Honor Thy Father

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Summary: The holiday evokes different feelings for Illya and Napoleon and both must come to terms with the meaning of Father's Day. #24 Saga-series AU

Rating: gen.

There was rarely a time that thoughts of his father did not drift into his head, though his papa had died long ago. He had the memories of a child of eight, yet they were wonderful recollections of being taught to use a rifle and to shoot, of hunting and doing things to maintain the their family dacha in Kyiv. He remembered his father's hands, large strong. They were gentle when disciplining, and even more gentle when giving comfort.

Yet sadly there was one memory that overshadowed all the others, and that was when he saw his father gunned down by Nazis that fateful night in a small clearing in Bykivnia forest. It was there papa whispered his last words of advice to stay invisible and telling him to run, those words had stayed with him, helping him to survive throughout his life.*

And now Illya Kuryakin looked at his own children, realizing what a better life they had, their world was very different from the one he had grown up in.

His life had been one of deprivation and survival, theirs was one of innocence and freedom. Somehow he felt the need to thank is own father for that. If Nicolaí had not taught him well, most likely Illya Kuryakin would not have lived very long, and his own children would never have come into existence.

There was no need to teach his son Demya to shoot and hunt as he and his little sister Lourdes Mary would know only the joys of childhood. Soon there would be another Kuryakin baby brought into the world, a world that was ever shifting, but still better than the one their father had.

Illya had always envisioned a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, it's origins in Russia as he was drawn into the world of espionage. There was a different sword that hung over the heads of his children, and the children of world and that was the threat of nuclear war. Perhaps it was more like a pall, always draped above them, ready to be dropped. Sadly it was between the country of Illya's birth, the Soviet Union and the United States, now his adopted country that were the source of this worry.

There was little he could do to prevent that tension from coming to a head. U.N.C.L.E. could not interfere in the politics of their member countries...it was just the opposite as it was the organisations place to stop outside forces from attempting to up the ante and try to get the two military giants from facing off.

As an agent Illya would continue to do as he was told and go where he was told to help maintain peace and status quo in the world, one that was now really belonged to his children.

Today was Father's Day, a holiday that was acknowledged in many countries, one of many holidays celebrated in America that he once pointed out overabundance of which to his partner. To the pragmatic Russian most of them seemed so inane.**

This particular holiday wasn't celebrated in Russia, there the closest thing to it was the celebration of Defender of the Fatherland Day, on February 23 rd. marking the day in 1918 when the first mass draft into the Red Army occurred in Petrograd and Moscow during the Russian Civil War.

It wasn't his first Father's Day, yet he still wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of it, and supposed he never would be. He did what he was supposed to do as a papa, loving, protecting and raising his children as best he could and wondered why he should be honored for that.

It was his his job as a father and felt that being honored for doing one's parental duty was so unnecessary, but still when his little son and daughter would surprise him with the cards they had fashioned for him, that would make him smile and forget questioning the holiday. The day was really more for them when it came down to it, and they so loved surprising him.

Their love was reward enough. Yet when the cards were given, the giggling, kissing and hugging done, Illya Kuryakin would disappear for a few minutes, looking upward to the heavens. whispering."Spasibo papa za svoyu zhiznʹ i zhiznʹ moikh detyeĭ. Ya lyublyu tebya_Thank you papa for my life and the lives of my children. I love you," as he remembered still to Honor Thy Father. That was something he didn't need a holiday to do.

.

Napoleon Solo accompanied by his wife Bella and their twin daughters Lucine and Appollonia had just finished lunch and had settled in on the veranda behind the Solo family compound in Long Island. There was idle chatter, but there was a definite feeling of tension in the air emanating from the patriarch of the family.

He was a retired army office and was not one for so-called 'holidays' as most of his career he'd been separated from his wife and offspring. Mother Solo would often remark to Napoleon on the side that it was a wonder she and his father had managed to conceive five children.

Nana, as Napoleon's mother insisted her granddaughters call her, was sitting with the twins on either side of her on a wicker love seat as they played with the sterling silver piggy banks they had just received as gifts from their cousin Amy, Theresa's daughter.

She had grown into a lovely young lady and was away at a private school in upstate New York and sent the gifts home knowing her little cousins would be visiting for Father's Day. With her parent's being divorced, her own father, a Captain in the army was stationed in Germany and she rarely saw him...or her galavanting mother for that matter. It was her grandmother that was the guiding light in her life and Uncle Napoleon who was her favorite.

Luci and Poly played with their new found toys as their father had put a few coins in the banks and they were shaking and rattling them to their delight. It was quite a racket, and it made making everyone but their grandfather smile.

