located with a private entrance no less. He gently removed Illya from the car and carried him inside. Laying Illya on the bed, he took off his jacket and proceeded to check him out for broken bones. He was relieved to find that there were none, so he pulled up the covers and went to the window to keep watch.

Illya came to, realizing his condition had changed for the better. Gone were the chains and he appeared to be clothed and lying on a bed. His mind went back to the start of it all and as his eyes adjusted to the dark he spotted someone at the window. "Napoleon?" he said weakly, sure it was all a dream.

Napoleon turned from the window and came over to turn on the bedside lamp. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Like twenty miles of bad highway. Where are we?" Illya rolled over into a sitting position staring down at the floor.

Napoleon shrugged and realizing Illya wasn't looking, "I have no idea."

"Oh, Napoleon." Illya sighed, then he looked at him and his stomach tightened. "You know…don't you?"

Napoleon wanted to say, know what? To deny everything, tell Illya it didn't matter, but he couldn't. "Yes." He said quietly.

Illya turned away and let out a small sigh, "I'll send in my resignation and disappear."

Napoleon looked down at his friend in surprise. "Why?"

Turning back to look at Napoleon, "Don't tell me you don't find the knowledge of….what I am disgusting?" then he dropped his gaze to the floor

Napoleon swallowed hard, he wanted to deny this also but…. He came closer to Illya and knelt in front of him and gently said. "Illya, look at me. Yes, at first I was disgusted, but than I was angry. No, not with you but what had been done to you. You were only a young boy not even sixteen, right?"

Illya nodded. "I'm sorry, Napoleon, I never meant to lie to you."

"Illya, it's not a lie if no one asks. None of what happened was your fault." He said furiously.

"Napoleon, I am what I am, what I was made, I can't change that."

"You're a very good actor. I never guessed." And then he had to ask. "How many?"

"Since we've been partners?" reading Napoleons mind. "Three."

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding Napoleon closed his eyes and thought about what he had just learned. "Illya, you're my partner and my friend. I'm not going to ask you to change. I just want..If you ever need…damn this is so hard. What I'm trying to say is if you need…someone, let that someone be me."

"Napoleon! You can't be serious."

Looking him fiercely in the eye Napoleon responded, "I'm deadly serious. You've protected me time and time again, now it's my turn to protect you." Rising he continued, "I'm calling Waverly and telling him we're coming home."

Illya fell back on the bed not sure he could believe the offer Napoleon had just made. He closed his eyes going over in his mind the pain and torment he had gone through the last two weeks. Surely the fact that he was here and with Napoleon was all a dream. He had felt so alone for so long. When Napoleon returned from making his call, he took a deep breath sat up and looking Napoleon straight in the eye and hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself asked, "If you really mean what you said….would you…hold me?"

Napoleon wasn't quite sure what he had expected his friend to ask him to do, but he was sure that wasn't it. Looking at his friend with amusement he took off his shoulder holster and set it on the night table. Slipping off his shoes he climbed onto the bed and held his friend close his chin resting atop the blond head. He could feel the tension in Illya drain away and was gratified that he felt safe with him.

Illya let himself lean against Napoleon feeling safer than he had ever felt before, he hadn't really planned to take Napoleon up on his offer so soon, but now that he was here…he'd always wondered it what the girls at the office had said about Napoleon was true.

"I bet I know what you're thinking, " Napoleon said softly.

Illya looked up at him in surprise, there was no way Napoleon could know…than Napoleon looked down at him and gently brought his lips down to cover his partners. Illya's heart almost stopped. The girls were right, he did know how to kiss. But how had he known what I was thinking, Illya thought.

Kissing wasn't anything new to Napoleon, he'd kissed more woman than he could count. But this kiss was different, somehow he had known it was what his partner needed and he had put his whole heart and soul into it. When they finally parted, Napoleon holding back a smile asked. "Well?"

Illya just snuggled back into his embrace trying hard not let Napoleon see the smile on his face. "It was…adequate." He could feel the quiet mirth of his friend as he once again relaxed against him. Then he let out a sigh, when they did go back there would be questions, and doctors. He was not sure he was ready to deal with all that.

"Don't worry, There will be no questions, I promise."

"How long have you been able to read my mind?" Illya demanded, "how can you say there will be no questions, once they find the bodies and read my file….everyone will know." He felt Napoleon stiffen.

"Illya, it won't be a problem. Trust me."

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Not today, and maybe not tomorrow either. Go to sleep."

He felt Illya give in, and soon felt more than heard the easy breathing of a man sleeping. He knew he would soon tell Illya that he had destroyed all the files that could harm him, and that there was no body for anyone to connect with him. Kissing him atop his head, he leaned back to catch up on some much needed sleep. He thought of his promise to Illya to help him when he need to…and was surprised to realize that he was actually looking forward to it.