//Tell me now Tell me like it is//

Napoleon took his seat, feeling terribly nervous in the presence of their superior. He looked over to what he knew to be an equally nervous Illya, but somehow the blond was hiding it better than he could.

"Gentlemen." Waverly acknowledged.

"Mr. Waverly." Napoleon nodded, trying to read the older man's expression. As always, it was an excersise in futility.

"Sir." Illya said evenly, turning the table so that the report came to rest in front of their boss. "You requested a run-down of all that has happened in your absence. I hope that you do not fault us the occasional gaps. Leamas should have been able to explain anything we left out."

Napoleon sucked his breath in. His partner had been unable to keep the growl from his voice on Leamas' name, and Waverly might question this.

"Ah, yes, thank you, gentlemen. Leamas certainly did have some explaining to do." Waverly said coolly, flipping through the report. "Seems to be in order. Excellent work."

"Explaining?" Napoleon questioned, his stomach rolling once.

"Yes. It seems he did some tinkering while I was away."

"Tinkering, Sir? You mean the confidential information?" Illya asked. He kept his voice neutral, but Napoleon could see the raw anger glittering in his eyes, and was once again very glad he had never done anything to make his partner truly mad. "We were under the impression that the erasure order was approved."

"No, no it was not." Waverly shook his head. "I don't like to have agents' memories tampered with. It holds several potential dangers, and could make an enforcement team less efficient, if any other memories were accidentally removed. Why, the removal of any experience could make a field agent less effective."

"I'm sure Illya and I are just as dangerous as we were before." Napoleon offered.

"More dangerous to some." Illya muttered darkly under his breath.

"You are to report to me if you discover any problems since the procedure was done."

"Yes, Sir." Napoleon said quickly. "Is there anything else?"

"No, no, just make sure that any memories which concern your effectiveness as agents remain intact. I don't know how Leamas' erasure process worked, how well it took, or how much he eradicated."

"I know it involved injections. I found the marks on the inside of my arm."

"As to how well it took, that depends on whether or not the confidential case involved a dog. I think I might remember something about a dog."

Napoleon looked over at Illya, who turned to him. Through their brand of silent communication, it became understood that Illya was making it up, and that he hoped Waverly might reveal some clue that would tell them how much the old man knew about why their memories were really erased, and if so, how he viewed their crime.

"You-- believe that the process did not take?"

"I have an excellent memory." Illya shrugged. "It is quite possible that it did not. But only if there was a little dog involved. I believe I remember one."

"I'm afraid not. By Jove, if he implanted fake memories in addition, I'll have that man brought up before the board!"

Illya grinned over to Napoleon, mouthing the words 'cold enough for you?'

Napoleon bowed slightly, mouthing back 'I bow to your genius'.

---/-/---

He sat down on the park bench, waiting nervously for something to happen. He wasn't sure what it was he was waiting for, but he would be ready when it did.

A man approached, taking the seat next to his. "John Leamas?"

"Yes. And you are?" He asked warily.

"My name is unimportant. You are with UNCLE?"

"I still don't know who you--"

"Let's just say we have a mutual enemy in THRUSH. I was sent by your old pal Holden Williams." He passed Leamas a business card.

Leamas gasped. Holden Williams... it was a name he hadn't heard in years. He had known the man when UNCLE was only beginning, and he himself was an enforcement agent. In the old days, they didn't have as many clear deleinations between sections, and some of the people in command had once pulled double duty in enforcement out of necessity. Not like the big multi-office force-to-be-reckoned-with they were today, no.

Williams was a businessman whose operations had been threatened by THRUSH, and Leamas-- along with a partner-- had been in charge of seeing that their enemy failed. Apparently, he hadn't been as thorough as he had thought.

"And why is THRUSH bothering Holden Williams now?"

"You misunderstand." The man grinned coldly. "THRUSH isn't bothering Mr. Williams, *he* is bothering them."

The man stood, disappearing into a cab, and leaving Leamas holding the business card.

---/-/---

Illya scrawled a quick note onto a scrap of paper, and slid it into the stack of reports he was passing along to Napoleon.

'Napoleon- we must find out how much Waverly knows, as Leamas may be lying to him'

He looked up, surprised. "You think he would-- Would he *lie* to Wa--"

"I do not underestimate the man's treachery, and I never shall again. We may still be under his surveillance."

Napoleon nodded, writing on the back of Illya's note and motioning him over. "Here, my language is a bit rusty. Check this syntax for me, will you?"

"Of course. Do you think there is a grammatical error?"

'If Leamas is lying to Waverly, then we have him'

Illya pulled out a sheet of paper, scribbling a return message against the blue lines. 'How can we prove it without implicating ourselves'

"I think this is more what you are trying for, Napoleon."

"Thanks." He smiled, writing. 'I don't know. Expose him anonymously, somehow'. "How's that?"

Illya nodded. "Looks good. I think we can close that file now."

Napoleon set the folder on another pile, keeping the note paper at the top of the stack.

Illya took the pen. 'Why not arrange "accident" for Leamas?'

Napoleon glared. 'Do I really have to answer'

Illya shook his head. 'No. Once Leamas dead- suffering over. Pain- will keep him bound+gagged in secret place, torture?'

Napoleon glared even harder. 'Down, boy'.

Illya pouted. 'He deserves it'.

'Why the notes?'

'I told you- Leamas discovered us before, we may still be under surveillance.'

'ridiculous- checked three days ago'

'That was before Leamas. Check again'

"I'll take care of that later." Napoleon said casually. "Hey, I haven't eaten since ten. What time is it now?"

"One."

"Do you want to grab a quick bite?"

"Have I ever once refused?" Illya replied gamely, a smile appearing on his face.

Napoleon grinned, crumpling the paper and burning it over his ashtray. Since he no longer smoked even on occasion, this was the most use it had gotten in a while. "Okay, I'll buy."

"I know I have never once refused that." Illya's smile brightened, and he reached for his jacket. "As soon as you're finished."

---

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