None of Napoleon's sisters were present at the gathering and as usual, were off jet-setting somewhere around the world. He was happy to find out that his niece Amy would be home in another week, and a relief as she'd be there to keep mom company.

The senior Solo was not the most congenial or sociable of persons and was now in a foul mood because a certain Russian beauty, accompanied by Napoleon's brother Hannibal had arrived earlier.

Darius Solo's thoughts were rarely positive, "Bad enough it was this ridiculous Father's Day", but to have to put up with his younger son having brought to his home Anastasiya Ursari, cousin to Illya Kuryakin, that added fuel to the fire. He was virtually ignoring his little granddaughters, until the noise level they were creating with the piggy banks finally set him off.

"Will you control those children of yours Napoleon! Can't you teach them any discipline?"

"Dad, they're toddlers, not soldiers," he mumbled his reply.

Bella watched as that stray lock of hair on Napoleon's head worked itself loose, that often happened when he was becoming upset. She kept quiet, knowing better than to say anything to challenge her father-in-law. She was well aware of what he thought of her, and for that reason kept her conversation at a minimum, knowing her Italian temper as well as her Brooklyn upbringing were better kept under control. It was after all Father's Day and no need for a confrontation.

It was unfortunate that Anastasiya was having her first visit with the family and wasn't warned about Darius Solo other than the fact that he was described by Bella as a bit grouchy.

"Napoleon, pochemu tvoĭ otets tak razdrazhitelʹny_Napoleon, why is your father so irritable?" Anatasiya whispered innocently in Russian.

Before he could respond Darius Solo bellowed out at her. "Don't you dare speak that language in my presence. Bad enough both my sons have aligned themselves with Commies but I won't stand..."

"Enough Dad!" Napoleon barked. "Nothing I...we do or say will ever be good enough for you, will it? I could never measure up to Hannibal in your eyes, but now that he's got a Russian girlfriend, he doesn't measure up either does he? This should have been a nice Father's Day; we brought Luci and Poly to see their grandfather and you've wanted nothing to do with them. I've taken your nonsense for years, but I'll be damned if my children will be subjected to it too! No, this ends today!" His face was flushed with anger as he turned to his mother, picking the girls up. "Mom, I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore. You can see the girls whenever you want, just as long as he's not around."

His mother knew Napoleon was right about his father's behavior, as all these years she'd been the peacekeeper among the family, but even she knew her husband had gone too far. Her son was right, enough was enough...

Anastasiya stood up, taking a step toward Darius, pointing her finger at him. "There will come a day when you will be sorry that you have treated your family this way. And as far as my cousin Illya is concerned, he is honorable, a good husband and father unlike you, you pompous little man. You just cannot see a good thing when it is staring you in the face."

At those words Darius Solo raised his hand to slap Tasiya, but Hannibal stepped between them knocking over a pitcher of lemonade on the table as he grabbed his father's wrist.

"No you don't." He twisted the wrist, forcing is father to sit back down in the brown wicker chair, though Darius Solo was a strong man, he didn't resist.

"The commandment, Honor thy Father is the only thing keeping me from decking you right now Dad." Hannibal hissed.

"Hannibal stop." Napoleon ordered."Come on, I don't know about you but we're out of here. Mom, I love you." He said turning to her and kissing her the cheek as did his brother.

The two couples gathered up the twins who began to cry at their sudden departure, but not before Napoleon turned to his father as he bounced Poly in his arms trying to calm her. He spoke out sarcastically, "Happy Father's day, Dad. I hope you're happy. All our lives you've treated us like grunts, instead of your sons...well not any more. He gave his father a terse military salute, then turned away.

Darius remained in his chair until they were gone and as he rose, his wife confronted him as well.

"How could you do that to them? Napoleon is right, nothing they do will ever be good enough for you, will it General? She too walked away in disgust from her husband, going to the front of the house to see her little brood off.

Darius smiled, knowing he was in truth proud of both his boys, and today more than ever. Today was the day they both finally had the guts to stand up to him after all these years. It was indeed a happy Father's Day. His sons had learned the lesson he had failed to learn from their grandfather. He never stood up to his own father's bullying. Now he knew neither his sons would be the bastard he'd become.

Napoleon and Hannibal were better than that and better men than he was. Yes is was a happy Father's Day...

.

* ref "Beginnings"

** ref "The Fat Tuesday Affair"
_______________________

Chapter 2

The ride back to the city was an uncomfortable one. Luci and Poly took a while to settle down and they couldn't understand why they were suddenly taken away from their Nana. Somehow in the hasty and dramatic exit, Luci had left her piggy bank and was quite miffed about it. Poly being unusually polite offered hers for her sister to play with, but it was refused.

