section7mfu | New Girl - Conclusion... Finally

My apologies for taking so long with this, but it is now complete. The links take you to each chapter.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
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Celia Valenzia had some regrets about the death of her brother-in-law, but as long as Antonio never found out she would sleep at night just as she had during all of her years as a THRUSH agent. She didn't have a glamorous job, but they did pay her well to pass along bits of information and to entertain the occasional important person. Celia was a natural beauty, and part of her job this time had been to seduce one or both of the UNCLE agents, leading them to a certain appointment with death. Now it was more probable that they had been victims of the explosion she heard. Oh well...

Knowing that Antonio's aunt was a THRUSH operative had given Napoleon and Illya an advantage. They left Antonio with the police, along with strict instructions to not let him leave. He wasn't safe as long as the UNCLE agents were still being hunted, and Mark and April were in danger until Solo and Kuryakin could rescue them. A thorough search as well as some fortunate observations from a few shop owners provided enough clues to send the UNCLE agents on the trail of a silver Fiat that had been seen with a redheaded woman inside. It had to be April.

The Fiat trail led to the hotel, where all of this had begun. It came as no surprise, since they had suspected that their rooms were bugged after they left that first day. It was decided that a frontal assault was the quickest and most efficient way to handle things.

Napoleon entered the lobby first, striking up a conversation with the clerk as Illya sauntered in, his body language suggesting that he was inebriated. Napoleon made a dive for his partner as the blond feigned a sudden loss of balance.

"Hey, tovarisch… easy boy, I think you've had a little to much vino." He turned and winked at the clerk, who now assumed that the two would be easy marks for the men waiting behind the office door.

Just as they anticipated, a flurry of activity ensued as the THRUSH assaulted their prey. Illya sprang out of his stupor and flattened the first man with one ferocious left hook, leaving the second to waiver in shock before Napoleon struck him down as well. When they both turned to look at the clerk, he raised his arms and uttered something in Italian that sounded like 'I surrender'.

"Where are they? Where are our friends?" The clerk pointed to the door with one hand as he maintained the other arm straight in the air. Illya shook his head and walked past the poor man, swinging open the door to look in at April and Mark, both tied to chairs and gagged with dinner napkins.

Illya removed the gags first and was joined by Napoleon as both of the junior agents were untied. Solo had quickly darted the other three people in the hotel's little lobby. Right now their objective was to get to Celia and shut down this entire operation.

While Trevor and Antonio waited at the police station, the four UNCLE agents made their way to the home of Celia Valenzia. She was unaware of what had transpired in the last two hours, her world was not yet rocked by the intrusion of those she considered enemies. A life spent in the employ of THRUSH had hardened her emotions, except for Antonio. She loved the boy in spite of his parents, and had not shed a tear when either of them died. Her primary objective in life was to please the Hierarchy, to remain solvent within its treacherous domains.

When a knock came at her door, Celia put on the happy face of the woman she wanted people to see. To her surprise, the faces she saw were those of the people she had expected to die out on the beach. She hid her shock as several scenarios ran through her mind. None of them ended well for her.

"Signor Solo, I was not expecting you." It was a predictable response, one to which each of the people at her door silently agreed.

"I don't suppose you were Celia.' Napoleon spoke as he stepped inside, ignoring the lack of invitation.

"We have Trevor, and Antonio…" Celia looked surprised at that.

"Antonio? He has nothing to do with this!" Finally, a break in her facade. She did care about Antonio, something that had become the only crack in her smooth veneer.

"He's fine, we know about Trevor though, and you. Celia, this ends here. You need to tell us who is running this operation and where we can find him." Solo's expression was stern, and Celia had no doubt that she would be an easy sacrifice… to either side.

"Him? What makes you assume that it is a man?" Illya caught a look from April, both of them thinking the same thing. April's memory of the dead body of Antonio's father washed over her. Had Celia done that?

"Are you saying this is your operation? How could you do that, kill those people? They were your family?" Woman to woman, the challenge was in April's voice as she stared down the THRUSH facing her.

"You think it was easy? I am a woman in a man's world, a man's organization. We have to fight for every foothold, every little victory. You think your life with UNCLE will be any different?" Celia was suddenly emboldened with a zeal she had not revealed previously. Years of indoctrination and loyalty to the Hierarchy fueled her anger at having been caught by these people. She had been so close to gaining a position here with her little scheme. It would have worked, she knew it should have.

April's face was flushed with anger as she considered a response to that, but instead felt Illya's hand on her arm; it was better to not wrangle verbally with Celia. There was no point to it in the end.

Celia Valenzia was taken into custody, debriefed and divested of her plans, the information and personnel. The fish were no longer dying and the coastal village returned to its normal routine of hosting tourists and travelers. Two days after discovering the body of Antonio's father, the agents and their young friend were among those enjoying the pleasures of the region as they basked in the sun; the newly replenished optimism of life returning to normal was inviting and greedily embraced by them all. While they all regretted the fate of Trevor Dalton, being stripped of his status as an agent of the U.N.C.L.E., there was no doubt that he could have gone to his superiors for help when confronted with the blackmail scheme. What was the use of working for the Command if you didn't believe it had your back? April shook her head for the umpteenth time as she ruminated over the loss of the British agent.

"I just don't understand how he could do it. I hope I never have to confront something like that…' Her voice trailed off as she considered that, being so new to this job, she really had no idea what lay ahead.

"You guys will have my back won't you?" All eyes were on her as the men nodded as one.

"April luv, you're my partner. Don't ever think you can't come to me and tell me anything. Anything, you understand?" Now it was April nodding her head. She looked at each face, Napoleon and Illya, Mark…

"You guys are the best, and I must be the luckiest girl in the world."

"To the new girl then, long life and happiness, and great success as the one and only female agent in UNCLE." Illya raised the bottle of wine they had brought, then poured into each of the glasses held up for the toast.

"First female agent. You guys are about to be invaded." April winked at them, smiling at the thought of a future filled with competent women who would follow in her footsteps.

Being the New Girl wasn't a bad thing, especially when she was surrounded by men like these three. The future looked good from here.