Hannibal finally spoke up. "You know we're going to have to talk to dad. We can't leave mom at his mercy."

"Honestly I don't know how your mother has put up with him all these years." Bella interjected. "She's such a sweet and intelligent woman and seems so stifled by him."

"I do not know your family well enough, but perhaps she is afraid of him, after all he raised a hand to me." Anastasiya added."Napoleon, do you think that your father ever raised a hand to your mother?"

Napoleon and his brother screwed up their faces at that question as the thought of their father touching their mother in a violent way was a disturbing thought.

"Napoleon, have you ever noticed that your mother always wears clothing with long sleeves, even when the weather was warm?" Bella pointed out.

"That's true, but I never thought anything about it." he answered, "I have a feeling I'll have to have a talk with mom about that." The thought of his father abusing his mother physically added more tension to the knot that was already in the pit of his stomach. He knew his father dealt a heavy hand emotionally on his mother, and had tried to talk her about it, but mom would always go to dad's defense, he supposed to maintain the peace.

"Make that we'll have to have a talk with her, and dad too." Hannibal added. "Do you think we should get the girls involved."

"I'm sorry, but I think your sisters are just too wrapped up in their own lives to want to bother...I mean look at how Amelia was virtually abandoned." Bella warned.

"I think I'll call them anyway." Napoleon said, "She's their mother too."

That ended the conversation, and once they arrived back in Manhattan, good byes were said. Hannibal and Tasiya went off together, where they didn't say. Napoleon and Bella took the girls home and settled in for the evening.

A phone call came at ten in the evening, waking Napoleon as he dozed on the sofa. "Hello?" He mumbled drowsily.

"Napoleon dear, it's mom. I'm afraid I have bad news..."

Those words brought him fully awake and alert "Mom what's wrong?"

"It's your father, he's been taken ill. The ambulance just took him to Southampton Hospital."

He could hear trembling in her voice. "Mom what happened?"

"We were having an argument about his behavior this afternoon, he started to act strangely and his speech became slurred. Napoleon, the ambulance team said it looked like a stroke... oh God, what if he dies? What will I do without him?"

"Where are you now?"

"I'm at the hospital."

"Mom, hang in there, I'm on my way." He hung up the receiver, and placed a call to his brother, but there was no answer at his apartment."Damn."

At that moment his communicator chirped and he picked it up from the coffee table. "Solo here."

"So how was your Father's Day?" Illya asked.

"Not good. I can't chat, my mother just called to tell me my father was taken to the hospital with a possible stroke."

"I will go with you." Illya said without hesitation.

For a second Napoleon was going to say no, but a little support wasn't a bad idea. "Alright, thanks. I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."

Napoleon Solo drove like a man possessed, getting to the Kuryakin home in Greenwich Village in record time. It was late and traffic to Long Island was much lighter than during the day. Once arriving at the hospital they were directed to ICU.

Napoleon's mother was sitting in the waiting room looking lost and tired.

"Mom?"

"Oh Napoleon, I'm so glad you're here. He's not doing well." She slipped into her son's strong arms, letting him hold her for a moment. Illya stood silently until Mrs. Solo acknowledged him with a weak smile, as she reached out touching her hand gently to his cheek. "Illya thank you for coming. You've shown more kindness to me than some of my own children."

"No, it is just the opposite...it was you who were kind and welcoming to me all these years." He reached out, giving her a hug as well. "Napoleon go see your father, I will keep your mother company."

He kissed his mother on the cheek then disappeared through the double doors leading to the intensive care unit.

Illya walked Napoleon's mother to the bench in the waiting room, helping her to sit. She had always struck him a strong woman but now she looked small and frail.

"Might I get you something, water perhaps or tea?"

"No Illya dear thank you, your company is enough."

"Were you able to get in touch with your other children?"

"All except Hannibal, the girls are on their way from England, France and Spain. I must say your cousin Anastasiya is a lovely young woman."

"You have met her?" Illya asked, just slightly confused.

"Yes Hannibal brought her to the house to meet us today. They do make a lovely couple." She tried mustering a smile.

"Really? I did not know she was in the area." His face remained placid, but inside he was bristling. He did not like Hannibal Solo and the thought that he was continuing to see Tasiya did not sit well with him at all. The idea that she had been brought to meet the Solos was a whole other concern, one that he did not want to think about at the moment.

.

Napoleon saw his father through the glass walls of his room. He looked peaceful enough, but was on oxygen and was hooked up to several IV's, the steady beep of a heart monitor added to the cacophony of other hospital equipment that he was accustomed to hearing.

He stopped at the duty station to get an update on his father's condition.

"My name is Solo, Napoleon Solo. Darius is my father. Could you tell me please what his status is?"

The nurse smiled at him, then pulled the senior Solo's chart.

"He's stable at the moment, but has suffered a massive stroke. His right side is paralyzed, his speech is a bit impaired. It's too soon to know about his cognitive abilities, but at the moment he does seem to be getting some words mixed up."

"May I see him?"

"Yes, but keep it brief and he must remain calm at all cost."

Napoleon nodded, turning away from the desk and walking carefully into his fathers room.

He stood next to the bed filled with mixed emotions. The recent altercation with his father and the discussion about him possibly abusing mom was a difficult pill to swallow. As much as Napoleon resented him, he was still his father. He realized his feelings for the man were a confusing mix of love, hate and fear.

Darius' eyes opened slowly and as the focused he tried to speak."That you son?"

"Yes Dad, it's Napoleon."

"'s mother alright?"

"She's pretty scared Dad." Napoleon found himself reaching out, taking his father's hand. "She'll be alright, Illya's with her..." He suddenly thought that was a mistake, but surprisingly his father didn't react with his usual negative attitude.

"Thas gooood. Don't want mother..." He was searching for the word, but couldn't find the right one, and that began to upset him. His heart rate began to rise just a little.

"Dad it's okay, she's tired but you know how strong mom is. She's just worried about you."

"No no worrrrrry. I don't deserve that. She...saint for putting up..." He stopped talking for a minute.

"Dad it's alright." Napoleon reassured him," Stella, Millie and Theresa are on their way. I couldn't track down Hannibal yet, but I'll find him."

"Listen boy...about today."

"Forget about it Dad, just stay calm and focus on getting better."

"No, I was wrong, I always been wrong. I nooooot good father to my kids. You were right, treated you like grunts. I'm sorry Napoleon, want you to know I am proud of you, proud of you ybrother. Can you forgive an old bastard for being blind all these years...so sorry boy."

"Yes Dad I can." Napoleon wasn't sure that was truthful, but he knew it was something his father needed to hear at the moment. It suddenly hit him that his father could die. That reality made him shiver.

Hannibal Solo closed his eyes and Napoleon waited a few minutes to make sure he was asleep, then bent down, giving his father a kiss on the forehead. "This was one hell of a Father's Day," he thought to himself. "I love you Dad," he whispered into Darius' ear before leaving.

Napoleon returned to the waiting room, escorting his mother back to his father, then left her there with him.

"Just give me a few minutes dear," she whispered to him.

He held her hand, kissing it before he released her to sit beside her husband.

He joined Illya out in the waiting room, slumping down beside him on the cushioned bench.

"How is he?"

"Tough as always, but not out of the woods." Napoleon sighed.

Illya let a few minutes of silence pass, then finally asked the question that was gnawing at him. "Why did you not tell me my cousin was still seeing your brother? Your mother told me that Hannibal brought her to meet your family."

"Not my business. It's up to your cousin to tell you what she wants, or not."

"Napoleon, are your brother's intentions toward her honorable?"

"You know the subject just didn't come up as we had a rather unpleasant visit because of my father," he spoke sarcastically, then adjusted his tone. "He wasn't exactly pleased that his younger son is now consorting with the enemy so to speak."

"Still hates me huh?"

"Yes and now he has double the reason, given Tasiya is your cousin."

Illya ran his fingers through his hair."Napoleon I am sorry that we have been a burden to your family, we cannot help our nationality."

"Don't you dare say that. You're my best friend, your cousin is special too. And it's not my family, just my father...I guess old habits die hard. It's something he's just going to have to get over and if he doesn't, then the hell with him. Right now that's going to be the least of his worries given that he's partially paralyzed along with a few other problems."

Illya reached out, putting his hand on his partner's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "You know if there is anything I can do for you, I am here."

Napoleon reached up, placing his hand on Illya's and giving it a little pat.

"I know tovarisch, thanks."

He knew it was going to be a long road to recovery for his father and in spite of all that had happened, Napoleon Solo would be there to help and honor his father. He hoped that his dad's words were indeed sincere, but only time would , his mother's well being was preeminent in his mind.

"Hey," he smiled at his Russian friend."I never got to wish you a Happy Father's Day."

"And I you." Illya reached out offering his hand to his partner, and together they shook in friendship.

They nodded and remained together in silence, sitting vigil for a man they both felt mixed emotions for...

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, that is a tale for another time. My advise is to avoid that coffee machine. I will tell you this much, I'm not killing him off...

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Ok, that's good to know.